top of page
Right Versus Wrong
L.A. Confidential (1992), directed by Curtis Hanson, with Kevin Spacey, Denny DeVito, Russell Crowe, Ken Bassinger
In L.A. Confidential, we see good versus bad played out amongst the members of a police force. Even the “good” guys have a little bit of an unsaintly tint but they still are basically good. But the bad guys – they are bad, bad – in a serious way; there’s no doubt about it.
Chinatown (1972), directed by Roman Polanski, with Jack Nicholson, Fay Dunaway, John Huston
The good versus evil contrasts in personality between Houston and Nicholson might serve as symbolism of the overall category’s theme. Chinatown is of a bazaar, incestuous, tragic tale of a family badly corrupted by Houston, the head. Nicholson is a personal investigator with flaws but basically a good guy. The film shows a truly dark side of humanity versus a realistic acceptance by Nicholson and doing the most he can with it.
Lone Star (1996), directed by John Sayles, with Chris Cooper, Elizabeth Rena, Miriam Clon
In Lone Star, we see a good policeman seeking and finding the guilty, even as the crime (murder) was committed many years before. In the process, the policeman discovers some very earthshaking truths about the community and himself.
The Day of the Jackal (1973), directed by Fred Zimmerman, with Edward Fox, Michel Auclair
In The Day of the Jackal, we see successful policing preventing evil from happening (the assassination of the President of France).
This film provides good insight into the dos and don’ts of police management. The film would be a good discussion film for police management students. Management, marketing, strategy, operations, and other organizational skills can be examined and enhanced by using films as a study platform. One of my very useful MBA courses, organizational effectiveness, did just this with a Gregory Peck film (Twelve O’clock High) on a World War II bomber squadron operating out of England, needing organizational transformation and leadership by the new squadron leader – Peck.
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, (1980), directed by Stephen Spielberg, with Harrison Ford
This film’s story could be the quintessential mythical story of good versus evil. After all, what could be more quintessential good then preventing a lost ark, supposedly directly linked to God, and having the mystical powers of providing the holder unlimited powers, out of the quintessential symbol of evil of the 20th Century - Hitler.
Robin Hood (1938), directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keghley, with Errol Flynn, Olivia De Haviland, and Basil Rathborne
In Robin Hood, we have the basic good of the ordinary people striking out through a surrogate against the bad of the forces that are threatening them – the evil king. Often good versus evil in films takes the form of the governed against the governing.
Ruthless People (1986), directed by Jim Abraham, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker, with Danny DeVito and Bette Midler
In Ruthless People, we have a lesser form of bad – those who are about us who are jerks, obnoxious types who take advantage of the system – contrasted with those folks who are good, decent, playing by the rules. The film deals with some of the futilities of justice being laid on jerks.
Reversal of Fortune (1990), directed by Barbet Schroeder, with Jeremy Irons, Glen Close, Ron Silver
This film relates to presumption of guilt and being innocent (right) versus being guilty (wrong). We have, in this film, the playing out of determining innocence or guilt. We are, or at least I was, transformed from concluding a person guilty to having reasonable doubt, or in other words a reversal of fortune.
Double Indemnity (1944), directed by Billy Wilder, with Fred McMurrey, Edward G. Robinson, and Barbara Stanwick
It’s interesting that the fellow telling us the story as we proceed through the film is the bad guy. The film is about doing bad and being guilty from the perspective of the guilty. We learn an interesting insight - that there can be a heavy psychological burden to play when one is guilty and being guilty can leave you to do some pretty desperate, overboard things.
The Third Man (1949), directed by Carol Reed, with Joseph Cotton, Orson Wells, Trevor Howard
Why is it that men with similar backgrounds and who once shared respect and fondness, detour later in their lives in different moral directions. The film doesn’t offer any answers – it does show the good of one of these men against the bad of the other, and how the two forces are played out. The film doesn’t offer any answers, as there probably aren’t any easy explanations. Perhaps, this is what makes the ending correct, leaving us not knowing, everyone going separately.
Leaving us without an answer as to how one can turn out good and the other bad shows the difficulty of understanding the causes of evil – but then these films show us that there is no problems with understanding the effects of evil.
Vertigo (1958), directed by Alfred Hitchcock, with James Steward, Kim Novak
Vertigo is about the search for truth (good), through the explanation of a mystery, and about how one can be fooled by the bad (the disingenuous), especially given our emotions.
Fargo (1996), directed by Joel Coen, with Frances McDormand
This film shows the good of a female police chief against the bad of a desperate husband/son-in-law and two unsavory kidnappers at his hire. We see, perhaps, a symbolism of the good of the community in the police chief as she is persistent until bad and evil is rooted out, explained, and brought to justice. Good is much more persistent than bad.
The Searchers (1956), directed by John Ford, with John Wayne, Ward Bond
This is a compelling story about the kidnapping, on the American frontier, of a small girl by native Americans, who inoculate the little girl into their community, and the chase - search - to find her and reverse the wrong done.
Rear Window (1954), directed by Alfred Hitchcock, with James Steward, Thelma Ritter, Raymond Burr, Grace Kelley
This film is about how there is a strong force within us, within the community, that the guilty, the wrong doers do not go un-accused, un-convicted, and unpunished. The good eventually does roots out and burns the bad; most times justice is served, but certainly not always.
Star Wars (1977), directed by George Lucas, with Harrison Ford, Mark Hammill, and Amy Fisher
We have another ultimate in the good versus evil story, with God (the force) and good conquering over evil (Dearth Vader), depicted as dark and brooding. In a very symbolized and simplified and satisfactory way, this story is nothing more than good versus evil told in a very mythical way.
In how many works of art does bad, evil end up the winner?
The Thin Man (1934), directed by W.S. Van Dyke, with William Powell, Myna Loy
A real good, plain and simply "who did it" story solving the murder puzzle.
The Maltese Falcon (1941), directed by John Huston, with Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Sidney Greenstreet, and Peter Loire.
Another one of these private investors who isn’t exactly a saint but who is basically good and has a passion in life to root out the real nasty characters who are causing all the wrongs of the world.
Also interesting, we find little tidbits of suggestions in this film, such as: the preference for the loyalty of a partner versus one's own self-interest; knowing where you stand in your job, and, if you must, seek out help when uncertain as to the answers; and every job has a purpose, stick to the purpose, until the job is finished
Jaws (1975), directed by Stephen Spielberg, with Richard Dryfuss, Roy Snieder
Here the evil is part of nature (not often found in this category), the bad of a man-eating shark. There is a Moby Dick character in this story – man’s determination to chase down an evil doer until he rides herd on it, overcomes it, understands it, masters it. Also seen in this film are the sometimes-necessary superhuman efforts that are needed to overcome evil.
Rebecca (1940), directed by Alfred Hitchcock, with Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders
Here is another Hitchcock suspense tales of good versus evil – in this case, the good of the heart, and the evil of the heart, in human relationships.
One False Move (1992), directed by Carl Franklin, with Billy Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, Cynthia Williams, Michael Beach
This is a good, suspenseful good versus evil film. The characters are real, all of them with flaws – some with very evil and dangerous and illegal ones and the rest, the good guys, only with a much more benign set, not really dangerously threatening. You can forgive the good guys flaws as the film unfolds but you hate the bad guys - rightfully so. They are truly, recognizable evil.
All the President’s Men (1976), directed by Alan J. Pakala, with Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman, Jason Robards, Jack Warden
This film is the right versus wrong, good versus evil genre of storytelling. Whether more mythical, such as Star Wars, or more documentary, as this film's style is, the central point is the same – the winning of good over evil, right over wrong.
Unfortunately, the wrong and evil in this case happened to be that part of the leadership of this country in charge of the executive function of government – which, among other things, helps to show that evil and bad is not off limits anywhere.
Generally, it seems to me, the life of evil and wrong, ultimately, is un-sustaining. Evil and wrong eventually loses what is feeding it, cut off by the power of good and right. The myths that we have, the films that we see, help to reassure us of this, and reinforce the concept that good bests evil. Myths and films contribute to that cutting off power of good and right. Myths and films joyously serve this function.
Another good lesson in this film deals with dangers of secrecy in government. Time and time and time again, that which is secret, is, by the nature of its very being, too prone to create mistruths, half-truths, and false positions, such that secrecy should not be relied upon in any credible way to plan, govern, and execute. A major battle, I would say, war, which our free press wages for us, on our behalf, is against the evil results of secrecy. Thank God for free and honest minds, in pursuit of truth, who are able to earn a living and subsist, pursuing this need for the truth.
Shane (1953), directed by George Stevens, with Allan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin, Jack Palance
This is a film that, for me, touches deeply on one of America's defining characteristics up through the 19th century – the settlement of the frontier. We feel and see and hear in this film some of what seems likely to have been the conflicting forces, the moralities, the fears and joys and anticipations and disappointments and desires and horrors and uncertainties and myths and realities and needs and truths that was so much a part of that great American program – the movement west and the settlement and European development of the frontier.
We have, throughout the film, symbols and musical representation and actions and suggestions about a larger than life presence – a mythical Alan Ladd character, a not well understood figure who comes in, with an uncertain past and an uncertain future – distinct from the community - and not only stands for “right” but ensures its eventuality. Isn’t this the American character?
Shane is a figure representing great strength and skill, yet with humility and the right sense about it. Shane is representative of the American approach to efficient and effective outcomes, a common sense and practical solution. Shane is one of the most interesting characters that film has to offer.
The String (1973 ), directed by George Roy Hill, with Paul Newman, Robert Redford
There is a tread of good versus evil running through this film, even as one set of crooks outsmart another set of crooks. I guess you could say there are evil crooks and there are crooks that are less evil.
Does this make sense? Yes, I think so. God is in most events conducted by human beings, to varying proportion, and somehow, perhaps, God is more in less evil crooks than he is in more evil ones. Or, in other words, there can be a good versus evil thread, even amongst crooks.
I suspect we like this film because it is full of surprises, it delivers to us magic. The cleverness of what unsuspectingly happens before us pleases us as we learn the meaning, the trick of this cleverness, and the surprises of what we did not expect.
The Lady Vanishes (1938) directed by Alfred Hitchcock, with Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, Paul Lukas
This early Hitchcock is typical Hitchcock of later years, in that we find as usual, a complex unraveling through a series of events and unexpected interactions, during the story that leads to surprising and tantalizing developments., serious misdoings, and eventually the truth behind it all, with the truth being very difficult to foretell, even as the story is seemingly straight forward.
This film does have some awfully good scenes, such as in the baggage car, and good camera enhancements that characterize Hitchcock.
Fundamentally, we have in all of Hitchcock, the conquering of good over bad, through the unraveling of the truth which always defeats and puts behind the bad
With this film, as is probably well-recognized by film historians, Hitchcock reaches a new level and propels himself to the potential for immortality which he realizes.
Spellbound (1945), directed by Alfred Hitchcock, with Gregory Peck, Ingrid Bergman
In Alfred Hitchcock films, even as good people get killed and evil deeds are done, perpetrators are eventually discovered, explained, and brought to whatever justice that is appropriate. But, along the way, that the route is so wonderfully diverted into unusual territory of suspense and excitement and awe and mystery is, of course, the Hitchcock genius and our good fortune.
These route diversions depend on our minds’ ease in overlooking important clues, ignoring the obvious, preoccupations, and being shut up in a box of expected clauses and explanations. Alfred Hitchcock's films should be sought out for help and aid by all who want to somehow expand their ability to think “outside of the box”. I suspect if his films are carefully reviewed, studied, and analyzed we would improve our critical thinking processes.
Notorious (1946), directed by Alfred Hitchcock, with Ingrid Bergman, Gary Grant, Claude Rains
This film shows well that genre of good overcoming evil, the wanted eventually wining out over the unwanted, that in the end, good will prevail. This is no doubt a major, prevalent theme in many films, and perhaps, for the majority of movie goers, this is just what they expect.
Perhaps, it is this experience, this ultimate satisfaction of seeing good prevail, experienced in such films, that is indeed, so clear to understand – after all this is exactly what we want for our lives, this is the hoped-for outcome – good prevails, things work out the way we want them to – no wonder movie goers so often will be happy with this major film genre, again and again and again and again….
It strikes me that we see here an Ingrid Bergman at her most shinning, ebullient, sparkling, and most appealing self – accentuated with a slightly naughty background, now reformed, that but increases her appeal. Her presence clearly stand outs.
By contrast, unfortunately, Gary Grant does not seem at his best – worried, tired looking, a bit uncertain, certainly not his best role.
My Darling Clementine (1946), directed by John Ford, with Henry Fonda, Linda Darnell, Victory Mature, Walter Brennan
This is one of those quintessentially good wins out over bad portraits. But, actually the film is more like an Ansell Adams series of photographs than a portrait. There are an incredible number of breathtaking scenes of clouds over landscapes, and townscapes, and road-scapes, in, of course, black and white.
The “good over bad” motif, it seems to me, is likely braced in the values and benefits and purposes of civilization myths and the need to develop morally and ethically. And, perhaps, from an American culture myth development perspective, related to the 19th century, we have witness the film industry’s telling of a story over and over such that mythicization is happening right before our film eyes as we watch the story of this gunfight at the OK corral in Tombstone told again and again.
This film certainly adds a lot to this mythicization and does so excellently. The ordinary events and characters and stories in most of the film leading up to the climatic, and larger than life, final shootout scene at the OK corral is a wonderful and filling contrast between earlier good and evil in individual events and characters and stories in life, only to be overshadowed at the end with the ultimate good winning out over bad.
Married to the Mob (1988), directed by Jonathan Demme, with Michelle Pfeiffer, Dean Stockwell, Mercedes Ruehl
There’s not much to say about this film. It obviously falls right into the “mythological” category – good versus evil.
This film is well done, entertaining, and funny, good, strong characters – and good is struggling against bad, and in the end good prevails - as we all hope for.
Dial M For Murder (1954), directed by Alfred Hitchcock, with Grace Kelley, Ray Milland, Robert Cummings, John Williams
This is a good, suspenseful, very entertaining film, from start to finish. Grace Kelly is terrific. We see here, it seems to me, the beginnings of Hitchcock’s truly golden period – perhaps with his beginning, the use of color, somehow, through color, he was inspired to rise above his already good body of work from the 30s and 40s to produce in the 50s and 60s , his master pieces – Rear Window, Vertigo, Psycho, North by Northwest.
In my opinion, Dial M is laying the ground work for this development, and has characteristics suggesting of the forthcoming masterpieces. And, as usual, with Hitchcock, we have the mythical genre of good overcoming evil.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kan (1982), directed by Nicholas Meyer, with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelly
A quintessential, mythical good conquers evil tale of large proportions – representing that which mythical tales have long represented, and that which a lot of good versus evil films are all about.
We have here an action hero (Capt. Kirk), primarily representing man’s desire of achieving the objective (of course good). We also have represented the faith that many put in the eventual power and triumph of truth and logic and knowledge, in Mr. Spock. We have a well-defined and obvious evil, Mr. Satan, the 20th Century notion of worst that evil has to offer, even to the extent of being genetically engineered, represented by Khan. And, then we have human kind, the rest of us folks, represented by the Star Trek crew.
How can you miss, when all of the above characters come together, represent so well their roles and missions as characters and symbols, are on a fascinating space craft traveling on a trek, and topped off with an interesting, unfolding tale that comes to just the end that satisfies good over evil.
The Big Sleep (1946), directed by Howard Hawkes, with Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall
This film certainly falls squarely in the good versus evil genre. The aspect that jumps out for thinking about, for me, is the characteristic, represented by the Humphrey Bogart character that being small can be big.
Bogart’s Marlowe is anything but grand and grandiose. No pretensions. And yet, in the smallness of the character, we have a major important mythical theme relating to the concept that big results can come from small beings.
Marlowe works alone, does not appear interested in star quality, or being a king, is quite capable of shortcomings and flaws – and yet Marlowe has a thread deeply twined, strongly underpinning his character – a thread that does indeed lead to big results – results that are based on the conceptual thread that good is good, and more than anything, achieving good is indeed a big result.
Goldfinger (1964), directed by Guy Hamilton, with Sean Connery
Bad and evil are constantly at us – whatever the age of the society. And, apparently, depending on the age and society, workable and attractive mythical themes emerge to meet the times and the needs of the inhabitants to see good conquering over evil. In the James Bond films of the 60s, 70s, and 80s, we have a perfect example of this. It is to their credit that these films seek out, find, and meet such needs.
Dirty Harry (1972), directed by Don Siegel, with Clint Eastwood
This film brings up a social/legal/ethical issue – criminal rights. And it does it meaningfully and usefully in context of a very well done genre and character development story.
Certainly, this social issue is not the film’s focus, but the film very nicely ties in the issue so that the viewer has the potential to benefit from considering what is being viewed.
The thrust of the film is mythical – good over bad, the good in us versus the wicked and bad in us. And the film proceeds mythically in terms of developing a “hero” – a character that is able to transcend and save and conquer for our benefit. The hero here has become a sort of a cultural icon – a part of the American mythical cultural milieu.
Moonlighting (1985), with Cybil Shepherd, Bruce Wells
This is a film encompassing a good versus evil theme, with rather ordinary story and presentation, except for one important component, and that component being the on-line, on-screen chemistry between the leading male and the leading female.
Such chemistry, shown here by Shepherd and Wells towards one another, hawks back to the films of the 30s and 40s, with such duos as Tracey and Hepburn, Gable and Coburn, and others, and Grant and many, and makes this film unique. It is interesting how the story's production and presentation, itself, reflects back upon and brings remembrances of those earlier movies, with such scenes as the clock scenes as the top of the building and china breaking episode by the unpaid chef.
Such chemistry, by itself, can have a powerful impact on the viewer, can positively influence the viewer's chemistry, and demonstrate the intangibles that a film can direct into our beings.
Gunga Din (1939), directed by George Stevens, with Gary Grant, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Joan Fontaine
This is a stereotypical “mythical” good over evil film, well done, with lots of action, entertainment, and emotional connectivity. There is not much more to expect or want from mythically–oriented films. Just good entertainment, something special
The Ox-Bow Incident (1943), directed by William Wellman, with Henry Fonda, Henry Morgan, Anthony Quinn
The concept of justice is very important. The struggle for life, an attempt to thrive is fundamentally wrapped up, it seems to me, in a belief that justice rules, at least eventually. Such is a condition in humanity that many want.
When justice goes wrong, as it so disastrously does in this film, humanity suffers. We should never, never, never stop striving for justice. To do so is to die. Where absent, evil has won.
Advances in civilization run parallel with advances in insuring justice. There was nothing very advanced about the Ox Bow incident. Injustice ruled.
A film that treats such subjects, and entreatingly as this one does, is a film worth watching.
Justice is a fundamental reason for the need for religion just as defining what is good versus evil is a need of religion. Perhaps, this is why, these mythical films are so lasting, they provide something special to the human soul, just as religion does.
Pale Rider (1985), directed by Clint Eastwood, with Clint Eastwood
Perhaps a film that would be at the top of my list for what I think of as the quintessential mythical presentation of right versus worn. Here is mysticism. There is the rider, the hero coming down from the mountains to correct wrongs.
This is Wagnerian (or at least my perspective of Wagnerian).
Journeys for good come down from many mountains, as reflected in the many ways depicted in film history. Somehow, the many paths down the mountains come together to create a cultural acceptance of what is right versus wrong.
Out of the Past (1947), directed by Jacques Tourneur, with Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer
Clearly in the category of good versus evil, perhaps, a prime example of this category, where a guy is immersed in the surroundings of evil, but one strongly senses that the guy stands for good, and in the end good will satisfy us. Is this a major characteristic of “film noir”?
The General (1927) , directed by Clyde Bruckman and Buster Keaton, with Buster Keaton
This is a story of good and evil. Conflicting sides, arguments, war, fights, wrong versus right, evil versus good.
A focus is how we can get caught up with the larger good versus evil conflict, and struggle to survive within that, and to continue to live our lives.
Desty Rides Again (1939) , directed by George Marshall, with Marlene Dietrick, James Steward
Certainly good versus evil. An interesting insight goes to the eventually community perception of “right” “good” and the community’s eventual (it take time) implications cause by this perception.
Films also represent a community (the writes, directors, etc.) of perception, and their views of good and bad have implications for us.
bottom of page