Please someone make it make sense! I give this movie an 8/10 on the strength of its acting, editing and pacing, but I'm baffled by the ending.
***SPOILERS***
After 2 hours of deny, deny, deny, suddenly Gene Hackman's character confesses to the rape and murder of multiple children, only to find that the "real murderer" was just caught in the act while Hackman was in for questioning.
Huh?!?
All I can think of is that: (a) He was pushed past the breaking point and gave a false confession, simply aping all the details the cops had fed into his brain, or (b) He was trying to protect someone. But, since we never find out the identity of the real killer, it's impossible to know who he might have been trying to protect.
So, I'm left baffled.
***SPOILERS***
After 2 hours of deny, deny, deny, suddenly Gene Hackman's character confesses to the rape and murder of multiple children, only to find that the "real murderer" was just caught in the act while Hackman was in for questioning.
Huh?!?
All I can think of is that: (a) He was pushed past the breaking point and gave a false confession, simply aping all the details the cops had fed into his brain, or (b) He was trying to protect someone. But, since we never find out the identity of the real killer, it's impossible to know who he might have been trying to protect.
So, I'm left baffled.