The Philosopher Kings (Patrick Shen, 2009)

Princeton. Cornell. Berkeley. Names associated with those who stand on society’s commanding heights. But long after the greats leave their mark and move on to brighter hopes, there remain the men and women who continue to eke out a living, becoming one with grounds they maintain. Yet few students bother to even ask them their name, much less sit down and talk to them about life. In “The Philosopher Kings,” Patrick Shen does just that, interviewing custodians from seven universities. Moving from their basic attitude towards their work, Shen explores many different aspects of each janitor’s life. We see what they do outside work, things like creating art, playing bass, or struggling with a second job. There is also great loss, whether it be of a mother, a wife, or a limb. We hear amazing stories. There’s Jim, the Vietnam vet who had to crawl three days in the jungle using his arms after being shot in the back. Corby the artist struggles to perfect his latest work. And Josue the Haitian émigré returns to his home country, desperate to help his family survive. Throughout they give bits of wisdom born out of the long years of suffering. In their labors, they have become true philosophers. I highly recommend this film to anyone, especially for family viewing. It might cause you to think twice about the people around you.

My rating: ⁵/₅ mop buckets.