DC Film Society: Adam's Rib August 2024

Betrayed

Not too long ago, I had someone who I thought was a friend betray me. Betrayals feel like a vicious stomach punch for two reasons. First, the immediate consequences of the act itself. Second, that the person committing that act or allowing it to happen was someone you liked, trusted, or maybe even loved. Knowing that you misjudged someone makes you doubt yourself, shaking your self-confidence.

Betrayals in the movies sting because we pull for certain characters and feel their pain. Generally, the stakes are high, and the betrayal leads to serious damage, sometimes even loss of life. Trying to find the silver lining in what happened to me, I looked at what movie betrayals hurt the most. Some of the betrayals are instant, while some become clear to the audience before the victim. My main stipulation is that I was fooled for at least some of the movie. I left off Burke (Paul Reiser) leaving Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and Newt (Carrie Henn) to die in Aliens, because he seemed slimy from the get-go and was from the same company that shafted Ripley and her colleagues in the first film. Similarly, I did not include Matt Cushman (Beau Bridges) reneging on his commitment to Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise), because as soon as Cush says, “You have my word, which is stronger than oak,” I knew he would screw poor Jerry over.

MASSIVE SPOILER WARNING: Every entry on the list is a spoiler, although the most recent film is seven years old, which is well past any obligation to keep plot details a secret.

10. High Noon, “He didn’t have to come back here today.”

What happened: Marshall Will Kane (Gary Cooper) comes back to save a town from a killer and asks for help at church. Mayor Jonas Henderson (Thomas Mitchell), who had been a good friend to Kane, urges the townspeople to stand pat.

Why it hurts: Many of the townspeople ignore Will’s pleas, but at first the Mayor seems like he will be different. Mitchell had played loyal friends to John Wayne, Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart, so there’s no reason to doubt that he will do the same for Gary Cooper. Mayor Henderson opens up with praise for Will, on brand so far. That makes his left turn so stunning. The hurt in Kane’s eyes says it all.

Is it avenged? Not directly, but after Kane defeats the killers, he rejects the whole town by throwing his tin star on the ground. As Mayor of the town, Henderson would have particularly felt the rebuke.

9. The Social Network, “You set me up!”

What happened: Facebook Chief Financial Officer Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield) arrives at headquarters for what he believes is a routine business meeting. Saverin discovers that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) had diluted his shares so much that he was effectively out of the company.

Why it hurts: Zuckerberg and Saverin created Facebook together, with Saverin lining up much of the initial financing. Saverin considered Zuckerberg his best friend, while Zuckerburg becomes enthralled with Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake) and gradually buys in to Parker’s vision of the company. It’s both a financial and personal loss.

Is it avenged? Not really. Saverin gets to ream Zuckerberg out, yelling that immortal line “Lawyer up Asshole!.” Later he gets a substantial settlement, but pocket change compared to what he would have made if he stayed with the company.

8. L.A. Confidential, Rollo Tamasi

What happened: Detective Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) tells his boss Captain Dudley Smith (James Cromwell) about police corruption he’s uncovered, when Smith suddenly shoots him in the heart. Before dying Vincennes says “Rollo Tamasi,” a fake name his colleague Ed Exley (Guy Pearce) uses for people that get away with crimes.

Why it hurts: For most of the film Vincennes acts in pure self-interest, including accepting payoffs. As he and Exley uncover the farther-reaching and more sinister police corruption, Vincennes finds his courage and tries to do the right thing. Just as he makes progress, he’s killed by someone he thought he could trust.

Is it avenged? Yes, because Smith repeats “Rollo Tamasi” to Exley, unwittingly signaling his own criminal involvement. Later Exley guns him down, a satisfying punishment for what Smith did to Vincennes.

7. Marathon Man, the fake rescue

What happened: After the Nazi Dr. Christian Szell (Laurence Olivier) tortures Babe Levy (Dustin Hoffman), government agent Janeway (William Devane) seemingly rescues Levy. As they ride in the car Janeway asks Levy for the same piece of information that Szell had tried to get earlier. When Levy can’t give it to him (because he doesn’t have it), Janeway takes him right back to Szell.

Why it hurts: It’s right after arguably the most iconic torture scene in film history. The former dentist Szell drills into Levy’s teeth, all while asking “Is it safe?” Levy has no idea what the question means, let alone how to answer it. We cringe at the pain Levy endures, as Szell taps into the fright so many of us have about going to the dentist. Janeway’s “rescue,” seemingly killing two henchmen and taking Levy to safety, comes as a huge relief. It’s finally over. When Levy, and us realize that the rescue was all a mirage, and that the torture will continue, the relief turns into an even darker fear.

Is it avenged? Yes. Eventually Levy kills Janeway and turns the tables on Szell. Of course, none of that would make his teeth feel any better.

6. Witness, “Lost the meaning”

What happened: Detective John Book (Harrison Ford) learns that another officer committed a murder and is running drugs. He tells his supervisor and mentor Chief Schaffer (Josef Sommer), not knowing that Schaffer spearheads this corruption. Later, Book learns that his partner was killed at the hands of Schaffer and his men. Book tells Schaffer that he “lost the meaning” which is what Schaffer had always said about dirty cops.

Why it hurts: In some ways this is similar to L.A. Confidential, with the higher ranked officer betraying his subordinate. I ranked this higher because when Book was a young cop, Schaffer had been his partner. Book not only trusted Schaffer, he looked up to him. And no one does righteous outrage better than Harrison Ford. He’ll pop up again on this list.

Is it avenged? To a degree. Book doesn’t kill Schaffer, but with the help of his adopted Amish community, he stops him and exposes the corruption.

5. The Matrix, “Welcome to the real world!”

What happened: Cypher (Joe Pantoliano), one of Morpheus’s (Laurence Fishburne) crew, turns traitor to his teammates, killing three of them. He also reveals that he turned Morpheus over to enemy agents. He does this so he can go back to the Matrix and never know anything was wrong.

Why it hurts: The odds are already so stacked against Morpheus, Neo (Keanu Reeves), Trinity (Carrie Anne-Moss), and their colleagues. They are fighting against this all powerful, all-encompassing machine. To be backstabbed by one of their own just seems unfair. Of course, one could argue that they should have suspected something since “Joey Pants” imbues Cypher with this trademark sleaze.

Is it avenged? Completely. Tank (Marcus Chong), whom Cypher thought he had killed, fries him with a laser gun.

4. The Verdict, “You wanted to come back to the world. Welcome back.”

What happened: Frank Galvin (Paul Newman) a down-on-his-luck ambulance chasing lawyer, desperately tries to win a case against the Catholic Church in Boston, which is stacked with high priced lawyers. The lead opposing counsel Ed Concannon (James Mason) starts talking to someone about how winning cases pays for all his firm has. Gradually the camera pans over to whom he is addressing – Frank’s girlfriend Laura (Charlotte Rampling). Concannon has been paying her to spy on Galvin.

Why it hurts: This case means everything to Galvin. It’s his redemption from a ruined career. It’s a chance for justice for a young woman permanently stuck in a coma due to negligence. He only has two people in his corner, one of them being his new girlfriend. The beautiful Laura gives him his energy and makes him start to believe in himself. To have that taken away hurts deeply.

Is it avenged? Yes, but in a way that drags Galvin down further. He hits her hard, knocking her down. Galvin avoids arrest only through Laura, feeling guilty, asking those around not to call the cops. The only thing Frank can do to avoid more trouble is walk away.

3. The Empire Strikes Back, “We would be honored if you would join us.”

What happened: Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) and C3-PO (Anthomy Daniels), are on the run from Darth Vader (David Prowse, James Earl Jones) and the Galactic Empire. They appear to have found refuge with Han’s old friend Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams). They walk with Lando into a dining room only to see Vader, Boba Fett, and Stormtroopers. Lando made a deal with Vader to turn them over in exchange for the Empire leaving his mining colony alone.

Why it hurts: Our heroes have been through an ice planet, constant attacks by TIE fighters, an asteroid field, and a monster before making a seemingly incredible escape. They finally find someone to help and he double-crosses them. For Han it literally hurts as he’s tortured and frozen in carbonite. Not only that, they realize Vader is using them as bait to lure Luke Skywalker. (SIDE NOTE: Harrison Ford excels at portraying betrayed men, and I could have made the entire list from his films. Beside the two instances I list here, he’s betrayed by the British government in Patriot Games, the U.S. government in Clear and Present Danger, his close friend in The Fugitive, his customer in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, his benefactor and his girlfriend in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, another friend in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and his goddaughter in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Heck, even a monkey betrays him in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Ford’s heroes possess meany strengths, but they are lousy judges of character.)

Is it avenged? A little bit. Chewbacca nearly chokes Lando to death, but he quickly gets back into good graces. In fact, the rebellion tasks him with leading the Death Star II attack in Return of the Jedi. I’ve often wondered if the Alliance didn’t have any better choices than a man who conspired with the Empire not that long ago.

2. Get Out, “You know I can’t give you the keys, right, babe?”

What happened: Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya, who will later get betrayed again in Judas and the Black Messiah) knows there’s something very wrong at his girlfriend Rose’s (Allison Williams) parents’ house. He doesn’t know what exactly, but knows he needs to leave. As Rose’s parents (Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener) and brother (Caleb Landry Jones) gather menacingly, Rose appears to be searching for her car keys in her big bag. Chris frantically and repeatedly tells her to get the keys as she appears to struggle. Finally, Rose shows that she’s in on the plot against him.

Why it hurts: Chris, an African-American young man, feels increasingly unsettled ever since arriving at the pastoral house in a lily-white community. Rose’s family and their staff keep acting weird and increasingly threatening. Rose’s mother hypnotizes him. But Rose herself seems normal and supports him. As he tries to get away, director Jordan Peele masterfully builds the suspense with Chris growing more desperate. When Rose finally betrays him, it not only means he’s in deep trouble. It also reveals that Rose’s love and support was all an act. As he’s hypnotized again, Chris hears Rose plunge the dagger: “You were one of my favorites.”

Is it avenged? Emphatically. Chris kills her, brutally, but in self-defense.

1. The Godfather, Part II, “I know it was you, Fredo. You broke my heart. You broke my heart!”

What happened: Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) faces an unknown traitor. Gunmen had attacked his home. He’s sure that his business partner Hyman Roth (Lee Strasberg) was behind the plot but doesn’t know who Roth had on the inside. When Michael’s brother Fredo (John Cazale) joins him in Havana, Fredo claims not to know Roth’s right-hand man Johnny Ola (Dominic Chianese). Later at a stag show, Fredo says that Johnny Ola took him there, but that Hyman Roth wouldn’t go. Michael realizes that Fredo had lied and turned on him.

Why it hurts: The Corleone’s had more than their share of turncoats: bodyguard Paulie Gotto, caporegime Tessio, Connie Corleone’s husband Carlo. But that this was Michael’s own brother is simply devastating. Michael believes he is doing everything for the family and can’t stomach that Fredo was the one. Also, Fredo’s slip is unforced. He simply had too much to drink and blabs about Johnny Ola hours after pretending not to know him. Director Francis Ford Coppola stages the shot perfectly, with Fredo in the foreground having a good time and oblivious to what he just did, and Michael in the background reeling from what just happened.

Is it avenged? Yes, but by then Fredo has grown so helpless that killing him just feels cruel. By ordering his brother’s death, Michael loses whatever remnants of humanity he still had.

Adam Spector
August 1, 2024