Film Screening - Emma's Bliss

On Tuesday, May 1, I attended the screening of the film Emma's Bliss at the Pacific Film Archive. This film was about a man named Max who was diagnosed with terminal cancer of the pancreas. With not much time to live, he decides to steal a car and money from the car dealership where he works. While fleeing, he drives off the road, ending up the frontyard of a woman who lives by herself on a farm. We learn that this woman, named Emma, lives by herself. One peculiarity about her is that she has a habit of slaughtering pigs in a very loving manner. Emma takes care of Max, and as the story progresses, the two develop a relationship. However, their relationship is short lived, as Max's condition becomes worse and worse. At the end of the film, Emma chooses to end Max's life in the same loving way that she slaughters her pigs.

I found the movie to be very entertaining, especially after my first experience at the PFA. I found myself empathizing with the situation that Max and Emma were in. One thing I found particularly interesting was the movie's portrayal of assiting someone with dying. Having recently gone on interviews at medical schools, I realize that euthanasia is big issue in the medical community. This movie portrays euthanasia in a positive light. The ending with this movie will impact me as I am asked to evaluate whether euthanasia should be accepted or not in the U.S.

Philip Schmidt