Ontology: Black Swan

Kathleen Trujillo

Gail Wester

ABSTRACT

Black Swan (2010) directed by Darren Aronofsky exemplifies ontology due to the philosophical issues apparent in the life of the emotionally arrested protagonist, Nina Sayers. These predicaments are concerned with the nature of being and question what it means to be human, what one’s life is amounted to, and will often lead to a significant alteration of the way one lives. In the case of Black Swan, these questions raised launched the main character into a transformation in which she discovered her tragic flaw: an obsession for perfection. Undergoing this change, she learned to embrace herself and others, which ultimately led to her triumphant death. In addition, the analytical nature of the study focuses on differentiating between the psychological and ontological crisis of Nina.

No Country For You!

The following scene is from the movie The Terminal. I think it shows a great representation of an ontological crisis. This scene is near the beginning of the movie.





I see many parallelisms between this clip and any regular ontological crisis we might have, for example: the fact that Viktor can't communicate clearly highlights the lack of understanding we face when thrust into a difficult situation. In this scene, Viktor doesn't yet realize the full weight of his situation.

If you guys haven't seen the movie, it's pretty good. It gives a humorous look at hard times that we all come across in life.

Heros/ Idols

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I couldn't get the clip to embed to here is the link.

http://youtu.be/JCo8KLjZhDY


How important is it to have a hero to admire?

Evil

Why would an evil be necessary?

Is any means that leads to evil itself evil?

How did it happen that Yuri has this job?

Is there wide personal demand for what Yuri does or is there simply wide demand for his clients (governments)?

If his clients were not governments would you stop buying their products when this was discovered?

Why keep using the interstates built specifically to move military hardware? Why keep paying your taxes?

Why let Yuri Go?

My Sisters Keeper

This movie depicts many different philosophical themes.

The first theme is ethics because they engineered a child for the sole purpose of saving their oldest child from cancer. The second theme in this film is ontology, which is showed in two different ways. The first is due to the challenges not only because of the disease, but also because of the legal problems they are faced with. Due to these problems the family starts to break apart, but in the end even though they have had many tribulations they grow stronger as a family. The second problem of ontology that is shown is through Ana because she doesn't really know her purpose in life. The only reason for her birth was to save her sister's life, and that is all she has ever known. The third philosophical theme is the issue of free will. Ana's parents want Ana to continue to give her body parts to her sister, but both Ana and her sister, Kate, refuse to.

A Walk To Remember

http://youtu.be/rSqRe7WnIzE

In this clip Jamie has leukemia and has stopped responding to treatment. She and her boyfriend Landen are faced with the fact that she is going to die. Even though they know this they try to live their lives together to the fullest, which leads Landen to ask her to marry him.

This scene displays the reaction that many humans have, which is to fulfill all their dreams before they die; To see their miracles come true.

In this movie Jamie had a list of things she wanted to see and accomplish before she died. With the help from Landen she was able to live out all of her dreams. Landen shows how many people would react if they find out a love one is going to die.

Angst, and Sickness Unto Death in Evangelion

Evangelion is full of some real basket cases, but also has a good bit of Existentialist Angst.