"Stealin' stones and breakin' bones."
Snatch - Symbolism & Philosophy
Symbols & Motifs
The 86-Carat Diamond
Symbolizes the allure and fickleness of wealth. It is a "cursed" object that passes through many hands but brings nothing but trouble to those who try to claim it.
It originates from a heist in Antwerp and travels through London, eventually ending up inside a dog, showing how the "priceless" becomes the "worthless" in a chaotic environment.
The Pigs
Represent the industrial, dehumanizing nature of the criminal underworld. They are a tool for erasing evidence, turning humans into nothing more than " uncooked flesh."
Brick Top uses a pig farm to dispose of his victims, delivering a famous monologue about their ability to consume a body in minutes.
The Dog
The ultimate symbol of wildcard unpredictability. The dog represents the "natural" chaos that disrupts the "civilized" greed of the gangsters.
Belonging to the bumbling robbers but originally from the Travellers, the dog swallows the diamond and eventually leads the protagonists to their fortune.
The Periwinkle Blue Caravan
Symbolizes domestic aspiration and the specific cultural values of the Irish Travellers, contrasting with the cold, urban greed of the London gangsters.
Mickey refuses to fight unless his mother gets a caravan in this specific color, which becomes the catalyst for the film's climax.
Philosophical Questions
Does luck outweigh competence in a chaotic system?
The film repeatedly shows highly 'competent' professionals (like Tony or Boris) falling to random accidents, while the 'lucky' Turkish survives. It questions whether skill matters in a world governed by chaos.
Can communication exist without shared language?
Through Mickey, the film explores how understanding is often reached through action and empathy rather than literal words, as Turkish and Mickey form a bond despite the language barrier.
Core Meaning
The core meaning of Snatch centers on the unpredictability of life and the folly of human greed. Director Guy Ritchie presents a world where even the most meticulously planned criminal schemes are susceptible to the "predictability of stupidity" and the random interference of chance. The film suggests that in a chaotic universe, control is an illusion; the characters who survive and thrive are often those who embrace the chaos rather than trying to master it. Ultimately, it is a cynical yet humorous exploration of how the smallest accidents can upend the grandest ambitions.