I watched the film The Mosquito Coast last night. It starred a really young and attractive Harrison Ford. The plot briefly put is the story of Allie Fox, a brilliant inventor, who takes his family to the jungles of Equador because he believes America is failing and is about to destroy itself in a nuclear war.
He builds a very successful settlement in the jungle with the help of the natives. He invents a huge machine that makes ice. He believes ice is the basis of civilization because it cools, acts as an anti-inflammatory, fever reducer, and makes life generally more pleasant.
When 3 white men with rifles come upon the settlement and refuse to leave, Fox, in order to get rid of them, gives them a place to sleep inside the ice machine and fires up the machine while they are sleeping. His plan is to freeze them to death but the men wake up, begin firing their rifles, thus causing the machine to explode. The 3 men are of course killed and Fox and his family barely get away with their lives.
The ethical dilemma that occurred to me was
He builds a very successful settlement in the jungle with the help of the natives. He invents a huge machine that makes ice. He believes ice is the basis of civilization because it cools, acts as an anti-inflammatory, fever reducer, and makes life generally more pleasant.
When 3 white men with rifles come upon the settlement and refuse to leave, Fox, in order to get rid of them, gives them a place to sleep inside the ice machine and fires up the machine while they are sleeping. His plan is to freeze them to death but the men wake up, begin firing their rifles, thus causing the machine to explode. The 3 men are of course killed and Fox and his family barely get away with their lives.
The ethical dilemma that occurred to me was
Is Fox guilty of murder?
The film never considers this question, neither the Mother or the children react to the death of the men. While it is the case that the men refused to leave the settlement, ate of Fox's food, and eyed Fox's wife whenever she was nearby, they never did anything against anyone in the camp.
So what do you think? Did Fox commit murder? Are the Mother and children accessories? They didn't know until the very last minute that the Father was going to fire up the ice machine.
I'd love to get your reactions in the comments.
The film never considers this question, neither the Mother or the children react to the death of the men. While it is the case that the men refused to leave the settlement, ate of Fox's food, and eyed Fox's wife whenever she was nearby, they never did anything against anyone in the camp.
So what do you think? Did Fox commit murder? Are the Mother and children accessories? They didn't know until the very last minute that the Father was going to fire up the ice machine.
I'd love to get your reactions in the comments.
theteach
