Search the Community

The movie Lord Jim, starring Peter O'Toole, 1965, is about a English seaman, Jim, who always wanted to be a seaman. One of the obligations of a seaman is to demonstrate extreme bravery under crisis by seeing to it that all passengers are safe before saving yourself. A day of truth arrives one stormy day at sea when he abandons ship with the captain and the crew, leaving all passengers aboard a ship in distress. The abandoned ship doesn't sink, and Jim is put on maritime trial and found guilty of cowardice. Jim punishes himself by taking on odd jobs in obscure places in the orient. One day he shows startling bravery when he risks his life to put out a fire near a cache of explosive cargo. The shipper of the cargo expresses gratitude to him by hiring him to accompany him deep into the jungles to deliver cargo to a Malaysian village. While in the village, Jim meets and falls in love with a native woman. He also learns that the village is being held hostage by western European pirates. Jim demonstrates leadership ability in organizing a battle plan to rid the village of these pirates. When the battle begins, Jim is suddenly gripped with cowardice. He regains composure and helps lead the battle that kills and chases off the pirates. Jim is now a village hero and crowned, Lord Jim. The pirates soon return to reclaim their treasure hidden in the village. There is a difference in strategy over how to deal with the pirates. Jim wants to fight. The village leader wants to hand over the treasure. The village leader consents to Jim's strategy on one condition: if any villager gets killed, Jim will have to pay with his life. The villagers win the battle, but the village leader's son is a casualty. The village leader grants Jim the option to leave that night with his village wife or face the firing squad at dawn. Jim choses to face the firing squad. Jim demonstrates how under certain circumstances, we are brave. Ayn Rand spoke about the danger of self-sacrifice. She said that if we take into account the needs of our love one's, a selfless act of bravery isn't self-sacrifice. We all demonstrated bravery and selflessness when we react to the concerns of love ones or morally speak up against evils done to others. We, like Jim, may show cowardice if self-sacrifice is just a part of our duty, like in the professions of: seaman, soldier, body guard, or policeman. The conclusion in the movie demonstrates true love, and selflessness as a sign of appreciation to a people who gave Jim back his dignity and self-worth after that traumatic incident at sea which labeled him a coward by his own western peers. Jim knew the evilness and the double-crossing nature of the western people. He refused to let his adopted people to be subjected to the lies, injustices and cruelty of these western sociopaths and even if it meant giving up his life in the end.