The Man Who Knew Too Much

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A common story line in many motion pictures and literature consists of ordinary people faced with great challenges. Typically, they are able to meet those challenges, despite the sacrifices that they must make. Thus, the work is inspirational in that illustrates the virtue of humanity to be the good of all above themselves. The motion picture, "The Man Who Knew Too Much," is such an example.

• The Man Who Knew Too Much is a film directed by the famous Alfred Hitchcock
• The Man Who Knew Too Much stars James Stewart and Doris Day
• Stewart and Day portray a couple traveling through Northern Africa, specifically Morocco, and accidentally become part of an international plot to kill the Prime Minister of England.
• Stewart and Day's son is kidnapped, and they begin the search to rescue their son before he is hurt.

Hitchcock's Story

The search takes them to London, England, and eventually to Albert Hall. While at a concert there, Ms. Day as Jo McKenna finds herself in the position of being able to prevent the assassination of the Prime Minister. She screams stopping the concert before the assassination has the opportunity to shoot the Prime Minister. During this dramatic moment and one of Ms. Day's finest scenes in the film, her face is filled with agony and despair as she knowingly struggles with the decision. Her dilemma, of course, is that if she saves the Prime Minister, she risks the life of her son. Fortunately, at the end of the film, her son is saved.

Some might question Mrs. McKenna's decision for several reasons. The most important reason being that she risks the life of her son. Another is that in screaming during the concert to stop it, she may have endangered her own life. One might also point out that Mrs. McKenna was not even a citizen of England. As such, she had no compelling reason to make such a patriotic decision to save the Prime Minister given her status as an American citizen.

It might also be argued that leaders of nations, especially during times of peace, are not important to the continuance of any government. For example, many leaders have been slain and the country they led survived despite the untimely death or the president or prime minister.

These arguments are all legitimate. Most likely, if the Prime Minister of England had been assassinated, confusion might have resulted temporarily, but England would have survived. Mrs. McKenna was not an English citizen. She had no patriotic obligation to prevent the assassination. And her son's life was at risk.