The guy... (SPOILERS) - Speak (2004) Discussion

[–] InfiniteMoments 14 years ago

In the commentary, the director says she did this on purpose to humanize him and make it seem like that night just went too far. The Andy in the book was MUCH more evil, he'd whisper things in her ear, wink at her, and in the closet he tried to rape her a second time not just recant her story.

"Kristen, p***y to the wood. *beep* your guitar!" - Joan Jett rehearsing The Runaways @HereComesSun86

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[–] DazeOfHeaven69 14 years ago

Yeah I read the book and that's why I had the problem with the humanization...

But if the director said she wanted to humanize him I guess thats her decision..

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[–] Bones729 14 years ago

It might be open to interpretation though. Like he could be pretending to care about Melinda to seem like a nice guy so he can get with one of the Marthas or whoever.

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[–] DazeOfHeaven69 14 years ago

good call i could see that

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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] DazeOfHeaven69 14 years ago

Well in the book it was rape and it also made him look way more evil. I just don't know why they tried to make him seem like a human being in the movie

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[–] citromle 14 years ago

How is it not rape? She clearly said no and was struggling...

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I am confused. Why does Ross, the largest 'Friend' not simply eat the others?

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[–] semaphore-1842 14 years ago

Its not like she bit him or fought him in any way.

Rape is characterised by the lack of consent, not violence. You're just repeating the old myth that "real" rapes involve physical struggles. If some larger, menacing guy threatens you physically and takes your wallet without your permission, you wouldn't say he didn't rob you because you didn't bite him.

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[–] Ronny_the_effin_bear 14 years ago

Nah, I think it's better that a film has a humanized rapist/sex-offender. The idea that rapists are inhuman monsters is a myth: they're people.

After all, you're far more likely to be raped by someone you know (at least acquaintance-wise) than some stereotype of a "dark, scary assailant in a dark, scary alley". That's just the reality of it. Rapists are human, and it can be more than a little dangerous to portray them as anything but.

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[–] DazeOfHeaven69 14 years ago

that's a very good point, Ronny. I was more concerned with the believability of the whole idea of him protecting her. It just felt like they were TRYING to humanize him, rather than doing it in a more organic way..

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[–] kh-seat 14 years ago

Why the *beep* the title of this forum is a spoiler?!
Congratulations, now I know that she is raped before seeing the film!

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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] rhammersborg 13 years ago

Hey Daze of Heaven- spoiler!?

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[–] DazeOfHeaven69 13 years ago

your right. i apologize. how do i change it the title and whatnot?

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[–] SilverCentri2009 13 years ago

Well I would assume the whole point is to make him more complex, and it works, at least for me it did, because he was trying to act compassionate to her in case of word did get out what he did to her. Maybe his actions would tell a different story or he felt guilty about what he did. in the book, everything that was going on was from Melinda's eyes only. In the movie we get a more broader perspective (e.g. that scene with Rachel and Andy in the jeep). From what I recall, the movie still made him loathsome, especially when she's running in the hallway and he whispers to her "fresh meat' and laughs it off as if it were some joke to him.

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[–] 13 years ago

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[–] combatreview 13 years ago

>>>His character always taunting her in the book felt kind of fake and Lifetime movie-ish to me. I thought the movie was more realistic about it. Especially because, a lot of the time, rapists don't even know that they're rapists.

True, but some of them know that others see them as rapists even if they don't see themselves that way. When I was about 18 I knew a girl who claimed to have been raped (I say 'claimed', I do believe her) but most people she told didn't believe her. She was too scared to go anywhere near him but sometimes they ended up in the same room together when I was present to see it, and he took great delight in reducing her to a state of terror just by smiling at her from the corner. Melodramatic perhaps, but quite real. He was a dick that way.

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[–] 13 years ago

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[–] aqua_angel121 13 years ago

Most rapists are sociopaths who just do it for power and control and that's exactly how I saw all of his actions. He was a sociopath plain and simple.

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