I especially appreciate that you explained the connection of religion & faith-I never thought much of it and Im somewhat serious about my Catholic faith myself, well, until those fundamental issues arise that you have raised ofcourse! Why does that trigger a flashback where she thinks he was there? Rewatched the movie while reading this and you really nailed it. The film has an ensemble cast including Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard, Melissa Leo, and Paul Dano. It is mentioned, in the scene discussing the FBI agents book in Taylors house, that Taylor was abducted as a child but escaped after three weeks. Imitates kidnapping children. I assumed that it was Bob and he was referring to when he was captured by the police in the van at the rest stop. I was confused when Alex said that he was waiting for a man to come back and he never did. Sat, 21 Jun 2003. Holly reveals that after their son died of cancer, she and her husband began making children disappear to wage a war with God. Except, Keller uses wood and his carpentry skills to imprison and torture Alex. And theres a contrast to how their trauma expresses itself. Not sure how much I buy into it, but its an example. We (and Keller) struggle to understand whats going through Alexs mind. You start the movie in a place of ignorance but end with a sense of superiority in understanding the who, what, when, how, and why. They are from USC, UCLA, Columbia, Yale, and Chapman University. This can be the complicated nature of someone who has been hurt as substantially as Alex has been hurt. Maybe out of fear? Its a really great movie. Holly likely assumed that Joy had been able to provide enough information to reveal her location. LONG VERSION: Holly and her husband were religious zealots until their young son died of cancer. I've been taking it for four or five years. When you get to the end of a movie like Inception, theres no explanation about what happened. Which would therefore create a maze of the mind and memories. Lets go through the various types that show up. No thats not what happened. Thats why all Alex can eventually muster, even when its his life on the line, is, Theyre in the maze.. Chris, what do you think or D.s explanation regarding Alex waiting in the RV and crashing into the trees: Alex said that he was waiting for a man to come back and he never did. Moreover, The two victims of the kidnappings, Alex and Bob, are both questioned about the location of the girls. Then brought him home and he kept waiting for Alex to come play. You might think thats the end of it. Like his sister, Jones has studied Chinese as well. 127 South Second Street 919-989-5040 . So was he waiting outside of his old house for someone else to play with who never came? These factors lead me to believe that the two girls, especially Anna, are potential abusers-to-be, because of their limited speech, the abuse they suffered, and the nature of inevitable violence in the cyclical maze, where abuse encourages more abuse. Take revenge on God for killing her son by kidnapping other people's children (partially succeeded).Kill Loki and any other interfering witnesses (failed). And yeah, the book was about what Holly and her husband were doing. When I watched I assumed that its contents were responsible for the heavy cognitive impairment that resulted in the state of the children upon their recovery at the hospital in addition to the mental trauma they suffered, and in the older victims contributed to a lifetime effect of mental vacancy and unresponsiveness seen in Alex. But IMO the explanations for Taylors weird actions do not hold together upon close scrutiny. Theres a second Alex in Prisoners. But Prisoners doesnt neatly stack information. Thanks for the thoughts. But the movie as a whole is an examination of the kinds of prisons people find themselves inphysically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. one question. 26 Jan 2023 14:55:21 It opens with a shot of a snowy forest, where a deer quietly noses around for food. Like Taylor, Alex is both influenced by his abductor and struggling to speak on something that is too terrible to express. But then midway through the movie, Keller Dover kidnaps Alex Jones and keeps Alex prisoner. Great analysis!! Damn, its such a good movie. He doesnt have the practical personality to do whatever it takes for a certain resultthats not bad, but in this situation, it makes things complicated. I would like to add to this point regarding the absence of speech in Alex and in the children recovered from their kidnappings. The only thing I can think of is 1.) The characters are great. Also in the hospital when Joy says you were there. That kind of goes with the idea of an intricate maze, a labyrinth, where you get lost and wonder, and keep returning to the same spot, looping around and around, as you try and find an escape. That line would be an in-road that provides the necessary context to understanding why the book has such a devastating impact on her. He was subsequently killed by the priest, who threw the body into the church's basement. When Loki finds the body in the priests basement, the priest/father explains the man came to confess and spoke proudly about killing 16 children. We do that by identifying in-roads, understanding their implications, then arriving at a conclusion. The body had been decomposing for a number of years. Yeah, Regrading Alex, I guess theres still a lot thats up in the air. Glad that came through for you! The van is clean, but the forensic guy does say that if there was a struggle they would have found some fibers. Holly Jones is the main antagonist of the 2013 thriller film Prisoners. I loved a lot of the explanations here, hit the nail on the head. How do you create a plot with supposed depth and cleverness and use so many ridiculous elements? Prisoners is a 2013 American mystery thriller film directed by Denis Villeneuve from a screenplay written by Aaron Guzikowski. It seems to be a male figure and not Holly, either. Prisoners. Tormenting those families we have Holly Jones. Rest In Peace Holly. I believe they say that Alex often drove the van and looked at his old house? That says a lot about his mental state, the degree of Stockholm Syndrome hes experiencing. This is the best analysis I have read. And maybe a tad under utilized. Meaning its on the viewer to actively complete the few missing pieces of the puzzle. He needs grace and so does Lokihe relies heavy on his ability to observe and pay attention to details. I guess it was made to distract/confuse the viewers. He is not the all-knowing, all powerful saviour. Join our movie club to get similar movie recommendations and stories delivered to your inbox every Friday. Thanks for reading it all! There are two more layers that make Prisoners an even deeper kind of cinematic dive. Thank you! Its a huge part of the religionlikea cornerstone of Christian theology. Or in the movie Black Swan, a theme is duality, so we often see the main character, Nina, reflected in mirrors or windows. Full Name Hardcover. And others will have a more cynical outlook that hes become who hes become and is kind of terrifying. Regarding Alex. I thought it was. MARSHALL COUNTY, Ala. (TCD) -- A woman from Albertville was sentenced to 99 years in prison for charges of sodomy, sexual torture, and bestiality. Federal Inmates. Its too easy to say Oh, well, they were completely messed up because of their own abductions when they were kids! And as you said yourself the whole plot development depends a bit too much on the fact that neither Alex nor Taylor are willing to talk about their experiences. But giving the audience clues that Keller is facing lengthy prison and Alex is going home Well it is quite the opposite in reality. The final song on the album is called Duckworth. So the beginning of Prisoners gets at themes of nature, religion, and violence. Just one quick question, why the hunting scene at the beginning? (if that was what she was doing) And why did she do it so slowly? Joy and Anna leave the Birchs to find Annas missing whistle. Which seems like a weird call lol. Lokis fellow officer brought it up that the Invisible Man used an LSD/ketamine cocktail on the victims, as described by that book. Bob Taylor didnt have the opportunity. This causes him to go blind, and although he doesnt cause an earthquake like Loki in mythology, he almost crashes a few times as he speeds down the highway to save the little girl who is suffering from the poison. Three things that we see come up again and again throughout the film. He says hes checking 9 of them. Kind of similar to the movie Zodiac. Thank you! That would explain why Alex/Barry and especially Bob Taylor were unable to put together their memories and what it meantmaybe making them feel responsible and guilty. Lokis name means: prison, to break, to end, fire, which is also an interesting connection with he movie. The justification given by Keller Snr. By that, I mean Alex has headed towards introversion. Everyone describes Alex as pretty internal and passive, but I wonder if (in his own traumatized and child-like way) he is trying to break out of the maze! POOPER: Holly Jones (Melissa Leo) kidnapped the two little girls. But again, wow! We then get the final showdown that involves Kellers imprisonment and Lokis heroics. That way people without a doubt understood the point was for the album to have a happy ending one way and a tragic ending the other way. My question is when Loki found Keller tortureing Alex, why wasnt he taken to the police station? Hundreds of Oklahoma inmates left prison Monday before their original sentences were over. Doesnt know what happened to him. Really insightful. Three years later, as he was serving a 23-year prison sentence at the United States Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., Jones failed to report for a prison check after working in a . Weve already discussed the importance of trees in pagan religions. How did the FBI agent know about the mazes?? Police Chief Julian Fantino told a news conference that Michael Briere, 35, has been charged with first-degree murder. A 1987 newspaper article about Barry mentions there might be a serial child abductor and the FBI are involved in the case. Fax (601) 932-9077. Like inNocturnal Animals we have three stories being told. Otherwise, you should close this page and view another page. Dogs: Holly said initially that she kept the girls in the hole while the police were around. Thanks for the analysis. And while Alex may have initially had innocent intentions with Anna and Joy, to pretend he was a child again, free from the burden of his theft, he had to have known bringing them back to Holly wouldnt end well. . They are thinking about him, his lost life, and the lives of all the kids (two right down the street) that he devastated. So we have two very Christian characters in Keller and Grace who are dependent on Loki, a character symbolizing non-Christian religions. Splashing pigs blood on childrens clothes he then locks in boxes with snakes. The priest is a registered sex offender, but how should he stop a child killer? Is arrested as the prime suspect. He was a fundamentalist, right? As for Keller going to prison I mean we would need modern examples of this type of situation. Thanks, Justin! Holly secretly pulls out a pistol and begins shooting at Loki, who panics and manages to move our the way. How do we make sense of the bad that happens in the world? Maybe you still disagree though. Physical imprisonment: Holly keeping the two girls (then Keller) captive. This piece is wonderful contextualises and puts in words what the movie does not so Thank you bc I enjoyed the read v much. I think the layman tends to miss out on the motifs but grasps the plot. Why didnt Alex confess to the police or Keller? As mentioned before, we have a character named Grace. Holly Deane-Johns, 51, was subjected to the awful living conditions while serving time at Lardyao Women's Correctional Institution. He was the 28-year-old from Woodstock charged with Tori Stafford's abduction, rape and murder. I watched it a few years later and now 2021, the movie was on my Netflix suggestions pool, I was half in for watching it and I didnt.. woke up today and first thing was to figure out the story. I imagine it would have taken some time to make the connection to Hollys husband, if it was ever possible to do so. Its Grace who, in the wake of her daughter being stolen, completely falls apart. Take revenge on God for killing her son by kidnapping other people's children, Kang the Conqueror (Marvel Cinematic Universe). This would be how they have the image of the maze. Hi Chris and everyone who has commented. Hey Aggie! In the largest mass commutation in US history, at least . I like your version of Loki saving him from hell of his own making but in spite of wonderful reasoning by Loki, what would have happened had Keller not listened to Alex when he was released and then not imprisoned and tortured him until he said they are in the maze? Brilliant article, enjoyed every word of it. The central story of Prisoners revolves around the investigation of two missing girls, Anna and Joy, led by Detective Loki. I think, for him, hes just been unable to escape the trauma. Hi. Except there was no Alex. And part of Taylors thing is recreating the maze. We see how he buries the mannequin in his yard. This item: Captives of Liberty: Prisoners of War and the Politics of Vengeance in the American Revolution (Early American Studies) by T. Cole Jones Hardcover $33.69 Running from Bondage: Enslaved Women and Their Remarkable Fight for Freedom in Revolutionary America by Karen Cook Bell Hardcover $15.80 Review What makes Loki go there specifically? Blowing a whistle in order to be heard, and thus saved from dying in the hole, is the equivalent of being saved by the bell from being buried alive. So while Alex not confessing what happened to Keller could seem crazy, its in-line with how Prisoners shows other victims of abduction struggling to express themselves. The man who pleaded guilty to murdering 10-year-old Holly Jones at a Toronto court Thursday morning fulfilled his "dark secret" when he abducted, sexually assaulted, and dismembered her shortly. Before we talk about mazes, lets talk about in-roads. How could Keller have been there too? By leaving that choice in our hands, the film becomes a moment of reflection, of confrontation. Instead, it gives you a pile of puzzle pieces. One interesting thing Ive noticed is that usually the highest quality movies find a way to distill their themes or narrative in the opening shot/scene. The other couple was fine, both solid performances. Instead, he draws a maze. Loki goes to the Fathers house, discovers a secret passage behind a refrigerator, finds, in this hidden basement, the body of Mr. Jones (identity unknown to Loki). Its full of images relating to Christian iconography and references. director of photography (as Roger A. Deakins) Film Editing by Casting By 1409 Greenbrier Street Charleston, WV 25311 (304) 558-2036 Contact Us | Site Map | Staff Directory I searched for more movies with the actor Jack G after watching Nortunal Animals. Hed have explained what happened. Joy and Anna see the RV while on a walk with their siblings, Ralph and Eliza. Keller had been at the house. 2.) We end with Loki either saving Keller or Keller dying underground. The article mentions that his co-worker Mr Dover didnt make any comments. Yeah, I had the same sense of spirituality. A month? But his instinct, thoroughness, and curiosity get the better of him. No story in-roads are necessary because the editing/plot sequencing makes obvious the parallels between the book and the relationship. At first, the maze might seem like nothing more than the ravings of a mad man, put into the script to add to the mystery and tension. When I say faith in the police, keep in mind that Loki is the detective. Though, as the movies ends before Loki saves Keller, that sense of catharsis is something Prisoners denies us. My biggest take was that the ending sentiment wasnt believable. Did anyone watch the movie? Who was the guy in the priests basement? Ephemeral, spiritual things that operate on a metaphysical level. In the characters of Taylor & Alex, I agree with your accurate explanations that they are unable to speak & frozen by cognitive dissonance & being unable to speak of something as cosmicaly horrific as being abducted & what follows. To put it another way, not only are they unable to speak, but they speak in a completely different language. Perhaps it was intended to reflect his personality, peaceable in normal situations, but with a killer instinct ready to take over when pushed by circumstances. I think the film supports it by not having Bob Taylor or the girls talk either. A funny example is Kendrick Lamars 2017 album, Damn. Alex/Barry's caretaker I expect to be returning to this site again. Germanic paganism/mythology (of which Norse is an offshoot) put great symbolic importance on trees and forests and stones. Kidnapping children. If Keller could figure it out, it was just a matter of time before Loki did too. And we have a character named Loki. This, to me is where the whistle provides significant symbolism. Hey Bianca! As a carpenter, Keller is someone who destroys nature (trees) and uses the wood to build new things. The rest are just kind ofdoing their part? The big issue every character has is with acceptance. Prisoners, like Inception, ends on a cliffhanger. Wow, that was so helpful. Thank you for explaining this! I loved the movie and really appreciate you breaking it down like that. Appreciate the kind words! People need people and people need grace. Hope that made sense haha! Why is there snakes? Holly Road 704-461-6200 704-461-6236 . Alex Jones is Paul Sandow's older brother; Crimes & Criminals; Canon-Typical Violence; Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault; Alex Is A Good Brother; Alex & Loki have an unlikely partnership; Slow Burn; Theres an FBI book about a serial abductor who was obsessed with mazes. Thematicallybeyond mazesreligion and trees are huge motifs. Thats why Keller being a carpenter, just like Jesus was, cant be a coincidence, I think. But not in terms of likeNorse vs Christianity. My questions is- the only reason Loki is at the fathers house is because hes investigating level 3 sex offenders. and murder on him. Yet hes equally difficult to understand. Kindle. View the profiles of people named Holly Jones. She was portrayed by Melissa Leo, who also played Sally in Oblivion . Absorbing film, but the one thing that bothers me is that the whole film rides on Alex not talking, and I dont buy it. Holly Jones is the main antagonist of the 2013 thriller film Prisoners . Joy and Anna attempt to escape, but only Joy is successful. I just think thats the moment when the movie is ready to end. 9 talking about this. Hey! Regarding the above comments, I recall the detectives discussing the results of forensics on the body in the priests hole. Holly Jones Prisoners Quotes & Sayings Enjoy reading and share 6 famous quotes about Holly Jones Prisoners with everyone. Thats what Joys remembering. My guess is he's been blowing the whistle for days without anybody being able to hear him during the excavation. Devoid of humor, just not especially real. I thought that Holly was the best performance, a bit melodramatic, but very creepy and a smooth transition from Auntie to Killer. For example, he doesnt say a word when introduced to Joys mother and she hands him photographs of her daughter. Its that whistle he uses to signal Loki. Alex knows where the children are, but if he wants his Aunt in jail, and therefore stopped for good, he cant tellso its complicated. This is due to the detective leading the case, Detective Loki, finding what he believes to be evidence in Bob's house, finding blood-stained cloths, making it appear that he'd murdered the girls. Also, I thought Holly was injecting Anna with venom and that Loki was rushing the girl to hospital to get her the anti-venom in time. Norse mythologys climax is Ragnarok, where gods fight giants and everyone dies. Im sorry I just saw this. The overall rate of having been a victim was 35% for perpetrators and 11% for non-perpetrators. Ralph tries to protest and is silenced by an outburst from Keller. I noticed this strange bit of dialogue from Loki: You know IF YOU KNOW something
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