Stupidity: Abel sends a video next door showing Chris being sexually assaulted by a stripper at the bachelor party, which would actually get him in a lot of trouble as the video shows him encouraging it. Yet, for some reason, Chris and Lisa don't bother to use this important piece of evidence to make a case against his harassment of them.
Stupidity: At the end of the film, Abel had nothing to gain from lying about having a gun to the police officer. He had no way to prevent Chris and Lisa from presenting the informant's cell phone and exposing his involvement in the break-in and vandalism of the couple's house. Additionally, testing from the shots fired in the house and the car would prove that there were two different guns involved. As a long time police officer, Abel should have known that giving up the gun would have been the easier way out instead of lying about it.
Answer: As far as symbolism, from a film student's perspective (mine), it's like destruction or division, two common themes in the film. The two characters are split in values and the fire is raging between them. As the fire gets closer to the houses, it increases in intensity, as does the fighting between neighbors. I think in this film, fire was used not only as a plot device, but a metaphor for the story as well.
manthabeat ★