MovieChat Forums > Carlito's Way (1993) Discussion > Carlito was an idiot

Carlito was an idiot

posted 13 years ago by mercury4
25 replies | jump to latest

He let Benny Blanco live and when Saso came to warn him about Pachanga he just ignored it like a moron. Carlito died because he was stupid. As Saso said, Pachanga would kill his own mother. Why he would let Benny Blanco live is beyond me. Carlito was just stupid. Pacino was Michael Corleone, he was Tony Montana, and he was Carlito Brigante. Carlito Brigante is by far, the dumbest. Michael was ruthless and Tony was crazy. But Carlito was just stupid.

You think you're gonna sail off into the sunset, think again.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] mercury4 13 years ago

I've seen the movie so many times and every time I watch it I can't believe he let Benny go. What did he think, Benny was going to forget about what happened. More than once, he dissed Benny when Benny was trying to be respectful. I also have to say that Benny was right during that whole argument. Carlito stuck his neck out for Kleinfeld and that ******* was the one stabbing him in the back and trying to get him back to prison. I just find it so hard to believe that Carlito let Benny live. Benny told him, "You over, man. You ****** in the history books. That's where you are, man. So you might as well ****** kill me now. 'Cause if I ever see you again, I swear to God, I'm gonna ****** kill you." When Benny Blanco said that, was Carlito listening?

[–] minhas4 13 years ago

I agree that he should have killed Benny, but I understand why he didn't. Throughout the movie Carlito shows he is a man that lives by his word. By his code. The same code that characters like Gail and Kleinfeld don't understand (both tell him this in separate scenes). The same code that unfortunately gets him killed.

To elaborate, he has told himself he doesn't want to go back to crime. This is why he doesn't kill Benny. He wants to stay true to himself. So you might be wondering why he even disrespected Benny to begin with if he wasn't willing to finish it. I would guess it's because he hates Benny since Benny reminds him of himself (as Saso says, "he is you 20 years ago!"). Carlito doesn't realize he's gone too far until they're in the alley. In essence, you could say he went "soft" but he needs to stay soft if he wants to get out of the game for good.

Now you might wonder "if he's trying to stay clean, why get on the boat with Kleinfeld?" Well his code told him he had to help his friend, a friend he owed his life too. He explains this in the argument scene with Gail that he can't change who he is. Also, he doesn't know Kleinfeld is backstabbing him until after these scenes.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] brian_wolf_06 8 years ago

I think you're beinbrg a little harsh by calling him stupid. Carlito acknowledges that it's a "mistake" to let Benny live, but Carlito doesn't want to be a criminal anymore. So he doesn't want to murder somebody. He saw the angle, but he just wasn't the same guy he used to be.

[–] MrAnonymous (145) 5 months ago

I always felt that Carlito should have handled Benny Blanco with a little more tact. Sure, don't roll over for him, but some basic respect might have gone a long way.

[–] minhas4 13 years ago

Stupid is kind of harsh. I'd say he just got old/soft and couldn't see all the angles anymore. Which is what he himself foreshadows in voiceover after the exchange with Saso. And if you consider all the angles at the end (the DA, the Italians, the money in the club being taken by Saso, getting to the train, dealing with Kleinfeld, Pachanga possibly selling him out, Blanco getting revenge, keeping Gail safe), you can't be surprised that he missed a couple!

You know it's interesting in a way. He tells Kleinfeld after the boat scene, "You aint a lawyer anymore. Youse a gangsta now." In a sense Carlito was moving away from being a gangster, and in the process might have lost some of his abilities to survive.

I have a more elaborate answer as to why he didn't kill Blanco a couple posts down on this thread.

[–] mercury4 13 years ago

Well what made it even worse for me is how Saso tried to warn him and he still got killed. He warned him about Pachanga and even told him Pachanga was spying for Benny Blanco. What does he do? He ignores the warning and tells Pachanga all about meeting Gail and getting away. Why would he even trust Pachanga? Benny Blanco could take a hint. Right after Pachanga sold out Carlito, Benny blew him away. Benny knew the guy was a rat and he sure as hell wasn't gonna trust. Saso knew Pachanga would kill his own mother for money. Why couldn't Carlito see this?

Carlito was also pretty stupid not to kill Benny because Benny warned him. Benny told him he was over and that he would kill him. There was no way in hell he would forget what Carlito did to him. Benny Blanco was also moving up and killing Carlito was the perfect way for him to announce a new era, that it was his time. Benny warned Carlito that he was history. Gail was pregnant in the end. I almost wish they'd make a sequel with Carlito's son going after Benny Blanco.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] AfroGeek 13 years ago

Dumb isn't the word. He was a hoodlum trying to go straight and he simply didn't have the tools to make the transition. He should've never let the incident with Benny Blanco escalate to a blood feud. As he said in narration, when Benny popped off he hit him out of instinct.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] citycity123 11 years ago

He was stepping away from the life of crime. Not killing people left and right certainly is not "stupid".
If the argument would have been "Why piss of Benny, it was stupid" I would be on your side. Carlito is not coherrent in the movie, on one side he wants to leave the life of crime behind and wants nothing to do with these gangsters, at the other hand he still plays Benny of as a little fish while claiming he is the big shot. Why not just tell him respectfully that he is out of the business and let him be? The stupid thing he did was being too cocky in first place, not that he didn´t want to kill am man, which is perfectly reasonable if you ask me.

[–] MrAnonymous (145) 5 months ago

I fully agree! I've always felt that respectfully telling Benny that he was retired would have been a more appropriate response.

[–] mercury4 11 years ago

Just saw the scene with Saso trying to warn him and I'm sorry, Carlito is an idiot. Saso told him what was going on and what Pachanga said about him. Carlito disregarded it. He was stupid.

[–] nutsberryfarm 10 years ago

yep, he sure missed the boat on that one.

Key to winning baseball games? Pitching, fundamentals, and three run homers.-Earl Weaver

[–] jorgito2001 8 years ago

I think Carlito had the whole Kleinfeld drama on his mind and he just took it as an afterthought. Called Pachange his "brother" and practically wrote it off. A shame.

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Im gonna punch you in the cooter, I swear to God!

[–] LaPfieffer92 11 years ago

this thread is makin me laugh cuz I haven't seen the movie but reading all these funnyass mob names like benny blanco, pachanga and sh** haha has me rolling.

Realism, Remakes and Unnecessary Sequels are ruining movies!

[–] mitzibishi 8 years ago

He made a lot of bad judgements. The main one was asking Pachanga to pick up and escort his girlfriend to the final moments.

Saso told him and he should have been wary. Doing this Pachanga knew everything, where they were going for one and could have taken a lot of information from this time with Gail.

Very bad move, he told Gail to go there by herself and she would have.

Why ask Pachanga?

Also the Benny Blanco situation wouldn't have happened if he wound his neck in and dealt with the situation better at the club instead of going back to his old ways and dealing with it with his ego.

His ego got him killed way back at the club.

[–] 8 years ago

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[–] RHLens 8 years ago

in reply to the OP, yes this bother me too. I'm sure it bothers every fan of the film. My guess is that this is the point. We all know what Carlito should have done (the choices he should have made), and he knows them too. But he is trying to get away from being a gangster, he does not want to kill people anymore. But this is his problem...

[–] NutMustardx 8 years ago

behind every genius is a fool.
Carlito should have been cooler to Benny. Why was he such a ddik to him? Just say thanks and take the girl away. No need to start *beep* with him.