Existential Dilemmas

Existential Dilemmas

Existentialism is an effective tool for dissecting movie plots. The following paragraphs will examine the existential dilemma in The Wild Bunch, On the Waterfront and Cool Hand Luke.
The Wild Bunch, one of the great westerns of the 20th Century, tells the story of a group of men who made their own law in a land of lawlessness. Set during the Mexican Revolution, this film shows the horrors of village life and the many hardships that Mexican peasants experienced. The aging band of outlaws wants to retire, but they have to make one last score. They rob a bank and shoot their way out of town. When the bags of loot are opened, they find money has been replaced with washers! At this point, the group starts to get riled up and there is talk of splitting. The leader Pike (William Holden) explains, quite sternly, “When you side with a man, you stick with him. If not you’re like animals. You’re finished… we’re all finished”. The group flee...