History Film / ThePaleBlueEye

* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: [[spoiler: Stoddard]] flees West Point after the murder of [[Ballinger.]]

Set in 1830, retired New York Constable and widower Gus Landor is recruited by the West Point Military Academy to investigate the suicide of one of its cadets -- and the mutilation of the body. Discovering that the suicide was actually a murder, Landor becomes drawn in a complex hunt for potential occultists operating in the shadow, or even within, the Academy itself. He is aided in his investigation by a yougn cadet and aspiring poet named Creator/EdgarAllanPoe.

* RevengeBeforeReason: Invoked in the climax after [[spoiler: Poe learns what the murdered cadets did to Mattie. Poe doesn't understand why Landor didn't just go to Thayer with Fry's dog tags. With them, Landor had evidence Thayer ''couldn't'' ignore and it would've forced the Commandant to confront and elicit a confession from the cadets. Landor explains he ''didn't'' want Fry and his friends to confess; he wanted them ''dead'' and to suffer just like his daughter did.]]

* RevengeBeforeReason: Invoked in the climax after [[spoiler: Poe learns what the murdered cadets did to Mattie. Poe doesn't understand why Landor didn't just go to Thayer with Fry's dog tags. With them, Landor had evidence Thayer ''couldn't'' ignore and it would've forced the Commandant to confront and elicit a confession from the cadets. Landor replies he ''didn't'' want Fry and his friends to confess; he wanted them ''dead'' and to suffer like his daughter did.]]
* RewatchBonus: [[spoiler: All of Landor's first scenes (to say nothing of ''all'' his scenes) in the film take on different context after the reveal that he was the real killer all along. Landor's exhaustion and confusion in the opening stems from having been up all night after killing Fry and fearing he'd been found out. He's also genuinely baffled by the theft of Fry's heart and is trying to figure out what the hell's going on here -- and if he can use this to both conceal his involvement and continue learning who else had raped Mattie.]]

* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: [[spoiler: Stoddard]] flees West Point after the murder of [[Ballinger.]]

* AbortedArc: [[spoiler: Stoddard flees West Point, preventing Landor from killing the last of Mattie's rapists. Landor even lampshades it in-universe, conceding he doesn't have the energy or time to hunt down Stoddard. The consolation is knowing that rapist will now spend the rest of his days looking over his shoulder in fear and won't know a moment of peace.]]

* HiredToHuntYourself: A very complicated example. [[spoiler: Landor is initially called in to West Point to investigate Fry's death. Up to this point, Thayer, Hitchock, and Dr. Marquis all believe -- mutilation aside -- it was a suicide and have no reason to think it was a murder, meaning Landor's in the clear. However, Landor thwen invokes this trope by 'deducing' Fry was actually murdered. He outs 'himself' and explots the Trope because he sees an opportunity to conceal his involvement, frame another party, and use the investigation as a means to learn the identities of Mattie's other rapists.]]

* HiredToHuntYourself: A very complicated example. [[spoiler: Landor is initially called in to investigate Fry's suicide. However, he then invokes the Trope and outs 'himself' when he sees an opportunity to conceal his involvement, frame another party, and use the investigation as a means to learn the identities of Mattie's other rapists.]]

* SpottingTheThread: [[spoiler: Poe eventually figures out Landor was the real killer because he realizes Landor's handwriting matches the handwriting on the note fragment they recovered from Fry's corpse.]]
* XanatosSpeedChess: [[spoiler: Landor's early scenes become this on a re-watch, as he's manuvering to conceal his involvement in Fry's death and use the 'investigation' to frame another party and continue to learn the identities of Mattie's other rapists.]]

* RevengeBeforeReason: Invoked in the climax after [[spoiler: Poe learns what the murdered cadets did to Mattie. Poe doesn't understand why Landor didn't just go to Thayer with Fry's dog tags. With them, Landor had evidence Thayer ''couldn't'' ignore and it would've forced the Commandant to confront and elicit a confession from the cadets. Landor replies he ''didn't'' want Fry and his friends to confess; he wanted them ''dead'' and to suffer.]]
* RewatchBonus: [[spoiler: All of Landor's first scenes in the film take on different context after the reveal that he was the real killer. His exhaustion and confusion stem from having been up all night after killing Fry and fearing he'd been found out. He's also baffled by the theft of Fry's heart and is trying to figure out what the hell's going on here -- and if he can use this to both conceal his involvement and continue learning who else had raped Mattie.]]

* OutsideContextProblems: Serial killers operating within West Point is something Thayer nad Hitchcok are ill-prepared to handle, hence Landor's recruitment.

* {{Diary}}: Fry kept one, which Landor and Poe both examine to try and find potential clues to the murders. [[spoiler: As the actual murderer, Landor examines the diary in the hopes of learning the identities of Mattie's other rapists. Indeed, his examination leads him to Ballinger next.]]

* MilitaryAcademy: West Point itself. At the time the film's set, the Academy's only been operating for just under 30 years isn't yet the institution it'll become. This is a minor plot point, as Thayer and Hitchcock fear the Academy's political enemies will try to use the murders to shut down West Point.

''The Pale Blue Eye'' is a 2022 Murder Mystery film adaptation of Lous Bayard's 2003 novel of the same name. It is written and directed by Scott Cooper and stars Creator/ChristianBale, Creator/HarryMelling, Creator/GillianAnderson, Creator/TobyJones, Creator/LucyBoynton, Creator/TimothySpall, and Creator/RobertDuvall.

* RevengeBeforeReason: Invoked in the climax after [[spoiler: Poe learns what the murdered cadets did to Mattie. Poe doesn't understand why Landor didn't just go Thayer with Fry's dog tags. With them, Landor had evidence Thayer ''couldn't'' ignore and it would've forced the Commandant to confront and elicit a confession from the cadets. Landor replies he ''didn't'' want Fry and his friends to confess; he wanted them ''dead'' and to suffer.]]

* SecretKeeper: [[spoiler: Poe ultimately chooses not to turn Landor into the authorities and destroys the evidence.]]

* ResignedInDisgrace: [[spoiler: Dr. Marquis is forced to leave West Point due to the murders. The irony is that even if they hadn't been framed by Landor, Lea's actions and attempted murder of Poe would've resulted in the same outcome.]]

* ButForMeItWasTuesday:[[spoiler: Before killing them, Landor made sure Fry and Ballinger ''didn't'' invoke this trope and remembered damm well who Mattie was and what they'd done to her]].

* HiredToHuntYourself: Played with. [[spoiler: Landor is initially called in to investigate Fry's suicide. However, he then invokes the Trope and outs 'himself' when he sees an opportunity to conceal his role and frame another party.]]
* [[IHaveNoSon I Have No Daughter]]: Landor's daughter Mattie eloped 2 years prior to the film. Landor hasn't heard from her in the interim and refuses to discuss his wayward daughter. [[spoiler: It's all misdirection and an act to conceal her suicide]].

* ResignedInDisgrace: [[spoiler: Dr. Marquis is forced to leave West Point following the climax and his family's roles in the crimes.]]
* RewatchBonus: [[spoiler: All of Landor's first scenes in the film take on different context after the reveal that he was the real killer. His exhaustion and confusion stem from having been up all night and fearing he'd been found out. He's also baffled by the theft of Fry's heart and is trying to figure out what the hell's going on here -- and if he can use it as part of his coverup.]]

* SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler: Fry, Ballinger, and Stoddard would have gotten away with Mattie's rape if she hadn't grabbed Fry's dog tags during the assault. This allowed Landor to find out Fry's involvement and from there, the involvement of the others.]]

* RewatchBonus: [[spoiler: All of Landor's first scenes in the film take on different context after the reveal that he was the real killer. His exhaustion and confusion stem from having been up all night and fearing he'd been foui

* RevengeBeforeReason: Invoked in the climax by [[spoiler: Poe after learning what the murdered cadets did to Mattie. He doesn't understand why Landor didn't just go Thayer with Fry's dog tags. With them, Landor had evidence Thayer ''couldn't'' ignore and it would've forced him to confront and elicit a confession from the cadets. Landor replies he ''didn't'' want Fry and his friends to confess; he wanted them ''dead'' and to suffer.]]

* AbortedArc: [[spoiler: Stoddard flees West Point, preventing Landor from killing the last of Mattie's rapists. Landor even lampshades it in-universe, conceding he doesn't have the energy or time to hunt down Stoddard. The consolation is knowning that rapist will now spend the rest of his days looking over his shoulder in fear and won't know a moment of peace.]]

* ButForMeItWastuesday:[[spoiler: Before killing them, Landor made sure Fry and Ballinger ''didn't'' invoke this trope and remembered damm well who Mattie was and what they'd done to her]].

* RevengeBeforeReason: Invoked in the climax by [[spoiler: Poe after learning what the murdered cadets did to Mattie. He doesn't understand why Landor didn't just go Thayer with Fry's dog tag. With that, Landor had enough circumstantial evidence to force Thayer to confront and elicit a confession from the cadets. Landor replies he ''didn't'' want the cadets to confess; he wanted them ''dead'' and to suffer.]]