Socrates told us, "the unexamined life is not worth living." I think he's calling for curiosity, more than knowledge. In every human society at all times and at all levels, the curious are at the leading edge.
Roger EbertRead
Samurai films, like westerns, need not be familiar genre stories. They can expand to contain stories of ethical challenges and human tragedy.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Samurai films can tell deeper stories beyond their genre, exploring ethics and human experiences.
This quote by Roger Ebert suggests that samurai films, much like westerns, should not be restricted to conventional genre narratives. Instead, they have the potential to delve into complex ethical dilemmas and showcase profound human tragedies, highlighting the capacity of film as an art form to communicate deeper meanings about life and morality.
Themes
SamuraiFilmsArtEthicsTragedyStorytelling
In practice
Example use cases
In a film discussion group, while analyzing genre films, one might reference this quote to expand on the thematic depth found in samurai films.
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I was born inside the movie of my life. The visuals were before me, the audio surrounded me, the plot unfolded inevitably but not necessarily. I don't remember how I got into the movie, but it continues to entertain me.
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Why do alcoholics begin down the same hazardous road day after day? They are in search of that elusive window of well-being that opens when you drink your way out of a hangover and aren't yet drunk all over again. The alcoholic's day consists of trying to keep that window open.
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There are no guarantees. But there is also nothing to fear. We come from oblivion when we are born. We return to oblivion when we die. The astonishing thing is this period of in-between.
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Parents and schools should place great emphasis on the idea that it is all right to be different. Racism and all the other 'isms' grow from primitive tribalism, the instinctive hostility against those of another tribe, race, religion, nationality, class or whatever. You are a lucky child if your parents taught you to accept diversity.
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