Philosophy at the Movies

How does this 1972 film, based on the Kurt Vonnegut novel, play with the notion of involuntary and random time travel, and force us to consider what impact such a life would have on one's attitudes toward pain, suffering and tragedy? What do the Tralfamadorians think about death, and how does Billy Pilgrim's attitude mirror it after he has been abducted and held by this alien race? How does the film represent time as a fourth dimension, on par with the three spatial dimensions, all parts of time, all periods in history, already existing? How does this film compare to the film Arrival, which also toys with this view of space/time? How does the novel and film reflect Vonnegut's own experiences as a POW during the bombing of Dresden Germany in the last months of WWII? How does it reflect attitudes toward the then contemporaneous Vietnam war? Why does Vonnegut claim Dresden had been declared an open city when it was not so declared, and why does he believe that hundreds of thousands were killed during those raids when ten to twenty thousand was the actual number?

What does this 1973 made for TV docudrama tell us about the Cuban Missile Crisis and the events that led to Soviet introduction of intermediate range nuclear armed ballistic missiles into that island nation? What were the justifications cited by Khrushchev? Why is Cuban leadership not portrayed in the film? How did the history of Cuban U.S. relations lead to the crisis? How does the film use ambassador Adlai Stevenson's presentation of this case to show Kennedy's style of decision making? What role did the failed Bay of Pigs invasion play in bringing about the crisis? What role did attempted assassinations of Castro play? How does this film portray the Kennedy brothers, John and Robert? Did John Kennedy's desire to appear tough, in light of his treatment by Khrushchev at earlier summit meetings, motivate him to carry out the invasion? How does the film show Kennedy's team using a strategy of ‘gradual escalation' to deal with the crisis? What impact did its success in this case have upon Johnson Administration strategy in Vietnam? What does the film teach us about the unique and awesome responsibilities of the office of President of the United States?

How does this 2017 film explore grief, and how does it make use of the ghost, C's, being almost unmoored in time to express grief? Why is the ghost tied tightly to the house and its location, even as he jumps around in time? Who or what is the neighboring house's ghost waiting for? Why does the film use an aspect ratio that is reminiscent of home movies or early silent film? How does the film's implicit metaphysics contrast with and contest the nihilistic or absurdist message of the ‘hipster' man at the party, who argues that attempts at leaving legacies are ultimately pointless, due to the fate of planet Earth, and ultimately, the universe as a whole? What was the content of the note that C's wife, M, leaves tucked away in the house as she moves out, that seems to allow C to move on? Does the fact that, before he died, he wrote a song expressing his concern that M will forget about him show that he, at some level, knew he would die in the near term? Does her note address this concern of his?

What does this 2023 documentary about a man who takes part in a Japanese reality television show, Susunu! Denpa Shōnen. in the late 1990's, show us about the morality of such shows? How does the show work to isolate the man from human contact, and why? Why is he stripped of his clothes and confined to a room for over a year? How do the live audiences respond as they watch him? How does he respond? What parallel shows exist in American television, and why are these sorts of shows popular? How does the scenario resemble the fictional world of the film The Truman Show? How does the man respond when released? How does he tap into his experience when it comes to aiding his home town of Fukushima and the nation of Nepal after they suffer disasters? Would he have undertaken these projects if he had not been subject to the degrading experience on Susunu! Denpa Shōnen? Why is it that older generations typically are repulsed by reality TV and similar social media sensations, while younger people are not? Is there a process of maturation that accounts for this, or is it merely cultural? How has the reality TV phenomenon, and commercial sponsorship, morphed and decentralized with the advent of social media? Is this a good or bad thing?

What does this 2009 comedy tell us about lying? Is the world presented, a world where lying does not exist until the main character, Mark Bellison, ‘invents' it, a world that is worth living in? Why? What assumptions are made, in this film, about how people would treat each other in a world where lying does not exist? How does the premise of the film reflect thought experiments that Immanuel Kant relies upon when explaining his notion of ‘the categorical imperative'? How does the film treat Mark's invention of religion, and claims of an afterlife? Does it reflect producer/writer Ricky Gervais's cynicism with regard to religion, or does he portray his sympathy with its conciliatory power, through the story of Mark and his mother at her death-bed? Does the film also ‘argue' for the conciliatory power of lying, more generally? How does he deal with white lies? What is the connection between lying, having capacity for imagination and conceiving of ‘what is not' (as it is put in the film)? Would science be possible in a world like this?

How does this 2004 film, based on the book of the same title, portray the importance of High School football in the life of the town of Odessa Texas? How does the film contrast with the book, and what choices were made as to what to emphasize in the film, and why were those choices made? Why does the film downplay racial elements? How does the case of half-back Boobie Miles illustrate the tragedy of ‘placing all of one's eggs in one basket'? Why do Boobie and his uncle downplay the nature of his knee injury? How do the recruiting practices of major universities that are courting Miles illustrate Kantian ethical principles with regard to using people as ‘mere means' to their ends? How do the town influencers mirror this behavior with regard to balancing football's power to drive Civic pride, and the academic well-being of student athletes? Does toleration of criminal behavior in the Carter football team illustrate this same principle? How have things evolved with regard to college players licensing of their likenesses? Should colleges treat their football teams more in line with practices in minor leagues of other sports, sponsoring teams, claiming naming rights, and providing salaries for players? We see this sort of arrangement in minor league hockey and basketball. Such a practice would no longer require players on sponsored teams to be students. Would this be a better arrangement, all things considered?

What does this 1980 film, based upon the true story of a series of courts-martial carried out toward the end of the Boer War at the turn of the 20th Century, tell us about the morality of guerilla war, and responses to such tactics? What defense is presented for the actions of the members of the Bushveld Carbineers in placing civilians at the head of trains, and for their summary execution of POWs? Does the film accurately portray the courts-martial as being carried out for primarily political reasons? Did the overall commander of British forces, Kitchener, actually order POWs shot, as the defense claims? How does the case resemble similar cases during WW II and the Vietnam War? Why has there been a tendency in Australia to excuse or Lionize Morant? Should he be lionized? What do Australian authors Peter Fitzsimons and Kit Denton now believe?

What does this 2023 tell us about its various characters, and the challenges involved in running the Manhattan Project, not only for Oppenheimer, but General Leslie Groves? How does the film explore the tragic flaws in Oppenheimer and his nemesis, Lewis Strauss? Why does the film focus more on this aspect of his story and its two main characters' tragic flaws, rather than the moral questions surrounding the atomic bombs? Why does the film make short work of the Interim Committee meetings, where the decisions were made regarding ‘the gadgets,' and why does it portray Truman and Stimson as being shallowly political and callous with regard to the decision? Were the concerns with Soviet espionage in the Manhattan Project justified? Were concerns for Oppenheimer's loyalty justified? What does the success of this film tell us about audience demand for historical films?

What does this 2014 film based upon the Marvel Comic character, Captain America, tell us about counterintelligence and counter-terror surveillance? How does the film cash in on conspiracy theories using the idea that the secret organization, "Hydra," is in control of the major governments of the world, as well as terror organizations? How does the film explore the ethical challenges involved in the balancing of free society and security? How does the film explore the issues surrounding military use of human enhancement? How does the character Bucky illustrate? How does the film portray the ethical issues involved in whistle-blowing? How does the film explore Captain America's status as a symbol during WWII? Why does he feel guilt for his role as contrasted with that of his sidekick Bucky? Does this superhero's being portrayed and taking part in major battles during WWII undermine public appreciation for the front-line soldiers who actually fought that war?

What does this 1959 film, based upon the Nevil Shute novel of the same name, tell us about the threat of thermonuclear war, and thought surrounding the notion of doomsday machines? How does the story relate to other films that explore the theme, most notably Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove? How does the story develop the idea of the so-called “cobalt bomb”? How do the American naval captain Dwight Towers and his crew cope with his knowledge that his family back in the United States has most likely perished? How do the Australians he lives and works with, respond to the fact that they have limited time before they die? The film portrays mankind as ‘keeping calm and carrying on' in the face of imminent extinction nine months hence. Is this realistic? How does Shute's story contrast with other works of post-apocalyptic fiction that portray chaos, the breakdown of social order, and a Hobbesian ‘war of all against all'? Which prediction is closer to being an accurate picture of human nature in such dire circumstances? Why has anxiety about the prospect of major thermonuclear war dissipated in the eight decades since Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Does the fact that no such war has occurred vindicate the thought of such strategic thinkers as Herman Kahn and Edward Teller? Why or why not?

What does this 1984 film, a largely fictional account of the relationship between Mozart and fellow composer Antonio Salieri, tell us about the mix of jealousy disgust and admiration that motivates Salieri as he deals with the profane Mozart? How does the movie portray Salieri's conflicted love/hate relationship with God, and use the contrast between Mozart's profane life and personality, and the profound and sublime beauty of his music, to motivate that conflict? How does Salieri's plot to convince Mozart that his deceased father has commissioned him to compose a Requiem Mass illustrate? Does Salieri ever reconcile himself with his own mediocre talent? Why does this film largely fictionalize the actual relationship between the two men, which did have elements of friction, but was largely professional and, to a degree, collegial? How does this film from the 1980s reflect the hard living by pop stars in the 1960s and 1970s? How does the film comment upon censoriousness with regard to art? How does it comment upon the musical tastes and political concerns of the aristocracy of the day, upon market forces, and reflect similar dynamics in today's film industry?

How does this 2023 film, which is set in post-WWII Japan, explore the complex emotions of its main character, Koichi, as he deals with survivor's guilt? How does he compound the shame he has for having been too afraid to undertake his kamikaze mission in the late days of the war? When he and his unit are attacked by Godzilla why does he fail to carry out his part of the counterattack? How does the film portray post war Tokyo, and Koichi's relationship with survivor Noriko and the orphaned child, Akiko, who she cares for? How does her action to save Koichi's life during Godzilla's attack on her home town compound his survivor's guilt? Do elements of the film amount to a critique of Imperial Japanese attitudes toward life and death? How does the film portray comradery between Koichi and the men he works with as they clear mines, and later, confront the mutated Godzilla? What is symbolized when Koichi flies a modified jet aircraft into Godzilla's mouth, and ejects before the explosion? What does Sosaku's provision of an ejection seat symbolize? Is the film a conservative political statement of some sort? Why does the film have the Americans stepping back from confronting Godzilla? Do Godzilla movies symbolize Japanese feelings about the country's Imperial past, along with the more obvious inspiration derived from Allied use of atomic weapons?

What does this 1976 film, which tells the story of a failing television network, and the psychological breakdown of its primary news anchorman, Howard Beale, tell us about market forces in media and the import of ratings in generating income? Why does the programming director, Dianne Christinsen, have no problem with exploiting Beale's mental breakdown? What message is sent by the ironic fact that the communist party USA enters into contract with the network and a leftist splinter group, the Ecumenical Liberation Army to create a reality show? Are they not behaving exactly as the capitalists do? How does this film portray the cynicism in the arrangement and mirror the exploitative relationship between the establishment Communist Party and the splinter group, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, the relationship between the CCA holding company, the UBS Network and Howard Beale? Why does CCA head, Arthur Jensen, sell Howard his “corporate cosmology,” yet not seem concerned as the message causes ratings to decline as Beale takes it up on the network's revamped “news” show? What does the broadcast assassination of Beale tell us about all the parties involved in the conspiracy? How does the Hollywood of the time reflect the cynicism of the 1970s? Does this film's message and “cosmology” have relevance for today's media environment?

How does this film make use of relativistic time dilation to set up its twist ending, where Taylor discovers he is on Earth in the distant future, after humanity suffered some great catastrophe (probably a world-wide nuclear war)? How much does Dr. Zaius, the ‘defender of the faith,' know about Taylor, human history on Earth, and why does he feel it necessary to hide what he knows from Ape society? Is he afraid that Ape society will traverse the same dangerous road of technological advancement that led to the end of human civilization? Why is he concerned that humans are inherently a dangerous influence on apes? Did Apes kill one another prior to Taylor's arrival? Does Zaius take it that the measures taken against the breeding of human beings by Ape society are justifiable because they insure that humanity will not bring on another globally catastrophic event? Why does he move to suppress evidence that Cornelius and Dr. Zira have found of an ancient human civilization? Do Zaius's action show that the ancient Ape called ‘The Lawgiver' knew the truth about man's past? In what ways does the film depart from its source material, the Pierre Boulle novel of the same title? How do both explore ethics of animal experimentation and research via the use of role reversal? How do the three different species of ape (chimpanzee, orangutan and gorilla) function in the society portrayed in the film? In what ways does ape treatment of human beings reflect our treatment of non-human species?

What does this 2024 film, portraying the family life of Auschwitz Commandant Rudolph Hoss, teach us about that family's ability to compartmentalize the horrors from which they directly benefit, and what lessons does this hold for us? How does the film make use of the aural atmosphere laying over the mundane activities of the family to implicate their guilt? How does the film portray the bravery and heroism of the young girl who, at great risk to herself, plants apples around the work areas for the prisoners that are slave laborers? Does the concluding set of scenes, showing Hoss retching as he descends a darkened flight of stairs alone, and then taking us forward in time to the present-day Auschwitz Birkenau Memorial and Museum, portray Hoss's recognition, at some level, of the enormity of his crimes, illustrating something reflected upon by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn as he wrote about his own experiences in the Soviet Gulag system? “the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either -- but right through every human heart -- and through all human hearts. This line shifts. Inside us, it oscillates with the years. And even within hearts overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained”

How does this 2023 film satirize the market forces in the publishing world? How does the market encourage those indulge and pander to liberal white guilt and traffic in stereotypes concerning black Americans? What, if any significant difference is there between the motivations and justifications Thelonius ‘Monk' Ellision and fellow author, Sintara Golden, both upper middle-class, well-educated and black, cite to explain why they write stories that indulge these stereotypes? In the end, are they all that different from each other? Is there anything objectionable in their both pandering to liberal sensitivities of the literary and Hollywood markets? How does the film's late twist or reveal, showing Monk pitching, instead of his novel, My Pafology, his own story, the story of how he came to write the novel under the pseudonym ‘Stagg R. Leigh,' force the audience to reflect back upon the whole film? Does it raise questions as to how much trust we can put in the film's portrayal of its main characters, his family? How does the case of Cliff, his brother, illustrate? How does this film comment upon and fit into the history of the portrayal of black Americans in film? How do Hollywood's recent efforts at inclusion and portrayal of minority groups play out as films are distributed to world markets? What does this reveal about Hollywood's primary motivations in these efforts?

How does this 2002 film, about an unfolding alien invasion of Earth, use the premise to explore faith, the problem of evil and the differences between fundamental world views with regard to meaningful coincidences? How does the film's pivotal conversation between Merrill and his brother Graham, a former Reverend who had lost his faith, illustrate these two views, and what events in the film lead Graham from one to the other perspective? How does the film engage the question of whether God can fully eliminate pain and suffering? How does the film tap into and play with pop-cultural themes involving extraterrestrials, media coverage, and pay homage to War of the Worlds?

What does this 1994 epic tell us about the tumultuous period in Chinese history (the civil war of the late 1940s and the first decades of Maoist rule) that is its setting? How does the character arc of its protagonist, Fugui, convey his maturation, his growth as a husband and father, and the effect of four decades of communist rule had upon himself, family and friends? How does the film deal with the “Great Leap Forward,” and the “Cultural Revolution?” How does the fate of the local communist chief Cadre, Nui, reflect the tenuous nature of political or social status in China during the cultural revolution? How does the film contrast the family's personal relationships with Red Guard, in the person of their loving son-in-law, Wan Erxi and his friends, and the Red Guard running the smelting operations and hospital which ultimately take the lives of Fugui and Jiahzen's two children, Fengxia and Youqing? How does the film use Fugui's traditional Chinese shadow-puppetry to comment upon communism's antogonism toward elements of traditional Chinese culture? Why did communist China allow production of this film, its international distribution, but refuse to allow its theatrical release in China? How does Chinese cinema reflect the cyclic and tenuous nature of the CCP's openness to criticism of communist practice?

What does this 1964 black comedy about a nuclear doomsday scenario tell us about the strategic thought surrounding potential nuclear war between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. during the early years of the 1960s? How does the film play with the concept of a ‘doomsday machine' as described in the strategic literature of the day? How does the device described in the film reflect an option described by Leo Szilard, a key figure in the development of atomic weapons? How did economist/strategist Thomas Schelling's work influence Stanley Kubrick's script? How does the film explore the kind of thinking that backstops the notion of mutually assured destruction? How does the character Dr. Strangelove reflect Kubrick's desire to combine and satirize aspects of the real-world figures Wernher von Braun and John von Neumann.

What does this 1997 film, set in fascist Italy during WWII, tell us about the gathering threat in Northern Italy for its Jewish citizens, and how the main character, Guido and his family cope with it? Why does the film explore the Holocaust in the guise of one half of the film being a romantic comedy, the latter being a tragic portrayal of life in an extermination camp? How does Guido protect his young son, Joshua from the harsh reality of antisemitism in Fascist Italy? How does he use deception to protect his son from realizing the true nature of the labor/extermination camp? How does Dora, a gentile, exhibit great love and courage in her insistence on being allowed to board the same train taking her husband and son to the camp? What is the nature of the “game” Guido tells Joshua is actually going on in the camp? What does the alleged ‘game' have to do with the fact they were taken to the camp on Joshua's birthday? How does Guido take advantage of Joshua's fascination with tanks in order to carry out his deception and protection of Joshua? What criticisms did this film garner? How does it illustrate human resilience and love? How does this film illustrate the controversy and utility in using popular culture for keeping historical awareness of events like the Holocaust alive?

How does this 2007 animated feature play with the premise of time travel and multiple histories or parallel universes? How does the film cause us to consider the plausibility of its main character, Lewis, being able to interact with his adult self after having time travelled into the future? How does the film illustrate the large ramifying effects of small events, especially in the childhood experience of “Goob,” Lewis's roommate in an orphanage? How does the artistic portrayal of the future world, Lewis as inventor, had largely created, reflect Walt Disney's futurism and “Tomorrowland” theme parks? How does the film provide opportunity to comment upon the mitigation of potential risks of scientific research carried out in the private realm? How does the AI robot “Doris,” reflect these concerns? What risks would suggest some technologies should not be released into the public? How does the film illustrate these concerns with regard to time-travel technology? Should such technology ever be used, or does it introduce too much potential for chaos? Is time travel only possible in a multiple-universe setting?

What does this 1984 adaptation of the 1949 George Orwell novel tell us about the totalitarian tendency in human history? How does it adumbrate upon the surveillance state as exemplified in Stalinist Russia? What role does emerging technology of the day play in Orwell's vision? How does the film do as a portrait of the subjective experience of this state, as lived by the protagonists, Winston, Julia and others? How does the film portray the efforts of Oceania to control information and change or erase objective records, and what is the purpose of the ‘Ministry of Truth'? How does this effort reflect philosophical ‘idealists'? How do current efforts to change classic works of literature bear similarity to these practices? How does the state of Oceania contrast itself with what, from their point of view, were earlier totalitarian states, such as Communist Russia? Does it believe it's bringing about a utopian vision? What parallels exist between the regular ‘two-minute hates' aimed at Goldstein and anti-Antisemitism in the modern world? How does Oceania attempt to eradicate all normal human attachments and the need for privacy? Does it succeed?

How does this 2007 film, based on the 1954 Richard Matheson novel, depart from that book? How effective is the film in focusing on the isolation and loneliness of its protagonist, Neville? How does the dog, ‘Sam' serve to illustrate that loneliness? What other devices are used to this end? How does the film engage the moral implications of Neville's search for a cure for the virus that has turned human beings into savage vampiric beings? How does the film's alternate ending, involving the ‘alpha-male' leader of the ‘un-dead' infected, and his mate, who Neville had captured, provide a twist, putting Neville in the role of ‘monster' and the un-dead infected in role of victims? More generally, how do the novel and film reflect on the darker more savage side of human nature in the person of Neville and in the persons of the living infected, as both fight the almost perfectly savage un-dead infected? In the end, does Neville conclude that any continued efforts on his part in using infected human subjects to find a cure is in fact immoral, given that a large majority of human beings are infected, and that the project requires human trials with an attendant high probability of continued mortality? Is this why he leaves the city with Anna and Ethan, looking for a possible community of uninfected?

How does this 2000 film engage with and differ from Homer's epic poem, the Odyssey, on which it is loosely based? How do various characters in the film, which is set in the deep South during the depression, reflect famous characters in that story? How does the film portray the role of popular music in racial integration during this period in American History? How does the film portray the relationship that existed between racial aspects of the prevailing political order and the opposed and organic growth of integration in popular culture? How does the opportunism of governor, Pappy O'Daniel, with regard to the integrated band formed by Ulysses, Tommy Johnson and the others illustrate? What does the film tell us about the power of recording technology and radio as drivers of social change in the depression era South, and what lessons can we derive concerning the modern media environment and its more positive potential?

What does this 2021 film premised on the notion of accelerated aging, attempt to tell us about the emotional and psychological impact such events would have on people suffering through it? How does the film portray the rapid onset of maturation in the children involved? How do the characters of the two parents, Prisca and Guy, show the mellowing of age and its power to overcome rifts, and also show the challenges posed for children as their parents age? How does it portray disease progression in the adults on the beach? Why does this medical testing facility, disguised as resort use the beach and the accelerated aging it causes, as a medical testing facility? What arguments are presented to justify the experimentation, and how thoroughly does the film explore these? How does the film compare with others, such as The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, which also engage the ethics of medical treatment and experimentation?

What does this film, which portrays the events of 9/11/2001 tell us about the responsibilities, training and level of professionalism of the air-traffic controllers involved? How does the film portray uncertainty and lack of information and its effect on the involved people? How does it show the difficulty involved in overcoming assumptions people bring with them as they come to terms with unique events unfolding in real time? How did knowledge of the history of airline hijackings prevent people from realizing these were going to be suicide attacks? What reaction to national tragedy do films such as this typify, and how do they contrast to other darker conspiratorial reactions? How does the portrayal of courage in the face of death play out in terms of the passengers and hijackers? How does this film compare with other films and documentaries that involve the events of 9/11?

What does this 2017 film, set during the 1975-1979 Khmer Rouge reign of terror in Cambodia tell us about the radical nature of the communist project of restructuring human society and psychology? Why did the Khmer Rouge resort to using children as soldiers and cadre? How did Pol Pot differ from Stalin, Mao and Ho Chi Minh in his relative anonymity and refusal to create a personality cult around himself? How does the story of the young girl, Loung Ung, and her family illustrate the courage and compassion of that family unit? How do the actions of the mother and father ensure the survival of their children? What lessons should America and her allies draw from U.S. withdrawals from Cambodia, South Vietnam and Afghanistan?

How does this film's use of the concept of reincarnation allow it to act as an exploration of human nature? Why do the snakes, a species of what are called “evils” in the film desire to become human? What is involved in the centuries-long training they are undergoing to attain reincarnation as human beings? Why does it take hundreds of years to accomplish this? How do the sisters, White snake and Green snake, exhibit their relative levels of progress in that training? How does the film contrast snake life with human life, and the difficulties of attempting the transformation? Do the films surreal and comedic aspects illustrate Buddhist beliefs with regard to Maya and the illusory nature of reality? How does the Monk Fat Hoi treat the snakes? Why is his treatment inconsistent, sometimes compassionate, sometimes harsh? He sees the snakes serving human beings as medics, sees them save their home village from a flood, and indeed helps them do this, yet wants to capture and banish them from the human world. Why? Is this a commentary on Buddhism? What do the cross-cultural symbolic uses of snakes and spiders tell us about the connection between morality and knowledge? What similarities does the story of White snake and Green snake have with the story of the snake in the Garden of Eden and the Amerindian myths of Kukulkan or Quetzalcoatl?

What does this 2003 film about disgraced New Republic reporter, Stephen Glass, tell us about sociopathic or narcissistic behavior? How does the film engage with matters of journalistic ethics, and illustrate the dangers or traps created by journalistic bias when it comes to exercising critical thought and editorial oversight? How does the film show competition between journals aiding or prodding the editorial and critical efforts that should have been in place at the New Republic? How does this film illustrate the corrosive effects of deception and lying? How does Glass abuse the presumption of veracity that we all bring to life and our interactions with others? How do Glass's story pitches take advantage of his peers' political biases and their desire to engage in advocacy journalism? How does the case illustrate the risks taken on by journals and news media when they allow writers to use un-named sources?

What does the pair of films, Fitzcarraldo, and the documentary about the making of that film, Burden of Dreams, tell us about the similarity between the main character, and the film's director/producer Werner Herzog? How do both illustrate Kant's notion of the Categorical Imperative in their sometimes-reckless use of indigenous people? How do the indigenous people illustrate that same concept in their use of Fitzcarraldo and his boat? On a related note; how does the film typify the 1980s era in film-making, when some directors took dangerous measures in order to achieve their cinematic visions? How does the film and meta-narrative of the documentary resonate with the era of the rubber barons which it portrays? Why does Herzog repeatedly explore the theme of jungle overpowering man, and man overcoming nature in his films?

What does this 2021 film, based upon the true story of 2nd Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda, a WWII Japanese Army intelligence officer who held out on the Philippine island of Lubang until 1974, tell us about his sense of duty? What does it tell us about the capacity of the human mind to render any evidence or experience consistent with strongly held beliefs? How can Onoda's case be used to illustrate the notion of the non-falsifiable hypothesis? How does it relate to today's notions of ‘fake news,' and conspiracy theory? How does the film explore the differences between the ethos of the Japanese guerilla warfare officers and the more typical ‘fight till you die' ethos of the Imperial Japanese Army? Did the Philippine government do the right thing in pardoning Onoda for his killings of its civilians during his 30 years on the island, actions that were war-crimes? Did the vast expanse of the Pacific theater almost ensure that some Japanese soldiers would be long-term holdouts, as was the case with Hiroo Onoda and several others?

What does this 1993 film, based upon the true story of C.S. (Jack) Lewis and his American wife, Joy Davidman, tell us about grief, suffering and love? How is it related to the “problem of evil,” often discussed in philosophical and theological settings? How does the film contrast Lewis's speaking appearances, where he discusses the subject, with the first-person experience he has with his wife's suffering? How do Joy's challenges to Jack's relatively comfortable and cloistered life as an academic foreshadow the starkly raw emotional experience he has with her suffering? What is the point of the contrast? Why does Lewis, while in the depths of grief, compare God to a vivisectionist? In light of that harsh accusation, why does he not lose his faith? How does the tragedy bring him closer to Douglas, Joy's son? What does Lewis make of what he describes as ‘God's silence,' in the aftermath of tragedy? What is symbolized by the painting Jack has in his study of a place called “the Golden Valley,” and how does the film utilize that symbol in its imagery?

What does this 1972 Russian film intend to convey about guilt, regret and moral injury? How does the film create ambiguity with regard to the motivation of the alien world, Solaris, in creating replicas of people about whom the main characters have strong regrets? How does the replica of Dr. Kelvin's deceased wife Hari force the men on the space station to engage the question of whether or not she is a full person, or merely something like a robot? How does the contrast between Dr. Sartorius's treatment of the replica Hari and that of Dr. Snaut and Kelvin illustrate? Is that replica Hari reflective only of Kelvin's conceptions of his dead wife, and his guilt over her suicide, or is she actually Hari? Why does the replica Hari ask Snaut and Sartorius to destroy her? How does this choice reflect the suicide of Kelvin's actual wife, and does it free him of guilt at having caused it? At the end of the film, does Kelvin make the morally correct choice in choosing to stay behind with Solaris's replica of his father, who has probably passed on since Kelvin left Earth? Why does he choose to do this? Are there some psycho-therapeutic aspects to that choice that Kelvin subconsciously wants to engage, or is he choosing to avoid obligations?

What does this 2016 film, based upon the novel of the same name, tell us about the moral dilemmas faced by Christian missionaries in Japan during the late 1600s? Why does apostasy (carried out by stepping on a carved image of Christ) present such an agonizing choice if the people doing so remain Christian in their hearts? How do the contrasts between the characters Kichijiro, Fathers Rodrigues and Feirrara reflect differing levels of moral compromise? Who is the most cowardly of the three, and why? Does Rodrigues make the right choice in choosing to step on the image in order to save Japanese Christians, members of his flock, from being slowly bled to death? Is his experience of Jesus's voice giving him permission to do so genuine? Who are the braver Christians in the film, the Europeans or the Japanese?

In this ‘double feature' discussion, the moral challenges of the Afghan war are explored. How does The Outpost portray the tactically perilous position of the outpost, and the costs associated for the men? How do the two films portray the difficulties involved in attempting to convince local elders to not cooperate with the Taliban? How does the film portray the endemic nature of corruption, drug use, pedophilia, and what strain does this place on Americans trying to provide security and training for Afghan police forces? How does the case of Major Bill Steuber (USMC) illustrate the risks of moral injury that are taken on by American personnel tasked with such intractable missions involving corrupt, uncooperative and recalcitrant locals? What lessons are to be learned from the Afghan and Iraq wars with regard to attempts at state building? What comparisons can be made between these two wars and the US war in Vietnam? What hope, if any, can be distilled from the case of Hamid Kahn, the ANA commander and Northern Alliance aligned military leader presented in the film?

What does this 2012 film, based upon the UK comic book series Judge Dredd, tell us about its world's form of government (the “Judge System”), a pared down police state which consolidates the powers traditionally vested in different elements of government? What does it tell us about the effects of extreme population pressure on Democratic governance in its post apocalyptic America? Why does a majority of this world's United States population vote to consolidate and pare down governmental functions to the most basic core; provision of security? Why is the police force vested with the roles of judge, jury and executioner? Is it likely or unlikely that American governance will tend toward consolidation of powers in police forces as is portrayed in this dystopian film? How does the interplay between the two protagonists, Judge Dredd and Judge Anderson, provide commentary on the role that compassion has in meting out justice?

How does this 2022 film, based upon the relationship between Korean War aviators Ensign Jesse Brown and Lieutenant Tom Hudner, illustrate the level of camaraderie between these two men, their Fighter squadron (VF-32), and the state of racial integration in the US military at the time? In that regard, what is the import of Jesse's discomfort with being singled out by the press while on board the Leyte with VF-32? How does the Yalu bridge episode illustrate the dangers faced by Jesse when Hudner files his after-action report on Brown's decision? Why does Hudner choose to file the report, despite Jesse's concern that it could curtail his career? How does Hudner attempt to mitigate the risks for Jesse? How does the relationship between the two men illustrate the differences in culture between sources of officer accession; the Naval Academy and NROTC? How does the film show the bonding that occurs due to the rigors of military training and combat, and the emotional impact wrought by loss of comrades in arms?

How does this 2022 comedy explore the concept of the ‘multi-verse'; the idea that there is an infinity of parallel universes each one of which is equally real or actual to those that inhabit it? What psychological and moral effects do the main characters undergo as a result of being able to “verse-jump” into the lives of their ‘twin selves' in parallel universes? Why does Joy's parallel universe twin “Jobu Tupaki” become depressed and nihilistic after having developed the ability to experience the lives of her ‘twins' in all universes at the same? What prevents Evelyn, Joy's mother, from following her in in that nihilistic direction, even though she does flirt with it for a time? How does the love or care instantiated by Waymond, her husband, help her make this choice? How does this film flesh out the philosophical concept of ‘modal realism'? How do its comedic elements illustrate the absurdities that would be the case if the multi-verse is in fact constituted of a set of universes that, between them, instantiate all logically possible states of affairs? On the moral plane, how does the film instantiate the common ‘grass is always greener on the other side' feeling we all have about our lives, and what does it tell us about the proper response to this feeling? Does the film intentionally reflect the ADHD of one of its producers?

What does this 1988 John Carpenter Sci Fi Horror send-up tell us about Carpenter's political ideas at the time? How does the film illustrate a more general point about ideology and conspiracy mongering? Why does the film function so well as a sort of Rorschach ink blot that allows people across the political spectrum to see in it as commentary on the classes they consider to be controlling society? Why does it resonate so well with populism both left and right? How does the film resonate with leftist cinema of the 60s and science fiction films of the 1950s? How does the character of Nada reflect the zealousness of the true believer? How does the film reflect the phenomenon of multi-national corporations? Is there a symbolism of conspiracy theories' tendency toward dehumanization in Carpenter's decision to portray the aliens as monstrous in appearance?

How do these films illustrate the cross-cultural pollination between Japan and the United States, given they had similar relatively lawless “Wild West” phases in history? Why does it show us the high level of distrust for the Samurai or gunfighters on the part of the villagers that hire them? Is that distrust justified? Why, after the victories, do the leaders of the two bands of defenders both say that the farmers, who had hired them ‘always win' while the Samurai or gunfighters ‘always lose'? How does the Seven Samurai illustrate the military and tactical professionalism of the band of Samurai as they plan the defense of the village? How does it present a meditation on the bravery of the villagers, as compared to that of their armed protectors, through the children's perceptions of the hired men? In what ways does the film stand as seminal for several now established tropes in Hollywood films? How does the film and its influence show the remarkably tight cultural ties that now exist between Japan and the United States?

What does this 1965 film, based upon a James Clavell novel of the same name, show us about Clavell's own experiences in the Changi POW camp in Singapore from 1942 to 1945? How does the fact that escape is impossible affect the attitudes of the POWs in the camp? How does the main character, American corporal King, exercise power in the camp, even though he is an enlisted man? Why do the British, Australian and American officers fall into the corruption that is rife in the camp? What accounts for the dissension and hatred? Why do fellow prisoners work for and deal with King as he takes advantage of his fellow POWs? How does the film illustrate inadequacies of the Geneva Conventions regarding POW treatment and behavior, and the sorts of events that caused the US Government to form the US Fighting Man's Code of Conduct? How does the Code discourage the sorts of self-interested behaviors we see and how does it help to prevent moral injury, such as that we see in Changi?

What does this 1966 film, detailing the conflict between King Henry VIII of England and Sir Thomas More tell us about the cause of the tension between Henry and the Catholic Church, and the conflicting loyalties of More, a devout Catholic? What does it tell us about European religious conflicts of the time period and the painful development of the Western world's tolerance on matters of religion and state? What geopolitical lessons does it hold for us today in this regard? How does the dilemma Thomas faces illustrate the Stoic notion that each person is essentially a “moral purpose", and the costs of compromising with that status? How is his case like those of Socrates and people acting on religious conscience in our present day? How does the film illustrate the contrast between rule of law and rule of a tyrant? How is this film's portrayal of Henry's mental and emotional instability similar to films centering on mob bosses and organized crime?

This 1984 BBC television film, set in England during and after a major global nuclear war, asks us to consider the likelihood of a near total breakdown of governance, public order, morality and civilization in such a circumstance. How does the film portray the social impact of an extended nuclear winter? How and why does the film portray the breakdown by having the second-generation characters speaking a degraded, almost childish form of the English language? The bleak nature of the film was deeply shocking to British audiences of the time. How does it reflect Cold War realities of the 1980s? How does it compare to the prospects of nuclear war in the present day? How does the film's depiction of social breakdown compare to historical episodes of such large-scale warfare involving civilian populations, such as the Blitz and Allied bombing of Germany and Japan at the end of WWII? Why did those populations not dissolve into a Hobbesian ‘war of all against all' when under this extreme emergency? Is the film too alarmist in portraying an utter breakdown of compassion and morality? Does that alarmism serve a purpose? How does the film contrast with points made by Sebastian Junger, in his book Tribes, regarding how human populations band together in times of extreme duress?

What does this groundbreaking 1920 German expressionist film tell us about political movements and environments like that which was prevalent in Post World War I Germany? What commentary does it provide about the rise of charismatic, messianic and utopian movements on the left and right? What aspects of the German body politic do Cesare and Dr. Caligari represent? How does the film portray bureaucratic powers and cynicism about them? How does it portray police forces? How does the film portray the psychosis of the main character, Francis? What does it tell us about delusion, and what lessons can we take away from it with regard to the fact that we necessarily come at our lives from a subjective perspective imposing interpretations on things we experience?

What does this film, which tells the story of Anna a so called ‘savior child,' conceived expressly for the purpose of saving her older sister's life via stem cell and organ donations, tell us about the conflicted nature of parental obligations in such situations? How does it illustrate Kantian strictures against using people merely as means? How does the case of Kate and Anna compare with historically significant cases such as that of Terry Schiavo and Ramon Sampedro? What roles do such stories play in the world of young adult literature, and introducing teens to difficult ethical issues? Do such works of fiction cross moral lines in capitalizing on such situations?

What does this 1956 film tell us about the treatment of POWs during the Korean War by Chinese and North Koreans? What does it tell us about the effectiveness of isolation as contrasted with torture in attempts to force POWs into collaborating by making propaganda or soliciting fellow POWs to aid the enemy or make confessions? How do Captain Hall's actions while in captivity support the charge of treason? Do any actions of his militate against this judgment? How does the film illustrate the conditions and actions that led to the formulation and promulgation of the American Fighting Man's Code of Conduct? How does the film lead us to consider the importance of precedence in sentencing cases of collaboration? What is the point of the contrast between Captains Hall and Miller, with regard to how they responded to mistreatment and torture? What does the conversation between them tell us about guilt, ‘breaking' and choice?

What does this latest (2022) iteration of the Batman franchise tell us about the dangers of cynicism in people whose profession it is to protect and serve? How does the film force the question of cynicism or retreat from duty or moral obligation in light of the apparently irredeemable nature of Gotham City? Do Catwoman and Batman represent two different answers to that question? How do Gordon and Alfred force Bruce Wayne to consider it? How does the Riddler's movement resemble radical underground movements on the right and left in modern America? How does the film reflect activities of such groups in the dark web? How does the contrast between Batman and the Riddler illustrate the difference between vengeance and justice? How does the film differ from other films in its portrayal of Bruce Wayne as a brooding hermit, and why does it make the choice to present him in this fashion?

What does this 1969 film based upon Joseph Kessel's 1943 novel of the same name, tell us about the moral stresses involved in being operatives in the French Resistance during Nazi occupation? How does it illustrate the psychological, emotional and moral costs involved in making mortal choices in service of protecting that resistance effort? How does the film use the fate of resistance leader Mathilde to illustrate the utilitarian strategic decisions that had to be made when members were arrested and coerced for information? How does it illustrate the moral harm involved in killing human beings ‘up close'? How did the contemporary political climate in late 60s France influence the reception of this film? Did the film lionize Charles De-Gaulle as some critics maintained?

What does this 1981 German film, set in autumn 1941 during the period of most success for the German U-boats in the Atlantic, tell us about the leadership abilities of the ship's captain, life in the submarine services during that war, and the rigors of that life? How does the Captain deal with the crew's behavior before deployment, and why does he take the approach he does? How and why does the film contrast the anxious tedium and utter boredom over long periods of the deployment with the intense terror and action of the periods of combat? How does the film portray the thoughts of the German crew regarding their own Nazi government and their British foe? How does it portray the relative importance of ideology and camaraderie as motivators in the crew? How is the film reflective of Germany's attitude toward its past, and efforts toward moral reparation?

What does this 1949 film, set in post-WWII Vienna, tell us about the black market in post war Europe? How does the story of Anna's plight reflect the fate of citizens of East European countries occupied by Soviet forces? Why does Anna persist in her loyalty to black marketer Harry Lime even after being informed that his activities caused children who had contracted Meningitis to die after being given diluted penicillin? Why does Harry's old friend Holly Martins vacillate in that regard, even after having seen the harm first hand? Is it loyalty to Harry, or compassion for Anna? How does the charisma of the sociopathic Harry account for this moral blindness on the part of these two main characters? How does this movie cause us to consider the connection between physical, psychological or emotional distance and the capacity for inhuman behavior? Is it a cautionary tale for all of us?

What does this 1998 Japanese film, set in a way-station between life on Earth and an afterlife, intend to tell us about the connection between personal identity and memory? The recently deceased are assigned a sort of social worker who, over the course of one week, helps them pick one memory from their lives that they will recreate as a short film, and which they will carry into the afterlife as their only memory. Some of the characters in the film are unable to choose a single such memory, or do not want to do so, because they will also forget everything else about their lives. Is this a reasonable response to the program? Do they have a legitimate concern that they would be losing their identities, dying in a way, at the onset of the almost perfect amnesia? How does the film relate to other films, like Blade Runner, Nine Days, Here Comes Mr. Jordan and Heaven Can Wait, which also play with the connection between memory and personal identity, or work with the notion of souls being selected for embodiment in particular individual humans in particular circumstances, while having particular capacities? How does this genre of film present us with variations on political philosopher John Rawls' “original position” thought experiment? Would that thought experiment serve as the basis of an engaging film itself?