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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 1930?s. 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.

NEXT MONTH: Signs?and our fascination with aliens!

*****

Movie Mystic Chakra Ratings
for Minority Report and The Road To Perdition

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