2014 was a year that saw some big strides in bio-pics as the lives of such influential characters as Martin Luther King Jr. (Selma) and Stephen Hawking (The Theory of Everything) among others were brought to the screen. One of the lesser known contributors to mankind who had his story adapted to film was that of Alan Turing. While lesser known as a household name, it could be argued that Turing made the single greatest contribution to the success of the allied forces in WWII. Morten Tyldum’s Imitation Game focused on Turing’s invaluable achievement in cracking the Enigma machine, but along the way it went headlong into an aged-old moral dilemma which we would like to turn our focus to.
Moral Dilemma Dialogue
Earlier today we posted the first part of our latest moral dilemma dialogue, focusing on the film Million Dollar Baby. If you have not read that, please visit Nate’s position FOR assisted suicide from a Christian perspective. Now Gene presents the position AGAINST assisted suicide from a Christian perspective. Do we have a contradiction here? Is someone misusing scripture? You be the judge. Continue Reading
After a short absence, we pickup our moral dilemma dialogue feature with a film that many think of when they consider moral dilemmas in the movies: Million Dollar Baby. This film garnered 7 Academy Award nominations from 2004, winning 4 of them, including Best Picture. Hillary Swank’s performance as Maggie Fitzgerald earned a second Oscar for her as best lead actress. It became Clint Eastwood’s second Oscar win for best director, and believe it or not, it earned Morgan Freeman his lone Oscar victory for best supporting actor. It achieved all that in large part due to how it setup, and delivered upon the moral dilemma in question; assisted suicide.
This is part 2 of this month’s moral dilemma dialogue on the film Seven Pounds. Before reading this you should read part 1, then come back here. If you haven’t seen the film it might be good to give it a watch before reading these posts. We cover some pretty major spoilers.
Suicide.
Just by reading that word an image or a thought has come to mind for you. Maybe it’s a family member or friend. Maybe it’s a commercial on depression medication. Maybe it’s an image of hell.
It’s not something we’ve really covered yet with our moral dilemma dialogues. But it’s the topic Logan and Gene will be tackling this month when they examine the 2008 film Seven Pounds. Will Smith stars in this movie directed by Gabriele Muccino (Pursuit of Happyness). This is one of Smith’s least known films, but quite possibly his most thought-provoking (and second highest rated, according to IMdB). If you have not seen it you may want to give it a viewing before reading on. Major spoilers will be included in this moral dilemma dialogue.
Hold it right there folks! Before you assume we’ve reposted a review from just 5 days ago, check yo’ self! This, my friends, is the Moral Dilemma Dialogue! (You are to be relieved and impressed by that.)
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, Les Miserables is a story which brings up a host of moral dilemmas which all sort of pile on top of each other. A choice made in one dilemma leads to another dilemma. The choice in that dilemma leads to another dilemma… on and on and on with lots of singing. Elliott highlights that well in his review of this film a few days ago, and today Elliott and Tres will be examining one of those dilemmas specifically. Continue Reading
For this month’s moral dilemma dialogue we’re taking a look at what many have regarded as the best, and most accurate war movie of all time: Saving Private Ryan. Most war movies have no shortage of moral dilemmas present in them. It’s just the nature of the beast. War is an ugly thing which requires human beings to commit ugly acts of violence in hopes of accomplishing a (presumably) just and righteous end. Obviously that is not always the case, but perhaps most would agree that WWII was fought for righteous reasons, seeking out justice. Continue Reading
Two hundred years ago the idea of cloning a living organism was just that; an idea. Today it is a reality and society is no longer dealing with the question, “can we do this”, but rather, “should we do this”. That’s one of those pesky things about science. It can show you how to do all kinds of things. What it can’t do is tell you is whether you should do those things.
Last month we featured Man of Steel for our moral dilemma dialogue. We figured this month, since they’ll soon be staring side-by-side, we would give Batman some time in the spotlight as we examine a particular dilemma presented in The Dark Knight. Continue Reading
Superman has been standing for “truth, justice, and the American way”, or something like that, for the whole lifespan of most people living today. The red cape, the “S” on the chest, and the red speedos are some of the most recognizable emblems in all of pop-culture. Earlier this summer, fans everywhere were finally given a new on-screen adaptation of the quintessential superhero in Man of Steel. Save for a forgettable 2006 attempt, this was the first appearance on the big screen for Supes since 1987! While Man of Steel certainly took a few lumps from critics, it was far from a disappointment and has everyone looking forward to future sequels. Continue Reading