Human Qualities and Ideals in Film


Davidge: “If one receives evil from another, let one not do evil in return. Rather, let him extend love to the enemy, that love might unite them.” I’ve heard all this before… in the human Taalmaan.
Jerry: Of course you have. Truth is truth.

From the film, Enemy Mine (1985)

Enemy Mine(1985)
Enemy Mine(1985)

Imagine a character from the film has arrived somehow in your world (in character, not the actor). Imagine the situation in which you sit down and have a 3-5 minute conversation with him/her. Write the dialogue of your conversation with the character.

Consider some of the following questions:

  1. What does this film make you think or wonder about?
  2. From this film, what did you learn about life, about different places, about history, about science, about religion, and so on?
  3. What is the film really about?
  4. Do you think the title is appropriate?
  5. What are some of the most important ideas?
  6. Were there parts of the film you didn’t understand?
  7. What does the film make you want to learn more about?
  8. What lessons does the film teach about life?
  9. Where else could the story take place?
  10. Could the setting be a real place that exists now?
  11. In any other time or place, how would the story change?
  12. Who is the most important character?
  13. Who is the most interesting character?
  14. Which character taught you the most?
  15. What seems to drive this person to action?
  16. What action tells us most about this person?
  17. What action affects your feelings about this person?
  18. What are some basic character traits of this person?
  19. What is the greatest weakness of this person?
  20. How does this person relate to other people?
  21. What is special or important about this person’s moral or religious life?
  22. How does this person change or mature?
  23. What personal insights enlighten this person?
  24. What in our world would shock the central character most?
  25. What would make anyone know this character didn’t fit in our world?
  26. What serious matters could you talk about with this person?
  27. What important values would you disagree on?
  28. What would your parents think about this character?
  29. What social causes would this person support?
  30. What television programs would be most appealing to this character?
  31. What would be the political affiliation, if any, of this person?
  32. What religious dogma would be most appealing or disgusting to this character?

Reference:

http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/e/enemy-mine-script-transcript-quaid.html

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089092/quotes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enemy_Mine_(film)

http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?41444

“The story of a man, incomplete in himself, taught to be a human by his sworn enemy, an alien being who leaves with the human its most important possession: its future.” from iUniverse

The Human Condition

Equality

Pingo Lingo Discussion Questions on Enemy Mine