Famous Last Words

The motif of classic Hollywood films is central to Famous Last Words, structuring the killer’s crimes and driving the novel’s exploration of The Tension Between the Self and the Persona. Reed Thornton’s persona, as a humble assistant to the filmmaker Jonathan Walters, masks his self-image as an all-powerful auteur in his own right. He meticulously stages his victims in reenactments of iconic movie scenes for which the only audience is himself. In doing so, he confirms to himself that he is in full control, an artist executing a vision equal to the cinematic masters he admires. Even this hidden self-image, however, is another persona, masking the sheer violence and misogyny that form Reed’s only authentic self. More than any other character, Reed makes clear that individuals use performance to hide not only from others but also from themselves.

Reed’s obsession reveals a dangerous pathology in which he sees himself as a visionary director and his victims as mere actresses in his production. He tells Willa, “I want to make something powerful. Something with impact. Something that conveys my vision absolutely—even if nobody else ever sees it” (281). This confession exposes his profound disconnect from reality; he values the integrity of his twisted “art” over human life.