MovieChat Forums > The Usual Suspects (1995) Discussion > Why was Saul Berg so hesitant to give up...

Why was Saul Berg so hesitant to give up his briefcase?

posted 8 years ago by yolate
9 replies | jump to latest

Considering five armed men had just killed his bodyguards and all that was in the briefcase was a small amount of drugs, why wouldn't he just give it to them?

[–] Stratego 8 years ago

Not drugs, but cash. Hey, he was Jewish, the guy cared more about his money that his life. But you'd have to ask Verbal, he made it up.

[–] bohunkchicklet 8 years ago

No, it was "a lot of China" as Fenster put it. They thought it was going to be jewels and cash and it turned out to be heroin. Saul figured he would probably be killed over losing it, so, he was screwed either way.

[–] gottaluvafriend 8 years ago

...why wouldn't he just give it to them?

I guess you missed the part about how Soze treated those who betrayed him.

[–] bh_tafe3 8 years ago

Kobayashi: "All 5 of you are responsible for the murder of Saul Berg.."

He kills the guy in cold blood, meaning that all 5 take the fall for his death (Felony murder: a murder committed in the commission of a crime), meaning that Kobayashi can blackmail them all into doing exactly what Soze wants them to do. The guy who got them in that mess by shooting Saul? Soze himself.

Of course we have no actual idea what parts of the story were true and what weren't. We can assume that something verifiable like Saul Berg being murdered would be based on fact. As well as the line up where they all met, the exposing of NY's Finest Corruption Ring.

[–] imdb-7503 8 years ago

Because it had Marsellus Wallace's soul in it. :)

[–] gottaluvafriend 8 years ago

Because he saw Soze standing right there.

[–] sopclod 8 years ago

That thought crossed my mind too but I doubt it since there are very few people that know him on sight. My guess is that Kobyashi or one of Soze's other henchmen told him something even more explicit about what would happen to his loved one(s) if he gave up the case in such an event, and was probably even told that he'd likely be killed.

[–] gottaluvafriend 8 years ago

That thought crossed my mind too but I doubt it since there are very few people that know him on sight. My guess is that Kobyashi or one of Soze's other henchmen told him something even more explicit about what would happen to his loved one(s) if he gave up the case in such an event, and was probably even told that he'd likely be killed.

While it's true that few people knew Soze by sight there's no sense in making up part of the story. The question is a very good one and the only thing I can figure is that Saul recognized Soze.

[–] Chester (223) 2 years ago

Wouldn’t he be better off obeying Soze? Refusing to cooperate with him earns him a bullet in the head.

And why is Verbal confessing to cold blooded murder?