Christopher Vogler The Writers Journey
viewers can measure themselves. People can enjoy speculating, from the safety of
their seats, on how they would act in a similar situation. How would I have handled
the challenge of the Titanic? W o u l d I face death with honor and courage, or would I
panic and act with selfish frenzy? W o u l d I fight for life or would I sacrifice my place
in the lifeboat so women and children could go first?
T h e movie has the fascination of a train wreck or a highway smashup. It's
natural to contemplate and compare when we see such a disaster, to measure our own
luck against that of the victims. W e watch with compassion but also with relief that
we are not among the suffering. W e seek lessons and make conclusions about fate
and honor from what we see.
People describe certain movies as spectacular, but forget that the word comes
from the ancient R o m a n spectacles, which were ritual dramas, combats, races, games,
annaabi.ee 
