This is an interesting post Jan. I never thought much about an obligation to of folks to expose themselves to historical movies depicting slavery or other such emotional topics.

I saw the Passion of the Christ and also 12 Years a Slave. The Passion felt a bit over the top...not that it wasn't an authentic depiction of Jesus's last days, but as some point it sort of felt like practicing misery. 12 Years a slave had similar moments, but it felt more purposeful. Not really a slave movie, but some parts of Django Unchained were hard to watch, but there is a certain level of satisfaction at the end when Jamie Foxx wastes the whole lot of them in true Tarantino style.

At any rate, to your question of whether or how much folks should feel an obligation to watch these sorts of movies; generally yes, it has value. But at the end of the day, just as the decision you made with The Passion; an individual has to decide for them themselves whether the pain or distress they may feel is worth the enlightenment they might receive.