By: Bhakti

Bhakti — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 03:52:23 +0000

PS I am female. I think that’s worth mentioning regarding my point of view on Caleb’s character and take on women.
I like your blog…I posted my previous comment just to give my point of view on the movie–for discussion’s sake. We all have our own histories that help us inform our take on different film’s and characters.
Also, I have a question: at the end of the film ****SPOILER ALERT!!!!*****
when Caleb and you know who have sex…he says to her, “I kind of got the feeling this might have been your first time (paraphrasing)” and she tears up–as if to say ‘yes’. What’s your take on this scene? Was she saying that she never did it before? Because she just did it with Peter. Or was she saying that she just did it for the first time with Peter? I watched this twice…I’m confused about that.

By: Bhakti

Bhakti — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 03:43:18 +0000

I have to disagree with your assessment of Caleb’s character. He was not only “masogynistic” in his rants to Peter because he hates all women (namely because, as you say, Caleb’s girlfriend betrayed him by cheating on him), but you’re also missing the irony that ***SPOILER ALERT FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN’T SEEN THE FILM YET*** Caleb knows that his mother didn’t cheat, but his father did. So, the irony is that Caleb’s girlfriend DID betray him and break his heart, but his mother DIDN’T betray his father–yet Caleb has to keep that lie going to protect Peter from learning the truth. You see, it’s almost as if Caleb, having to keep his father’s secret for so long, became the one who WAS ultimately cheated on (I suppose THAT is the irony). I don’t believe that Caleb is vicious…I believe his father was actually the “vicious kind”. I didn’t get the feeling that Caleb actually hated women and thinks that they are all whores (except during the first scene in the diner). After getting to know him, I sensed he was “damaged” in some way; definately hurting. Personally, I don’t like masogynistic characters (as in Neil Labute’s early works, for example). I didn’t find Krieger’s ‘Caleb’ character to be brutally masogynistic: crazy & bi-polar at times? yes. I saw a character who was suffering a childhood trauma that came to the fore when his girlfriend cheated on him. This act of betrayal forced him to take a look at his familial relationships and his past. And I don’t say that in hindsight.
The fact that he sticks up for the woman in the bar–that proved that he was sympathetic towards woman and didn’t have tolerance for men who treat women like “meat”.
This is just my two cents. I plan on writing a full review on my sight, as this is one of my favorite films in a long time.
I do agree with you that the ending…I didn’t think Caleb would do “that” to his brother.
:)
What do you think about my point of view and opinion?

Comments on: Vicious Kind, The | Review

By: Bhakti

By: Bhakti