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Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Question About the Film "The Untouchables"
Posted by:
Cinephile
()
Date: November 29, 2011 04:41PM
When Ness (Kostner) first meets Malone (Connery) they have this back and forth on a bridge at night. Malone discovers Ness is carrying a gun and when he asks him about it Ness says he is a Federal Agent. Malone backs off and Ness asks him outrageously, why he doesn't ask to see his badge or otherwise confirm his identity. Malone shrugs and says, "Why would someone claim to be someone he is not?"
I have never understood the depiction of Malone's character in this way. As a joke, he clearly has never been on Fairfax Underground where EVERYONE claims to be someone they aren't...But as a serious question, why was this scene written this way? Malone doesn't impress me as a naive policeman or person for that matter. If anything he's quite the opposite. As an officer closer to the end of his career than the start (and his life), surely he has seen it all. At least as much as one could see in 1927 anyway.
How could he get through life and his career on the assumption that everyone is who they say they are and no one would claim to be someone he is not?
Discuss...
I have never understood the depiction of Malone's character in this way. As a joke, he clearly has never been on Fairfax Underground where EVERYONE claims to be someone they aren't...But as a serious question, why was this scene written this way? Malone doesn't impress me as a naive policeman or person for that matter. If anything he's quite the opposite. As an officer closer to the end of his career than the start (and his life), surely he has seen it all. At least as much as one could see in 1927 anyway.
How could he get through life and his career on the assumption that everyone is who they say they are and no one would claim to be someone he is not?
Discuss...
Re: Question About the Film "The Untouchables"
Posted by:
Strange it was
()
Date: November 29, 2011 05:11PM
Cinephile Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When Ness (Kostner) first meets Malone (Connery)
> they have this back and forth on a bridge at
> night. Malone discovers Ness is carrying a gun and
> when he asks him about it Ness says he is a
> Federal Agent. Malone backs off and Ness asks him
> outrageously, why he doesn't ask to see his badge
> or otherwise confirm his identity. Malone shrugs
> and says, "Why would someone claim to be someone
> he is not?"
>
> I have never understood the depiction of Malone's
> character in this way. As a joke, he clearly has
> never been on Fairfax Underground where EVERYONE
> claims to be someone they aren't...But as a
> serious question, why was this scene written this
> way? Malone doesn't impress me as a naive
> policeman or person for that matter. If anything
> he's quite the opposite. As an officer closer to
> the end of his career than the start (and his
> life), surely he has seen it all. At least as much
> as one could see in 1927 anyway.
>
> How could he get through life and his career on
> the assumption that everyone is who they say they
> are and no one would claim to be someone he is
> not?
>
> Discuss...
I remember that scene. And I've wondered about it too. Ness accepted that answer like it explained everything, and revealled alot about Malone's character. It was an idealistic answer and did not suit Malone, who kept a sawed off shotgun in his vitrola. The answer about the "wop brinin g a knife to a gunfight" was keeping with the Malone character.
-------------------------------------------------------
> When Ness (Kostner) first meets Malone (Connery)
> they have this back and forth on a bridge at
> night. Malone discovers Ness is carrying a gun and
> when he asks him about it Ness says he is a
> Federal Agent. Malone backs off and Ness asks him
> outrageously, why he doesn't ask to see his badge
> or otherwise confirm his identity. Malone shrugs
> and says, "Why would someone claim to be someone
> he is not?"
>
> I have never understood the depiction of Malone's
> character in this way. As a joke, he clearly has
> never been on Fairfax Underground where EVERYONE
> claims to be someone they aren't...But as a
> serious question, why was this scene written this
> way? Malone doesn't impress me as a naive
> policeman or person for that matter. If anything
> he's quite the opposite. As an officer closer to
> the end of his career than the start (and his
> life), surely he has seen it all. At least as much
> as one could see in 1927 anyway.
>
> How could he get through life and his career on
> the assumption that everyone is who they say they
> are and no one would claim to be someone he is
> not?
>
> Discuss...
I remember that scene. And I've wondered about it too. Ness accepted that answer like it explained everything, and revealled alot about Malone's character. It was an idealistic answer and did not suit Malone, who kept a sawed off shotgun in his vitrola. The answer about the "wop brinin g a knife to a gunfight" was keeping with the Malone character.
Re: Question About the Film "The Untouchables"
Posted by:
FurfaxTownie
()
Date: November 29, 2011 05:20PM
Only thing it reveals is that script writers are idiots
Re: Question About the Film "The Untouchables"
Posted by:
scarface al
()
Date: November 29, 2011 05:32PM
I liked the part where they were charging the bridge full of bootleggers. Malone says "Well you have to die of something"
Re: Question About the Film "The Untouchables"
Posted by:
SoylentGreen
()
Date: November 29, 2011 05:42PM
During that time period in Chicago, gangsters were the shit. Everyone wanted a drink and they had all the bottles.
I believe the point of that line was more to "why would someone say they were a Fed in Chicago and potentially someone looked down upon, if they really weren't".
Just look at how supposed police are treated on this forum. Why would they lie about it if they were in fact, not a policeman?
I believe the point of that line was more to "why would someone say they were a Fed in Chicago and potentially someone looked down upon, if they really weren't".
Just look at how supposed police are treated on this forum. Why would they lie about it if they were in fact, not a policeman?
Re: Question About the Film "The Untouchables"
Posted by:
No way
()
Date: November 29, 2011 05:54PM
SoylentGreen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> During that time period in Chicago, gangsters were
> the shit. Everyone wanted a drink and they had
> all the bottles.
>
> I believe the point of that line was more to "why
> would someone say they were a Fed in Chicago and
> potentially someone looked down upon, if they
> really weren't".
>
> Just look at how supposed police are treated on
> this forum. Why would they lie about it if they
> were in fact, not a policeman?
No way. Malone was not that kind of thinker, he saw things simple and easy. He was Irish, don't forget. He never ventured past the obvious, one of those if it's not broke why fixit type of guys. What was he 30 years on the force and still a flatfoot cop? he was not J Edgar Hoover, that's for sure. Hated the grease balls and wops who showed him a thing or two in the end. Typical pigheaded Irish know-it-all.
-------------------------------------------------------
> During that time period in Chicago, gangsters were
> the shit. Everyone wanted a drink and they had
> all the bottles.
>
> I believe the point of that line was more to "why
> would someone say they were a Fed in Chicago and
> potentially someone looked down upon, if they
> really weren't".
>
> Just look at how supposed police are treated on
> this forum. Why would they lie about it if they
> were in fact, not a policeman?
No way. Malone was not that kind of thinker, he saw things simple and easy. He was Irish, don't forget. He never ventured past the obvious, one of those if it's not broke why fixit type of guys. What was he 30 years on the force and still a flatfoot cop? he was not J Edgar Hoover, that's for sure. Hated the grease balls and wops who showed him a thing or two in the end. Typical pigheaded Irish know-it-all.