Paul Schrader never moved beyond his midwestern Calvinism. It’s a gritty, salt-of-the-earth style of religious belief. Humanity is fallen; nothing we do can save our souls from our filthy sin. Schrader’s young upbringing has come to embody a mythical origin story that affects how viewers interpret his films (including in this article). Schrader was raised […]
Author: Stefan Swanson
Philosophical Musings: Mr. Nobody (2009)
The latin root of the word “decide” means “to cut off.” What you do when you decide to do something is to literally cut off other options. When you decide to go out to eat at Chipotle, you are saying, “I am not going to eat at McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, etc.” You make thousands […]
Philosophical Musings: Passing (2021)
While talking with a friend of hers at a dance, Irene (Tessa Thompson) says, “We’re all of us passing for something or other, aren’t we?” It’s the line that stands out the most in the film, the one that universalizes the search for identity and security in our ever shifting experience. Passing is the directorial […]
Philosophical Musings: Youth (2015)
Youth begins with a dance. A cover band on a rotating platform playing the song “You Got the Love.” The singer croons: Sometimes I feel like throwing my hands up in the air I know I can count on you Sometimes I feel like saying “Lord I just don’t care” But you’ve got the love […]
Philosophical Musings: The Dark Knight (2008)
The Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan, is, on the surface, a superhero noir. The Joker begins causing mischief, and good ole Batman must rise to the occasion in order to keep Gotham safe. Families depend on him, your average citizen believes in him to keep criminals in line. Underneath the simplistic moral notions of […]
Philosophical Musings: Synecdoche, New York (2008)
Acting is a common theme within existential philosophy. It makes sense, when you think about it. When there is nothing essential or permanent underneath the constant flux of reality, is there any concrete sense of self? Or are we all just playing different parts and roles, the accumulation of which adds up to something seemingly […]