Blumenthal: There is a tendency among some conservatives to talk about figures like Hitler and bin Laden as beyond human understanding, as a dark force that just sprang full-born into the world. “Max” shows that evil has nuances — it doesn’t just emerge in its full nightmarish quality instantly, it develops day by day, it has its own evolution. That makes it more horrific. Because if evil were something absolute and distinct, it could be removed from human experience. But it’s not, which means we must come to terms with how it arises.

As I say, interesting. I have to agree with Cusack, that presenting the world in terms of black and white, us versus them, good versus evil is “a great way to rally the troops, but beyond that it doesn’t get you very far.”