MovieChat Forums > Redbelt (2008) Discussion > Morisaki's belt

Morisaki's belt

posted 17 years ago by Eric_Muyser
9 replies | jump to latest

After a few minutes of thinking about it I went back and checked why the two at the end gave Mike their belt's. The old man (Brazil) was there to see Morisaki (Japan) fight Mercado (Brazil) so therefor since Mike beat Mercado, he gave him the red belt. I don't understand why Morisaki gave Mike his belt, since he was there to fight Mercado, it doesn't prove anything that Mike beat him. I guess it was a heat of the moment honor thing? Even though he doesn't know him, or have any idea why they were fighting.

By the way, Collins committing suicide was weaaaaaaaaak! He leaves his wife behind like that. He would have known Mike didn't want him to do that. Not only could he have refused to press charges, but that so called "evidence" isn't evidence at all. What are they gonna do, get a dirty cop to say he collected the evidence and waited weeks to file a report? It's illegal and ludicrous. Mike commits suicide completely voiding their case anyway, and did they follow through with their demands? Very short open-ended ending. Would have liked to see it run 3 hours instead :P

[–] Ezekiel_Stone 16 years ago

Morisaki gave Mike his belt because he was the most deserving, he didn't fight for money, he didn't comprimise his art by agreeing to fix the match. All of which Morisaki and the Brazilian dude have done for money, in Morsiaki's eyes Mike is the epitome of the warrior code which is why he deserved the belt.

As mentioned by a previous poster we had an insight as to what Collins would do when he came up against an obstacle in the opening scene. He let himself get tired and worn down till he was unable to escape from the chokehold by that black belt. Same thing with the suicide, he simply gave up instead of fighting like he should have.

[–] veedu 16 years ago

I agree, this movie was full of bull. All that honour and code p*ssed me off! I really dont think a police officer would kill himself to protect the honour of a small jiu jitsu school and its teacher. People learn Martial Arts to better themselves and not to protect any one elses honour but their own.

Hang On Tightly... Let Go Lightly.

[–] UberNoodle 16 years ago

Then you have not paid attention to the world around, if you think that the film was "full of bull".

Btw that "honour and code" is mystified by the Western mind because it is "exotic" and whatever other crap people spin it. In reality it is about being a man of your word and putting others before yourself. Martial arts is supposed to teach you that. Sports is athletic and not diminishing the level of dedication that those fighters put in, but the philosophy is completely at odds with budo as an art and way of life. I have studied budo for most of my life and I have only fought twice, but I have used it everyday of my life, when I dedicate myself to my life and uphold my principles and care for others.

[–] Eightythreeyearoldguy 14 years ago

Understanding of the code of honor is necessary. For one who understands it, it becomes more important than life itself.

Life, every now and then, behaves as though it had seen too many bad movies

[–] Robert R Jackson 15 years ago

I think we get the setup for that early in the film with the line, "Morisaki is a whore. He's going to do whatever the *beep* I tell his people." And then the entire film is a setup. It's like forcing cards. By the end of the hand Mike's hand is exactly what they wanted Mike's hand to be. And so Mike becomes part of a publicity stunt. He's an "unwilling warrior" being honored in an "impromptu" ceremony on live TV. Exactly like the promoters planned from the very beginning. It's an extremely dark ending. The protagonist has been completely destroyed and defeated (ethically), but he (apparently) thinks he's emerged intact as a victor. He's become a part of the show.

[–] marcjacobspants 15 years ago

Wow I see where you are coming from but I cannot believe that and I believe the facts of the film bear you wrong. The reason I cannot believe that is because the way this film ends there is no rematch, the whole league is exposed and destroyed.

Like they said, the money is in the rematch. They were not going to sell any more tickets nor any more pay per view homes by the time this fight happened they had made all the money they could make from this match. They needed more matches to make money.

So no I don't believe they wanted it to end this way. They wanted him to become part of their league and fight again and again because his skill, his honor would elevate their league and make it a better sport. They did not, imho, set him up to be given the red belt on TV. There is no money in that. They didn't want him to know the fight was fixed. They wanted him to win the $50k, and then they wanted him to come back and fight again. The money is in the rematch - the money in any TV show is in the repeat not the single event - and clearly Mike would never fight again. He was betrayed by everyone including his wife - and ended up in the arms of his lawyer. For Mike it was over, when everyone else needed it to go on and on.

[–] Robert R Jackson 15 years ago

Perhaps, but Mike is the focus of the public eye at the end of the film and now poised to think of himself as "the one guy who stayed true to his convictions in a competitive setting." I believe the implication is that he's been changed enough by the events of the film that he'll now become a part of the "Big Show." And he's still basically in the same unfortunate position that brought him to the fight in the first place. Except now he has the added pressure of being in possession of a Japanese national treasure, which will open the door to a series of future challenges. Which is in keeping with the early phone conversation about making it racial and staging grudge matches.

I mean, it's ambiguous enough to go either way and only Mamet can really say what his intentions were, but he's never really written endings as simple as the apparent ending of this film. And the whole film is about deceptive appearances and the leverages of convention.

[–] marcjacobspants 14 years ago

Coming back a year later, I concede you have some points here -- perhaps not all the way but yes, his winning the fight and the belt and exposing the fraud gives him a certain cache and fame that will of course change his life and set a great example for others very much in the tradition of the culture. He won honestly, fairly, while respecting the code of honor and that is why he was given the belt. With the belt comes the notoriety. The belt was saved in a way - it was going to be corrupted and he saved it from dishonor and would presumably keep it pure for another generation of fighters.

[–] Eightythreeyearoldguy 14 years ago

I thought I quite understood the film, but now I better watch it again, which I will tomorrow night with my film group...

Life, every now and then, behaves as though it had seen too many bad movies