Whitey Bulger movie 'Black mass'

[mikekle]

I saw this earlier tonight and was amazed at how brutal this guy truly was, I followed the story somewhat when he was captured, but I never knew how violent and ruthless he was, although I do wonder if some of this was just hollywood dramatization.Overall Depp did a great job imo, the language was bad, but surprisingly no sexual situations at all in the entire movie, no nudity either.

What I still cannot figure out is, as brutal as he was depicted, with certain people, like his mother, his son, some elderly neighbors, he showed love to these people in a very strong way, made sure they were happy, cared for, etc. How can someone be that violent but also have a loving side?

Another thing I did not know before the movie, the FBI pretty much let him and his gang run amok in Boston just so they could go after the Italian mafia, using Bulger as an informant.

Im curious if anyone else saw this and what they thought about it.

 

[Path_Finder]

There are a few paperback books where gangsters talk about their experiences.

I read one and no more! They are too violent and thus, disturbing. But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t see the movie at some point but those guys lived bad lives.

 

[John_Lazarus]

What I still cannot figure out is, as brutal as he was depicted, with certain people, like his mother, his son, some elderly neighbors, he showed love to these people in a very strong way, made sure they were happy, cared for, etc. How can someone** be that violent** but also have a loving side?

One does not preclude the other.

By all accounts I have read, Hitler loved his mom and Himmler was a doting father.

We tend to demonize people who commit evil, to make them incapable of emotions such as love, honour, duty, charity, etc. We want them to be caricatures — monsters — not humans, so we can say “I’m not like them: I could never do such a thing.”

 

[mikekle]

There are a few paperback books where gangsters talk about their experiences.

I read one and no more! They are too violent and thus, disturbing. But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t see the movie at some point but those guys lived bad lives.

I have seen similar accounts from past gangsters, even serial killers, but Bulger, he puts them to shame, I have never seen anyone as brutal as this guy.

 

[tomarin]

I haven’t seen the movie or even read any books about him but according to the reviews I read when the movie came out, he was a bit of a psychopath with a hair-trigger temper: you had to walk on eggshells when you were in the room with him. He also wasn’t too chummy with his criminal associates and if the movie is at all accurate didn’t live the ‘high life’ that we so often see in gangster movies. He was down-to-earth and all business (which may have made the movie a bit dull or at least depressingly monotone).

 

[mikekle]

I haven’t seen the movie or even read any books about him but according to the reviews I read when the movie came out, he was a bit of a psychopath with a hair-trigger temper: you had to walk on eggshells when you were in the room with him. He also wasn’t too chummy with his criminal associates and if the movie is at all accurate didn’t live the ‘high life’ that we so often see in gangster movies. He was down-to-earth and all business (which may have made the movie a bit dull or at least depressingly monotone).

Psychopath is putting it mild, but you are right about him, he didnt live like most of these guys, he was very frugal, didnt drive flashy cars, no drugs or alcohol, I was surprised a movie about mobsters had ZERO sex scenes.

It was not dull at all, kept me on my seat the entire time, his associates and pretty much everyone was scared of him, they knew killing was not a big deal to him.

One thing I wonder about though, he lived such a violent life, was a major narcissist, but once he left Boston to be on the run, he lived a quiet normal life…how can anyone have such a hair trigger but then live over 20 years as a completely different person? Things would still be quick to anger him and seems like he had no control over his rage.

I have a suspicion he probably did not change when he was on the lam, but his involvement with the FBI was such a black eye for them, there may be accounts left out on purpose, as they dont want to admit they were in league with this guy for so long.

 

[Path_Finder]

I have seen similar accounts from past gangsters, even serial killers, but Bulger, he puts them to shame, I have never seen anyone as brutal as this guy.

Some of those books are pretty bad and in my view, poison and/or too graphic to describe here, there is no reason to mention them. So, I think some of those gangsters are as bad or worse.

 

[Irishmom2]

What I still cannot figure out is, as brutal as he was depicted, with certain people, like his mother, his son, some elderly neighbors, he showed love to these people in a very strong way, made sure they were happy, cared for, etc. How can someone be that violent but also have a loving side?

I saw the movie when it came out. Yes, from what I have read, he is as brutal as depicted. I think the reason he could show love to his family and others is because he was not always what he ended up being. He was once a young boy who loved his mother and family. That never ended for him, just as it doesn’t end for most people. The brutality came later and he was able to keep those parts of his life separate. Maybe because, as it was put in another movie, it was “business.” Those who crossed him, or stole from him or whatever else they did, felt the brunt of his brutality when it affected his business.

I am not implying it was right because it was not. I am just offering how he could be both ways. When he went on the run and lived a hidden life, he had no interaction with people that would be “business.” He was trying to keep a low profile and not be captured. He wasn’t going to do anything to draw attention to himself.

 

[mikekle]

I am not implying it was right because it was not. I am just offering how he could be both ways. When he went on the run and lived a hidden life, he had no interaction with people that would be “business.” He was trying to keep a low profile and not be captured. He wasn’t going to do anything to draw attention to himself.

I can understand that, but most people cannot control their rage, while he was not involved in any more criminal activity after he left, that rage would still be present, so a person bumping into him accidentally in public, looking at him the wrong way, making some comment, etc would usually be enough to set people like this off even if doing so will be a bad thing for them. I guess he was unique in that he could control it