Johnny Handsome 4K 1989

So what was Johnny really like: a hardened criminal or simply a victim of his unattractive appearance?! Who is right: the doctor, who claims that with a new face, Johnny can have whatever life he wants for himself, or the police officer, who believes that a person who has gone down the path of crime is incapable of reforming himself?!

For comparison, we’re introduced to a couple of truly hardened gangsters for whom nothing is sacred—they’re even willing to betray one another. Johnny isn’t like that at all: he was very loyal to his only friend, and he did end up helping the girl who came into his life. And if it weren’t for revenge, he would have taken his chance.

The fact is, everyone judges based on their own experience and sees only what they want to see.

The doctor believes in the good that exists in people, and that’s why he tries to help them. The police officer, on the other hand, is no better than the criminals he catches. He’s a cynic and preys on people’s weaknesses.

And even though Johnny did end up stepping back onto the beaten path (having originally conceived his plan to take revenge on the killers), it’s possible that he still saw “Handsome Johnny” in the mirror and didn’t believe that things could be any different for him.

But if there are people in life like the doctor, the nun, and our hero’s girlfriend—and if they manage to help even one person out of ten—then it will be worth all the effort. And the world will become a better place, even if only a little bit.