There are a couple of parts of the plot I don't get and I was wondering if someone could clear them up.
SPOILERS
Basically I didn't understand why the rich Lebowski had to get the dude to pay the ransom in the first place. The dude says that Lebowski wanted to be rid of his wife, which is why he paid arranged to pay the ransom with a 'ringer'. But if he wanted to be rid of his wife, and wanted the kidnappers to kill her, then why pay a ransom with a ringer at all? Why not just do nothing, and let the kidnappers kill her, and not respond to the ransom calls at all?
And another thing I didn't get, after the dude finds the homework in his car, he and Walter decide to go confront the kid to get the briefcase back, that fails. After it fails, instead of smash up the car, why not just go to the police and give them the homework as evidence for the police to possibly arrest the kid to get the briefcase back?
They may not have enough evidence to charge the kid, but if they dusted the car for his prints, on the steering wheel, they very well could, and this could cause the kid to give the briefcase back.
Now the dude and Walter might be worried that the police might find out that there is a lot of money in that briefcase, but the police wouldn't have any probable cause to search the case. If a person who's car is stolen reports to the police that a briefcase is missing, and the police find it, the police are not allowed to search the case without probable cause. So since they don't have any, the dude would legally get the case back most likely.
So why not just go to the police with the evidence to try to get the kid arrested and crack in fear of being charged?
SPOILERS
Basically I didn't understand why the rich Lebowski had to get the dude to pay the ransom in the first place. The dude says that Lebowski wanted to be rid of his wife, which is why he paid arranged to pay the ransom with a 'ringer'. But if he wanted to be rid of his wife, and wanted the kidnappers to kill her, then why pay a ransom with a ringer at all? Why not just do nothing, and let the kidnappers kill her, and not respond to the ransom calls at all?
And another thing I didn't get, after the dude finds the homework in his car, he and Walter decide to go confront the kid to get the briefcase back, that fails. After it fails, instead of smash up the car, why not just go to the police and give them the homework as evidence for the police to possibly arrest the kid to get the briefcase back?
They may not have enough evidence to charge the kid, but if they dusted the car for his prints, on the steering wheel, they very well could, and this could cause the kid to give the briefcase back.
Now the dude and Walter might be worried that the police might find out that there is a lot of money in that briefcase, but the police wouldn't have any probable cause to search the case. If a person who's car is stolen reports to the police that a briefcase is missing, and the police find it, the police are not allowed to search the case without probable cause. So since they don't have any, the dude would legally get the case back most likely.
So why not just go to the police with the evidence to try to get the kid arrested and crack in fear of being charged?