I recently went to the movie "The Box." The box was written and directed by Richard Kelly. He had previously written and directed Donnie Darko and Southland Tales. I thoroughly enjoy the way he tells a story and was more than excited to see that he was going to make a movie based on a short story that had also been adapted into an episode of the 1980s run of the Twilight Zone. In the story a young married couple is presented with a box that has a button. If they push the button they receive a million dollars. The catch is that pushing the button also causes a person that they do not know to die. The short story and Twilight Zone episode focus on the process of making the decision. In both cases greed wins out and one member of the cuple pushes the button. They end up getting the money, but when the box is picked up by the mysterious entity that left it in the first place he announces that it will be reprogrammed and given to another couple, a couple that will not know original couple. That is where the short story and Twilight Zone episode end. Kelly's take on the story is a little bit different, but I am not going to spoil it for anyone that plans to see it and hasn't yet. My overall impressions were that I really enjoyed the movie. If you haven't seen a Richard Kelly movie you should be aware that while in the case of the Box there is resolution in the main storyline, but there are many issues that are unresolved when the credits roll. I like this about his movies. I'll need to see it a few more times in order for some of the side plots to make sense to me.
An immediate topic for conversation following the movie is the question of whether or not you would push the button. I have always found talking about these dilemmas to be a wonderful way to pass time with friends. I am reminded of several instances of discussing whether or not you would sacrafice your own life to save the life of a stranger and all the factors that go into how you would ultimately make that decision. I think that these moral dilemmas can also be a good judge of character. For example, if I ask someone if they would sacrafice their own life for the life of a stranger and they immediately reply yes without thinking about it or asking any follow-up questions, I know that the person is only interested in how they will appear in the social situation. I don't think anyone should be able to answer that question without thinking about it and asking questions. Someone who answers immediately either wants to appear to be altruistic or is a narcissist. If you want to have some fun sometime ask me what I would do in one of these situations.
