My AF-forum post didn't make a whole lot of sense, so I'm posting a similar question here; what films totally upend your perceptions of morality? Films that show a whole different angle, or make you side with the "wrong" characters. Memento comes to mind (that guy may be psycho, but he's a likable schlub;), as well as Lost Highway, Open Your Eyes, and other films we've discussed.

It almost seems like you need an extreme situation to do this; war films usually depict suffering on both sides, but it's an inherent part of the genre. More recently, Bandits (which was the standard "good bad guy" formula, only taken to ridiculous extremes) gave me a strong emotional kick, as well (I have this theory that films like Bandits and LH are like The Fugitive, only without the one-armed man... anyone who goes through that much hell, we automatically sympathize with)

-- Inukko (nadisrec@worldnet.att.net), January 07, 2002

Answers

Do The Right Thing. It seems in that film, the "right thing" was to act as a force for change by accelerating the inevitable. Mookie's action of breaking Sal's window with a trash can was taken out of necessity more than anger. Was it right to burn down Sal's Pizza? In theory, no. But in that situation, maybe yes. Someone had to release the pressure somewhere, at some time... there are no easy answers (one reason why I like the film so much).

-- Inukko (nadisrec@worldnet.att.net), January 09, 2002.

Inukko, this is going to sound totally weird. If you bear in mind I and a lot of other people firmly rooted in reality totally need to escape with a personal fantasy at times, then maybe you'll see what I'm really saying. An old favorite movie of mine is Bell Book and Candle. In that movie Kim Novak plays a witch. Not just any witch but an extremely powerful one. Against her personal ethics she casts a love spell. This is a total opposite of my personal morals-the use of magic' and spells. Really I think it is false and there is no such thing as magic at all. Then sometimes I think we all have untapped 'resources' and the fantasy begins. I see myself out there throwing a bit of colored dust into a fire or something...prob a girl thing.

-- Barbara e. (Suesuesbeo9@cs.com), January 10, 2002.

Barb, it's strange, but I read that in two ways. Intellectually you know it's impossible to cast a love spell, but you're attracted to the concept and what it symbolizes. Morally, you would like to have the power over others that ritual brings, but your Christian teaching goes against it. Witches, a symbol of the unknown, strange, pagan. There are multiple "forces" at work here, am I right?

-- Inukko (nadisrec@worldnet.att.net), January 11, 2002.

Yes. I can attract men, but it's that fantasy of being mysteriously and magically alluring. Yet where does the power come from, (as if this could be done at all), and so my 'fantasy' is tainted with the guilt of wishing for power I should be running from, but then I think oh its from a power within myself. I love the thought of using my 'mind' in some exotic powerful way like that.

-- Barbara e. (Suesuesbeo9@cs.com), January 11, 2002.

"My AF-forum post didn't make a whole lot of sense, so I'm posting a similar question here; what films totally upend your perceptions of morality? Films that show a whole different angle, or make you side with the "wrong" characters. Memento comes to mind (that guy may be psycho, but he's a likable schlub;), as well as Lost Highway, Open Your Eyes, and other films we've discussed." _Inu

I've had my moral perceptions upended by plenty of films and books, heck it happens all the time. A good example I think is the Silence of the Lambs, referring of course to Hannibal Lecter, the anti-hero. It is established that Hannibal is utterly intelligent, but he is also a pure sociopath, murderer, cannibal, etc. Lamb's contrasts him to another serial killer, "Billy" this one is mentally ill, confused, traumatised, etc. Billy is obviously the villain of this movie. He is slain and Lecter escapes. Billy seemed crude, infantile, absurd etc. Lecter seemed dignified, enigmatic, aware etc. Billy struggled with the complexities of his emotional problems. Mostly Lecter was simply interested in his own amusement. Coincidentally the results of both involved serial killing. My opinions on the character of Lecter after seeing Lambs were further enhanced upon reading it. The fantasy seems to be that Lecters immense intelligence takes him to new plains of reality and awareness that delve beyond the grasps of others. As done for many works of fiction in general my disbelief is suspended in the case of such an admirable fantasy. I can't help but feel compelled to in some ways side with the character of Lecter. His anti-hero factor feels a little inconsequential to me, but I suppose there is the whole romance thing.

Lambs reminded me of Se7en & the Usual Suspects. The notorious mind is on to it from beginning to end. Maybe Se7en's John Doe could be regarded by some as an anti-hero. He was working for god after all and he did achieve all of his tasks, as extraordinary as they were. Recordings of his exploits probably wouldn't go to amiss in the Old Testament anyway.

As long as I'm twisting this towards anti-heroes, who could forget Aeon and especially Trevor, he who whilst understanding the will to evil defies exhausted morals in his attempts to better human kind.

-- Sam (janecherrington@paradise.net.nz), June 23, 2002.

I thought they did a good job with Robin William's character in "Insomnia". He was a warped, pathetic individual who went to extreme lengths to rationalize his crime. At no time did I get the feeling of a "brilliant", master criminal; even the final shoot-out was more like the blind rage of a wounded, cornered animal. It felt like a more down-to-earth, humanistic view than the standard Hollywood treatment. I'd be very interested in seeing the original Norwegian film, which apparently adds MORE layers of moral murk.

-- Inu (paul@nadisrec.com), June 23, 2002.

Insomnia just came out. I liked its approaches. I think so to Inu, quite down to earth.

I could relate to those effects of sleep deprivation, its true, things get strange (I recently managed to fall asleep with my eyes open).

-- Sam (janecherrington@paradise.net.nz), October 15, 2002.

Sleep deprivation has sent my hallucinations to a new level!

-- Sam (janecherrington@paradise.net.nz), January 07, 2003.