Lies and deceit are so prevalent in The Big Lebowski that it's hard to tell who's telling the truth and who isn't. The Dude's task is to unravel the ball of lies being thrown at him and expose the truth, but he's getting different stories from everyone because they're all out to get different things from him. The nihilists want ransom money, Maude wants a baby, the Big Lebowski wants his wife to disappear, and Jackie Treehorn wants his money from Bunny.
By putting us in The Dude's shoes, we're constantly wondering who's trustworthy and who isn't, who's lying and who's not, and generally, what the heck is going on. Fake kidnappings, fake charities, fake seductions, altered states of consciousness—as we learn over the course of the film, hardly anyone can be trusted.
Questions about Lies and Deceit
- Are the characters we end up trusting in The Big Lebowski the characters we'd expect to trust?
- Why isn't honesty one of Walter's many principles?
- Does the film suggest that deceit is a necessary ingredient of success?
Chew on This
The Dude and Donny are the only characters who aren't deceptive.
The point of the movie is that there's no point and nothing is true.