In our ongoing War on Terror (whatever you may think of the phrase), we've come across some interesting and deadly real-life problems that used to be largely theoretical. With long duration drones we now have a god-like power to look down from the heavens and examine in real time what's happening on the ground, along with the ability to smite it with a thunderbolt as needed. This movie is all about how this actually unfolds, from the spotters on the ground, to the military and political command structure overseeing things, down to the crew operating the drone.
Which brings us to The Trolly Problem. Here it is in one picture and one paragraph:
Now, there are many variations on the basic problem, but in a nutshell it is this: Here comes the trolly, rolling straight along the tracks. If the observer does nothing, five people will be run over (assume for this thought experiment that they somehow can't move off the tracks). If however the observer throws the switch, only one person will be run over. Which is the more ethical decision? If the observer throws the switch, true, he has saved five people. However in doing this, he has also actively condemned a person to death. If he doesn't throw the switch, he is not directly responsible for anyone's death, but he has knowingly left five people to die. (Again, there are many variants on this basic problem, and you can read up on them at your leisure at Wikipedia.) Note that there isn't a right or wrong answer to this problem, it's more of a thought experiment to tease out how we think about these matters, and to practice for when similar situations come up in real life.
Back to the case at hand, we have an estimated eighty people on the "do nothing" option track, with a half-dozen terrorists on the "fire the damn missile already" track. Easy, right? But it's only an estimated eighty people who will die. Could be eight, could be eight hundred. Could be zero. And then there's collateral damage around the missile strike zone. Innocent civilians wander on and off of that track. Might be better just to scoop the terrorists up sometime later and milk them for intel... except that eighty people could die. In the meantime politicians dither, jog people's elbows, and punt the ethical responsibility up the chain. More information becomes available. Situations develop. And don't forget, there's a fifty four second flight time for the missile. Lots can happen in fifty four seconds. All while everybody at the switch gets. to. watch.
As far as the rest of the movie goes, it's top-notch. Acting, sets, effects are all spot-on. It is also notable that this is Alan Rickman's last film. If there's any flaw in this this film, it's that the pacing is a little off. Is this an action-suspense thriller, showing off the latest in spy and military hardware? Yes, sort of. Is this a philosophical exploration that takes its time in playing out the ethical discussion? Yes, sort of that also. Maybe in an opening scene, Rickman's character could have had a chat about coursework over breakfast with a college-aged daughter, and just happen to talk about the Trolly Problem. This would better frame the situation for the audience, and set up the rest of the movie. As it sits, it's kind of a mental DIY project that requires a couple of viewings to fit it all together, above the shock of the action, explosions, and deaths.
In the end though, it's a very good film. Three out of four stars.
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