I wasn't really watching this, but someone else was and I got drawn into it.
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Transsiberian
compact_disc_rack — 12 years ago(June 16, 2013 04:25 PM)
I wasn't really watching this, but someone else was and I got drawn into it.
First of all, what was the big connection between Abby and Jessie? Did I miss something significant in a dialogue? In the end Jessie helped her get the money. Why was that so important?
Second, I didn't get the feeling that the storyteller was justifying the murder, but forgiving Jessie, or whatever. But what was it trying to say? That murder is okay sometimes? Or what? I just didn't get it. It all seemed to involve her relation with Abby. -
eoval — 12 years ago(October 26, 2013 05:43 PM)
I've seen it a few times, here's what I took.
Jessie saw herself in Abby, both having left stability in search of who-knows-what at an early age; I felt Jessie was also trying to help her as she had been helped by her husband. Jessie wants to give Abby roots, so she gives Abby the money. (I'd say guilt of murdering Carlos and leaving Abby tied up and tortured might have something to do with it.)
Carlos' killing was the underlying stress from that scene on as far as Jessie was concerned. She thought she was going to be raped, so she hit Carlos, I believe, inadvertently killing him. She was relieved when she found out Carlos' criminal history, especially relating to violence.
Did he deserve it? Was he really going to rape Jessie? I've never been sure.
The ambivalence regarding a disposition of wrong or right is one of the things I love about this film. If you crave moral certitude, this isn't the movie for you.
Hippies. They're everywhere. They wanna save Earth, but all they do is smoke pot and smell bad. -
Neuro99 — 12 years ago(November 11, 2013 02:14 PM)
I actually don't think that Carlos wanted to rape Jesse but of course he was the violent type of guy and he knew Jesse had a wild past. So he tried to have some fun with her. I didnt like Jesses character at all. Especially after the murder.
My sympathy was mostly with Roy and I felt sorry for him when Jesse time after time didn't tell him the truth. -
eoval — 12 years ago(November 28, 2013 09:20 PM)
I unwillingly agree. I wanted to like her, and that's part of it. I didn't see Carlos going so far as raping her, but it makes her lying seem less dishonest.
Not a liberal at twenty you have no heart; not a conservative at forty you have no brain. Churchill -
yusef-ghanima — 10 years ago(September 20, 2015 02:34 AM)
carlos history wasn't about violence in general as you claim, it was in sexual assault against women, not that i normally believe women, but the way he perused her justify her reaction. i know carlos is so cute and jesse is a bitch but still.. on the other hand latin men are emotional and there could be a bit of cultural misunderstanding, any way she didn't intend to kill him.
i mostly will not be able to answer your reply, since marissa mayer hacked my email, no notification -
franzkabuki — 12 years ago(April 04, 2014 03:24 PM)
"So he hit Carlos, I believe, inadvertently killing him".
Inadvertently my ass - she didn`t just hit him, but hit him again and again and again so there could be absolutely no question that the guy was dead. In the end, it looked more like a murder as opposed to a manslaughter. And the hoe got away with it, too.
"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan -
ldub613 — 11 years ago(December 29, 2014 09:24 AM)
The message is don't talk to strangers. The Americans are presented as naive Mid-westerners who are part of a church group. While taking the Transsiberian train as a bit of adventure while apparently done almost no research in the area they are traveling.
Roy is ignorant to the potential of any problems, Jessie may have a bit more street smarts but is easily bullied into being dangerously stupid.
Roy & Jessie leave their luggage unlocked and unattended around strangers. Roy & Jessie separate on the train and at the station. Roy wanders off in a foreign country where he doesn't speak the language and leaves his wife with strangers. Jessie accepts the help of people she is suspicious of. Roy happily hands over his American passport to strangers. Jessie lets Carlos use her shower; then goes off to the middle of nowhere with him. Jessie starts making out with Carlos inside an isolated, abandoned church and then freaks out. Roy immediately befriends his new berth mate. When Roy went missing Jessie should have called the American embassy for help.
I really didn't like the movie but it should be required viewing for every American teen heading off for a trip without their parents. -
yusef-ghanima — 10 years ago(September 20, 2015 02:39 AM)
jessie felt guilty that her killing of carlos led to the gang suspect abby and torture her to find where carlos is. so jessie wanted to clear her conscience.
killing is alright in self defense, and he was trying to rape her.
i mostly will not be able to answer your reply, since marissa mayer hacked my email, no notification