I think that Parks entered that house with every intention of killing his father. His desire to murder him dates back to his finding his (own) records at the orphanage, then learning of Sir William's modus operandi and his mother's alleged death. He didn't need a catalyst - Elsie - to tip the scales in that direction, although her situation (while not, as aGuiltySoul said, the same as his mother's) may have made his revenge all the sweeter.
Sorry to keep returning to Weissman's high-volume phone calls, but Altman talked - in either a commentary or interview I saw - about these calls acting as exposition, and as an alert/raising of awareness, for the audience; e.g., valets can go anywhere and everywhere.
A handsome new visitor such as Parks would have the female servants lining up to give him guided tours of every nook and cranny in that place, no doubt, so I saw no need for our being shown or told how he got ahold of the knife, or learned of the hidden entry to the study. And I'm pretty sure we saw a very brief scene in which Parks looks up to see - Elsie, I think? - coming back through the secret passage from the study into the kitchen area.
Parks' talk with Mary, in which he says he doesn't know whether or not he killed Sir William, is tantamount to a full confession from virtually anyone else. Really, what else *could* this mean when coupled with his strong denials of having poisoned him?? He certainly convinced *me* he'd stabbed him. (That Mary then says, "So you did kill him, then," I cringed. She knows Sir William didn't die from a stab wound, so it's a stupid and pointless thing to say.) It's at this point that Parks says he doesn't know - also odd - but his then adding "and I don't care" I found to be disingenuous. I believe he cared very much that his father die by his hand.
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Flora_Poste
10 years ago
It's at this point that Parks says he doesn't know - also odd - but his then adding "and I don't care" I found to be disingenuous. I believe he cared very much that his father die by his hand.
I think Parks genuinely doesn't care how Sir William came to be poisoned. He smiled in the courtyard when he overheard the news that Sir William had died because of being poisoned, not stabbed. He didn't seem one bit put out that Sir William had not died by his hand. In fact, Parks seemed to find it amusing that Sir William was "hated enough to be murdered twice."
As for the "secret" passageway, it's a private back passageway, not secret. I'll have to watch GP again to see if Parks observes anyone emerging from the private passageway into the kitchen area. My own thought was that Parks watched Mrs. Wilson take the cup of coffee up to Sir William via the private passageway, and followed suit.
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susanemccool
10 years ago
"I think Parks genuinely doesn't care how Sir William came to be poisoned. He smiled in the courtyard when he overheard the news that Sir William had died because of being poisoned, not stabbed. He didn't seem one bit put out that Sir William had not died by his hand."
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You're absolutely right. *This* Parks does not care that he was not the deliverer of his father's fate. It annoys me as I don't feel this reaction was in keeping with the Parks I first "met," who I felt certainly would care, and very much, indeed!
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"In fact, Parks seemed to find it amusing that Sir William was hated enough to be murdered twice."
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Excellent point, Flora_Poste!
I don't recall an effort being made to keep the existence of the study's back entrance a secret; it was simply a convenience. I was just continuing the terminology of the thread, as a courtesy and as it's a commonly used, if not "correct," term for such aspects of grand houses.
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"I'll have to watch GP again to see if Parks observes anyone emerging from the private passageway into the kitchen area. My own thought was that Parks watched Mrs. Wilson take the cup of coffee up to Sir William via the private passageway, and followed suit."
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Even if we, the audience, saw him witness neither, I think it believable that he knew of its existence.
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