I know that he was a completely twisted person, but it seemed like he truly was disgusted with who he was, but could do little to control himself. It seems that his mom was the only one who could make him see this and it really bothered him that he couldn't change his nature.
shareI definitely did. I think that people with complex psychological issues such as his shouldn't be shunned from society but helped to overcome their (abusive toward children) desires and don't ever act on them.
shareI guess all bad people just can't control themselves right? I had no sympathy for the pedo, I reserve that for his victims. I am sure they are mental but I am also sure they should be locked up and never let loose. Their recidivism rate is enormous. His self-castration was a step in the right direction though.
shareThis question comes up a lot on this board, and for obvious reasons, as the film intentionally shows the character as both monster and victim.
It makes me think of Fritz Lang's 1931 film, M. The main character is a child killer (as is Ronnie in the book version of Little Children), and everybody hates him and wants him dead... all the law enforcement and the criminals and gangsters are hunting him down... then his speech when he's captured by the crooks... "It's there all the time, driving me out to wander the streets, following me, silently, but I can feel it there. It's me, pursuing myself! I want to escape, to escape from myself! But it's impossible. I can't escape, I have to obey it. I have to run, run... endless streets. I want to escape, to get away! And I'm pursued by ghosts. Ghosts of mothers and of those children... they never leave me. They are always there... always, always, always!, except when I do it, when I... Then I can't remember anything. And afterwards I see those posters and read what I've done, and read, and read... did I do that? But I can't remember anything about it! But who will believe me? Who knows what it's like to be me? How I'm forced to act... how I must, must... don't want to, must! Don't want to, but must! And then a voice screams! I can't bear to hear it! I can't go on! I can't... I can't... " (copied & pasted from the M quotes page)
It's easy enough to say that people who "can't help themselves" should spare others by killing themselves or turning themselves in to face what prison has in store, but I'd guess it would be very difficult to do either, even if filled with self-hatred. I'm no bleeding heart, but I'm unable to see people like this in a purely one dimensional way. I suppose there are total sociopaths who are completely amoral, with no remorse, but I suspect many of our monsters are themselves also stuck in a kind of hell. Empathy? No. Sympathy, yes. Anger, yes, also, because "I can't help it" doesn't do the victims any good and such a person simply has to be stopped, and, as a parent and a human, I'd be as likely as anyone to want to inflict merciless damage on anyone whose evil and/or sickness drove them to abuse or kill kids... but I'm very glad that I don't have to fight or face those particular compulsions, and how can anyone not feel some sorrow that anyone would have to?
I think, John, fewer people feel "forced" to do it than many might assume.
shareYou certainly could be right. I don't know and only hope that most people, even those who do terrible things, aren't one dimensional cartoon monsters, that these exist only in the movies, but I'd be a fool to claim that there's no such thing as monsters, and I don't make that claim. Obviously, there are those who enjoy inflicting harm on others, feel no remorse or conflict, and the older I get, the more I'm likely to agree with you that true psychopaths, or sociopaths, are all around us... many of which are willful wolves in sheep's clothing disguise. Some have Ronnie's inclinations. Some wear a badge, or a suit. Some disguise themselves as vigilantes. Etc... As we are talking about a movie, and a character who is portrayed as both monster and victim, my post was coming from that.
shareNo, I do not feel empathy for him as I have never had the urge to flash my genitals at children or look at them sexually and/or masturbate to them. Now have I ever tried to put myself in those shoes.
I do feel a bit of sympathy for him, as he seems to be mentally unstable. Kids aren't safe from him and neither is he.
It';s hard to say. Miss it in theatres (and another pedo flick with Patricvk WIlson, HARD CANDY even though I do have that on DVD) but did see the pool scene on YouTube just now. He is SICL! I plant o get this
shareNot until the masturbation scene!
Well beside of that I felt really sorry for his mother, as she only wanted the best for her son.
I also felt much for the date!
The girl was alreade abused and had to see this weird guy masturbating. EWWw.
No, not really. I saw him as a severely mentally sick man, who didn't have complete control over his behavior. His situation was very unfortunate... but I can't say I felt much empathy for his character.
I really didn't feel empathy for any of the characters in this film, except Larry. You could see how damaged and traumatized he was by the shooting accident. I felt empathy for him because what he did was a total accident and he had to live with himself, knowing he had murdered an innocent kid, for the rest of his life.