Who is Kaiser Soze (SPOILERS)

[glass]

I watched 'The Usual Suspects' for the first time the other day.

It had this great reputation for being really subtle; that despite the fact that all the clues are there you aren't going to get what is going on until they reveal it to you at the end. I've even heard it said that anyone who says they got it is a liar.

Anyone else think it's reputation is rather overblown?

I've only watched the film once so far, but I have watched some of the featurettes on the DVD and sure enough there are really subtle clues in Kevin Spacey's (excellent) preformance that I didn't get watching the film the first time through. OTOH, there is also the fairly big clue that everyone else is dead!

Don't get me wrong, it's an excellent film with great plot and great performances from everybody (especially Spacey). I just think it should have a reputation for the great things it does do, not the things it doesn't.


glass.

 

[Wayside]

It's probably overblown, but I think all movies known for their twists are. The first problem is that if you know there's a twist going in, of course you're going to get it. Sixth Sense and The Usual Suspects were like this for me. The second problem is that for some reason writers always pick the obvious twists, so even in movies where I knew nothing about them beforehand, like Unbreakable and Identity, I guessed the twists very early on (in both these examples owing to their rather obvious titles as well). There's a bit of a problem I suppose, in that a good twist should be something that gets by right under your nose, yet for some of us, especially when we know there's a twist coming in the first place, nothing gets by us, if not because of clues in the story then because, metanarratively speaking, we can guess pretty accurately the best, or the most obvious and most logical, way of producing the "oh snap, how did I miss that?"

 

[jonesy]

When I saw it I didn't know there would be a big twist, so I kept expecting them to reveal that Keaton was Kaiser. So I think Wayside's on to something there.

 

[glass]

It's probably overblown, but I think all movies known for their twists are.The first problem is that if you know there's a twist going in, of course you're going to get it. Sixth Sense and The Usual Suspects were like this for me.

Actually, if it wasn't for the rep, I think I would have got it sooner. For ages I thought it was the lawyer until she turned up dead too. After that, their really wasn't anyone else left.

EDIT: OTOH, I didn't know about 6th Sense's reputation and I didn't get that one, so maybe there is something in it.


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[mojo1701]

When I first watched it a year ago, my dad spoiled it for me, so I didn't get to enjoy it.

But I still like the movie.

Oh, and I think this is suited better for the TV, Movies & Books forum.

 

[glass]

Oh, and I think this is suited better for the TV, Movies & Books forum.

I agree, actually, it would have been better there. Any idea what happened to the 'report this post' facility?


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[Angel Tarragon]

I agree, actually, it would have been better there. Any idea what happened to the 'report this post' facility?

It is the exclamation mark at the top right of each post.

 

[glass]

It is the exclamation mark at the top right of each post.

Oh right. Apparently I can't report my own posts, so I used one of the others. Hopefully, that is an OK use of the facility.


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[Joshua Randall]

It's a good movie even after you know the twist. In fact, I think it's a better movie after you know the twist.

You should rent the DVD with the directors'/actors' commentaries on them. Those are fun.

My favorite line from the movie:

"One. Two, three. Four, five, six. Seven. Eight. Oswald was a f*ggot."