Existentialism Overlooked in 25th Hour

The 2002 film "25th Hour" by Spike Lee developed from the novel "The 25th Hour" by David Benioff takes a modern spin on the age old question; what would you do if today was your last day? The protagonist of the film is Monty Brogan (Norton) once a hotshot 20 something year old heroin dealer who was convicted of possession with intent to sell and due to the Rockefeller drug laws is going to Otisville Penitentiary for seven years tomorrow. Monty has to settle several loose ends before he leaves in the morning, attempting to find out who sold him out to the DEA, spending time with his girlfriend Naturelle Riviera (Rosario Dawson) who may have sold him out, have one last meal at his father's (Brian Cox) Staten Island bar, and hang out with his two boyhood friends Frank Slaughtery (Barry Pepper) a renegade bond trader and Jacob Elinsky (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) a high school English teacher at the private school they all attended.


This film is not widely recognized as an existentialist film amongst the film community as observed in the reviews. This film is recognized as either a crime drama or a drama and is most well known for being the first film set in New York after 9/11 and due to that New York becomes a character in the film. I feel that this film can be viewed as an existentialist film because it is about the consequences of choices that we make, our responsibilities as friends, and how the choices of one day can shape the rest of ones life.


Existentialism flows through this film from beginning to the (perceived) end and with all the characters. Through the major scenes to quirky flashbacks about how comfortable Monty's life was. Monty was a hotshot heroin dealer working for the Russian mob, he lived in a swanky New York City apartment with his girlfriend Naturelle and his dog Doyle, had a bodyguard Kostya (played by NFL Great Tony Siragusa) and drove an American muscle car. Monty became accustomed to the lifestyle and didn't think about his choices, it wasn't even about money to Monty it was about "sway". "Sway" and money are related but not the same, "sway" to Monty essentially was having a key to the city without any key at all, he had friends all over people feared and respected him. He could get anything he wanted. That wasn't to bad for a skinny Irish kid from Brooklyn with a dead mom and a retired firefighter for a dad.
Monty has a flashback about when he was caught by the DEA at his apartment. The flashback begins with Monty and Naturelle in the bathtub discussing children and their future. Monty notices Naturelle has a Puerto Rican flag tattooed on her lower leg and asks her why she did it. He tells her that she was born in New York and has only been to Puerto Rico twice on vacation and that she's not Puerto Rican just because her parents are from there. That is a very Satrian concept as seen in "No Exit" about classifying yourself as something in which you've never done and grouping yourself with others.

Monty has to settle old scores before he goes off to prison, one of the most important is when Monty goes back to his father's Staten Island bar for his last father and son meal. His father takes the time to apologize to Monty for not being a good enough father and telling Monty of all the choices Monty had and what he could have done instead, doctor or a lawyer. Monty responds to his father in a manner similar to the relationship of Alex and his parents in " A Clockwork Orange". Monty tells his dad that when "Sal" (a bookie) was putting pressure on his his dad for unsettled gambling debts his dad didn't complain about Monty providing him the money and didn't ask where it came from. Monty points out that if he was in medical or law school he couldn't have helped his dad like he did which allowed his dad to keep his bar. Monty's dad blames himself for being a drunk and a gambler during Monty's childhood. Monty's dad sees his choices as the choices that put Monty into this situation. Monty excuses himself from the table and goes into the bathroom and sees the words "F**K You" scribbled onto the mirror and Monty goes off onto a rant about every race, culture, religion, person, family, friends etc. in New York (in a scene similar to the racial rant scene in "Do the Right Thing") . At the end of the rant Monty gives a big "F you" to himself, saying he had it all and he threw it all away, which is the true root of his anger and frustration. Monty realizes he had it all everything about New York he had, and now he is cast out so he tells all of New York to go "F themselves".

It isn't just Monty who displays existentialist qualities his two best friends Jake and Frank also, with Frank being the existentialist who exposes the fictitious lifestyles they've been living. Jake meets Frank at Franks high rise apartment before the night out at the club for Monty's going away party. Frank and Jake sit on a windowsill that overlooks Ground Zero, Frank says that he's not gonna move even if Osama Bin Laden drops a bomb next door. Frank has a Wall Street arrogance to him as seen here: . Frank and Jake discuss Monty's future, Jake is an idealist while Frank is a realist. Frank speaks of Monty's three options: Monty runs and they never see him again, Monty "catches the bullet train and the casket is closed", and lastly Monty goes to Prison and they will never see him again. Jake says that Monty will go to prison and they will see him again in seven years. Frank tells him that Monty will never be the same due to the realities of prison and they will never see Monty again. Frank and Jake then go to dinner at a Chinese restaurant where Frank tells Jake about his theory. Frank has a theory about the bachelors in New York and tells Jake he is in the 62nd percentile while Frank the inventor of the rating is in the 99th. Frank says it is because of money and insults Jake. Jake gets annoyed and tells Frank about reality, Frank acts like a child he eats fried rice with his hands, Jake tells him that once Frank leaves his office where he is a maverick but is successful he doesn't know how to behave in the real world. Frank replies by exposing Jake, Jake is a wealthy Jewish kid from the Upper East Side who became a high school teacher because he is ashamed of being a trust fund kid and tells him that it is knee jerk liberalism. Jake never choose to be a trust fund baby so therefore he isn't, he choose to be a struggling English teacher. Jake is struggling not only financially but mentally. Jake is about to do the taboo for teachers. He has feelings for a student Mary (Anna Paquin) who is seen in the beginning and she meets them at the club and Monty is able to sneak her into the backdoor. There is an awkward feeling the whole night between Jake and Mary, Mary is drunk and on ecstasy and she flirts with Jake attempting to have him bump up a grade. Jake knows that his feelings are wrong and he asked Frank about it previously and Frank told him it was wrong. Jake succumbs to his feelings and makes a choice to go to the bathroom with Mary where he kisses her only to realize that she didn't have the same feelings Mary stands in the bathroom stunned and Jake exits embarrassed. Similar to the relationship of "No Exit" Jake wanted to have Mary make him feel like a man which didn't happen and only left him embarrassed.
Frank and Naturelle have a heated conversation at the club's bar about responsibilities as friends. Frank tells Naturelle that they are all responsible for Monty's demise by not telling him to get out or saying what he was doing was wrong. He accuses Naturelle of using Monty just for his money which came through the misery of other people.

An interesting scene in the film is when we find out who sold Monty out to the DEA. Throughout the movie the main suspect was Naturelle but we see in a private room in the club basement the Russian mobsters reveal to Monty that it was Monty's bodyguard Kostya who sold him out. Kostya was a two strike offender and sold Monty out for freedom. The Russian mobsters have a moral code and have existentialist like qualities. The Russians attack Kostya and are about to kill him they say that Kostya didn't act like a man but rather squealed. He didn't take responsibility for his actions.

In the most climatic scene Monty, Frank, and Jake exit the club and it is early morning and they leave the club and they are in a park. Monty asks Frank a huge favor. "Make me Ugly". Monty needs Frank to beat him up so badly he will look deformed because he knows pretty boys like himself cannot survive in prison and will most likely be raped in prison. Frank resists at first but Monty pushes Frank into doing it, challenging Frank and his manhood and their friendship accusing Frank of crossing the line sexually with Naturelle. Frank makes the difficult choice but as a friend he didn't what Monty needed him to do.

The final scene of the film is Monty's father driving Monty to Otisville. Monty's father says: "give me the word and I'll make a left and go west". This proposition is very existentialist, it is about making the choice to create a new life. Monty's father tells Monty what to do and to leave New York and his friends and family behind: . It's hard to tell which choice Monty makes in the final scene but if you pay close attention to the signs and the location of the GW bridge the choice is revealed. No matter the decision Monty will be no more.