MovieChat Forums > Badlands (1974) Discussion > Most Disturbing/Haunting Scenes

Most Disturbing/Haunting Scenes

posted 20 years ago by Kennybee
65 replies | jump to latest

I was disturbed by the scene where Holly pokes at Cato's dead body. Instead of touching him with her hand, she pokes him with an object. That seemed cold and detached, like she had been briefly warmed by his friendship but was still indifferent to him even when he was dying.

I am haunted by the scene where Kit shoots the boy and the girl in the field. It seemed cold when he asked Holly, "Think I got 'em?" then said, "Well, I'm not going back to find out."

I found Holly and Kit's meeting scene haunting because neither seemed that enthused when they were supposedly attracted to each other. Holly seemed blah, like whatever, and Kit acted like he was out for Holly because she might be impressed by him, which she never seemed impressed at all.

The music is haunting, some of the best film music ever. It adds to the chillingly ominous atmosphere beautifully.

What other scenes disturb or haunt you? Why?

[–] 20 years ago

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[–] www.wedd 19 years ago

I was disturbed by the bit when Martin Sheen fires his gun into the floor, just before he kills Warren Oates. Just the way Oates flinches when the gun goes off made me feel sorry for him.

[–] Cujo108 19 years ago

I did not feel sorry for Holly's dad at all. The heartless S.O.B. killed Holly's poor dog in cold blood simply because she'd been going behind his back. The dog did nothing wrong, and he could've punished her some other way. That scene upset me and killed any sympathy I may have had for him. The way that scene was shot and the use of sound and music made it especially haunting.

[–] www.wedd 19 years ago

But the Sheen character is even more blank and unfeeling, and he kills people, not animals! I don't think a man deserves to die because he shot a dog, I'm sorry. I put human life first.

[–] JoeLoebner 19 years ago

Exactly, it gets you to compare and contrast the differences of between the motives of the shootings of Holly's dad and her dog.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] Badlands1 15 years ago

He only killed people that got in his way, Holly's dad shot her dog out of spite.

[–] shani-3 11 years ago

He only killed people that got in his way, Holly's dad shot her dog out of spite.

Everyone going on about the dog: you have to remember, this is told from Holly's point of view, and she's not the most reliable of narrators. She's very immature and detached; possibly a bit "slow". She's also rationalizing running off with Kit after he kills her dad, and standing by while he commits more murders. Maybe her dad was mad at her, but probably not as mad as she claims. And the shooting of the dog may not have had anything to do with Kit--maybe the dog had rabies.

Yeah, they're dead; they're--all messed up!

[–] Badlands1 11 years ago

I`m not going on about the dog, I was correcting the above people, your beef is with them. This movie is about love, and hopelessness, Kit wanted to be with Holly but many people stood in his way of that love, that`s why he had to kill.
And the dad shot the dog because Holly went behind his back with Kit, after he warned her not to.

[–] xdayton 11 years ago

Most haunting scenes: Holly talking to Cato as he lay on the bed wounded, and Holly walking to the girl as they all walk to the cellar.

[–] jescci 11 years ago

Kit studying the dead dog and offering Cato a dollar to eat it

Kit studying the deal cow and eventually standing on it

Holly's narration about Kit sitting up in bed at night picturing her coming towards him in white robes and putting her cold hand on his forehead. Like he welcomes the approach of an angel of death.

[–] jondoe888 14 years ago

The deputy, in the end, also shoots into the weeds, and handcuffed Kit flinches.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] 11 years ago

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[–] JoeLoebner 19 years ago

Probably the most beautiful movie i have ever seen.

[–] well7769 19 years ago

Yeah I see the comparison with "In the Bedroom"...except I thought in the bedroom was much sadder... But Badlands was a great film, no doubt

[–] april_diva88 19 years ago

A scene that has stayed with me from the movie for a long time is where Holly and Kit are dancing in front of the car in the middle of nowhere. Holly doesn't look very comfortable; it's a bit disturbing.

[–] JoeLoebner 19 years ago

Thats one of my favorite scenes in the movie. I never really thought of it as disturbing.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] allWoRknPlaY68 17 years ago

Holly's dad killing her dog. And, he did it right infront of her. She's just 15. I mean, ever hear of grounding your kid? I know it's the 50's, but really.

Holly kind of, distracting the girl before Kit kills her and the boyfriend.

Not really a scene, more of a line, Holly saying she was picturing Kit drown, and she would watch. That gave me a picture in my head.

God, I love Sissy Spacek! She's my favorite actress.

"Feed me, Seymour!"

[–] JoeLoebner 17 years ago

How was Holly distracting the girl?

[–] Prom_Queen_Carrie 17 years ago

yeah that was disturbing because she was walking with the girl talking like they were having a sunny day at a picnic. And then leads her to her death.

[–] JoeLoebner 17 years ago

Yes, that does seem an accurate way of Holly distracting the girl, with Holly knowing what Kit was planning to do to the girl and Jack. It says it all...Holly is just as guilty as Kit...

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] JoeLoebner 17 years ago

Yeah, one of the best!

[–] djsnafu23 16 years ago

All terrific scenes... This film was superbly made.

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Coz lifes too short to listen to Madlib

[–] PopperTheKungFu-Dragon 9 years ago

God, I love Sissy Spacek! She's my favorite actress.

I love Spacek too. Wonderful actress.

Poorly Lived and Poorly Died, Poorly Buried and No One Cried

[–] novembermember 16 years ago

For me it would have to be when Kit was walking back to his car after talking to Holly's father who was painting the sign. As Kit was walking he quickly looks back and the look on his face is what gave me the chills.

[–] JoeLoebner 16 years ago

Because it was obvious that the killing spree would start soon after that.

[–] novembermember 16 years ago

Exactly

[–] Scrite 15 years ago

The scene that haunts me is when Kit has shot Cato and Jack and his "Girl" comes by. Holly (as someone above said) just talks to the girl as if they are going to a picnic whilst she and Jack are walking towards there death. The following is copied from the Final draft of the script.

Holly and the girl walk through the field toward a storm cellar
where the boys are waiting for them. The wind is blowing hard.

GIRL
What's going to happen to Jack and me?

HOLLY
You have to ask Kit. He says frog, I jump.

GIRL
Okay.

HOLLY
What's your friend's name?

GIRL
Jack.

HOLLY
You love him?

GIRL
I don't know.

Holly thinks about this for a moment.

HOLLY
I've got to stick by Kit... He feels trapped.

GIRL
Yeah. I can imagine.

HOLLY
Well, I've felt that way, hadn't you?

It is just totally disturbed. By the way does these two die? I mean Kit dosent look so we never seen but then it is very likely that he gets them. Does anyone know? (I have only watched this once so I might have missed it if it is mentioned later in the film)

God, I love Sissy Spacek! She's my favorite actress.

Ill drink to that. She is my favorite actress too.

If you're an atheist and 100% proud of it, put this in your signature

[–] skatepunkkid 15 years ago

It's never made clear in the movie whether or not he "got em", but in the actual Starkweather case, he did kill a young couple in a storm cellar.

"Ya never know what ya don't know, ya know?"

[–] Scrite 15 years ago

Ok, that was what I thought. Thank you.

If you're an atheist and 100% proud of it, put this in your signature

[–] heelmaster2000 15 years ago

Oddly enough the scene that I found most disturbing was when Sissy Spasics (I forget her name at the moment) tosses her pet catfish into the garden. I don't know why, but I just found that scene to be a tad odd and a little disturbing.

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] ariamne 14 years ago

Charles Starkweather did more than kill them. He raped the girl first. For all of you who are seeing him as some kind of antihero, chew on that.

[–] jondoe888 14 years ago

When I first saw the movie in 73, I assumed they were hit. This time, I wasn't so sure. But even if they weren't wounded, they were locked in a cellar. And Cato likely didn't get many visitors... So getting show may have been a blessing.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] Lily_Collette 15 years ago

- Holly's slight uneasiness as she dances to Nat King Cole with Kit.
- The reflection of Holly's father in the mirror as he discovers Kit in her bedroom.
- Kit on the staircase, shooting at the floor, and then killing her father.
- The burning home.
- Holly's father killing her dog.
- Kit shooting at Jack and his girl, after forcing them into the cellar.
- Kit approaching Holly whilst the title of the film appears.
- Holly poking Cato's body.

Even the floor longs to be your mirror.

[–] BecJ5 14 years ago

- The burning home.

The way the camera pans, the music .. like it is its own story.

I am transfixed every time.

[–] erikriveros 14 years ago

when kit coldly puts the couple that just came to see cato in that cellar..then pops too shots blindly in there and takes off...i thought that was just sick...absolutely no need, even by his own warped views....great flic

it is better to have a gun and not need it, than to need a gun and not have it

[–] franzkabuki 14 years ago

"Even by his own warped views".

I don´t think he had any "views" to begin with.

"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan

[–] erikriveros 14 years ago

he didn't have views? or he didn't have morales?

it is better to have a gun and not need it, than to need a gun and not have it

[–] franzkabuki 14 years ago

What ´were´ his views, then? The stuff he tape recorded, for instance, was just parrotting banalities.

"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan

[–] Badlands1 9 years ago

His views were: only killing to keep his life with Holly alive... He never killed for just the hell of it, this is a movie about love, yes kit was insane, and Holly to a lesser degree, but had her father allowed the relationship the probability of Kit murdering would be null, he might have robbed to sustain them.

[–] Drooch (5333) 4 years ago

Why did he kill the young couple he’d already locked in the storm shelter and then playfully ask ‘did I get ‘em?’ with a smile?

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] 14 years ago

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