MovieChat Forums > Into the Night (1985) Discussion > Casual murder

Casual murder

posted 3 years ago by Drooch (5333)
12 replies | jump to latest

For the most part this film balanced a murder-filled perilous crime drama with comedy quite well (rather like the successful blend of horror and comedy in American Werewolf)

But one moment that I didn’t think worked was the drowning of Christie. Landis’ slaptick involving opening the door was hilarious, then these four Iranian gangsters chase Christie around the beach like a Benny Hill sketch, and then… drown her?

Not only is that cold as hell, the film never pauses to register how tragic that is - a completely innocent young woman has just been brutally murdered because she helped her friend Diana. When we should be having a moment of guilt/grief from Diana, we’re instead back into comedy, and the film forgets about her.

Rather than leaving us with the haunting image of her corpse washing up on shore, I’d have let her live, have her escape the gangsters in an amusing way. The cruelty clashed with the comedy too hard.

[–] HarlemEagle42 (18433) 3 years ago

I felt a lot of the movie was like that. It's surprisingly brutal in parts. Guess that's why it was marketed as a black comedy.

[–] Drooch (5333) 3 years ago

For the most part it is a black(ish) comedy, but four big Iranians chasing a screaming innocent girl around and then holding her under water until she suffocates is not comedy, at all, and when it’s portrayed in a Benny Hill style it’s actually chilling and closer to full blown horror.

Then you’ve got Diane’s non-reaction to her friend’s murder which turns our previously sympathetic leading lady into a cold bitch.

Landis really misjudged this aspect.

[–] HarlemEagle42 (18433) 3 years ago

"..Landis really misjudged this aspect."

Based off what happened with the Twilight Zone Movie, wouldn't be the first time.

[–] gbu (585) 3 years ago

Then you’ve got Diane’s non-reaction to her friend’s murder which turns our previously sympathetic leading lady into a cold bitch.

I thought when Diana went in the house and asked for Christie she was just told she wasn't there and had ran off, i don't recall her boyfriend saying she was murdered?

[–] Drooch (5333) 3 years ago

Wasn’t it a crime scene due to her murder?

[–] gbu (585) 3 years ago

I thought it was due to the home invasion and assault, i didn't hear anyone tell Diana that Christie had been murdered.

[–] Drooch (5333) 3 years ago

Other people witnessed four massive Iranians chase and drown Christie on a public beach, and I seem to recall her corpse washing up on shore - it’s a murder scene.

But let’s say for example it wasn’t - Diana goes to her house, she’s not there, she was in possession of emeralds that Iranian gangsters are killing their way to retrieving, police are everywhere - you’d presume Christie had been killed.

But no, all that terror, grief and guilt is just sociopathically tossed aside, Diana got her friend killed and feels nothing, just like the film itself treats her murder as a funny gag. Just.. very misjudged.

[–] Melton (5598) 9 months ago

That was also weird. Why didn’t the film director boyfriend tell Diana ‘oh this crime scene? Yeah Christie has just been brutally murdered’

I think Landis was on too much coke in ‘85.

[–] gbu (585) 3 years ago

There was bursts of it leading up, the initial stabbing in the car park, the the dog getting shot by all of them in the lift and then the parrot later on.

[–] Drooch (5333) 3 years ago

Yeah but those are brief throwaway ‘characters’, the stab victim is involved in the smuggling so he’s not an innocent like Christie, and his murder isn’t played for laughs in a farcical Benny Hill style. No comparison.

[–] gbu (585) 3 years ago

You rarely get animals killed in films so that was kinda shocking albeit in a 'funny reaction' style.

I thought Christies murder was done that way purely to shock as like you say it was all Benny Hill up to the point of the murder then was like wtf they killed her.

[–] Drooch (5333) 3 years ago

It certainly was shocking, but in a sick twisted way because it was a particularly brutal murder committed in a Benny Hill style - it’s like seeing a clown, then looking down and its dick is hanging out, and it has knives for hands. The blend of the macabre and the jolly is horror territory, it doesn't work in this light comedy thriller.

Then of course you have Diana’s complete non-reaction to her friend’s murder which is freaky.

No, the film should have had Christie get roughed up, maybe hit on the head, but not… that ☝🏻