I showed my friend Iron Lung last night and we talked a lot about how the movie has themes talking about the injustice of the criminal justice system and how we dehumanize and strip down criminals, especially ones where their crimes are more a product of their environment and less a reflection of who that person actually is.
Already an interesting conversation on it's own that deserves it's own essay, but I wanted to sorta copy and paste something I said to her in regards to how that parallels PHM in a way that I just SUPER latched onto.
Because Grace, like Simon, is seen as the most valuable asset but in a way that disregards his humanity. Simon is the person that will help gain resources to help the last of the human race, but it's because he's a criminal so if he dies in the sub who gives a shit. Grace is the scientist who knows the most about astrophage that will help the human race, but he also - from everyone else's point of view - has nothing to tie him to Earth so who gives a shit if we launch him into space. By neither of them meeting the ideal expectations of their societies, they're seen as valuable in a way that also makes them disposable. It's fine to sacrifice their lives for everyone elses because they're more valuable dying for a cause than living with the rest of us.
And what's also insane about the parallels is that most stories that touch on those themes often has it where dying for a cause is a GOOD thing. You're a hero if you die for a cause. Dying for a cause is beautiful, idealistic. In IL and PHM? Dying for a cause is a tragedy. Dying for cause is seen as murder and dehumanizing. Simon cries "you sent me down here to die and you don't even know my name?" Grace (in the book) cries "you're murdering me! don't send me to die, please!" And it's just so fascinating to me how both these movies say the same thing in different ways: that Grace and Simon didn't deserve this. Maybe it led them to confront themselves, their fears, and their flaws. But it should never have been at the expense of their own lives.
izzy806
romaincrisis
andulkaphoto
jbbartram-illu
yousharknotpass
baratheonpilled
janainaart
jacobvanloon
