# Unexpected unfairness in movies (probable spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 13, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpected-unfairness-in-movies-probable-spoilers/477031 "2008-12-13T18:21:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpected-unfairness-in-movies-probable-spoilers/477031/81 "2008-12-16T10:45:20Z")
Spoiler boxes are cumbersome to read and the white-on-black text causes eyestrain. While I agree with DtC that they are inappropriate for this thread – which has a spoiler warning in the thread title – even if they were appropriate they aren’t the bastion of goodness some make them out to be. They may be “easy”, but I dispute that they are always courteous. Even if it’s something I don’t want to be spoiled about, I’d much rather skim and skip. Once I’ve seen something that was heavily spoiler-boxed, I can’t really go back and read them because it hurts my eyes too much. I had to skip much of this thread not because I hadn’t seen the movies in question, but because it’s just not worth reading a conversation in spoiler boxes. Way too much clicking and eyestrain. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpected-unfairness-in-movies-probable-spoilers/477031/82 "2008-12-16T14:04:49Z")
> [@EJsGirl](#): > > Finney wasn’t exactly left in good health, though- > > Bourne plays the tape for him then leaves him with the gun, which Finney uses to blow his own brains out You’re thinking of Brian Cox in “The Bourne Supremacy”. Finney was in “The Bourne Ultimatum”, near the end. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpected-unfairness-in-movies-probable-spoilers/477031/83 "2008-12-17T04:36:52Z")
I saw _Raising Arizona_ for the first time in many years today, and realized I’d forgotten most of the movie other than the basic premise and some of the jokes. It was almost like watching a new movie, and I was in fact rather surprised at something that happened towards the end. I don’t know that I’d call it totally _unfair_, as the character in question was a horrible person, but the rest of the movie hadn’t prepared me for:The scary biker bounty hunter to get blown up with his own grenade. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpected-unfairness-in-movies-probable-spoilers/477031/84 "2008-12-17T05:55:27Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > I had to skip much of this thread not because I hadn’t seen the movies in question, but because it’s just not worth reading a conversation in spoiler boxes. Way too much clicking and eyestrain. Yeah, sucks to be you 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpected-unfairness-in-movies-probable-spoilers/477031/85 "2008-12-17T06:55:49Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Well, he didn’t have to, did he? He just did it because he came to the realization that > > his moral code, as represented by his overzealous pursuit of a petty criminal for years and years, was woefully misguided and inadequate compared with the moral code of that same petty criminal. He realized what a flawed human being he really was. > > Just the ultimate despair, really. I got that part, but I suspect that the moral code of at least some criminals is higher than those of some police enforcement and they don’t kill themselves in every day life. The author could have used some other technique to get the point across that Javert understood that he was flawed. People realized how flawed they are every day and don’t take their lives. but I do understand your point. > [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Except that, in Les Miz: > > Javert chose to kill himself. No one forced it upon him. How is that unfair? Yeah, I meant that it was unfair of the author to choose that way to do it. It seemed to be an unfair ending to his character. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpected-unfairness-in-movies-probable-spoilers/477031/86 "2008-12-20T00:54:12Z")
> [@Ellis Dee](#): > > Spoiler boxes are cumbersome to read and the white-on-black text causes eyestrain. While I agree with DtC that they are inappropriate for this thread – which has a spoiler warning in the thread title – even if they were appropriate they aren’t the bastion of goodness some make them out to be. > > They may be “easy”, but I dispute that they are always courteous. Even if it’s something I don’t want to be spoiled about, I’d much rather skim and skip. Once I’ve seen something that was heavily spoiler-boxed, I can’t really go back and read them because it hurts my eyes too much. > > I had to skip much of this thread not because I hadn’t seen the movies in question, but because it’s just not worth reading a conversation in spoiler boxes. Way too much clicking and eyestrain. Interesting perspective. Thanks for sharing this; I really had not thought of that at all. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpected-unfairness-in-movies-probable-spoilers/477031/87 "2008-12-20T02:22:24Z")
In _Far and Away_, during the Oklahoma Territory land run:Nicole Kidman’s parents come from Ireland to take her back. When she refuses to go and wants to run the race, they cheat and stake out their claim, running their horses around to make them tired and sweaty. Then when the other racers show up, they plant their claim flag, having cheated everyone. And they were rich as Croesus and had esttes back in Ireland. THey didn’t need the land. When that scene happened, the theatre rang with cheers and laughter, and I just fumed. Cheaters. StG [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unexpected-unfairness-in-movies-probable-spoilers/477031.md?page=4)