The climax of Glass Onion is so perfect. From every character's reaction, it's just... *chefs kiss* All the 'disrupters' are horrified at Helen starting to smash the glass - they think she's done, over, finished, no where left to turn. But Helen makes her own path forward - by breaking shit.
Whiskey is the first to say 'HELL yeah!' She's the newest member, the one who has aspirations that she already saw might diverge from the rest of the group. She's ready to leave, and after Duke's death, she's not tied to them. So yeah, she's down for some destruction.
Then Bridie is the first to actually join in. She's the one with no impulse control. This is what we're doing right now? Cool! I'll join and trash some shit.
Then Lionel and Claire shrug and say, 'you know what? Why not?' And they start smashing too. Whiskey flicks off Miles, destroys shit, they're all having fun. Peg looks absolutely shocked that she joined - she's wanted to steer Birdie away from all the controversy, but never had the commitment to actually get out of the controversy herself. Peg is still just following along and only willing to rock the boat just a little - but if it can still help her keep in the group, she'll toss her own morals to the wind and go along with the crowd.
Then the interesting part happens: all the 'disrupters' laugh and sigh in relief. They smashed some glass! Aren't they cool! So disruptive! They sure showed Miles! But Helen - Helen keeps going. They all stumble back in shock. Haven't we accomplished what we wanted? We smashed a few things. that's enough, right?
No. They did some weak ass performative destruction. Helen is out for real disruption. She grabs a damn weapon of war and says 'fuck you' to propriety. She says 'oh, this piano? get fucked.' Birdie is concerned - that piano belonged to Liberace! You can't destroy that! But Helen says yes you can. Everyone thinks she's going overboard now - you've made your point, walk away. But Helen knows that's bullshit. The point isn't made yet.
She destroys the piano. She destroys the bar, beating at it until it collapses, alcohol spilling onto the floor. And this is what she's gunning for - real destruction. She lights the booze and feeds the fire while the 'disrupters' try to stop her, begging her to disrupt just a little less. But Helen knows what needs to be done. You can clean up a bunch of glass, that's not hard to do. But fire, fire in a place filled with hydrogen gas? That'll really make an impression. Burning Miles' own home with his own faulty (stolen) invention.
She's willing to risk her own life. The explosion rocks the Glass Onion, destroys it completely, including Miles' precious Baby Blue. But you can brush off an explosion when you're as rich as Miles. This is a private island. He can just have the place bulldozed and hide the evidence. Which is when he realizes Helen has one last thing to destroy. Something even he can't hide.
The one thing that NO ONE wants you to break.
The most famous painting in the world, that Miles rented because he's a rich asshole and thinks he's above every rule, including the security features of her case. He thinks he's so damn important he gets to look her in the eyes regardless of the danger it puts the painting in. He decides he's so damn important his fuel should be everywhere regardless of the danger it puts the consumers in.
So Helen does what none of the group dares to - she truly disrupts. She MAKES people listen.
Does she burn it so her name will go down in history - for good or ill? Does she burn it just to see Miles' face? Does she burn it because she thinks that's what a 'good disrupter' does?
She burns it because breaking the one thing no one wants you to break is the only way to get people to pay attention to something even more important. She disrupts for a purpose. To help people, to protect them, to finish the job her sister started - to stop a dangerous product from going to market and killing countless people.
Something that should be a no brainer for ANYONE involved, yet THREE 'disrupters' would rather toe the party line, go with the program, not cause a stir, and send out into the world, knowing its dangers.
Because those 'disrupters' are nothing of the sort. They don't want to break the system - they want to run the system. Helen is the only one ready to risk it all and blow up the damn boat.
The others thought they were down to disrupt. They were fine smashing some glass, but once shit got real, when it didn't stop at the 'palatable' protest, they backed out, they couldn't hang. It was too disruptive for them. Respectability politics won out over justice - and you saw that with watcher responses too. You can protest - to a point. But know when to sit down and shut up. Protest in pretty nice ways that don't make people feel bad. Don't block traffic, don't vandalize, don't make noise. March, but do it during approved times and then get off the road. Disrupt in non-disruptive ways.
Helen understood that disruption wasn't just for your own satisfaction, it needed to be for a purpose. To help people. To bring justice. To hold people accountable.
And Helen is beautiful while doing it.
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