MovieChat Forums > Three Days of the Condor (1975) Discussion > The whole love interest scene.....

The whole love interest scene.....

posted 8 years ago by LnineB
19 replies | jump to latest

......Made absolutely no sense. First off, he knew that someone was killing people heartlessly to get to him but yet he involves a complete stranger, a stranger who is a woman , who could end up dead also. Secondly within, I'm guessing, 12 hours he completely forgets about his girlfriend who was brutally murdered and decides to sleep with this stranger and this stranger decides that this man who kidnapped her Is hot enough to sleep with as well. It just seems so forced and out of place and didn't match the depth of the rest of the film.

[–] TakeARisk 8 years ago

Completely agreed. That's my biggest problem with the movie. It seemed so contrived. I've no doubt that the studio insisted on this dumb love interest storyline.

[–] wartengu 8 years ago

It's Robert Redford, when he tells a female to get naked, they do it no questions asked.

[–] LTUM (1033) a year ago

lol yes

[–] guardianreader (11) 5 years ago

He reads everything. Must have included the plot.

[–] Owlwise (1535) 4 years ago

It's a 70s movie, with a 70s arthouse sensibility, rather European in flavor & approach. With a sudden plunge into the madness of mass killings all around him, knowledge that his own organization is out to get him & that some very dark ops indeed are going on, plus a concurrent need for human warmth & connection as a result -- it makes sense for the times, believe me. Life was more nuanced & emotions were more sophisticated & fluid then. That was all part of the zeitgeist.

[–] Jes' Sayin' (6357) 2 months ago

I don't think it's even necessary for zeitgeist to explain it. He's not a spy type, not a man of action, but he's suddenly thrown into this chaos and uncertainty, fear and doubt, and yet also excitement. Some people, and I think this includes the Kathy character, will find such things a turn on.

[–] Owlwise (1535) 2 months ago

That's an excellent point & I won't discount it.

[–] TheArgentinian (7069) 4 years ago

This is what happens when men write female characters.
It was rape, btw. Sex under duress is rape.

[–] ecarle (14979) 3 years ago

At one point Redford says to Dunaway:

Redford: Have I threatened you?...Have i raped you?
Dunaway: The night is young.

...and the audience laughs, idea being that Dunaway sounds like she doesn't mind the prospect.

Different times.

This business of the wrongly accused hero kidnapping a heroine against her will until he convinces her to believe him was used by Hitchcock twice: in The 39 Steps(1935) and Saboteur(1942.) In The 39 steps, the couple are handcuffed together.

[–] Druff (1796) a year ago

Yes, yes, it was rape, literally ALL male -> female sexual intercourse is rape. Now let's get you to your safe space, little twerp.

[–] TheArgentinian (7069) a year ago

Fuck off, incel

[–] ColumboKate (5678) 9 months ago

It wasn't rape at all. She was very willing and happy about it all by that point. It was earlier that she was scared of him. Once he came back to her place from Sam's apartment she warmed up to him (ridiculously) quickly.

[–] jriley555 (8119) 2 years ago

When she didn't axk for her hands to be untied, that was his first clue. She was beggin' fer it.

[–] LTUM (1033) a year ago

lol

[–] LTUM (1033) a year ago

I have seen this so many times over the years that I can't even recall how early it was when i first saw it, but having said that...

i do vaguely recall thinking the same thing back when i first saw this film, that it was kinda implausible that they'd both forget their relationships (a few hours ago) and dive into a steamy session. so yeah, i get what you mean and i kinda agree.

i think after one sees a film many many times the elements in the film become a kindof 'canon' which stands on its own, impervious to criticism or adjustment because 'that's the way it happened' ...done deal, past tense. hence you start at some point suspending the what-if's and just accept the film 'the way it happened'

i think this ^ is why i see their affair as normal today, but saw it as implausible 30 years ago. make sense?

:)

[–] Redsfan001 (6145) a year ago

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