While watching the film, I noticed that the main character, Harry Moseby, is often visually framed by his surroundings (e.g., doorways, windows). This framing makes Harry seem trapped, not just physically but mentally. It reflects how limited his thinking is. He is a detective, but he never actually sees the full picture. Instead, he jumps from clue to clue without stopping to understand what is really happening.
The main character (Harry) reminded me of George from Shampoo (also 1975), another character who constantly keeps himself busy but does not actually understand the situation (until it is too late). Both men move through their stories reacting instead of understanding, so I predicted early on in Night Moves that it would not end well for Harry.
And that is exactly what happens. He cannot stop the disaster, even though he is supposed to be the “hero.” The more he tries to take control, the more confused and lost he becomes. The last shot of him going in circles in the boat shows this perfectly. He is still moving, but he is not getting anywhere.
I also found the chess scene really interesting. The game seems to symbolize how little Harry actually knows. He thinks he is solving a mystery, but he doesn’t see the strategy or the larger pattern of it at all. He is basically playing a game he doesn’t understand/know the rules of, up against people who are always one step ahead of him.
Leave a Reply