Revolver is Guy Ritchie’s 2005 film, which is the director’s only psychological thriller to date. Along with the many non-linear narratives in Ritchie’s films, this film is mesmerizing and literally “blows the mind” with a lot of action. Revolver stars Jason Statham, Ray Liotta, Vincent Pastore, Andre Benjamin and Mark Strong. The story follows a player who is released from prison and seeks revenge.
What is the movie “Revolver” about?
The central theme of the film is “Ego”. Ego is a sense of self-worth or worth. It is also the part of the mind that mediates between the conscious and the unconscious and is responsible for the sense of individuality. While the second part of the definition of the ego is important and necessary for a person, the first part does more harm than good. In the movie Revolver, Ego is the nemesis of each of the characters.
People with inflated egos are known for doing things they later regret. The movie “Revolver” claims that your own Ego is your enemy, and you become its victim and hostage. As a result, the film shows that in fact your personality will be better without this selfishness.
“If you are humble, nothing will hurt you, neither praise nor shame, because you know who you are” – Mother Teresa.
Another theme of the film is chess, conspiracies, intrigues and deception of the opponent. First, let’s look at the events of the movie “Revolver” in chronological order.
Explanation of the plot and ending of the film
Maka is a gang boss who controls illegal gambling throughout the city. He has a trio of assistants – three Eddies – who are his muscle strength. Maka loses one of her subordinates and is looking for a replacement.
Jake Green is a talented player. His brother, Billy, is married and has a daughter. The Three Eddies are after Billy’s family, forcing Mr. Green to play for their boss. In one of the games, Mr. Green, in response to the insults of the enemy, shoots him in the leg. In the confusion, money disappears. Mr Green is arrested. To prevent Billy from giving out Maki’s name, his family is taken hostage. During the brawl, Billy’s wife catches a stray bullet and dies.
Green is sentenced to 14 years, which is reduced to 7 years because he opts for solitary confinement. Two are imprisoned in neighboring cells – a swindler and a chess player. Mr Green constantly hears them talking about books, such as The Mathematics of Quantum Mechanics.
Who are Avi and Zach in Revolver?
At the end of the film “Revolver”, it is revealed that Avi and Zach are the two prisoners from the neighboring cells. However, Avi and Zack are a figment of Mr. Green’s imagination. Solitary confinement gives birth to these two characters. Through his mental conversations, Mr. Green is able to develop a well-thought-out plan for revenge.
The film gives some clues:
Finally, on the roof, the Ego in Mr. Green’s head says, “Don’t let them tell you riddles, Jake,” to which Avi replies, “Am I the riddles, Mr. Green?” Avi hears Jake Green’s inner voice because Avi and Zach are also part of his mind. At the end of the movie, Avi says this directly to Jake: “We did it because we loved you. We did it because we are you.” In the future, it is Avi who continues to explain how the Ego deceives a person, replacing your personality and making you think that he is you. Nobody but Jake talks to Zack or Avi. There are moments in the film that are strongly reminiscent of Fight Club. Jake Green’s subconscious struggles with his own ego. Given that no one was in the adjacent cells, no one actually escaped. Therefore, there was no evidence of the existence of the escapees.
Who took Jake’s money? Who framed him?
After Jake Green is freed, the three Eddies try to kill him. Green makes a deal with them to pay 3-4% per month for the borrowed money, saying that he is running a very profitable business. Actually Mr Green is using his own money to pay the 3-4% to the three Eddies.
Gradually, Mr. Green gains their trust and they begin to give him more money. They eventually start borrowing money from Maki. When the time comes, Mr. Green escapes with all the money and Maka tortures and kills the three Eddies because they can’t pay back the borrowed money.
While Jake Green reveals that Avi and Zach robbed him, he is actually robbing himself to get revenge on the three Eddies for killing his brother’s wife.
Mr Green Gets Rich
Using a formula he developed in prison, Mr. Green begins to win. He becomes rich enough to buy a chain of hotels. After some time, he meets with Maka and wins a lot of money from him. Maka is shocked at Mr. Green’s lack of fear. It is important to note here that Maka also suffers from his own ego.
Zach gives Green the card.
Zack meets Mr. Green, hands him a card and tells him that he can protect him. Soon, Mr. Green loses consciousness and falls down the stairs. The card Zack gave says “Take the elevator down.” This is a mental note from Zach because Jake Green’s ego doesn’t like elevators. Jake’s ego is already starting to crowd out his mind.
Mr Green wakes up in the hospital and the doctors tell him they will call with the results. As he walks home, Maka’s men ambush and Mr. Green only manages to survive because he bends down to pick up a card Zack left on the pavement. Afterwards, Zack appears and rescues Mr. Green and takes him to safety. Zach isn’t real, which means Mr. Green fired back and left on his own.
Who is a Utilizer?
The Recycler is Maki’s hired sniper who clearly battles his inner demons, his own ego. It is revealed that Mr. Green only managed to survive and escape because the Utilizer didn’t have a good feeling about killing him. And the card Zach gives Green is just a coincidence, the Utilizer missed on purpose.
Jake Green’s Health
Zack brings Green to meet Avi, where he is told that he has a terminal illness and will die in three days. This is the trick that Mr. Green’s Ego uses. By allowing Jake to believe that he is going to die, Ego tries to lessen Green’s love for his money.
Although Jake Green is unwell, he does not have any fatal diseases. Most likely, doctors were paid for lying, but they themselves did not know who paid them.
Why are Avi and Zach making Mr. Green give away all their money?
Now let’s get to the point of the whole movie. Jake Green says the following: “I know that nothing hurts more than humiliation and loss of money.” This is his main source of pain. In the end, Avi mentions that Mr. Green’s ego is created by his pain. Therefore, as soon as Green is hurt again, Ego will return.
As a first step towards uniting with his ego, Mr. Green experiences the loss of money. That’s why his money is given to an orphanage under the pretext of a charity from Maki.
Who is Sam Gold in “Revolver”?
Sam Gold does not exist in reality. This is the person everyone aspires to be. He is an all-powerful, feared man that everyone wants to do business with in order to become richer. Sam Gold is Mr Green’s ego. He is the divine essence of this film.
Maka is greedy and wants to make more money, so he makes a deal with Lily Walker, who claims to represent Mr. Gold. But even she had never seen him.
How did Green deal with Maka? What was shown in the cartoon?
For starters, Mr. Green steals drugs from Maki. When Maka tries to buy more drugs from a Chinese gang, this deal is also thwarted. Mr. Green (along with Avi and Zach) steals both drugs and money. This is a serious blow to the egos of the parties involved – Maki and Lord John (leader of the Chinese gang).
The animation shows an exaggerated version of the events taking place. It focuses on the reactions of Maka and Lord John to show the magnitude of their inflated egos.
gangster war
Mr. Green soon learns that his medical records are forged and he will not die. The car crash and rewind scene symbolizes that Mr. Green prevented his own death.
Mr Green approaches Avi and Zack. Maki’s people are after him. One of them, armed with a shotgun, accidentally falls and shoots himself, shooting himself in the head. The remaining mercenaries go to Maka to break the news.
At this time, a hired killer from a Chinese gang, disguised as a waitress in a restaurant, makes an attempt on Maka. The Recycler notices this and shoots her. Knowing that she must have an accomplice, he heads downstairs and kills the driver. The Recycler then proceeds to eliminate everyone else from the rival gang and gets confirmation that Mr. Green was behind it all.
The meaning of the plot twist
On the terrace of a building with a glowing golden sign that reads “DIAMOND”, Avi and Zach meet Mr. Green to inform him that the voice in his head is his ego. Avi explains that Ego is his real enemy. And that Mr. Gold is the ego that leads him to greed and power.
Since no one has seen Mr. Gold, it becomes clear that Ego Green created Gold to manipulate and control the various gangs. We are also given a hint that Avi and Zach are not real, as they hear the thoughts in Mr. Green’s head.
Mr Green subdues his ego (13th floor elevator scene)
Mr. Green, unnoticed by the guards, approaches the sleeping Mac. According to Green, humiliation and loss of money are a source of terrible pain. Despite having a gun, Mr. Green decides to humiliate himself by apologizing and begging for forgiveness from Maki.
Then he goes out and calls the elevator – there he comes face to face with his Ego. Throughout this scene, we see how furious his ego is that it is losing control of the body. In the end, Mr. Green conquers his ego and experiences peace.
Maka catches up with Mr. Green and takes him at gunpoint. Maki’s ego is terrified due to the fact that Mr. Green has no sense of fear at all. Maka breaks down because his ego is unable to handle such humiliation and lack of control over the situation. He screams: “Fear me!”, but it does nothing. Mr Green leaves.
Green takes money from Maki and makes significant donations throughout the city on his behalf. This attracts the attention of newspapers and the media. Lily Walker shows up asking why Maka is handing out money left and right, but never repaid the debt to Mr. Gold. She gives him a mourning wreath as a threat and a warning.
Utilizer kills his ego
Maka orders his men to take Billy hostage to find out Mr. Green’s whereabouts. In this scene, the Recycler is fighting his own Ego and when they find Billy’s daughter, the Recycler suppresses his Ego and starts shooting Maka’s people. Although he kills most of them, he himself is shot by the last survivor. After that, an enraged Mac takes his daughter Billy to his place.
Explanation of the ending of the movie “Revolver”
At the end of the film “Revolver”, it is revealed that Avi and Zach were Jack Green’s neighbors in prison. We also learn that they are not real and are part of Mr. Green’s mind. Mr. Green takes Macy’s money to get his niece back. Ego Maki is in complete despair and believes that only death awaits him, as he failed Mr. Gold.
His ego decides that it is better to die by his own hands than by others. To make it easier to shoot himself, Maka imagines that Mr. Green is taunting him. Maka ends up shooting himself in the head and blowing his brains out.
Earlier, Avi explains that the only way to get Jake Green to confront his ego is to let him accept his pain through humiliation and loss of money. This is what Maka couldn’t do. He continued to defend his ego to the end and ended up making bad decisions that put his life in danger. Instead of facing the problem, his weak and corrupted ego causes Maku to kill himself, which he does.
