Million Dollar Baby (Revisited)

Alright... I can't wait any longer.

***If you haven't seen the film, turn away. NOW!***

There is a line in Million Dollar Baby where Maggie (Swank) says to Frankie (Eastwood) that she could see him off in a cabin somewhere... Away from it all. Living out his days in peace. (I'm paraphrasing, but you know what I am refering to.)

It is this line that has haunted me and continues to haunt me from this film. Why? Because even as she says those words, I could see Maggie there too. Peacefully living out her life. Maybe not off in a cabin literally, but still... She could find her peace. But that realization is so quickly snapped away by Maggie herself. She doesn't believe it.

I think that is what breaks my heart so much about Million Dollar Baby.

Maggie doesn't want to make peace with what has happened to her. She believes that death is the only peace that can be had. And being the fighter that she is, she fights to die. And being as subborn as she is, she will never stop until she dies. Frankie knows this and it is for this reason that he helps her, dispite the fact that he doesn't want to...

I know many of you may think that I am being overly romantic. She could never find peace. She was trapped and death was her only was out of a long, sad, lonely existence. But there was something in that one single moment that I can't shake.

Whether you agree with me or not is beside the point. It is the fact that we are still having this duscussion weeks later that makes this the best film of the year. Hands down.
- posted by Stephen @ 3:48 PM