Why was there a 10 minute flashback 30 minutes in?

Whereas the story, until then, had been from Juliet's perspective, the flashback was from Max's. It showed that the first time he saw her wasn't in the apartment, but at the hospital. He noted her name, took her phone number and engineered their meeting. On the occasions he bumped into her after then, it wasn't by chance, but because he was stalking her.

I didn't think it was necessary, but I understand why they had it.

Could've been much shorter, though...maybe they wanted to pad out the film some.
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I understand why it was done, which was to give the audience his perspective. But I was hoping for some deeper understanding into Max's motives. I was disappointed. We just find out that he's been stalking her, but we don't know why. When she tries to kiss him, he pulls back - yet he is willing to stalk her. (??)

THE RAP CRITIC:
http://www.youtube.com/user/moviedeeva

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I agree. It totally killed anything that the movie was trying to build-up. Its like a Blues Clues for horror/thriller movies

WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER ABOUT A DIFFERENT FILM (Hitchcock's VERTIGO) FOLLOWS: This flashback was in some respects structurally similar to the big reveal/flashback sequence in Hitchock's VERTIGO, where we find out about Kim Novak's real identity and motivation. Hitchcock's innovation there is still considered controversial, some loving it, others finding it clunky and ruinous of suspenese. The big difference, however, is that Hitchock's flashback effectively moves the audience's focus away from the mystery and psychology of the antagonist (Novak) and onto questions about the character and sexual compulsions of the "hero," Jimmy Stewart's character. In the case of the RESIDENT flashback, however, the intention was evidently to give depth to the villain's character, and I don't think it really did that very effectively. Indeed, it would have been much more interesting to see Hilary Swank's character somehow gradually discover clues to the extent of Max's earlier manipulations of her, as a build-up to that final reveal of the rapes on the surveillance camera.

A more interesting backstory reveal about MAX in THE RESIDENT was the late disclosure that his father had murdered his mother then killed himself. Though the motive behind those crimes doesn't seem to be dealt with clearly in the film, it is interesting and potent to realize that Max has been laboring under that gruesome legacy all his life. I haven't seen many posters comment on that element of the story.

To prove that he had actually stalked her and also to show that she had unknowingly fallen for her psychologically disturbed stalker.

P eople for the
E thical
T reament of
A ishwarya

The flashback was probably one of the better aspects of this movie. Up until then we're meant to think Max is just handsome and shy and tentative. Then they flip the script and we realize he's a crazy stalker.