Men, Goats, and Torture
The fantastical movie The Men Who Stare at Goats, inspired by Jon Ronson’s non-fiction bestseller by the same title , arrived in theaters at a most auspicious time. The movie deals with the topic of torture, just as Guantanamo detainees await their transfer to stand trial in New York courts causing commentators to speculate on how the issue of torture will be dealt with during not only the criminal proceedings but also the public debate they inspire.
As with any dark comedy, The Men Who Stare at Goats not so subtly confronts us with the question of our morality, and how much cruel and degrading treatment we can stomach in good conscience.