<![CDATA[Crime & Punishment]]>Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Match Point

amkatz — 10 years ago(October 18, 2015 06:42 AM)

Match Point seems to be strongly influenced by Crime & Punishment insofar as the ball/ring bouncing back, into the court means "you lose" as explained in the prologue. I was struck by people here saying luck was on JRM's side when the ring bounced back rather than into the river. It was luck, sure, but bad luck. He lost. As he explains in the dream, he will not be caught & punished & so the universe will continue, for him at least, devoid of meaning.
Certainly that's how I interpret the final shot of his expression contemplating his new baby at the endthere is no joy for him here & never will be. He's like a younger version of Judah in Crimes & Misdemeanors, only he likely has many more years with which to be tormented by the knowledge that evil is not punished & his world has no meaning beyond randomness.
It seemed in that light like a rather horrific ending for his character.

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/topic/240284/crime-punishmentRSS for NodeWed, 13 May 2026 14:12:07 GMTMon, 04 May 2026 13:29:58 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Crime & Punishment on Mon, 04 May 2026 13:30:07 GMT]]>mrudko2 — 9 years ago(May 23, 2016 01:05 PM)

Excellent review. It is an interesting uptake of Crime and Punishment. Both main characters committed murder and both rings did not fall into the water but the endings are so different!

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/2011895https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/2011895Mon, 04 May 2026 13:30:07 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Crime & Punishment on Mon, 04 May 2026 13:30:06 GMT]]>mrudko2 — 9 years ago(May 23, 2016 01:02 PM)

Excellent review. It is an interesting uptake of Crime and Punishment. Both main characters committed murder and both rings did not fall into the water but the endings are so different!

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/2011894https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/2011894Mon, 04 May 2026 13:30:06 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Crime & Punishment on Mon, 04 May 2026 13:30:04 GMT]]>Ace_Spade — 9 years ago(May 21, 2016 09:08 PM)

Match Point is definitely indicative of Crime & Punishment. I'd guess that it strongly influenced Allen while writing this film because there are a number of tell-tale parallels.
One of my favourite novels, one of my favourite Woody Allen pictures.

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/2011893https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/2011893Mon, 04 May 2026 13:30:04 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Crime & Punishment on Mon, 04 May 2026 13:30:03 GMT]]>Ace_Spade — 9 years ago(May 21, 2016 09:04 PM)

"Say what you want about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, at least it's an ethos."
-Walter,
The Big Lebowski
, on Nihilism.

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/2011892https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/2011892Mon, 04 May 2026 13:30:03 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Crime & Punishment on Mon, 04 May 2026 13:30:00 GMT]]>manofsteel4455 — 10 years ago(March 12, 2016 10:07 PM)

People with those nihilistic beliefs scare the crap out of me.

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/2011891https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/2011891Mon, 04 May 2026 13:30:00 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Crime & Punishment on Mon, 04 May 2026 13:29:59 GMT]]>Quicksilver1900 — 10 years ago(October 22, 2015 01:51 AM)

I think there's a lot of projection going on there. Chris has moved on, as will Judah; life has moved on for them both. Chris will not be like Lady Macbeth, forever trying to wash away the imaginary bloodstain of his murder victims. Two people have died, but a child has been born. The righteous have suffered, the wicked have triumphed. The universe does not care. Such is Woody Allen's depicted belief.
"I am always happy to engage in POLITE discourse."
De gustibus non est disputandum.

]]>https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/2011890https://filmglance.com/discuss/post/2011890Mon, 04 May 2026 13:29:59 GMT