I took a little time before I noticed that: When Chris breaks up the rape, camera shows Elias standing nearby. Mostly viewers believe that he’d just noticed the incident, but to me the way he is standing indicates he’s been there for a while, observing. Users on the IMDB board were arguing about it… but, why Stone didn’t show him in motion, or at least the in moment he recognizes what’s going on? Few minutes earlier Elias had raised hell about Barnes actions in the village, Chris apparently was expecting some support from him also this time, but the only reaction is an angry, somehow annoyed: “get out of there!” Why?
Maybe Elias saw that Chris was taking care about it already… but even then, a rape was still a war crime, so why didn’t he wanted to courtmartial the rapists? Once a doubt was planted in my head I started to wonder: what if Elias’ actions were not that much fueled by his high morality standards, but by a personal vendetta against Barnes?
I reviewed the movie from this new perspective and suddenly there was much darker Elias. Someone who’s inclination for socializing covers a need to be admired, to be the “heart of the party”, or even a ruler of souls. He is like a guru of some strange sect and blowing smoke through the barrel of the gun — an initiation ritual.
I know, not many people would agree. But there is no need to shoot at me — it’s just a thought, a theory. Knowing Stone’s other works it wouldn’t surprise me if he indeed hid some twists in his story, showing that there is no such thing like pure goodness or pure evil.
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