jenniejen2010 Reviews

Antigone (1961)

Movie Review 1

[6/10 · 5 June 2013]

At the beginning of the movie, Isme exhibits self-preservation when she does not want to help Antigone bury their brother, Polynieces. She values her own life above honorably burying her dead kin. Their other brother, Eteocles, deserved an honorable burial according to the king since he was not a traitor. The king decrees that Polnieces be left to the wild animals to devour because the gods willed it. Antigone is not worried about preserving her own life because she feels like she has a higher calling to respect the dead, especially when it is your own family. She knows by burying Polynieces she could be ordered to be put to death by the king who is also her uncle. However, she feels there is an unwritten law given by the gods which is greater than his law that the dead should be buried. The king is in a position to where he is supposed to govern the city by its laws which is not to bury the enemy near the city. Obviously, he is valuing the law over his family because Isme, Polynieces, Eteocles, and Antigone are his nieces and nephews.

The story is very comparable to the trial of Socrates. Socrates felt like his philosophizing was a service to the gods. The city of Athens accused him of creating new gods and corrupting the minds of the youth. He is placed on trial and sentenced to death because of the charge.

Socrates, like Antigone, chose death over not obeying the laws of the city because they valued their own beliefs. In both stories, there could have possibly been room for compromise. It was noble that the King and the city of Athens were trying to enforce the laws of the land. However, it appeared they did not even consider the views of Socrates or Antigone. In fact, the King regrets his decision to sentence Antigone to death after she has already died. It is not clear whether the city of Athens deemed their decision appropriate after Socrates died.

Justice is when there is harmony between society and individuals. In the story of Antigone, it seemed like the death of Antigone caused more chaos than harmony. By the time the King realizes he had been stubborn in the sentencing, his son, wife, and niece have committed suicide. It seems it would have been more just to give Polynieces some type of burial. If the King had decided to bury him, so much of his family would not have died. Like Antigone, Socrates was no longer living harmoniously with Athens because he was convicted of disobeying their laws. Socrates never made new gods; he just had different views of the gods Athens served. It seems Athens framed him and caused chaos by trying him. It was the city of Athens against Socrates at his trial. Because the city deemed his actions unjust, he was killed even though he did not technically disobey the law.

The Wild Child (1970)

Jennie's Second Movie Review

[7/10 · 5 June 2013]

The child, later named Victor, who is found living in the woods in France is very much in a state of nature according to Hobbes and Rousseau. Hobbes viewed the state of nature as people living savage lives that consisted of competition for necessities such as food and shelter. Victor probably lived a life in this fashion due to the scars he had on his body. He probably competed with animals for food and had to fight them for his own protection. In Hobbes' moral theory, he states that men are directed by their appetites and aversions to judge what is good or evil. They basically act on impulse. Victor did not have any concept of how to treat another human being. He kicked and hit other people when they would try to get near him.

It could be argued that Victor was not treated morally as a human being because he was placed in an institution as a show animal for the media. One of the researchers ended up taking Victor to his home where he established a relationship with him, and tried to educate him. At one point, to determine if Victor understands morality, the researcher wrongly punishes him after he completes a task successfully. Victor fought back and the researcher realized he understood right from wrong.

Rousseau believed men in the state of nature to be animals with reasoning. As the human learns more, they will desire more. Man is drawn out of the first state of nature which causes him to lose innocence of not entirely knowing good and evil. This theory could be applied to Victor because he learned what is acceptable and what is not because of the researcher's teaching. Rousseau feels that in the state of nature there is a type of tranquility because you are innocent of right and wrong since you have never been taught morals. Humanity will never be able to return to this state according to Rousseau because they now know too much to return to the simple living in the state of nature. However, Victor did not fully learn to communicate and only learned to speak the word milk in French. Towards the end of the movie, Victor runs away from home only to return. Even though Victor did not completely master communication, he learned enough to know that he would not enjoy returning to the solitude and survival mode he once lived in.

Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)

Jennie's Third Movie Review

[8/10 · 5 June 2013]

Ophthalmologist Judah Rosenthal is having an affair with Delores that his wife has not known about for two years. This becomes a problem when Delores threatens to tell Judah's wife about the affair. Judah realizes his reputation, family, and overall life is at stake now because of Delores. She insists on them being together permanently, but Judah does not want to leave his wife. Jack, Judah's brother, suggests killing Delores. Judah never feels comfortable with this idea, but does it anyone. In a sense, he was thinking about the happiness of his family and friends over the happiness of Delores. Judah wanted to provide the greatest gain of happiness which meant the happiness of his family. This is somewhat in accordance with John Stuart Mill's theory of the happiness doctrine. Judah feels bad for the death of Delores, but by the end of the movie, he is happier with his life. It is almost as if the affair and death of Delores has caused Judah to gain a greater happiness. Immanuel Kant's moral theory would disagree with Judah's action though. Kant felt like humans were rational beings with innate conception of right and wrong. He thought we had certain duties to follow depending on the moral worth of an action based on rationality. According to Kant, Judah should not have thought about the consequences of actions. Instead, he should have just acted on how he willed. If that was the case, he probably would have never killed Delores and come clean with his wife. However, in the end, it appeared everyone was happy.

As for Clifford Stern, it seems he abided by the Kant theory and resulted in less happiness. His wife was divorcing him and the woman he loved was engaged to his annoying brother-in-law. Clifford could have chosen to kill both his wife and brother-in-law to marry the lady he loved. However, according to Mill, he chose the route that would be the greatest happiness for everyone even though it resulted in less happiness for him. Clifford also willed a moral action concerning contemplated murder. He would not want someone to kill the woman he loved so he is not going to kill his wife in turn. Clifford is trying to live by the categorical imperative so that his actions can be universally replicated. He does not want to live with the regret that he killed someone like he thinks Judah does.