Beneath The Mystic River

1357 Words6 Pages
Deep beneath the surface of an individual lies a tragic truth. Whether the individual is of fiction or reality, one’s attempts in hiding personal secrets are often revealed through facing difficult times. As some may tend to judge a person based on how they overcome obstacles, others are misled to think otherwise due to false assumptions. Such misconceptions, however, often lead to tragedies. An example of such events is best depicted in Clint Eastwood’s movie, Mystic River. Based on Dennis Lehane’s novel, Eastwood’s film portrays the childhood tragedy that foreshadows the lives of three men when reunited by the death of one’s daughter. As the director deceives the audience in believing that Dave Boyle, played by actor Tim Robbins, is the murderer of the daughter of Jimmy Markum, played by Sean Penn; a twist of events leads to the innocent death of Dave and the discovery of the unexpected murderer. Through the use of imagery, settings, props, and double meaning lines, Eastwood craftily demonstrates how revenge fails. Throughout the movie, Eastwood portrays how revenge and the irrational actions of others ultimately contribute to the death of an innocent man through the use of imagery. Due to the unfortunate events of Dave and Jimmy’s youth, both characters struggle to make logical decisions in dealing with difficult obstacles. In a film comment by the Film Society of Lincoln Center, the critics argue that the kidnapping and rape of young Dave and Jimmy’s past troubles as a convicted felon, foreshadow how “Jimmy’s wrongful vengeance” is the act of “a kingly father” (Paul Arthur 44). Eastwood portrays Jimmy’s character as a defensive man who is trying to run away from his past reputation, where Dave is seen as a sensitive victim of his horrific sexual torture. After young Dave escapes from further sexual abuse by two sadistic men posing as cops, he

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