What is Really Right?

Non-conformity is the act of not bowing to the legal and societal pressures that are present in every aspect of our lives.  As citizens, we are required to live by the laws of the land, and any noncompliance has some sort of ramifications.  Society has its own set of standards developed by the communities that we are a part of, and not complying with the status-quo is considered an act of defiance—crossing the line between what is acceptable and what is not.  The film "The Visitor" examines the personal impact of crossing the line both legally, and personally, and the positive and negative impact that that experience can have on individuals, and challenges the viewer to think about what is really right, or wrong.
  
Citizenship in this country is something that is a legal right, and not having it puts the violator in conflict with the laws of this country.  The law is very clear.  There is no gray area or anything left open for interpretation.  You are either a citizen, or you are not and crossing the line of living in this country carries strict ramifications that call for the deportation of the violator.  In the movie "The Visitor" we are introduced to a character Tarek, who is in this country illegally, but is a vibrant young man who has much to offer this country.  He is a young man who comes from a country that is known as a breeding ground for terrorists, but, is only here to live a life that allows him to explore his passion for music, and experience the American dream.  He has crossed the line of legality by living in this county illegally, and regardless of how good his character is, the line in the sand is clearly drawn and it has been crossed.  As people with a heart, and compassion for our fellow man, we feel for Tarek and think that maybe there needs to be an exception to his legal line crossing, but, the government doesn't see it that way.  As a citizen in good standing with the law, I try to obey the laws as best I can.  This situation however moves me to believe that breaking the law is okay, in this situation, and he should be allowed to remain in this country to live a happy successful life. Given the choice of abiding by the law or living a life in this country, I, like Tarek would be forced to cross the line and my own morals to live a life of freedom in this country.

 Society also has its own set of rules to live by.  The communities that we are a part of determine the rules and how to comply.  The protagonist in our film, Walter, is an Economics teacher, from a small college in Connecticut, who is unhappy with the life he is living, and in need of something to become passionate about.  Society has preconceptions about what type of people should be involved in certain kinds of activities.  Walter has an interest in music, but his efforts at playing the piano are feeble at best.  Through a chance encounter, he meets Tarek, who plays the African drum, and when Walter shows an interest, Tarek offers to teach him.  Walter becomes consumed by drumming and the outlet that it provides him.  The point where he fails to conform to society is that a white, middle-aged Economics professor from the suburbs is not a person who, by definition, would be playing his drum amongst a crowd of African Americans in the middle of Central Park.  He is the last person that you would expect to see playing his drum and lost in his music.  My experiences in life have taught me to accept everyone for whom they are but the sight of Walter in his dress shirt and slacks, playing that drum, scream—I am out of place, and don't belong here.

The movie "The Visitor" is a movie that is chalked full of examples of people not conforming to the status quo, or the legal lines established by this country.  As college students and instructors, we all consider ourselves to be rather forward thinking, and accepting of most people.  This film however, makes one step back and wonder, how progressively am I thinking.  We all think that there should be some kind of law governing who is allowed to live here, but, where do you draw the line, and if the line has been drawn, at what point do you find it morally acceptable to cross it.  We all would agree that one should be able to play whatever kind of music they like, and not be questioned, but when presented with the situation we think twice about it. After viewing this movie several times I am still revisiting what I find to be right and wrong.  It has challenged my thinking on several levels and will continue to do so.  We all have a defined idea of what is right and wrong, but films like "The Visitor" push that line, and make us wonder about what is truly right or wrong.