Some movie twists shake you, some shock you. The one in Primal Fear (1996) first freezes you, and when you begin to recover, it shocks you again. And when the second shock settles in, you begin to feel a little heartache that stems from a betrayal.The courtroom thriller has just concluded. The dust has settled. And just when you are feeling good about the likable, victimized protagonist having received justice, he reveals something that turns the whole narrative upside down, and another chaos erupts in your mind: he was never the affable guy whom you grew to sympathize with? He never had the childlike innocence that prompted you to root for him?This reveal is quiet and quick, but the paralyzing aftereffect is what lingers. The story you thought was a crime drama, just like that, turns into a psychological rumination on how easily your sympathy can be turned into a weapon.The SceneAaron Stampler (Edward Norton), a meek, stuttering 19-year-old altar boy, is charged with murder. While the state attorney seeks the death penalty for him, Aaron’s case is taken by a smug and conceited defense lawyer, Martin Vail (Richard Gere). Martin learns that Aaron suffers from amnesia and dissociative identity disorder, as a result of which his domineering alter ego, Roy, was created. Roy claims he emerged as a psychological response (defense mechanism) to the years of abuse Aaron suffered. Aaron doesn’t remember any events that took place while Roy is in control, which is why he cannot explain why...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Today