Today, with this film, we begin (or maybe continue?) our journey into some essential questions raised in our experience of art: "what is the nature of humanity?" and "what is the potential of humanity?" Who are we, and what makes us who we are? Is there a moral imperative that directs our path, or do we construct a morality that suits our intentions? Is there such a thing as evil? Is there such a thing as good? Do we choose between them, or do we simply fall into categories that conveniently describe our behavior?
The films we have watched so far do address these questions as well, but I want to draw your conscious attention to them now. Begin thinking about them in an active way so that you can really consider the value of the films we have seen and will see. The challenge before you, from here on, is to measure the value of the films (and the remaining comics) according to a metric that you might not always or naturally have in mind: Do films have the power to build your character if you genuinely attend to their content and form?
According to our new course design, you will post TWO thought-provoking, debatable statements about The Squid and the Whale to the "Debatable Statements" forum in D2L. Please see the calendar and the discussion forum description for additional information.
Your statements should encourage the exchange of ideas between you and your peers. You may additional questions for basic information, but for the discussion-worthy statements, try to think harder about ideas that relate to the heart of the film, how it's made, and what it achieves as a story. Including clip descriptions that your statements relate to can help your classmates understand your meaning.
