Ethical Subjectivity In The Movie Collateral

Name: Institution: Course: Date: Ethical Subjectivity Collateral is an urban genre film whereby Vincent (Tom Cruise), contracts a killer forces Max (Jamie Foxx), a Los Angeles cab driver, to drive him around the city all night. Vincent is on a mission to kill five Federal witnesses set to testify against a drug lord. Throughout the film, Mann uses various cinematic techniques to depict Vincent as an analyst figure meant to show Max the gruesome reality of being on the wrong side of the law. Collateral presents an identity crisis on how each character expresses their lives through performance and professional identity. Both Max and Vincent live with the hopes that they can always retain their self-image while persuading the people they interact with in their daily lives. They both have to face the false identity that the other has created to cover the reality of their situation. According to the theory of ethical subjectivism, moral statement is true or false depending on the attitudes and conventions of the observers (Biehl, Byron and Arthur 53). A statement can, therefore, be termed as morally right just because it has been approved by the person of interest. The film Collateral presents a scenario whereby Max and Vincent have to resolve their ethical disagreements through acts of tolerance by acknowledging the equally factual truth of the perceptions asserted by the author. The paper analyzes how time changes their feelings and attitudes, hence transforming their ethical decision-making processes. During their first encounter, Vincent informs Max about his negative thoughts about Los Angeles. He refers to a story about a man who died on the M.T.A. and no one noticed for six hours, not even those who sat next to him. It is an absurd narration that shows Vincent’s disapproval of the law. Instead of condemning his negative ideology, the viewers are likely to use it as a way of identifying his character identity (Biehl, Byron, and Arthur, 64). Based on his perception, Vincent is a nihilist who cannot withstand the unpleasant state of modern society. The audience will judge his character based on both contemporary ethical standards and the potential changes throughout the film. Max is disciplined in his cab-driving profession, and we cannot think of him becoming more of Vincent. However, Vincent is attempting to have Max see and experience his life as a nihilist. Following one's ethical principles without considering the possible real-life consequences is known as ethical narcissism, but the film focuses mostly on the opposite. The film demonstrates the ability of the characters to stick to their duties and ethical philosophies exclusively. Therefore, Vincent is an exact opposite of what Max believes is ethically right. Initially, both Vincent and Max appear to be in an enthusiastic bond as Max performs his usual duty of transporting a client to a location of desire. Max's appreciation of doing his duty to the best of his ability puts him much closer to Vincent, but he cannot admit it. He, therefore, perceives Vincent as a traumatic figure than he is an analyst. The doubling effect is evident on Vincent since he is careful about what the subject (Max) is supposed to know and what should remain known to himself. When one no longer supp...