Here are a couple interesting thoughts I had during the film:
In the extended shot of Ed telling Paul about finding Taylor’s dead body, Paul is brushing his teeth. I believe he only started brushing his teeth once he told Ed what was going on. This could be a subtle hint that Paul is lying, because he feels guilty of not telling Ed the truth and needs to clean his “dirty” mouth.
When Paul and Ed run up to Paul’s office after Sloss is assassinated, there are Vote Henry banners and signs all over. In this scene, Paul confesses to Ed that he killed Taylor. The mise en scene (staging of characters, props, lighting, etc.) suggests that Henry has some kind of influence on Paul and possibly the murder of Taylor, which we eventually find out he does.
When Ed is telling Mrs. Matthews about what is going on, Opal is in tears about what Ed is saying. He tells Mrs. Matthews that everyone is trying to convince Opal that her brother Paul killed Taylor. What I find odd is that Opal told Ed before Taylor’s death that Paul was going there to kill him. I don’t think she needed any convincing. It’s almost like the screenplay writer forgot who told Ed to stop Paul.
One of my questions was why no Shad O’Rory? And what exactly is Nick Varner? There are some parts where he sounds Italian and others Irish.