MovieChat Forums > Eye of the Needle (1981) Discussion > 'Now You Feel Guilty'. 'Yes, I do'

'Now You Feel Guilty'. 'Yes, I do'

posted 19 years ago by jimbogags
3 replies | jump to latest

(Spoiler)

In the scene after Donald Sutherland's characther killed Lucy's husband, and Donald Sutherland and Lucy were face to face in the house; Lucy sensed something was awry. She automatically assumed it was because of guilt over their affair. That's what she meant when she said, "Now YOU feel guilty" (because earlier in the day he had made the same assertion of her).

I can't remember if Sutherland verbally responded, affirming the guilt; or just used a facial expression; but regardless I found this a very whitty scene. At this point, she would only know that his reason to be guilty was their romantic indiscretion; whereas, he actually had more to feel guilty over: the killing of the husband of woman he cared for. He had to kill her husband, but perhaps he had regrets knowing that this would hurt the single being he seemed to extend love towards in the film.

My philosophical questions to anyone who cares to respond are: Do you think his response was referring to the murder of her husband? DID he feel guilty over that? Or was he just going with the flow and truly heartless?

and--what poetic device occured? Is that irony? Or would it be more like ambiguity because of the inherent double meaning? Is anyone knowledeable of literary affects that would apply to this scene?
Thank you.

[–] ed56 18 years ago

I believe he had regrets not for the killing of Lucy's husband but for the fact that this act would certainly hurt Lucy who was the only person he loved and cared about. From Faber's point of view the husband was a risk to his mission and therefore he had no regrets for killing him but only for the fact that it will hurt Lucy.

[–] Strausszek 18 years ago

I think the meaning of the word irony has changed a bit in later years. Irony used to mean something said/written in a way that implied a sub-meaning "the contents of this is crap, the opposite is valid". So irony would have a cognitive value, it exposes the folly of a viewpoint, at least makes it appear dishonest. But lately, irony is often used in a wider sense, something that's said and meant to appear a bit corny, self-defeating or in the wrong place, but it doen't have to point to another point of view: it's enough if the situation looks sort of dumbass and the line helps make it so.

In the same way, satire used to mean that you were smarter than the stuff you sent up, and made your audince share in this: now it often means making yourself dumber than the persons/things you're after.

[–] HelpMeRhonda (1158) 4 years ago

I don't think he felt guilty over killing David. I don't really think the Needle felt that much affection for anyone or anything, but instead the guilty look on his face was because of him having to cover up the fact that he killed Lucy's husband. BUT maybe he did feel guilty, idk.

I think dramatic irony may be the term best used. It's when the audience knows something that a character does not.