didn't work so well, did it?The Mist · 2007 — Chapter 7 of 11 · 4'53" · B2
The Crowd Turns on David, Explained: cut and run
The room is dark and the fear has found a voice. Someone keeps "preaching" to the trapped crowd, and a quieter voice warns David that once something happens, anyone will "cut and run." The real argument is whether civilization is still there when the lights are off, or just a story people tell themselves.
What happens
The power is out in the supermarket and the survivors are sitting in the dark. A woman is preaching to the crowd, whipping up fear, while others try to keep the group moving toward a plan: the pharmacy trip, the rope test, and a straight answer about how far the mist reaches. David finds himself arguing with people who want a sign, not a solution.
Listen for
for all we knowcut and runfirst things firstpreach
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Now
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Phrase of the scene
cut and run
to leave quickly when things get dangerous
大卫交代，万一出任何意外，就赶紧撤回来照看孩子。
When the deal turned bad, the investors cut and run.
Also in this scene
- for all we know
based on what we know, which may be very little
- first things first
deal with the most important thing first
- preach
to give a moral lecture; to sermonise
Everything marked in this scene
41 notes across 104 lines
One, two, three.Well, we should hit the pharmacy first.We gotta bring back supplies for the injured.and we can't let that happen.I say we drive south as far as the fuel takes us.and try to keep clear of this mist.That's what I got.That's how much rope played out.But who knows how far this mist has spread.based on what we know, which may be very little
Yeah, it could be the whole world for all we know.tag question
Wouldn't make us any less dead now, would it?Want another reason to get the hell outta here?She's our very own Jim Jones.I'd like to leave before people start drinking the Kool-Aid.liaison
I'd like to leave before people start drinking the Kool-Aid.I'd like to leave before people start drinking the Kool-Aid.the ... the ... construction
The flakier people get, the better she's gonna look.No, I don't buy that.It's obvious she's nuts.Who she's gonna sacrifice to make it all better.You don't have much faith in humanity, do you?None whatsoever.My God, David, we're a civilized society.Sure, as long as the machines are working.as long as condition
Sure, as long as the machines are working.You scare the shit outta them, no more rules.You scare the shit outta them, no more rules.They'll turn to whoever promises a solution.Ollie, please back me up here.liaison
Ollie, please back me up here.I wish I could.Put more than two of us in a room, we pick sides and start dreaming up reasons.Why'd you think we invented politics and religion?deal with the most important thing first
First things first, the pharmacy.That'll be our test run.They'll come and eat you up.liaison
They'll come and eat you up.to leave quickly when things get dangerous
If something happens, anything at all, you cut and run.I want you to take care of Billy as best as you can.You get him out of here, you just keep driving.The Crowd Turns on David, explained
What's really going on
Strip away the monsters and the scene is about what holds a society together once the lights go out. One character insists, "My God, David, we're a civilized society." The reply treats civilization as a fragile agreement instead: "As a species, we're fundamentally insane." From there, politics and religion are recast as inventions for managing a volatile, irrational species. That is why the preaching lands so well on a frightened room — fear wants a story, and whoever supplies one gains power. The people who keep their heads are the ones asking what can actually be done next, not what it all means. In the dark, civilization is not a given; it is something the room has to keep choosing.
Theme
FaithWhen the lights fail, some turn to a preacher and a story; the scene asks whether belief is comfort or control.
SurvivalPractical people focus on the pharmacy and the rope test while others argue about what humanity deserves.
What you'll learn
- Notice how "keep clear of" changes the exchange.
- Listen for the attitude carried by "keep clear of".
- Try the phrase in a comparable conversation.
Listen for
- drinking the Kool Aid — liaison
- back me up — liaison
- eat you up — liaison
As a species we re fundamentally insaneThe speaker's bleak view of human beings: we are not rational creatures but a dangerous, irrational species.
Why d you think we invented politics and religionHe traces politics and religion to that same irrationality — inventions that help a volatile species organize and manage itself.
My God David we re a civilized societyA shocked protest: the speaker insists people are still civilized, refusing to accept that order has already collapsed.
You don t have much faith in humanity do youA quiet accusation that the other person sees people at their worst and expects the worst from them.
Questions about this scene
Why does the group listen to Mrs. Carmody at all?
Because she offers certainty in a situation with none. When no one can explain the mist, a person who claims to know God's plan becomes the most confident voice in the room.
What does drinking the Kool-Aid mean in this context?
It means following a dangerous belief without questioning it. The phrase comes from the Jonestown mass suicide, and here it warns that the crowd is surrendering its judgment to a leader.
Is the civilized society line meant to be sincere?
It is sincere in the moment, which is what makes it sting. The speaker wants it to be true, but the film keeps showing how quickly that agreement falls apart under pressure.
Who is right about human nature in this scene?
The film sides with the pessimist and the pragmatist at once: people are not reliably good, but survival still depends on the few who keep working the problem instead of waiting for a sign.
The Mist · 11 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 8leave well enough aloneCarmody Blocks the Pharmacy Run
Chapter 1the end of daysThe Mist Reaches the Store
Chapter 2sense of proportionDavid Argues With His Neighbor
Chapter 3at stakeDavid Argues the Mist Is Real
Chapter 4meet one's makerMrs. Carmody Preaches the End
Chapter 5tightly woundThe Group Debates Seeking Rescue
Chapter 6for the bestAftermath at the Grocery Store
Watching · Chapter 7cut and runThe Crowd Turns on David
Chapter 8leave well enough aloneCarmody Blocks the Pharmacy Run
Chapter 9at bayDavid Plans His Escape
Chapter 10point the fingerThe Arrowhead Project Revealed
Chapter 11wait and seeDavid Promises Billy He'll Never LeaveChapter 7 of 11 · about 17 min to go