Some people are "disappointed" with the verdict, saying he was guilty. I think people like that only see black and white, and fail to see context. The only thing the main character was guilty of was indecision, and being untethered to the reality of the world he lived in. Watching the film, you see the main character is quite sheltered, despite living in a neighborhood where both law abiding and law breaking people live.
This naïveté of the main character is what allowed him to get acquainted with a criminal. A criminal who was friendly, charming and knowledgeable. A criminal who was simply using him because he looked innocent and was naive. When asked to be the lookout, he was forcefully told to do so, while King held on to his bike. A stronger, more grounded and confident kid, would have said no way, and took back his bike. Or even leave the bike and walk away if need be. But the main character basically did what a lot of naive teens who lack confidence, and don't realize the duality of the world and people do...he gave into peer pressure. He also gave into his fear of King. To skip this fact, is to misunderstand the whole film and to misinterpret the meaning of the ending.
King manipulated the main character. And this seduction, manipulation, and subsequent betrayal was the main character's first lesson about life and manhood. This is a story about loss of innocence. Because from this point on, the main character would never look at himself or the world the same again. That's what's good about this film. It plays with perspective a lot. The main character is an aspiring filmmaker who always has a camera, looking at the world around him. This symbolized his perspective of the world, that is now changed.
Furthermore, twenty years for being a "forced" lookout for something you did not know would specifically happen, would be an excessive sentence and miscarriage of justice. Especially for a boy who was not a criminal and had absolutely no criminal intent.
This naïveté of the main character is what allowed him to get acquainted with a criminal. A criminal who was friendly, charming and knowledgeable. A criminal who was simply using him because he looked innocent and was naive. When asked to be the lookout, he was forcefully told to do so, while King held on to his bike. A stronger, more grounded and confident kid, would have said no way, and took back his bike. Or even leave the bike and walk away if need be. But the main character basically did what a lot of naive teens who lack confidence, and don't realize the duality of the world and people do...he gave into peer pressure. He also gave into his fear of King. To skip this fact, is to misunderstand the whole film and to misinterpret the meaning of the ending.
King manipulated the main character. And this seduction, manipulation, and subsequent betrayal was the main character's first lesson about life and manhood. This is a story about loss of innocence. Because from this point on, the main character would never look at himself or the world the same again. That's what's good about this film. It plays with perspective a lot. The main character is an aspiring filmmaker who always has a camera, looking at the world around him. This symbolized his perspective of the world, that is now changed.
Furthermore, twenty years for being a "forced" lookout for something you did not know would specifically happen, would be an excessive sentence and miscarriage of justice. Especially for a boy who was not a criminal and had absolutely no criminal intent.