Why was Quaritch so bitter?

[Anna23]

He wanted a fight, but why?

[Aihwa]

I think he was psychologically unfit for command. So he reacted to the stress with pure hatred and violence.

[ScottWashburn]

Quaritch is probably the most complex character in the movie. We really don't know a lot about him except for what we can infer by watching the movie. First off, we know he was a marine officer back on Earth. But now he's commanding a bunch of mercenaries on Pandora. Why? He doesn't seem like the sort who would be all that interested in the money, so why's he there instead of proudly commanding a regiment of Marines? Was he kicked out of the Corps because of psychological problems? Forcibly retired because of budget cutbacks? Given the choice of resigning or facing an investigation for some massacre that happened during one of his tours in Nigeria? We don't know. But the man seems driven to prove himself the biggest, meanest SOB on Pandora. His body-building mania; him, a senior officer, still driving an AMP suit; having to personally try to shoot down Trudy's helicopter during the escape. Putting everyone in the control room at risk so he can personally try to shoot down the copter. It's all part of the same pattern. And when he feels that Jake has personally betrayed him for disabling the bulldozer, it drives him to punch out a cripple. Jake had actually been following the orders that Selfridge gave him, but Quaritch doesn't care. It seems that there is a lifetime of rage and frustration boiling just below the surface for Quaritch. And it finally boils over during the battle. When things start of go wrong, he doesn't seem the least bit concerned about his troops. They're being massacred, but his only reaction is a determination to "get this done."

The man clearly has some serious problems, but we can only guess about their root cause.

[Aihwa]

He states that he was a lieutenant when he first came to Pandora. He never earned a real command.

[ScottWashburn]

He states that he was a lieutenant when he first came to Pandora. He never earned a real command.

No, he stated that he "felt like a shave-tail looie" for getting mauled on his first day on Pandora. By that he meant that he had made a stupid mistake like a young inexperienced officer might. But he was far too old to still have been a lieutenant, and when we see him he's a colonel. I am sure that he was already of pretty high rank when he arrived on Pandora. probably a lieutenant-colonel, second in command to the previous commander. When the previous commander rotated home, Quaritch took command. That would be the usual way things work.

[Aihwa]

No, his exact quote was, "You think I felt like a shave tail looie" which means he did not, feel like an inexperienced officer. (go check it)


Besides, as I said, hes not psychologically built for command. People like that do not take leadership in the Corps.


Chances are, he an NCO, and was given a commission when he joined the Merc outfit.

[ScottWashburn]

Sorry, I have reviewed it and I disagree. I stand by my statement.

[Aihwa]

I still hold it was a rhetorical question poised to Sully.

[ScottWashburn]

So you are saying that Quaritch was saying basically: "I served three tours in Nigeria without getting a scratch, but I came to Pandora and got chewed up on my first day. But did that make me feel stupid? Nope, not a bit!" And this was just moments after he states that Pandora is way tougher than any Earthly jungle. Sorry, but that just doesn't make any sense.

[Aihwa]

No, I though he said "I served three tours without a scratch, then came here and no longer felt like a lieutenant."


Its the "without a scratch" that shows he still could have maintained naivete, his bubble of security had not been broken.