Did He or Didn't He
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wlp325 — 10 years ago(December 05, 2015 07:03 AM)
SPOILERS My interpretation was John let go of the rope and Caleb fell to his death, along with the radioactivity protective suit getting shredded as Caleb slid down the cliff face. Just the night before, Ann went to Caleb and began kissing him as he emerged from a bath the balance of that scene strongly implying they made love. Caleb's reaction the next morning, both at breakfast and as he and John were walking to the "wheel" suggested to me Caleb believed Ann, more or less, was choosing him over John and he no longer held any intentions of leaving. I believe John was coming to the same conclusion.
Rest in peace, Roger Ebert. You were the best. -
AxeMan — 10 years ago(December 30, 2015 03:52 AM)
I think love is a powerful, if not the most powerful of emotions, so for me John saying he loved her was reason enough for me to know he dropped him. 2nd fact I know he let him die was because of Calebs confession with the big minor that ripped his work mates apart with his own hands, Caleb had said he looked in his eyes and the guy let him go and then died himself. I think Caleb knew what his fate was as that is what his stare at John was about. Also Caleb told John "What could there be down there?" Meaning in his mind there was nothing worth going to town for.
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gachrist-740-190721 — 10 years ago(January 07, 2016 11:11 AM)
John saved Caleb, Caleb knowing he would have dropped John in the same circumstance realizes he wouldn't have done the same and leaves. John wouldn't drop Caleb for two reasons - the fall might not kill him, and he would very likely damage the wheel on the way down and without the suit there's be no way to repair it.
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andru_nl — 10 years ago(January 31, 2016 12:47 AM)
No, he did not kill him.
Everyone is forgetting that- he slipped the second time - and first time John saved him! How's that for a bloody murderer with evil plan?
- the "stare" that Caleb gave to John (and that everyone seems to be obsessing over) had a completely different meaning - it is that Caleb realizing how convenient his fall would be for John, and yet John saving him and not letting go. Caleb was not a bad guy - and he simply decided in that moment that he should leave, and take his chances somewhere else
- he did not come to say goodbye to avoid complicating the situation for John, as she might have asked John to leave instead, and stayed with Caleb
At the worst case scenario, there might have been an accident, and then John just decided not to tell Ann because it would make living together further very difficult.
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scammertroll — 10 years ago(February 05, 2016 06:38 AM)
I thought the whole point was that he did kill him, hence the name "Z for Zachariah". Adam was the first man and Loomis is the last (for this moment in time anyway.) Honestly, I was falling asleep watching this but as soon as I saw the book in the beginning, I kinda figured that's where it was going. I also thought there was something about when they were all swimming and going underwater. It was almost forcing me to think, "No one can go in the contaminated water or will ever look so why don't I tie a rock around this guys neck and push him in" Otherwise, they could have called it "We built a Waterwheel and kicked some dude out" or "2 people do nothing, 3 people do nothing, 2 people do nothing" I can think of all kinds of other titles that they could have named this movie but for the sake of being wholesome, I will stop at that.
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snakeye808 — 10 years ago(February 09, 2016 05:36 PM)
I'm surprised there is any debate about this because I thought the movie made it clear that John killed Caleb. Caleb had made it known that he wasn't going anywhere, that he knew John was jealous and that Ann preferred him over Caleb, which Caleb hated because he loved Ann (as he even tells her after they go swimming). We also don't have to doubt that John is capable of killing because he tells the story of how he killed Ann's brother. That may be why he told that story, as to not leave any doubt in our minds.
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msvillager — 9 years ago(May 17, 2016 09:38 AM)
If John had let Caleb go where he was, he would have taken out the water flume that was the last thing they put in place. It probably would have taken out part of the wheel too depending on the weight of the suit and what it was made out of.
However, the movie makes a point to show John at the spot where Caleb fell again, and that the flume and wheel are intact.
So the main problems with the theories that John let Caleb fall are:- It would have broken or at least severely damaged the flume.
- The fall would have damaged the suit, then how would John have gotten Caleb's body out of the water?
- John is seen working very hard to pull Caleb up. if he had really wanted to drop him, there was a better opportunity for him to have done that. When he unhooked the line, Caleb was already at the top and standing.
I don't know exactly what happened to Caleb, but he didn't fall from the point where we saw him last.
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MrKinsm — 9 years ago(December 11, 2016 05:34 PM)
Caleb perished, the first time the line slipped he was saved because John had no time to think about it. The second time he slipped it dawned on John, now's the time - drop him.
Caleb already stated he didn't believe John when he said she only wanted him for one night, and he was enraged by the fact that he said he loved her and she turned her back on him.
Dude was mincemeat. John either fixed whatever broke after Caleb's body crashed into it or he missed it all together.
He fished him out with a stick or buried him by throwing rocks on top of him - who really cares? Maybe he went back and told her he slipped, and she (being the gullible women that she was) believed him?! -
WarrenPeace — 1 year ago(November 04, 2024 06:57 PM)
Because you made the OP unreadable with the spoiler **** I had to copy and paste it to make it readable.
Dumb bitch.
People keep asking did Loomis kill Caleb ? The obvious answer to that question is we don't know. The scene doesn't stay there long enough to give a definitive answer. The question you can ask yourself is do you thinkLoomis is capable of killing Calebor is Caleb willing to walk away like Loomis suggested. I personally think Loomis is capable but I cannot say for sure if he did because we never see it.
"Please vote to preserve the unique character of Warren…" - Robert Duvall