Les Jones: The Gold Watch and Cigarette Lighter

April 30, 2004

The Usual Suspects > The Gold Watch and Cigarette Lighter

Spoilers ahead if you haven't seen the movie.

When Verbal makes bail and collects his personal property at the end of the movie, he's given back his gold watch and cigarette lighter from the property clerk. It's an incidental scene that doesn't seem important, but it's a clue.

When Keiser Soze shoots Keaton at the beginning of the movie, he's sporting a gold watch and cigarette lighter. The director makes careful note of that by having him light a cigarette, which lights up his face, leading Keaton to say "I can't feel my legs... Keiser." Then Keaton asks him what time it is and we see the gold watch. I only picked that up after watching the movie for the 19th time on Wednesday. What I lack in lightning insights I make up for in dogged persistence.

Posted by lesjones

Comments

I love that movie. Rich with details.

The same guy who wrote The Usual Suspects wrote and directed Way of the Gun. Same degree of detail, plus, well, guns.

Ever seen that one?

Posted by: Ralphie at April 30, 2004

Yes! Loved The Way of the Gun. Benicio del Terro is awesome, and I loved James Caan in that movie.

The Usual Suspects director, Bryan Singer, directed X-Men 1 and 2, which are my favorite comic book adaptations. I've heard great things about Miller's Crossing (starring Gabrielle Byrne) but haven't found it in the stores. I'm also a huge Kevin Spacey fan.

Posted by: Les Jones at April 30, 2004

Ugh. X-Men 1 sucked monster trucks. I don't know if was an adaptation of an actual comic but my all-time favorite "comic book" type movie was Unbreakable. It's the only superhero story I've ever seen or read that actually had a story that approached being plausible.

Posted by: Steve at April 30, 2004

I wanted to like Unbreakable, but the pacing was terrible. It stopped at just about the time it was getting good.

Watch X-Men 2. It's not as burdened by telling a backstory.

Posted by: Les Jones at April 30, 2004