I just finished persusing most of the comments on The Asphalt Jungle and one of the questions I asked in my previous post has been cleared up, so please don't waste time answering it. Now I understand Emmerich's left-handed quote. Thank you Danny White.
Not so fast Irina. Let's not give White too much credit, now. He's correct in stating that the word "sinister" refers to the left hand, and so one might conclude that Emmerich simply means that crime is wicked. This is not what he means. So, continue ruminating and cogitating deeply on this question.
ReplyDeleteDoes it have anything to do with a Biblical allusion where it states that when something is given with the right hand, the left hand shouldn't know what it is doing. So, in this, does it have anything to do with one hand doing something and the other being unaware of what is happening. Who knows, I still think I need to do more "cogitating" upon it.
ReplyDeleteJames, you are working way too hard on this one. It's very simple, really. He's just saying that criminals are really not that much different than the rest of us. They're just going about it in a different way. Ask yourself what each of the criminals wants. None of them are depraved, really. Doc wants to get away to Mexico where he can chase girls. He's a bit of a perv, but i don't think he's going to rape anyone. Dix wants a farm. Ciavelli wants to take care of his family.
ReplyDeleteThe speech that the Commissioner gives to the reporters is partly right. Society does need to fight crime. But then he goes to far when he says that Dix, the "hooligan" is a depraved killer, a man with no decency etc. Dix is very decent in a lot of ways.
Does this theme, namely that even hardened criminals are a lot like the rest of us, in fact, they are us, sound familiar? Here, I'll give you a hint: You're an animal! No, worse... human! HUMAN!!
Yes, actually it does. And I guess your explanation is much simpler and makes far more sense than mine, unless of course this film was a demonic archetype, which I don't think it is in the least. But the theme that criminals can be just like us was clearly prevalent and a theme that although saddening, is in many ways true.
ReplyDeleteI just made a comment on this topic on your other blog post....only to find this entire discussion here afterwards, haha. But anyway, referring to what Jimmy said above, I also think that the fact that criminals are people after all makes me pity the human race. We all have dreams and desires, and desperation moves us to do things that are "wrong" to fulfill them, but yet we can't help it.
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