Good (2008)

Movie Introduction
"Good" is a 2008 American historical drama movie directed by Vicente Amorim and based on the play of the very same name by Cecil Philip Taylor. The plot focuses on a university literature professor, John Halder, admirably played by Viggo Mortensen, who experiences a series of life-altering events in 1930s Germany prior to the start of World War II.

Set up
Halder, a normal, sympathetic guy, is seen battling with his personal life. He handles numerous obstacles, including his falling apart marriage, his ailing, dementia-suffering mom, and his financially constrained best friend whom he assists. Amid these issues, Halder composes a compassionate novel about thoughtful euthanasia which draws the attention of the Nazi celebration, acquiring it appeal and offering perceived intellectual credibility to the Nazis' eugenics program.

The Transformation
This unwitting affiliation marks the beginning point of Halder's political profession as he ends up being significantly knotted in the Nazi machinery. The advancement of Halder's character includes phases wherein he goes from being a regular man who tries to decline the chances provided by the Nazi party, to him gradually being drawn into the system and finally ending up being a part of it due to his individual battles and the regard he makes by being associated with the celebration.

Ethical Downfall
His options ultimately result in extreme individual losses, disillusionment, and moral failure. His best friend and Jewish psychoanalyst, Maurice, depicted by Jason Isaacs, becomes a victim of the hate propagated by the regime Halder is a part of, while his now ex-wife and children get away from him. The woman he was having an affair with, Anne, becomes his brand-new other half, but she also evolves into a fervent supporter of the Nazi program.

Dramatic Irony
Throughout the movie, Halder's ethical blindness ends up being a centerpiece. This person who had actually been a thoughtful professor consistently remains oblivious to the bigger, sinister implications of his actions, which improves the remarkable paradox underlining the plot. An especially poignant scene-- Halder singing a Bach aria while Maurice is being jailed in the background-- stresses this awful paradox which continues till the end.

Conclusion
The movie concludes on a bleak note where Halder understands the implications of his options. He is displayed in the recently released prisoner-of-war camp, walking among the dead and nearly fainting from the scary, lastly comprehending the part he played in everything. The previous professor who had joined the Nazi party believing he could effect change from within is left powerless in the face of the Nazi atrocities.

Good is a thought-provoking movie that does not primarily intend to paint the life-cycle of Nazi Germany but more so concentrates on portraying a character study of a common man and his passive contribution to the rise of a horrendous program. It brings into concern whether "good" people, with blind obedience and inactiveness, end up being culpable collaborators who allow evil. The film for this reason, disallowing its heavy undertones, manages to remain deeply human in exploring the complexity of options and their effects.

Top Cast