complaint about comforting scene

He was the man in the relationship from the beginning. And there are times when a man is gentle with his bitch.

The guy on TV complaining about that scene was a complete idiot. You can't even count the number of scenes in movies and TV shows where one person will cradle a wounded or dying person in their arms. Did the guy on TV even watch the movie or tune in for that last scene so he would have something to complain about? Tony Curtis was suffering from blood poisoning and exhaustion and he'd just been shot. So stupid to look at it in any other terms than what it was-one friend comforting another. When are people going to look at the content of the character instead of the color of the skin?

http://thinkingoutloud-descartes.blogspot.com/

"His view was that Poitier's character was made to look like the servant to the the white man."

Curtis' character was sick and almost dying. I don't see anything of a "servant/master" relationship in the final scene.

"But, perhaps, if the story's intention was to show how two men of different races can overcome ther differences, there would have been a stronger impact if the comforting had been reversed."

Can't agree on that one...I think if it had been written that way, people would complain today anyway, and would say it makes the white character look superior, healthier or even patronizing towards a victimized black character.
Going further than the color question, I think the final scene suits the two runaways' personnalities pretty well. Tony Curtis' character is shown mainly as a hurted youth, vulnerable behind his smart attitude. And Sidney Poitier's appears as more mature, compassionate and good-humoured, even when faced with disaster.


" You ain't running this place, Bert, WILLIAMS is!" Sgt Harris

His view was that Poitier's character was made to look like the servant to the the white man.