A Full Movie Analysis

¶ … Suspects There are many different aspects of life, culture, society, and history that are embedded in the 1996 film The Usual Suspects, however, one of the more prominent themes deals with the notion of stereotyping. In this respect, the film prominently illustrates a sociological issue more so than other issues -- yet there are certainly cultural ramifications that could be construed from these issues as well.

However, one of the chief points of brilliance in this movie's portrayal of stereotyping stems from the fact that the film presents this issue in an extremely subtle way which demands the audience to reconcile these points intellectually. It serves as an alternative to the conventions typically employed in which movies often highlight racial, religious, sex, or national bias in a predictable fashion.

Instead, this movie deals with a profound subject, central to the nature of humanity itself, by focusing on the perceived nature of criminals which is challenged by the stereotypes selected in the depiction of the criminal elements in society. The primary means by which the film illustrates the role of stereotyping is by having the seemingly frailest character, Verbal Kent, surprisingly turn out to be nothing less than a shrewd, cold-hearted, criminal mastermind.

However, this character embodies none of these characteristics throughout most of the film and Kent's true nature is not revealed until final scenes. Thus, the weakest character is perceived as Kent, who is portrayed as crippled, soft-spoken, kind of weird, and mostly marginalized, but then ultimately becomes the proverbial "power behind the throne" in the plot's final twist. It is this surprise climax that essentially gives this film its notoriety as one of the best cerebral thrillers of all time.

However, the film also examines criminal stereotypes in other ways as well. For example, in the film Kent is allied with four other criminals, each of whom appears more powerful, ruthless, or vindictive than the other members.

There is one in particular, the de facto leader of the group, Dean Keaton, who seems to epitomize the characteristics of the stereotypical criminal mastermind, but in the end he turns out to be the movie's protagonist who is actually a good man that has reformed his previous criminal tendencies and is trying desperately to reestablish himself within society.

The other characters also seem to be more ruthless and criminal in their nature than the relatively docile Kent, yet these stereotypes are also challenged in order to demonstrate that true criminality is not necessarily what one might assume. The Usual Suspects is particularly thought-provoking in its ending as it features a major plot twist in which the viewer (and the primary law enforcement officer questioning Kent) suddenly realize that he was the criminal mastermind who was using deception to cover his tracks.

The thought provoking nature of this ending is the result of many dynamic reversals. For example, Kent has been telling the law enforcement officer that the criminal mastermind behind a recent massacre in the San Pedro harbor is an international drug lord who is known as Keiser Soze. Soze's connections and power are of a legendary status, almost mythical, due to the fact that they span the world over at the highest levels.

Even the mere mention of this character's name visibly terrifies people that are familiar it and they change the subject at the first opportunity. The true piquant aspect of the film's surprise ending is created when it is revealed that Kent is a fictitious character that Soze invented and was deceiving the audience the whole time. Kent seemingly has none of the traits that people would associate with a figure like Soze; for example, compared to Soze, most would agree that Kent seems fearful, meek, and even stupid at times.

However, all of those negative attributes are actually an elaborate deception that enables Soze (or Kent) to walk around in society unnoticed. The implications at this point of revelation in the movie are of enormous consequence. The powerful and terrifying characters portrayed now immediately look just like the weaker ones. In fact, their power is deliberately used to blend in with the rest of society. Deception is their key advantage, and society as a whole has no idea what is actually happening who is controlling it.

Additionally, the cinematic elements in which this conclusion is revealed are dramatic, as the officer flashes back to different points in the lengthy lie that Kent told him, his cup of coffee slowly drops to the floor and eventually shatters as he reaches his epiphany. Each piece seemingly represents a different piece of Kent's story that has deceived him, as the camera shows those shards breaking, it intersperses various pieces of dialogue and images that aided Kent's lies to the officer.

The Usual Suspects challenges viewers to consider about a number of different things that they may not have ever thought about before. For example, it makes them consider the nature of the power structures in the world and how the world truly operates. One of the fundamental principles of this movie is that there is a hidden power structure that dominates the world. In the movie, this power transcends national and international boundaries, various languages, and the expectations of people in general.

Most people assume that the things that govern the physical aspects of their lives are related to governments and order. However, this film strongly suggests that there are hidden international criminal elements that are embedded within local events, such as cars transporting guns in Queens that are actually destined for overseas wars. Additionally, this movie makes people reconsider the very nature of power. People are used to thinking of criminals as being flashy and throwing their money around as espoused in traditional stereotypes.

The idea that the best place for a criminal to hide is in wide open public spaces challenges these preconceived notions. For example, virtually everyone watching the movie would have never suspected that Kent is a billionaire drug lord for the simple fact that he dresses and speaks regularly, and actually is in public for the majority of the movie. People are used to the image that the rich and powerful are constantly being trailed and preceded by bodyguards and secret-service agents.

However, this movie shattered that illusion by implying that the best places for criminals to exist is in the open, where they cannot be distinguished from ordinary citizens. Stereotypes are illusive and can actually be extremely misleading and the film indicates this concept in many different ways. Kent's masterminding of the story he feeds the officer.