Being John Malkovich (1999)
1. Watch the cool films. Take the time to discuss the film after watching it.
2. Identify the main relevant philosophical issue or problem in the film or episode, which you have chosen. Explain the philosophical issue or problem in your own words without reference to the narrative of the film. That is, explain the general philosophical issue at hand with reference to Descartes’ ideas and/or the mind-body problem, using only the relevant readings that were discussed in class. In this paper, do not choose more than one philosophical issue! Make sure the relevant context is mentioned. Do not describe everything we’ve learned about Descartes, but only the relevant philosophical ideas.
3. Explain the specific ways in which the film employs, handles and develops this general philosophical issue. You may want to refer in this regard to the plot, the characters, the design of the film (for example, the use of special effects) etc.
4. Describe and explain in detail one key scene (or more) in the film, which exemplifies vividly the philosophical issue at hand.
5. Offer your candid critical thoughts about the way in which the film handles this philosophical issue. Is the film successful in integrating the philosophical ideas into a coherent story? Is the film successful in making those ideas sufficiently powerful/dramatic/scary/funny? Please elaborate.
