Of course Steven’s attempt to take control of the situation is blackly comical, attempting to assert some authority over the situation without taking any responsibility. He pulls down a woolly hat over his face, picks up a shotgun and spins around. He then randomly fires, hoping to hit and kill somebody. On his third try, he manages to hit Bob in the chest, killing him. Even when fulfilling his obligations at the last possible moment, Steven tries to keep his hands clean.
There is a cruel irony in all of this. Early in the film, Martin had explained that the affliction became terminal once the infected started bleeding from the eyes. It was irreversible. As a result, Bob was already dead from the moment blood started seeping from his eyes. This reading is reinforced by Kim’s response to that blood. “Mom! Dad! Bob’s dying!” As such, it would seem like Steven’s decision has already been made at this point in the narrative. Bob is going to die, no matter what.
As a result, the game of shotgun roulette in the living room seems like an even blacker comedy. Bob is dying no matter what; even if Steven had shot and killed either Anna or Kim, Bob would still die. As a result, Steven’s attempt to avoid taking responsibility for Bob’s death introduces an even greater risk to the situation. It is entirely possible that Steven’s gambit could have resulted in the death of two members of his family. Steven’s eagerness to avoid making a conscious choice only increases the risk of catastrophic disaster.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer does not limit this masculine evasion of responsibility to Steven and Matthew. Martin is just as guilty. In his early visit to the Murphy household, Martin repeatedly expresses anxiety about having to take responsibility. He treats his addiction to cigarettes as something fatalistic, a choice made in the moment that he took the first puff. “That was a mistake,” he concedes. “I regret it. But it’s too late now.” Martin seems incapable of fathoming that he could decide to quit. Similarly, he expresses anxiety about the simple task of walking the dogs. He conjures up images of awkward and unlikely situations. “The thought of separating fighting dogs frightens me.”
18 CinÉireann / November 2017