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Exploring the Dark Side through
Minority Report, Perdition
The Movie Mystic | by Stephen Simon
Minority Report (rated PG-13, 145 minutes)
The Road to Perdition (rated R, 116 minutes)
The depiction of the dark side of life in entertainment is a controversial subject.
As challenging as the concept may be, we live in a world that unfortunately often
reflects back to us the darkest aspects of the human experience. I personally believe
that denying the existence of such darkness and decrying even its tasteful depiction
in entertainment may indeed shove the darkness deeper into our collective psyches.
As we travel our own spiritual paths in life, we have all discovered from time to
time that there can actually be great beauty in darkness. Sometimes, we encounter
situations that, on their surface, seem dark and even dangerous or frightening; however,
when we look deeper, often in retrospect, we can find great inspiration hidden in
the light shadow of a dark experience.
Both Minority Report and the Road to Perdition are indeed dark glimpses
into certain aspects of our humanity (or lack thereof) but they also contain powerful
messages about choice and indeed love.
On one level, Minority Report is a very bleak look at the state of both law
enforcement and personal liberties in the year 2054. Underneath that surface, however,
there is a very hopeful mystical message.
The film stars Tom Cruise as John Anderton, the star cop in a new "pre-crime"
system that utilizes psychics (called "pre-cogs") to predict how and when
murders are going to occur. The police then intervene just before the crime is about
to happen, saving the intended victims and imprisoning the would-be murderers in
a state of suspended animation. The action of the film revolves around Anderton himself
being identified as a future killer, causing him to go on the run to prove his innocence.
The pre-cogs have never been wrong, so their predictions go completely unchallenged.
No questions. No trials. No appeals. The underlying concept of such a system is that
our fates are predetermined, our destinies immutable. Such a philosophy is obviously
disempowering, because there is no room for either personal choice or last-minute
changes of heart. If we were to really believe that our futures are impervious to
our own will, we would be merely human trains traveling the pre-laid tracks of our
lives to a destination beyond our conscious control.
Sounds grim, yes?....but wait...
Fortunately, the very title of the film suggests that the system is not infallible
and the ultimate mystical message in the film reminds us that we are, in fact, the
masters of our own fates. No matter how dark things may look, we can change the course
of our lives at any time and we do indeed create our own reality. Such a message
is a powerful and welcome reminder for all of us in these troubled times.
Similarly, The Road to Perdition is a dark, violent film about the unraveling
of the life of hit man Michael Sullivan who works for a gangland boss in the 1930s.
Conversely, the film has some extraordinary insights about the bonds between fathers
and sons. If you think you had problems dealing with YOUR father, consider the plight
of 12-year-old Michael Sullivan, Jr. in this film, who finds out that his father
Michael, Sr., kills people for a living. Not exactly the kind of thing you can discuss
with your friends on the playground at recess, is it?
In the film, it is said that "sons are put on this earth to trouble their fathers."
There are three such combinations in the movie, but the key is the relationship between
the Sullivans. Early on, we see that Michael, Sr. is always decent to his son and
genuinely loves him. Unfortunately, his profession catches up to him in a tragic
way and he must go on the run to save his son's life. (Just seeing Tom Hanks, who
plays the hit man, and Paul Newman, who plays the gangland boss, on the same screen
is worth the price of admission. Hanks is almost certainly the most beloved actor
of his generation and Newman one of the most treasured of his era. They both play
dark characters here, but they each bring such a strange and compelling humanity
to their roles, and portray them with such power and nuance, that Academy Award nominations
in 2003 seem a deserved certainty for both of them.)
Again, it sounds utterly grim, doesn't it?...but wait...
On the road, young Michael grows up very quickly and he soon realizes that his father's
entire commitment is to keep him safe. In a way, they both discover Michael, Sr.'s
humanity at the same time. The bond between father and son is so profound and special
that, even with all the trauma, Michael knows that his father loves him. The denouement
of the film is so touching and beautiful that it transcends the rest of the despair
around it.
So, these are two films that, beneath their dark and violent veneers, possess powerful
messages about the constancy of both choice and love. There is nothing gratuitous
about the violence in either film; rather, the violence serves only the purpose of
furthering the plots. (Unfortunately, Minority Report is rated "PG-13"
and, in my opinion, it should be rated "R" as The Road to Perdition
correctly is.) Violence is a fact of modern-day life. Handled sensitively and
intelligently, and presented by, to, and for adults, filmic violence can sometimes
be a pathway for self-awareness and can indeed even provide insights about the beautiful
aspects of our own humanity.
Movie Mystic Chakra Ratings
Chakra 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Minority Report 4 3 4 3 4 5 3
The Road To Perdition 3 5 5 4 5 4 4
For a full explanation of the Chakra Rating System, please visit MysticalMovies.com
NEXT MONTH: Signs...and our fascination with aliens!
Stephen Simon has produced such films as Somewhere in Time and What Dreams May Come
and also has served as president of three different film companies. Stephen's first
book, The Force is With You: Mystic Movie Messages that Inspire our Lives, will be
published in October 2002 by Walsch Books/Hampton Roads. For more information, visit
MysticalMovies.com and Stephen welcomes your comments by e-mail
at Stephen@MysticalMovies.com.
Copyright (c) 2002 Stephen Simon
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