The Place Beyond the Pines
The Place Beyond the Pines, starring Ryan Gosling & Bradley Cooper, delves deeply into the idea of right versus wrong, and pushes the limits of what it means to be a good person. The movie is a 2012 crime-drama that is essentially three mini-movies in one full-length, emotionally draining film. The first part of the movie features Ryan Gosling as Luke Glanton, a motorcycle stuntman whose job requires constant travel. When he finds out that he has an infant son as a result of a past relationship with a woman named Romina, he quits his job so he can stay in Schenectady, New York to help care for his son and hopefully rekindle his past relationship. Romina, however, is with another man named Kofi who understandably wants Luke to stay away from him and Romina. Desperately wanting to prove that he can provide for Romina and their son and win back a place in their lives, Luke turns to robbing banks. Using his skill-set (mainly his motorcycle riding skills), Luke teams up with a friend named Robin to successfully rob several banks. After a violent altercation with Kofi alienates him from Romina and his son, Luke becomes consumed by emotion and overzealous; robbing a bank without Robin’s help and eventually being tracked down and killed by a policeman named Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper). At this point, we see the end of one character’s story and the beginning of another’s. For the purposes of this review, however, I will not include an analysis of the ethical choices of Cooper’s character. The character of Luke Glanton, on the other hand, is one that truly illustrates the struggle between right and wrong. Throughout the film, the viewer is constantly pulling for Luke. He is a likeable character, one that is a bit rough around the edges, but someone you still admire. He has a strong sense of family and truly wants to change his ways in order to provide for Romina and their son. In order to do this, however, he decides to turn to criminal activity – robbing banks. The big ethical question that must be asked is whether this decision impacts his status as a good person. Is it acceptable to do something wrong in order to execute an overall act of good? It is clear that robbing banks would make you a “bad” person in the eyes of society, however, this film gives us a glimpse at the other side of the coin. We see that Luke really is a good guy and is trying to do something good for his family; however, he feels that his only way of doing this is through criminal activity. This really blurs the lines between right and wrong, and furthermore, makes it no easy feat to determine whether or not Luke is a good person. Overall, The Place Beyond the Pines is a fantastic movie that explores various areas of ethics and ethical decisions. The predominant theme of what it takes to be a good person is extremely intriguing and allows for deep philosophical thinking. I recommend this film to anyone wishing to challenge their minds and think outside the constraints of right and wrong.
film review
The Place Beyond the Pines
2012
Crime-Drama
14A