In this section of the Colossus Movie Guide for Violent Night, we answer questions you have about the movie. If you’re curious about plot explanations, meanings, themes, lessons, motifs, symbols, or just confused by something, ask and we’ll do our best to answer.
Cast
- Santa Claus – David Harbour
- Trudy Lightstone – Leah Brady
- Jason Lightstone – Alex Hassell
- Linda Matthews – Alexis Louder
- Mr. Scrooge – John Leguizamo
- Alva Lightstone – Edi Patterson
- Morgan Steel – Cam Gigadent
- Bertrude Lightstone – Alexander Elliot
- Gertrude Lightstone – Beverly D’Angelo
- Commander Thorp – Mike Dopud
- Candy Cane – Mitra Suri
- Tinsel – Phong Giang
- Frosty – Can Aydin
- Sugarplum – Stephanie Sy
- Krampus – Brendan Fletcher
- Gingerbread – André Eriksen
Violent Night | Questions and Answers
How did Santa and Trudy communicate?
Jason Lightstone found one of the walkie talkies he had as a kid and gave it to Trudy as a gift, lying that it would allow her to talk to Santa. The other walkie talkie happened to be in the game room that Santa ends up in. It happened to also be on. Meaning Santa could hear Trudy’s dialogue.
The cynical viewer might wonder why the other walkie talkie was even on. And the pedantic viewer might point out that if the walkie talkie had been on this whole time then it probably should have had a dead battery. If you want to be more glass-half-full, then you might choose to believe that Jason added new batteries to the walkie talkies and maybe thought about using the second one to pretend to be Santa. So turned it on but decided against it and left it on?
Odds are, the filmmakers just didn’t think people would even think about the whole thing much less care enough to complain. It’s one of those things we’re just supposed to suspend our disbelief on.
How did Jason steal the money from the vault?
That is an excellent question. Gertrude makes a big deal about how difficult it is to get into the vault. It’s possible Jason would have known the password. But the money was taken the day before. Meaning Jason would have had to go to the house, access the vault, remove crates of money, transfer the money to the nativity display in the front yard, then have a plan to load the money and leave. All without being seen by a house that’s full of staff and has a full security detail? We’re not told that Jason has an accomplice. So he did it all himself?
It’s kind of the most unbelievable aspect of the entire movie. And another thing we’re probably not supposed to think too much about.
Who are the Lighstones? Why are they so important?
It seems the Lightstones are an amalgamation of family corporate dynasties with political influence. Like the Halliburtons. Or the Koch family. The Vanderbilts. Rockefellers. The du Ponts.
The US government has worked with and through the Lightstones to make political deals. So they’re influential in a big way.
How did Santa Claus become Santa Claus?
Violent Night doesn’t clarify whether there was a Santa Clas before this Santa Claus. Like if Christmas magic was already a thing and he was just selected to carry on the name after the previous Claus checked out? Or if he is the first Santa Claus and the whole celebration is something he created?
He does say he’s 1,100 years old. And Christmas is associated with the birth of Jesus Christ. Which happened over 2,000 years ago. That would imply that Christmas magic had already existed. Yet we’re never told exactly what happened. Santa Claus was a viking warrior who sought nothing but violence and treasure. But becoming Santa Claus changed his behavior and life.
Unfortunately, we’re not really told anything more. Was Mrs. Claus someone he was already married to? Or someone Christmas magic also chose? Or who already existed? All Santa tells us is he doesn’t quite understand what Christmas magic is or how it works.
Why are Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus fighting?
I would imagine it has something to do with Santa drinking all of the time and generally being upset about the current state of Christmas and how greedy he believes kids have become. That jaded attitude is something that would absolutely affect his home life.
Why did the reindeer come back?
It seems they returned to the North Pole then Mrs. Claus sent them back with the Skullcrusher. Unfortunately, they arrived too late for Santa to use it. It’s implied that the reindeer maybe went specifically to get the hammer? And maybe told Mrs. Claus what was happening? Otherwise, it seems Mrs. Claus had some way of knowing Santa was in trouble. Probably the reindeer showing up without him.
What did Jason’s note to Gertrude say? Why didn’t he want her to see it?
The note was his confession. It said he had stolen the $300 million from her and that this was goodbye. That he wanted to separate completely and begin a new life with his family. Gertrude was meant to find it Christmas morning, after Jason and his family had left in the middle of the night. Not when he was sitting there right next to her.
Why wasn’t Gertrude mad at Jason?
She respected him taking action. She said her own father wasn’t going to let her run the company since she was a woman. So she took the company from him. How could she blame Jason for doing something similar? Someone who makes power moves often looks favorably on someone else who makes a power move, even if it’s against them. You see a similar thing on the show Succession. Logan Roy wants his kids to have the gumption to overthrow him, instead of cowering before him. The whole show explores their inability to do so and his inability to put being a father over his competitive spirit.
What question do you have?
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He didn’t say he was 1100 years old. He said him and Mrs Claus were coming up on 1100 years.