- How does your view of the main character change throughout the course of this film? What does this movie say about its the themes of motherhood and justice? And what do you think the mother’s small tin of acupuncture needles symbolizes?
From the beginning of the movie I found the mother to be a caring character. When her son was hit the by car during the hit and run she completely sliced her finger running to check on him. Throughout the course of the movie the only thing that changed was the limits she would push to help her son out. For example when her son was going to be released from prison and the old man who was a witness to the murder was going to call the police to tell them they were making a mistake she took matters into her own hands as she had been doing during the whole movie and killed him and burned down the junk collectors house. This movie says that a mother will do absolutely anything to protect her children even if that means putting herself into harms way. I think the mothers small tin of acupuncture needles symbolizes all the sins she has committed. She is able to treat herself and cause memory loss with them. The end scene of her dancing makes me believe that she caused herself to forget everything after saving her son.