Max Mercy

You know, that's a really good question, and something I've often wondered about myself, as The Natural has long been one of my all-time favorite films. Like you, I've never read Bernard Malamud's novel, so this is pure conjecture on my part.

While I don't believe that Mercy is "in" with the Judge et all, it does seem there is at the very least a casual link between them. When Roy sits down with Gus Sands and Memo at that restaurant, they have a conversation where Gus describes how he bet against Roy that very day. Roy seems surprised by this, and Gus responds that you can "bet against anyone, anything". He then makes reference to how he "once lost a lot of money on three pitched balls, but then later ruined the guy with another deal." It seems clear that he was somehow involved with Roy's shooting, but how? The Judge and Gus Sands are able to coax beautiful young women to do their bidding (ie Memo). So, it's not out of the question to assume that Harriet Bird was somehow an agent of Gus Sands and the Judge in some manner. The difficulty I have with this is twofold: one, why would Gus Sands risk an inordinate amount of money on the Whammer (Babe Ruth, the best player in the game) against some nobody? There's the old saying that even the best hitters to ever play the game fail seven out of ten times at the bat, and without knowing anything about the young Hobbs (besides his seven no hitters), it seems like an uncharacteristic risk on his part (even for somebody who, admittedly, "likes the action"). Second, unless Gus Sands was on that very train (we never see him), how could he have been made aware of the face off in such a short amount of time? Yes, Max Mercy was on the train, but would he have been able to call Gus Sands, tell him of the forthcoming match up, and then insert himself as the "umpire" of said exhibition in such a short amount of time? Was Gus Sands sitting by the phone in 1923?

Then, there is the photos of Roy shot, and Harriet Bird's half-naked body on the sidewalk below. When the Judge comes to see Roy at the Maternity Ward, and shows him the pictures, Roy says "Mercy", which means that he believes it was Max Mercy who made the pictures available. But then in their final conversation, Max says he is there to protect the integrity of the game. Would somebody on "the Judge's payroll" be concerned about the integrity of baseball?

It's my impression that Mercy is not part of this band of evildoers. Even Memo, at the end, seems to realize what she's done, and demonstrates remorse. After firing the gun found in the Judge's desk, she says "I hate you" to Roy, who then tells her "you're right, we have met before." He clearly sees her as a pawn the same way that Harriet allowed herself to become. But as Roy leaves, Memo shows that she does have very real feelings for him, too.

The Natural, for me, works on many levels. From a purely allegorical standpoint, as well a story simply about the greatness of America's Pastime. Then you have the very human connections between the players, and sometimes there are no clear answers to questions of these kinds. I've watched this movie some fifty times (if not more), and I'm still questioning things. More than thirty years after the film debuted, it still holds great appeal, and I never grow tired of watching it. That, to me, is the sign of a great film.

Never for the sake of peace and quiet deny your convictions-Dag Hammarskjold