“I been poor my whole life. So were my parents, and their parents before 'em ... It's like a disease, passing from generation to generation. Becomes, a sickness, that's what it is ... Infects every person you know ... But not my boys. Not anymore.”
Toby’s assertion comes from seeing how poverty is an inescapable affliction, especially in the environs they dwell in. Toby and Tanner stem from a family that has endured poverty through generations hence Toby seeks to not subject his children to the same cycle. Poverty is a central theme in the film and acts as the motivation for the two brothers’ decision to rob the banks in order to pay off the mortgage and secure their family ranch. Growing up in a poor and abusive family Toby intends to take drastic measures otherwise his ex-wife and kids might end up in the same rut of poverty and violence.
“Oh, who knows. Maybe one of these bank robbers is gonna want a gunfight and I can dodge my retirement in a blaze of glory.”
In this affirmation, Marcus as one of the pursuers expresses his sentiments in regards to the robberies in that he hopes for glory rather than justice. Instead of seeking how to handle the situation in a civil manner, he intends to have a celebrated last assignment before his retirement. Despite Marcus and Alberto being the law-enforcers and the brothers being the robbers, the concepts of good and bad are blurred. Thus, the police become the antagonists in the film, as the actions of Toby and Tanner feel more justifiable. Marcus and his partner are shown as pursuing the brothers out of selfish pursuits.
“We ain't stealing from you. We're stealing from the bank.”
Toby’s statement is directed to the old fellow they find at the bank while conducting a robbery, which conveys their ‘noble cause’. Toby and Tanner are obviously breaking the law through their robbery sprees however their motives and intentions are more complex than what meets the eye. As individuals who have lived under the poverty line while corporate companies prey on the lower classes, their actions seem justified. Their choice to steal from the same bank that intends to foreclose their family ranch rather than undertaking random robberies is an expression of their code. David Mackenzie’s execution of the film intends to depict the characters as multifaceted with far more complex motives even though they are lawbreakers.
