A Professor's Past Resurfaces
Paul Schrader's new moral drama 'The Basics of Philosophy' opens on a fictional college campus where John, a philosophy professor played by Jack Huston, delivers an introductory lecture. Soon after, a female student begs for a grade change and makes a clumsy seduction attempt, which he rebuffs, but the tension lingers. The film then shifts to John's personal turmoil as his father's death brings a buried secret to light.[S1]
At the funeral, John spots a man he vaguely recognizes. It is revealed that years earlier, as an adult, John sexually assaulted an underage boy, the son of his family's gardener, who was paid off for silence. The grown man, Miguel, played by Daniel Zovatto, now reappears, sparking John's intense need for closure, driven by both contrition and possibly desire.[S1]
Struggling with Spinoza and Self
John is writing a book on Baruch Spinoza, the 17th-century philosopher and rationalist, whose difficult work mirrors John's own struggle to rationalize his past. His relationships with a fellow professor, played by Sofia Boutella, and her 14-year-old son add complexity. Schrader tackles controversial territory, debating whether one act of abuse defines a person as inherently abusive.[S1]
The film blurs lines between John's illicit past and his attraction to a gay bar, where he has a one-night stand with a hustler, played by Shiloh Fernandez. Schrader seems to use homosexuality as a metaphor for broader societal transgression rather than examining gay identity specifically, though the writing in these scenes is criticized as clunky and dated.[S1]
Repression and Redemption
John's father imposed a strict sense of propriety, covering up the misdeed and demanding conformity. With his father gone, John is uncertain how to handle that weight, even researching a painless suicide method reminiscent of Socrates' hemlock. The film presents heavy themes with starchy dialogue and deliberate pacing, but Schrader's earnestness is rare in modern cinema.[S1]
The ending is shocking in its refusal to look away from the film's direst suggestions. Some viewers might see exoneration in how Schrader humanizes John's turmoil, empathizing with his struggle under societal restrictions. The film is a blunt, unflinching story of change and expiation.[S1]
