Runaway Train

When we finished watching Runaway Train, I was blown away. This film had one of the best endings I've ever seen in a film. It showed that even though Americans stereotype criminals as being monsters while the rest of us are humans, deep down we're all animals and can make the same mistake they have in their lives. Ranken and Manny's relationship towards each other and Ranken's treatment of the prisoners is what depicts him as the animal he blames Manny to be. However, because of his high position in life,Ranken believes he's above the "scum" of the prison. What stood out for me is that Ranken is always shown on the helicopter, high above Manny on the train, which shows his high class authority and reputation. But at the end of the film, the message of the film comes out and Ranken and Manny are together on the train, showing that they are truly on the same level-human. Even though this ending might be viewed as sad and tragic, I think that this was one of the best ways the movie could have ended. Manny was finally free from his criminal life that pitted the world again him, but he was still an outlaw and therefore could never be free to live a happy life. Also, the scene where Manny, Buck, and Sara are huddled together represents the message of the film. Who would ever think a woman would be huddled with a rapist and a criminal and seek comfort from them and to comfort them? But deep inside, we're all the same and feel the same emotions, which makes this scene very humanitarian. This is definitely one of the best films I've ever seen.