Analysis: "Looper"

Looper, directed by Rian Johnson and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, and Emily Blunt, is a pulpy sci-fi story about time-traveling assassins called "loopers," and it is one of my absolute favorite films of the year. The acting was spot-on, the plot was unparalleled, and the makeup to make Gordon-Levitt look like a younger Willis was amazing. This said, there is a number of deeper aspects that can be analyzed and accounted for by critics and your average film blogger. In this analysis, I will cut to the bone on some of the most interesting aspects of the film: its intended theme, and the interesting way that theme was expressed. The theme, in my opinion, revoles around the fact that even the smallest changes can have a massive ripple effect on their life. Of course, this can apply to a lot of things. There is the ubiquitous "Butterfly Effect," which states that a butterfly flapping its wings in Peking can affect the weather in New York. This is a very well-known concept, and it has been mentioned in Jurassic Park, and parodied in Simpsons comics. This is exploited well in Looper, and the it is shown in the timeline within the film. (Warning: Spoilers Ahead) Joe, (Gordon-Levitt) actually closes his loop in the first timeline, and takes Abe's (Jeff Daniels) advice and goes to China, though he  has planned to go to France. As he arrives in Neo-Shanghai, he squanders his money on drugs and lechery. Then he must return to a life of crime to pay off debts, at which point he meets a wife. As Joe transitions into Old Joe (Willis), they live together, and he is finally happy. Of course, things go south, and he his kidnapped by the Rainmaker's henchmen, and his new wife dies. He is sent back in time to close the loop, and he survives the killing, only to run off, setting up the plot. Fast-forward to the end, and we see what a difference one thing can do to an entire life. Old Joe aims to kill Cid, the future Rainmaker, and set his life back on track. At this point, Joe realizes the effect: Old Joe would accidentally shoot Sara (Emily Blunt), traumatizing Cid to the point where he would close all future loops, and become the Rainmaker. Then the film is resolved when yet another small event has an effect disproportionate to its size: Joe shoots himself, causing both him and Old Joe to die, letting Sara and Cid live a happy life with Joe's stocked silver from his previous jobs. Now, we know the first two scenarios: either Sara dies, and Cid becomes the Rainmaker, or Joe kills himself, preventing Sara and Cid from dying and therefore stopping the Rainmaker from existing. I can think of at least two more scenarios that could result: Joe shoots Old Joe, closing the loop and leading him on a new path of life, or Old Joe succeeds in killing Cid, which would set Sara on a new path and Young Joe as well. Of course, I am sure there could be even more scenarios, based on something as arbitrary as tripping over a stalk of corn. All in all, Rian Johnson's theme was one that is well-known, but he put a great spin on it, and it is ripe for discussion and dissection across the board.