What We Can Learn from Nihilistic Hitmen (Film Analysis)
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- Опубликовано: 25 ноя 2023
- The Killer is one of the best movies of 2023, driven by a captivating performance by Michael Fassbender. Fassbender's hitman is a fascinating character who shares many qualities with Vincent from the 2004 masterpiece, Collateral. In this video, I explore the similarities between the characters and explain why it's wrong to write them off as psychopaths of the Lou Bloom variety.
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I watch Collateral about once a year, same with Heat. I wish Michael Mann made more movies.
Let's hope that Ferrari is good. Reviews are quite promising
Last of the Mohicans needs adding to your list
@@yaboileroy561 I saw it when I was a kid, but I'll revisit it!
I think the nihilism explored in The Killer and The Dark Knight also draws an interesting contrast.
The Killer exhibits his nihilism by ignoring everything and only focusing on doing his lethal job.
The Joker exhibits his nihilism through senseless chaos without any regard for anything in the world.
The Killer is careful, while The Joker is careless.
The Killer is one of my favorite movies recently! It's a character study of someone who desperately wants to delude themselves that they're this infallible calculated killer purely dedicated to the job, only to find out he's just emotional and flawed as 'the many'.
His internal monologue that he keeps repeating to himself slowly turned into hypocrisy. His confidence with certain actions backfired right in front of his eyes. The 'action scene' that usually comes from these types of movies started all because he was caught off guard (not to mention he didn't even completely put the dog to sleep). The supposed big-bad of the movie (the client) turned out to be someone who didn't even know who he was or what happened to him. The only time he actually did something without a hitch or contradiction was him emotionally killing an innocent driver who was the most detached from the whole situation.
It's both a character study and a deconstruction of the hitman-movie type that expects a huge climax/confrontation of the main bad guy followed by pure satisfaction for the protagonist.
Couldn't have summarized it better! Another thing I noticed when reading comments by people calling this film dull and boring, was that the film itself is purposely written that way. The Killer's job involves involves long hours, and it just as tedious and slow as the movie sometimes feels, because it's his perspective we're watching through. In the end, the movie really felt like an analysis between a man and his work life, where we often confuse ourselves when answering the question of "what am I doing with my life?"
You are a profoundly excellent analyst. Thank you.
This 💯 💯💯
The real subplot of ‘The Killer’ is that while he thinks he’s an expert, he’s actually incompetent throughout the film.
This is legit hilarious
That’s not the point at all
@@Kai-ky1gz maybe you should try actually watching the film 🙄
@@fredbloggs5902 you obviously did not
He wasn’t “incompetent” throughout the film. He was a top of the line assassin who had a bad day and then goes on a revenge mission which is 100% against his philosophy.
Every bad thing that happens to him through out the movie after the botched assassination happens because he is knowingly and willfully breaking all of his rules that he literally repeats again and again, I guess you missed that. That’s not incompetence, it’s him becoming “one of the many”
@@Kai-ky1gz
He…
Forgot to collect the mail
Shot the wrong person
Only fired once
Had problems with the scooter
Killed the lawyer too quickly
Failed to drug the dog
Triggered the house alarm
Drank the poisoned whisky
You really are utterly clueless.
Tom Cruise and Michael Fassbender are LEGENDS!
Absolutely, their best performances are in 'Magnolia' and 'Shame.' But their most rewatchable movies are 'Collateral' and 'First Class.'
@@thetalentof Fassbender's most rewatchable movie is Steve Jobs
Vincent stays with Max because he can't admit his plan was wrong and move on.
We are: "Metaphysically ungrounded and therefore ontologically unable to commit." and yet out of a kind of psychological self-preservation we do anyway - no one wants to admit that their lives mean nothing, nor can they live as if it means nothing. At the very least it means something to you personally....
even though you cannot metaphysically ground yourself.
Excellent video
The Killer is 9/10. Collateral is 8/10 because the movie doesn’t know how to end. Great video and analysis 👍🏻
Interesting Analysis.
i own and love the comic the killer and i am a big fan of david fincher and michael fassbender, so i did have high expectations. maybe that's the reason I'm a little disappointed, because there isn't really any other reason i could lay my finger on.. great essay!
Great vid, as usual, I always enjoy your analysis! Here’s an idea for a video: compare and contrast Braveheart and Napoleon. I haven’t seen the latter yet, but I really enjoy Braveheart. While Braveheart seems to get away with the fact that it’s historically inaccurate, Napoleon is not. Maybe you’ll disagree with that assessment, but I’d be curious to hear your thoughts.
They believe in nooosssing, Lebowski. Yaa NOSSING.
the carpet really tied the room together
@@LuisSierra42I myself like the now faded ‘hint-of-yellow’ streaks 😅
I'm not so sure that The Killer's girlfriend is his motivation. Its an interesting question, "How could anyone who lacks empathy find genuine, long term human connection?" But I saw the Killer's spree more akin to him going down the list of anyone who could know his identity and whereabouts. I couldn't necessarily chalk up his motivation to "revenge for his girlfriend". Perhaps it is a blend of his two halves; efficient hitman and flawed but caring person?
It is a movie of contradictions. The Killer is a professional, yet not infallible. The Killer gets "written off" for his mistake, yet the people sent to kill him also fail and are not similarly dispatched (by the lawyer anyway). The Killer suppresses his empathy, yet is in a loving, long term relationship. The Killer scoffs at his counterparts materialism, and desire to feed their ostentatious habits, yet he lives in a multimillion dollar home, and makes sure to clear his bank account before leaving the US.
The Killer above all else is a hypocrite, but that's what makes him so fascinating. He transcends his occupation and feels extremely "human" for lack of a better word. Not an uncaring sociopath or a bloodthirsty psychopath feeding his impulsive need to gratify himself through killing. Great character study.
Spoiler…
The reason the Killer’s eye twitches at the end of the film 07:07 is because he’s dying, poisoned by the whisky from Tilda Swinton.
He describes that exact symptom in his voiceover during his confrontation with the client.
Funniest scene is the lawyer one. He didn’t smoke so..
make a video about the mvie waterloo 1970
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Life is Story is taking the Killer's mantra out of context. The Killer has two different lives. Do you really think he lacks all empathy for his gf? Of course not. That's his personal life. His mantra is for the job. Not his personal life. When his employer went after him they made it personal but he remained professional. Running away was never an option for The Killer. This wasn't so much about revenge as it was about him cleaning up his mess. That's why he didn't kill the Client. The Killer is a professional.
As for Nihilism it's philosophy varies from person to person. The Killer and Vincent are characters who took things to the extreme. One can be a Nihilist and find meaning in whatever they want. Life Is A Story just has a basic misconception of what is Nihilism. Life Is A Story sees some of the Killer's actions as if they contradict his Nihilistic philosophy but that's just not the case. The Killer's employer made the mistake of thinking he could take him out. The Expert fails to do her job which gives the Killer the upper hand. The film ends with the Killer on top, warning the Client that fucking with him is a bad idea.
"The Killer" was ok, but "Collateral" is a stone cold neo-noir masterpiece
But was Tom Cruise acting? Read about his choice. This might have been a cathartic experience for him. 😢
we want to tell ourselves that existance is meaningless, that we are small in space and time but ultimately we all value relationship (see Horton Hears a Hoo), even Neitzche. This is ultimately the root of value in the Bible also, God values relationship above all else.
You've nailed the analysis of those nihilistic killers, but from a psych student's perspective, there's a bit more to it. These hitmen you're talking about aren't exactly psychopaths; they're more in the sociopath territory. Psychopaths, you see, are like walking amorality, but these guys have a conscience, albeit a weakened one. It's like they've got a half-hearted empathy that occasionally kicks in, leading to those moments of hesitation.
Now, psychopaths? They're the real deal when it comes to lacking empathy and not giving a damn about who they hurt. Sociopaths, on the other hand, can pull off some selective empathy, especially if they can relate to someone after putting in a bit of effort.
And that whole nihilism angle they play? It's like their constant effort to justify what they're doing. It's their way of drowning out that feeble conscience of theirs and staying laser-focused on their mission, no matter how messed up it is.
Now, let's dig into a couple of instances where sociopathic serial killers actually felt a hint of remorse or hesitation, forcing them to concoct rationalizations in defense of their gruesome crimes.
1. Edmund Kemper expressing his remorse
"I look at the wreckage behind me, the dead people caused by my self-indulgence in fantasy life and then my self-indulgence in not doing something about it-getting help, or taking action against myself, even."
"There's somebody out there that is watching this and hasn't done that - hasn't killed people, and wants to, and rages inside and struggles with that feeling, or is so sure they have it under control. They need to talk to somebody about it. Trust somebody enough to sit down and talk about something that isn't a crime; thinking that way isn't a crime. Doing it isn't just a crime, it's a horrible thing, it doesn't know when to quit and it can't be stopped easily once it starts."
Kemper said that even though six young women were dead because of "the way she raises her son and the way her son is raised," he was still extremely upset after his mother's murder.
"It hurts because I'm not a lizard, I'm not from under a rock. I came out of her vagina," said Kemper. "I came from my mother, and in a rage, I went right back in."
Kemper's remorseful words certainly reveal the complex emotions he grappled with. Kemper's remorseful words highlight his recognition of the devastation caused by his indulgence in a twisted fantasy world. In light of his admission, he acknowledges the struggle that others may face and urges them to seek help rather than succumb to their violent desires.
2. Ted Bundy acts and expressions of remorse - excerpts from Conversations with a Killer
Excerpt 1:
"TB: The survival took precedence over the remorse… with increasing effectiveness. When, in fact, it would almost seem this individual, recognizing the emotional trauma… the guilt and remorse he had… on it and on the normal individual, began to condition mentally, condition out guilt; using a variety of mechanisms. Saying it was justifiable, it was, uh, acceptable, it was necessary, and on and on.
TB: He received no pleasure from harming or causing pain to the person he attacked. He received absolutely no gratification from causing pain and did everything possible, within reason-considering the unreasonableness of the situation-not to torture these individuals, at least physically. The fantasy that accompanies and generates…the anticipation that precedes the crime is always more stimulating than the immediate aftermath of the crime itself."
Excerpt 2:
"He pushed her off the sidewalk into this darkened, wooded area, and uh, told her to submit and do what he wanted her to do. She began to argue with him and he kept telling her to be quiet. She said she didn’t believe he would do anything to her, anyway. Then he began to try to remove her clothes and she would, uh, continue to struggle in a feeble manner.
And also voice verbally her objections to what was going on. And then, uh, the significance, now, is that his intent with this victim was not to harm her. He thought this was going to be a significant departure; perhaps even a way of deconditioning himself, to climb down that ladder or, uh, I can’t think of a good word, de-, de-escalate this level of violence to the point where there would be no violence at all. Even no necessity for that kind of encounter at all.
But he found himself with this girl who was struggling and screaming. Uh, not screaming, but let’s say just basically arguing with him. There were houses in the vicinity and he was concerned that somebody might hear. And so, in an attempt to stop her from talking or arguing, he placed his hand over her mouth. She stopped and he attempted to remove her clothes and she began to object again. At this point, he was in a state of not just agitation, but something on the order of panic. He was fearing that she would arouse somebody in the vicinity. So, not thinking clearly but still intending not to harm her, let’s say, he placed his hands around her throat.
Just to throttle her into unconsciousness so that she wouldn’t scream anymore. She stopped struggling, and it appeared that she was unconscious. But not, in his opinion, to a point where he had killed her."
Ted Bundy's expressions of remorse are laced with the complexities of his manipulative nature. He sought to condition out guilt, rationalizing his actions as justifiable, acceptable, or even necessary. Yet, there were instances where he aimed to avoid causing harm, hoping to deescalate his violence and lessen the necessity for such encounters.
3. David Parker Ray expression of remorse
"Like I said before, I don’t like killin’ the girls that we bring here, but occasionally things happen. What can I say? I would really hate to have to dump that pretty little body off in a canyon somewhere, to rot. I’m not trying to scare you. That’s just the way it is. Be nice. Keep your mouth shut, learn the rules and survive."
"Almost all of ‘em cry a lot, especially during the first three or four days. And some of ‘em scream and threaten. But I have a poster on the wall in the playroom that says it all. If they’re worth takin’, they’re worth keepin’. And I’m going to tell you, just so you know, since you are being kept here against your will, we will never trust anything you say, do or promise. You are a potential threat to us and you will always be treated as such. On numerous occasions, bitches have told me that they’d do anything I wanted ‘em to do, if I’d just take the chains off. I’ve been offered ransom money and I’ve even had girls tell me they liked it. But I like to use the chains, money’s not that important and masochists are rare as hell. Heh, heh, I wonder what your scam’s gonna be. Not anything that I haven’t heard before, I bet, if you get a chance to talk at all."
David Parker Ray, known for his sadistic crimes, showcased a disturbing mix of remorse, control, and susceptibility. While he admitted disliking killing his victims, he callously remarked that "occasionally things happen." This quote is hinting at his acknowledgment of the potential for softer emotions.
His poster on the wall suggests that even Ray, in his twisted mindset, was aware of the potential for his victims to evoke empathy and of his potential susceptibility to the pleas and manipulation of his victims. So, the poster served as a reminder to remain detached, cynical, and distrustful, showcasing the constant struggle between his sadistic desires and a fleeting softer side.
4. Jeffrey Dahmer expression of remorse
"Yes, I do have remorse, but I'm not even sure myself whether it is as profound as it should be. I've always wondered myself why I don't feel more remorse."
"I don't even know if I have the capacity for normal emotions or not because I haven't cried for a long time. You just stifle them for so long that maybe you lose them, partially at least. I don't know."
Dahmer's introspective reflections reveal a complex struggle with remorse. While he acknowledges its presence, he questions the depth and capacity of his own emotions. His inability to cry and his long history of suppression raise doubts about the remnants of humanity within his disturbed psyche.
5. Dean Corll expression of remorse
Among his numerous atrocities, one peculiar incident stands out, hinting at a flicker of remorse in an otherwise sadistic soul.
According to the testimony of David Brooks, one of Corll's teenage accomplices, there was a moment when the Candy Man reached out to his own mother during the height of his killing spree. It was during this chilling phone call that Corll, in an unsettling admission, acknowledged the deep-rooted issues plaguing him. Dean Corll's acknowledgment of his connection to his mother and the turmoil he experienced reveals a flicker of self-awareness buried beneath his monstrous facade.
Conclusion
Edmund Kemper, known for his brutal acts, expressed remorse and acknowledged the devastating consequences of his actions. He recognized the need for intervention and pleaded with those who harbored similar urges to seek help. Despite his words, the pain caused by his self-indulgence in a fantasy life and his inability to act against himself had already left a trail of destruction.
Ted Bundy, infamous for his charm and brutality, exhibited occasional expressions of remorse. He sought to condition out guilt, convincing himself of the acceptability and necessity of his actions. In recounting encounters where he attempted to minimize harm, Bundy revealed his struggle with violence, hoping to deescalate his disturbing desires. However, these glimpses into his remorse were overshadowed by his manipulation and ultimate descent into unspeakable acts.
David Parker Ray, a sadistic predator, displayed a disturbing mix of remorse and calculated control. He acknowledged his dislike for killing the women he abducted, but his veiled threats and manipulation revealed a twisted justification for his actions. The presence of a poster reminding him not to trust his victims hints at a vulnerability to guilt and a need to deliberately dehumanize them.
Jeffrey Dahmer, infamous for his gruesome acts of cannibalism, grappled with the absence of a more intense remorse. He questioned his capacity for normal emotions, pondering whether his prolonged suppression had stripped him of his ability to feel. While he recognized the presence of some remorse, Dahmer's struggle with emotions remained a baffling aspect of his disturbing psyche.
Dean Corll, the Candy Man, who terrorized Houston with his sadistic crimes, offered a rare moment of introspection during a haunting phone call to his mother. Acknowledging deep-rooted issues, Corll hinted at a flicker of remorse. Though these admissions fell short of genuine remorse, they provided a glimpse into the twisted mind behind his reign of terror.
Collateral and Leon did it way better. Even the Hitman games are better. But ironically The Killer is the closest thing to Hitman and assassins IRL. Just listening to you describe The Killer “storyline” makes it very misleading, just as the trailer did. It’s really not that deep, not a good story at all, while Collateral is an absolute masterpiece as is Leon The Professional.
Just watched this movie, it was so lame xDDD
The Killer was a strange movie - good enough to watch at the time but ultimately just a bit small/safe/meh! Fincher is long past his prime and frankly out of touch with his audience these days. His high point was Fight Club and its been all down-hill from there. Nothing else he has made has even come close to the incredible cultural impact and resonance of that movie. It just feels like hes off on his own tangent and only making movies to entertain himself these days. At this point he may as well just follow Tarantino into retirement. No doubt Netflix will bankroll whatever he wants to do for the rest of his career but to be honest I'm not expecting much out of him anymore. Hes old and tired now and obviously doesnt have the same passion for it anymore. No problem - step aside and let the next generation of hungry young directors take a crack at it instead.
You think you have an opinion. You think you can summarize it in 9 minutes. That tells me your not worthy of an opinion on the topic.