MovieChat Forums > Mr. Holmes (2015) Discussion > Disliked the moral of the film

Disliked the moral of the film

posted 8 years ago by lumosnight
3 replies | jump to latest

So the moral is.... lie to people so that they can feel better?

What kind of moral is that? Sherlock Holmes wouldn't be the type to sugarcoat things, and the reason he is so loved as a character is because he seeks the truth and doesn't pull the wool over people's eyes just so he can make them comfortable. There are so many people in this world who have to face much more horrifying truths (like getting raped, surviving wars, having loved ones murdered) than having a runaway dad or miscarrying a fetus.

It would make more sense if the moral was to be more tactful when telling a harsh truth, and Holmes was tactful a large number of times in the books. For example in the Sussex Vampire he carefully investigated a whole family drama and was very kind to both the husband and the wife when the wife was wrongfully accused to trying to kill her baby. This movie just stereotypes him as an uncaring machine which he actually never was - Holmes was very logical but had a lot of compassion.

[–] Kent_Kainer 8 years ago

"The morality of lying and deception may depend on the conditions under which these acts occur, and on their motives, purposes, and consequences. The morality of lying may also depend on whether lying as an act of self-interest is able to reconcile itself with the interests of others. Another approach to the morality of lying may therefore be to consider whether the liar’s motives are predominantly egoistic or altruistic, and whether the act of lying produces harmony or disharmony between the liar’s self-interest and the interests of others."etcThat kind of moral is it.http://philosophyreaders.blogspot.de/2013/03/the-morality-of-lying-and-deception.html ---Lincoln Lee: I lost a partner.Peter Bishop: I lost a universe!

[–] fairy_depp 8 years ago

Firstly, I would say that loosing 2 babies and realising you can never have another would be pretty traumatic, as much so as being raped because she clearly valued having a family and that dream was destroyed.

Secondly, I don't think a little white lie is harmful.. He realised there was no benefit in being completely honest with Mrs Kelmot and there would also be no benefit in telling Mr Umezaki the truth either.. The lie he told would do no harm as the man was no longer in his families life (and was probably dead) so his son could remember him in a positive light.. It was the same reason why Watson changed the ending of the story so that Holmes could be a hero.

[–] McQualude 7 years ago

You missed.