"Miller's Crossing" A story of unrequited love hidden behind the film noir

A man who had feelings for the gang boss that were more than friendship.

It may seem like we're getting straight to the point, but I think this movie is ``a story of an unrequited love story about a man who feels more than friendship for his gang boss.'' To put it bluntly, it's a tragic love story about Tom, who has an unrequited love for Leo.

Tom, who is intelligent but has weak arms, gets beaten up a lot in the movie. According to IMDb, the world's largest movie database, he was punched in the face 12 times, punched in the stomach 20 times, kicked in the face twice, fell down the stairs twice, and hit with a wallet (by a middle-aged woman!). ), he trips and falls while sprinting, and is strangled. He is probably the weakest protagonist in the history of gangster movies. Leo, on the other hand, is a tough guy who, despite his old age, shoots with a machine gun and takes revenge on assassins. Tom may have had a secret crush on Leo.

Miller's Crossing(c) Photofest / Getty Images

If you think about it, there are many homosexuals in this movie, including Bernie (John Turturro), Mink (Steve Buscemi), and Dane (J.E. Freeman). However, Tom's feelings for Leo are more platonic. Even though he knows that their love will never come to fruition, Tom pledges his loyalty as Leo's right-hand man. However, when Leo confesses his intention to marry Verna, Tom's self-control wavers. He tries to break up the relationship between the two, even going so far as to expose the fact that Verna was having an affair with him.

Leo: “That fight with me was also a staged play, right?”

Tom: "I don't know. People don't always plan things."

At the end of the movie, the two have this conversation. Leo thinks that Tom came up with a plan and confessed his affair to save the day, but for Tom, it was just an emotional outburst. It hints that it was never a ``planned out'' plan.

In a 2015 interview, Jon Polito, who played Casper, complained that Marcia Gay Harden, who played Verna, "felt like Gabriel Byrne was cold and distant to me." It makes it clear that. But if you think about it, it makes sense. For Tom, who loves Leo, Verna is more of a love rival. Gabriel Byrne may have distanced himself from Marcia Gay Harden by fully understanding the character of Tom.

“Chasing hats is stupid.” What is the feeling behind that line?