In this episode, I speak with Titus Techera and Flagg Taylor about several films that address communism and the effects of tyranny and deceit on the human soul. We discuss themes of courage, freedom, privacy, shame, the purpose and role of art, and how we can become comprised over time by assenting to falsehood.
We discuss how these films portray the challenges for regular people and how the experience of living under communism has lessons for us today. We also discuss the question of art and its relation to beauty, truth, and morality.
Films we discuss include Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's "The Lives of Others", about the spying of East German Stasi, and "Never Look Away", about Nazi and Communist totalitarianism, eugenics, truth, and the role of art. We also discuss the brilliant Polish film by Andrzej Wajda, "Katyn", about the Soviet murder of 12,000 Polish army officers, "Mr. Jones", about the Ukrainian Genocide by the Soviet Union, and more.
These films are morally serious and very important for many reasons, not only because they clearly present the evils of communism, but because they powerfully reveal the challenges of living under totalitarianism and make us wrestle with our own weaknesses and corruption. They don't let us off the hook easily or simplify the difficulties. They also challenge us to self-introspection. As a character in "Katyn" says, "What does it matter that you think differently, if you don't act or live differently?"
Warning: these films are not for children. They have some disturbing scenes, and I discuss some of my critiques in the podcast.
Ep. 31: Titus Techera and Flagg Taylor: Communism and Film: Deceit, Privacy, Art, and the Effects of Tyranny on the Soul