'Sanctum' stars Alice Parkinson, left, and Ioan Gruffudd as cave explorers who get caught in a flood. / Universal Pictures

Thanks to Hollywood, mercy killing is going mainstream

By Grace Vuoto

Hollywood is attempting to lower our standards once again. In the blockbuster movie Sanctum, killing in order to prevent further pain of those who are badly wounded is portrayed as courageous and heroic. Welcome to our brave new world where men can act as gods.

In Western culture, killing of any kind, including alleviating the pain of those who are grievously ill, has generally been viewed as an abomination. While Hollywood movies regularly depict violent acts, they rarely venture into the topic of euthanasia. Hence, killing is not often presented as an “act of kindness.” When it is, the gravity and controversy of the deed is clearly conveyed. For example, in Million Dollar Baby (2004), — produced, directed and starring Clint Eastwood — a gritty woman seeks to become a successful boxer. Her trainer, played by Mr. Eastwood, guides her toward fulfilling her dream. She is then gravely injured by a blow to the head and is a quadriplegic. In a final hospital scene, following the girl’s request to end her life, the trainer kills her as an “act of love.”