I try to never diagnose problems without offering solutions. While identifying problems is the starting point, focusing on them and not solutions is a species of whining, which is against my code of conduct.
If, as I posit often, the development of Goodness revolves around the rejection of self pity, the cultivation of perseverance in the face of difficulty, and an unrelenting commitment to understanding, then our art should focus on developing these traits.
Obviously, most hero films involve the first two. To them, though, I would add an emphasis on developing a sense of nuance, of place, of context, of empathy. I would add a focus on beauty and the spiritual.
One of my favorite film directors is Andrei Tarkovsky. As an adult ready to understand what he was trying to do, I have only seen two of his films: Nostalgia, and the Sacrifice. There is a passion for beauty and transcendance in both of them that lingers. I think he was half mad, but only such people can see deeply enough to be lastingly useful. I like to think of myself as useful, and sometimes I think I’m a bit off my rocker, but it’s hard to say. I’m distinctive, I will say that.
Anyway, I’ve posted a few thoughts on art and architecture here, here. I know there are more, but I can’t find them at the moment. I am overwhelmed sometimes by how much I write. What’s on here is a fraction of what I have that I haven’t posted.