In the case of Tom and his ex-partner Washington but what happens when a civilian is targeted by the police department? If someone witnessed what Ludlow did in the beginning of the movie what would happen to that witness if he or she reported it?
shareCops don't generally kill other cops. They will constantly wind up in verbal and fist fights and get blackballed by their colleagues if they're considered a snitch. They may also wind up in a situation that needs backup and it will show up "late" or not at all.
As for a citizen, they'd probably get leaned on if it was a high-priority case and they had credibility or just ignored like most of the fools that showed up in the complaint department trying to get the cops in trouble for confiscating their weed. Especially in the sex trafficking case at the beginning, nobody would want to hear it.
So if a witness actually saw what he did in that solo raid, you think Tom would have uh "get leaned on"? Or maybe Forest Whitaker would have tried to bribe the witness out.
shareIn a high profile case, I think the witness would get pressured either with either positive or negative reinforcement. Either way, in a case like this one, most of the parties concerned would consider it a win. You'd be hard pressed to find an ear that would want to hear of any wrongdoing.
shareInteresting.
shareI ask because I wonder how interesting the film could be if we see Tom go so far in murder that he would even take out a civilian to keep his badge.
shareI understand. It's like watching him, at any moment, like a ticking time bomb, he would get to the point of killing an innocent person or as you said, a civilian. Maybe things were really going haywire around him that he was almost bound to do ANYTHING. But, it kinda didn't go there which is good.
share"But, it kinda didn't go there which is good." I think it should have, make a man open up his eyes wide and realizes that 'Hey, since when does it mean you rule the world imply because I have badge?', that is just me though.
shareIndeed. Maybe if that would've happen, maybe that would tone him down a bit and finally face his own crisis. Well, red, I think towards the very end, Tom does sorta realize that. He knew that the world was a pretty screwed up place but he probably didn't know how VERY SCREWED it really is. Meaning that the people he works with when trying to protect the innocent and fight crime turns out that they're adding more fuel to the crime fire.
shareTrue on everything you said and I guess the ending is exactly what I think it is; he goes on doing what he has been doing only now he will have another guy to watch is back: Briggs. Now what I don't know and probaly never will know is whether or not he and Grace are still together.
shareYeah. He seemed to be content in still continuing doing what he's doing. It's just that it had to sink in for him to realize that his best friend and other people he knew and work with were part of the crime scene as well as trying to get kill of him. And strangely, by the look on his face at the very last scene and shot, it's like his facial expression was saying, "I'm stuck in this situation yet I'm not really complaining."
You know, I think he and Grace eventually got back together. She's a decent person and she may come to him. Last we saw her, she was emotionally distressed because she was worried for Tom's safety and crime getting worse. Maybe they ended the movie to where she wasn't relevant for it any longer because we're suppose to be focused on him for the moment and his reflection on all that's happened. I mean, after it was shown and said that he still get to keep his badge, gun, and continue on his duties, he probably had to let everything sink in. I think he and Grace eventually did get back together.
Personally I hope not, her lines 'Why can't you have a normal life?' really provoked me, I mean come on; A cops life is exactly like that and that is to them normal. I think if it were up to me, Tom would have died with honor, at the same time exposing the corruption of the police department Wander then it shows he is buried next to his wife and he left a prayer that he hopes he and his wife will meet and make peace with each other.
But that is just me, the movie is still good in my opinion.
Ludlow would never have gone to the point of killing an innocent. Notice he feels bad for getting that cop killed, he considered him an 'innocent'. (even though the guy was ready to kill some dudes in cold blood)
In the case of women, children or just your average guy noway would he kill you to keep his badge. It's actually very likely he might even sacrifice his life for yours.
People need to remember he saves Washingtons wife, in addition defending Washington (a cop who was going to get him fired if not thrown in prison) from two guys with machine guns. A suicidal thing to do which he felt shame for anyway. Remember the only reason these guys didn't finish him off was because they recognized him as Ludlow, the cop who works for their boss.
Granted Ludlow beating people up would be less problematic for him, but even in the film he only does it criminals, who are used to that treatment.
I agree completely, subase. Ludlow is a VERY flawed and complex character. He's not really a bad guy, even though some of the things he does would label him one.
Also, he even felt bad for the death Diskant, the detective that was helping him in the mid-end of the movie.