Existentialism+Movies


 * Great Existential Movie Clips**

**As humans, we have found the answers to many of life's questions. Unfortunately, we haven't found the answers to the important ones.**

**Throughout this unit, we will read some of the most famous works of literature that reveal man's unending struggle to make sense out of the totally absurd situation called life.**

**These movie selections focus on characters who are in an internal conflict with their own life situation. The way that they react to their own suffering is very different. Existentialism is a personal philosophy on how a person chooses to ride their own bumpy ride of life and how they will shape their own existence. These clips make for great conversations regarding our own choices and directions to consider. Enjoy.**

**HOPE-Shawshank Redemption Scene: Andy and Red have differing positions on 'hope'. While Red accepts his fate in prison and is at peace, Andy holds onto hope and thus, struggles in the institution.** **DESPAIR- Fight Club Scene: Main character (Ed Norton) lives a mundane life where he admitedly feels nothing. Brad Pitt's character shows him how to face the pain of life head on. Once he loses that fear, he is finally able to live his life. Fear holds us back.** **CONFUSION-Donny Darko: Main character grows frustrated with the idea that life can so easily be fit into narrow categories. He resists conforming and ends up in big trouble for it.** **ALLUSION-The Matrix: Interesting perspective that our reality is based entirely on our own perception.** **ESCAPISM-American Beauty: In an effort to escape the brutal physical abuse by his father, the teenage boy takes an interest in filming small tidbits of beauty he finds. He feels there is a peaceful energy in the universe and these videos help him remember.**

**Office Space: The epitome of a mundane, pointless existence where one feels powerless and bored.** **[|Office Space]: Nothing to lose. Once you no longer let fear control you, you can do so much more with your life. In this case, he surrendered his 'fear' of losing his job. At that point, his entire perspective changed.** **Henri the cat**

**___** **INTERESTING FACTS ON OUR OWN SIGNIFICANCE:**

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**Number of humans who have ever been born: 107,602,707,791**

**World Population 7,000,000,000**

**Currently, 6.5% of humans ever born are living right now.**

**What is EXISTENTIALISM?**