Which movies would you pick to best showcase what is good and then what is bad about human beings?

Road to Perdition Tom Hanks plays a hit man who finds his heart. Michael Sullivan (Hanks) is the right-hand man of crime boss John Rooney (Paul Newman), but when Sullivan’s son accidentally witnesses one of his hits, he must choose between his crime family and his real one.

Shindler’s List shows both the best and worst in us.

To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic showing both.

The Departed kind of made me think that everyone is shitty…

@Joker94 Indeed. Did you know it was just adapted from an Asian action movie?

Cheesy as it is, Dances with Wolves.

@incendiary_dan Actually that is a great answer.

@mazingerz88 I figure it’s got the indigenous people living their way, minding their own damn business for the most part, and then some other assholes (some of them also indigenous, if I remember correctly) come and attack them for no good reason. It’s got wholesome village life and violent imperialism. That, in my opinion, shows a pretty good range of good and bad.

@incendiary_dan What struck me the most is that line said by Costner’s character. Asked as to why he would want to be assigned in the frontier, a vast space of nothingness. He answered, “I wish to see it before it’s gone.” That sums up the entire movie for me.

Honestly, I think Star Wars show it all.

To Kill A Mockingbird is my pick also.

Schindler’s List, though I had to stop watching it about 10 minutes in. I will try to watch it again all the way through soon.

Forget Schindler’s List, watch Life is Beautiful, or maybe better yet Grave of the Fireflies

I always tout this great movie:

“Tokyo Story” (1953)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Story

For me, the best movie ever made. Seemingly simple, but universal in its theme of family relationships, inter-generational conflict, and human greed and selfishness.

I also like “Schindler’s List”.

Spartacus starring Kirk Douglas

In addition to many of the movies already posted:

Rabbit Proof Fence
The Stoning of Soraya M
American History X
Crash
Cry Freedom
The Shawshank Redemption
The Green Mile
Earth
Fire
Water
Planet of the Apes (the whole original set)
Earthlings (documentary)

Those are the the one’s that stick out for me at the moment.

I definitely agree with @GladysMensch on Life is Beautiful demonstrating the best and worst of people. It is truly a work of art. Grave of the Fireflies is also an amazing, remarkable film. However, I thought Life is Beautiful was a much more uplifting film than Grave of the Fireflies I think it was perhaps the saddest, most depressing story @jerv and I have ever seen and I would feel remiss if I didn’t warn you about that

The Mission, with Robert De Niro.

Driving Miss Daisy

Crash really affected me with the complexity of its characters. Particularly Matt Dillon’s police officer whose repulsive, reprehensible behavior was offset by his relationship with his father and his ultimate redeeming act of heroism.

@mazingerz88 I heard about that, yeah!! I’m probably going to have to watch that too. I hope I’m not biased though XD

Slumdog Millionaire.

@Joker94 I guess you mean that Hongkong movie the Departed was adapted from? Well do not expect too much. Saw it when I heard the news Hollywood would make its own version and though I can’t seem to get into Asian movies that much, I knew what Hollywood liked about it right away. The plotting and the twists basically. I must say I did not expect the American version to be that good, enough for it to win a Best Picture Oscar.

“Miracle on 54th Street” because it shows how generous and kind a person can be. “Mommie Dearest” with Faye Dunnaway because it shows how evil and rotton some parents can be for no other reason than just to be cruel to their kids.

I couldn’t remember the title of this movie when I first posted but just came across it on TV. Shake Hands With The Devil is about the Rwandan genocide through the experience of a Canadian Forces General. I found the movie to be done quite well. It shows both the good and bad of humanity.

@mazingerz88 Infernal Affairs, that’s the name, right? I might have to look that up, I wonder how ours stacked up. I love The Departed, I thought it was easily one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time.

@Joker94 Yes you got it. Infernal Affairs…

Action movies is my favorite showcase.