10 Best In Bruges Moments
2. Ken’s Leap from the Tower
Ken’s suicidal leap is the biggest jaw dropper of the film without doubt.
The fog rises, turning the landscape into Harry’s fabled fairy tale. But this is ominous rather than beautiful. Ken sprinkles cents into the mist. He’s dying, a grapple with Harry saw him shot in the neck, his artery gushing crimson. But that’s not dramatic enough, no. He climbs over the ledge and his intentions become clear. He plummets 80 metres. It’s bloody and gruesome and heroic.
In true In Bruges style, it’s funny too, even in a moment of such high drama and sadness. The gun falling to pieces in Ray’s trembling hands is a laugh or you’d cry moment, and Ken’s whispered, ‘I’m gonna die now, I think.’ Is the perfect understated way for everyone’s favourite assassin to expire.
1. Ken Stops Ray’s Suicide
Ken stalks Ray like the trained killer he is, clicking his silencer into place, reluctantly but dutifully following Harry’s orders. Then, in a twist, Ray pulls out his own gun in order to end his misery. In that second, Ken realises how much he wants Ray to live and stops him.
Even though Ray realises what Ken was about to do (even with Ken hiding the gun behind his back like a child caught with his hands in the biscuit tin), the bond between the two men grows as they discuss why Ray should live, all the good he could go on to achieve. Ken obviously has high hopes that Ray will go on to great things – save the next boy, he urges.
It’s sweet and it’s tender. Despite the fact Ken had a gun pointing at him just seconds before, Ray hands over his own weapon without thinking twice. He trusts Ken. Ken doesn’t want Ray to die, so we don’t want him to either.
Written by Martha Lane
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