I know Garber said he took it, and how he spent it etc but do you think he just said that to save that kid from being shot or did he really take the bribe off the japanese?? i'd like to think that if he'd taken a $35,000 bribe he's have sprung for a full gallon of milk not just a half gallon lol
sharemy husband and i discussed this when the movie was over. I personally like to thinkt hat he didnt really take the bribe and just said it. but then at the end of the movie the mayor was talking about taking care of him or something like that, and he didnt say anything. so maybe he did?? i guess we will never know
shareI think he didn't do it. as far as him crying when he admitted it, he could have been ashamed of having to admit it front of his peers when he was not guilty. despite it being under duress- it doesn't matter, once you admit it there are gonna people that naturally look at you different. plus someone already the wife, she had knowledge of the charges but not of his guilt. her reaction was one of redemption, not one that resembled getting away with something- so i don't believe Denzel when he tells John that his wife accepted it. as far as the mayor goes- why say anything- the mayor doesn't truly know he's guilty, he just knows of the confession and he's offering to make things go away. why would Denzel interfere at this point.
shareI think the Mayor was referencing the whole Garber shot Ryder thing when he said they'd go to bat for him and protect him....
shareThis is the easiest thing in the world to prove. Denzel's character was just an average middle class American. I doubt he would have any hidden accounts. They can just subpeona any bank transfers towards into his kids' university tuition accounts.
Unless they gave him the money in cash and he had it hidden...the paper trail is too easy. Stupid, stupid lame weak excuse in a ridiculous movie.
"i guess we will never know"
That seems to be so.
We do, however, know for certain his wife is going to clock him for not observing wifely instructions that he is to bring a gallon of milk home!
That was only half a gallon he was carrying at the end. I know this 'cos I paused the film, took a photo of the TV screen just when he was opening his front gate, downloaded the photo,blew it up on Photoshop and measured the carton (barely visible in the bag from the shop) with my rule. After 5 minutes of algebra I worked out it was only half a gallon! :)
He did take the bribe.. and I think it was kind of an important part of the movie.
At the end, when the Major talks to Garber.. he said something a long the lines of "Tomorrow.. The city is gonna help you!"
I believe he has talking about the case against Garber.. and how "the city" would "make it go away" even though he was guilty. This is important because it symbolizes the corruptness and criminality within the system.. which is what Travoltas character was aiming to prove; that nothing is fair and that we're all guilty!
The point was subtle.. and I think it should have been much more evident. Would have improved on the movie.
The Mayor didn't imply that Garber was guilty, simply that he would go to bat for him and press to have the charges dropped either way. His guilt is still unclear- his confession was made under duress, and I believe he would confess to save a life- though the confession wouldn't hold water given the circumstances anyway.
sharehe doesnt even have a kid in college. at the end or during the movie i think it shows him and his wife having a little kid proving he did not take the bribe because he would not have kids so far apart as an everyday middle class american working man.
shareI think as to whether or not Garber took the bribe, it was just left open to audience interpretation. I don't think he took it.
shareI don't think he did it, it doesn't fit with the rest of his character. He seemed like a "do the right thing" kind of guy that lived a fairly simple life. He worked his way up through the MTA to get to where he was. When he was trying to convince Ryder of his innocence, he reacted with the same passion that an innocent man would have, infuriated that people don't believe him, rather than the desperate liar hoping people believe his denial.
I also think he would have said he did it sooner than the last second before Ryder almost shot that kid if he were guilty. He must have known that a confession under duress would not hold up in court, so if he was guilty, why not just confess to Ryder right away so the kid could be saved? By him waiting until the very last second, I think that was him fighting to say it, because it is so hard to admit guilt to something you did not do.
Going along with the "do the right thing" personality, how many other people would have gotten so involved in this when they didn't have to be if they weren't a good person? Yes I know, a person who take bribes to further their kids education could also be a good person in the sense that they don't want to see innocent people die, but still, he went way above and beyond what was expected of him, to make sure the people were saved and these guys were brought to justice. After he lost them in the tunnel, he could have ran to safety, but instead he followed them in an effort to keep them from getting away, and I don't think it was just so he could get a cut of the money.
The conversation with the mayor at the end didn't necessarily prove his guilt. Perhaps the Mayor DID think he was guilty and was trying to tell him it wouldn't be a problem anymore (as a payback for doing what he did to help). Regardless, the investigation would most likely still be there the next day, so the Mayor could have just been telling him, no matter what is going on with this investigation by the MTA, the city is going to squash it so don't worry.
Whoever mentioned the stuttering of denzel HE DOES THAT IN EVERY MOVIE! And of course he took the bribe! Its shocking how people think it is against his character. Him taking the bribe is the only thing that makes him a character! Otherwise there is literally nothing to him.
shareI think he took the bribe. When he first confessed, I assumed he was just saving the kid, but when the details flowed out so easily, I was convinced he did it. And I think Travolta was right -- he was looking for redemption (and got it).
Oh, and the one poster who thinks it's corrupt for New York to go to bat for the guy is nuts. It was a lousy $35,000 bribe. Sure, it's a crime and it was wrong, but after saving a bunch of lives by putting himself in jeopardy, I think it deserves a pardon.
And the wife knew about the charges -- like someone said, it was her first thought when the police came.
I will say that I misunderstood the scene about the wife being okay with it. I had a wiggly kid on my lap when that was on. I thought Ryder was asking if the wife was okay with him delivering the money.
Of course the confession wouldn't hold up, but it still must've been hard to admit. In a way, the fact that he took so long to admit it sort of indicates his guilt. An innocent man wouldn't have taken so long to lie to save a life.
I think the posters who think he didn't do it are just projecting their love for a character who was a hero throughout the ordeal. But people are flawed. One guy can take a bribe and still be a hero in a life or death scenario. Another guy can refuse a bribe and not be a hero.
Saulisa
I agree.
Also, is everyone forgetting the conversation Denzel and Travolta had in the bridge? Travolta asked Denzel if it makes him feel better and make everything ok. Denzel replies that it doesn't but it's the start. I believe they were referring to the bribe there. Because Garber (Denzel) didn't have anything else to feel bad about. There were no cops and Garber was not in any duress to reply. But he did.
I think that Garber purposely chased Ryder because he wanted to apprehend the bad guy to ease his conscience for taking the money (it wasn't preplanned to receive pardon from the City). It was an emotional decision. Why else would an untrained man who has no reason what so ever chase a ruthless killer to catch him?
<<-- Mess With The Best, Die Like The Rest -->>
Who gives a fkuc? *beep* film.
shareI'm absolutely sure he took the bribe. That's why he could go into so much detail about it, and why he got emotional when confessing. That's why he decided to chase the bad guy at the end. He gambled, that if he were to be a hero for the day, then hopefully the City would help him back. It could be that he followed Ryder just coz he was a "good guy", but that just doesn't seem like the right answer to me.
Someone said that Ryder chose him in particular because of it, but that's obviously not true neither. Ryder didn't choose Garber, Garber just happened to be the guy working in that position. He found out about Garber's scandal while on the train, googling Garber's name.
Personally, I don't think that he did take the bribe. He just confessed in order to save Geo's life. Ryder had absolutely nothing to lose if he killed Geo, as he had already killed Pollard, the motorman, so Garber knew what Ryder was capable of.
shareHe did take the bribe. He had already decided on the Japanese company and truly believed it was either the better bid and/or materials-and took an offered bribe after. It is still a crime, but he had made the decision before taking or possibly even being offered the money. He spent the money on his children's college tuition. Ryder would have known if Garber was lying if he made up a story, Ryder knew he was lying when he first said he didn't do it.
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