Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Homework 8: Minority Report Review

Minority Report is a movie set in the future around 2054 in Washington, D.C. The movie is premised on the fact that in the city, murderers are caught before they actually commit the crime based on visual evidence obtained from three precognitives, or ‘precogs’, who can see the future murders happening while they are in a dreamy state. A high-tech computer system captures these images from the precogs as they are seeing them, and the Washington, D.C. Precrime division uses those images as evidence in convicting the criminals.

Now, I realize movies are not necessarily supposed to be realistic, but I have to say this: I don't believe the events portrayed in this movie could actually happen in real life. One of the most troubling concepts I have with this movie in relation to the real world is that in the movie, they are arresting individuals before they commit a crime. Arguably, the ‘precogs’ are never wrong and the utopian idea of a murder-less society is very appealing. However, using the precogs’ visions of future murders as evidence for crimes that have not yet been committed is something I believe our society would not be okay with.

Another concept I find debatable in this movie is the concept of free-will versus predestination, and whether free-will can alter the future. As the Division of Precrime uses the precogs’ visions for committals, this movie tends towards the idea of predestination, and that the future can’t be altered. I find this hard to grasp as I believe that free-will drives and empowers us and the path we take changes our future.

Regardless, this movie is great and I recommend all to watch it.

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