Many years ago, I think in an Agatha Christie novel, I encountered an old conscience-teaser (I don’t know what else to call it) that went something like this:
You get your heart’s desire; but to pay for it, a Chinese mandarin must die.
There’s the temptation. If this person were to die in the normal course of events, you’d never even know it. He’s a perfect stranger on the other side of the world. His life would seem a small price to pay for fame, fortune, love, health, or whatever else might head your crave list.
But the catch is that you know that as soon as you get your wish, an innocent man will die because of it.
Which was the inspiration for The Box (2009) by Richard Kelly, starring Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, and Frank Langella. A married couple very badly needs a break, and Frank Langella shows up on their doorstep with a box. If they push the button on the box, they get a million dollars in cash… but someone they don’t know dies.
Continue Reading “A Muddled Movie About Something Rather Important”
