MovieChat Forums > Midnight Cowboy (1969) Discussion > Did Joe Buck Murder Towny?

Did Joe Buck Murder Towny?

posted 8 years ago by dwhw
3 replies | jump to latest

About mid-way through the film, Joe Buck is picked up by a latent homosexual named Towny at a game arcade. Towny is consumed by guilt because of his homosexual instincts and asks Joe to take a Rosary (or a St. Christopher Medal, I forget which) in payment for wasting his time, as he doesn't want to consummate the sexual act he had originally planned. However, Joe only wants money, and ends up ramming a telephone receiver down Towny's throat. It was unclear to me as to whether he killed Towny or merely bloodied him. Does anyone think they know whether Towny was murdered, or simply injured?

[–] daverindone 8 years ago

I believe he killed him. Wasn't there a small exchange between Joe Buck and Ratso, who notices blood on his jacket? (it's been a while since I've seen the movie) Joe gives a cold, distance "I don't want to talk about it." reply. Townie himself admits he deserved it, so maybe he saw his own death as paying for his sins.

[–] Edward_de_Vere 8 years ago

Since we're never shown the aftermath one way or the other, I think that the movie left it deliberately ambiguous. Joe may have just broken Towny's jaw with the receiver, or, if he pushed it down far enough, choked him to death with it. Perhaps Joe ran off without even himself knowing if Towny was dead or not.

I vaguely remember Towny surviving the encounter in the novel, but even if that's the case, it isn't canon since the novel and the film are quite different in many other ways. From the point of view of story-telling, having Towny dead is more effective because it shows that Joe was so desperate that he was willing to go as far as murder (or at least voluntary manslaughter) to get what he needs, even though (again) there's nothing definitive to support this interpretation.

[–] zensixties 8 years ago

This may be the main reason why it originally got an X rating; due to its immorality. I think we can assume that he did, as there are various clues to that affect.
a. Towny says, "I loath life!".
b.Joe hits Towny who is then bloodied after his dentures fall out.
c. the phone is off the hook and Towny says (to either the operator or Joe or both), "I wasn't calling anyone".
d. Joe obviously assumes he WAS trying to talk to someone on the phone and therefore rams the phone down his throat.
e. the actual murder scene is deliberately faded to black.
f. Ratso on the bus says, "you didn't kill him, did you?" and Joe says, "I don't want to talk about that". I think it's obvious he was at least left for dead, whether or not he survived.

Considering a., if he did he did him a favor, however this was not, "They Shoot Horses Don't They". But could have been influenced by that contemporaneous film.

Finally g. Ratso dies, which can be interpreted as karmic retribution for Joe's act.

For who would bear the whips and scorns of Hollywood... (;-p)