Still one of my top 3 movies. It is a masterwork of atmospherics: the framing, the moving camera, the cinematography. But I don't know what the point was except as an exercise in examining a descent into madness, which is made much less interesting because it's apparent that Jack was already crazy. T
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The weird voice of the imaginary friend of the psychic child (REDRUM! - were they riffing off of The Exorcist or what?) and then just all the weird crap that is left unexplained is really creepier than Jack Nicholson doing the shtick he's known for - take out the kid's creepy voice, maybe this was really a Joker origin story!
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Part of the problem also may be that I watched the "European" version, and I'm sorry, I guess I'm just a "dumb" American, but I think the extra exposition would have been helpful.
As seen in the image attached;
Just because he was begging for help doesn't mean he stopped being insane. Similar to how serial killers completely believe in their mind that they are the victim, and would be confused why nobody would help them if they got in trouble for murder. Ressler's book had an interview with a serial killer recounting how someone fed his dog glass; he was tearing up over it. Turns out he'd been mutilating and killing the pets in the neighborhood and someone got revenge on him.
When they say zero empathy, they mean they literally have none, not that they are cold hearted. They see themselves as different (better?) than others, and above law and morality.
So yeah when they are caught they can't comprehend feelings like guilt or remorse or shame, anything bad happening to them is bad. If it sounds skewed, imagine being in their heads for a day...
