The preview to The Sunset Limited reminds me of Atlas Shrugged, they both involve the life or death of railroad. You might want to check it out. The following is based solely on the movie trailer and common themes among many works of art of which I have knowledge. I have not read the play or any of the works of Cormac McCarthy, but these clips give a short synopsis of the problem of evil. Good looking out.
[1] Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
[2] And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
[3] And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
[4] But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
In "The Sunset Limited," the Black character makes reference to the Bible, Jesus, and angels. He asks the White character if he is "happy." Samuel Jackson explains that the White character is very educated and his Black character in the film holds up to him the "bread of life" i.e. the Bible, which Christians call TRUE "knowledge" that satisfies "hunger" and leads to eternal happiness with full knowledge that the Black character has "suffered for righteousness," which in biblical terms should make him "happy."
[14] But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
[5] Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
[6] And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
[7] Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
The Black character in the film saved the White characters' life when he "cast himself down" in front of a train and the black angel rescued him, leaving us to conclude that this Altruist deed is exemplary of "the hands that bear him up." For all we know, the White characters' suicide is a result of the "ego" that reveres earthly human wisdom obtained through education that results in the "pride" of a knowledge that actually creates earthly values, which the Christian ethic holds to be the gravest of sins because any man of self-esteem by their estimate feels right while they don't, thereby creating a playground bully brawl over who is good, or the Son of God or the correct sort of mystic with ideas, choices and actions that reflect the Christian ethic presented in the "living word" i.e. the Bible.
[8] Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
[9] And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
[10] Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Needless to say, what the Black character did is what you might imagine we are all trying to do- live as we are supposed to and sacrifice everything we own, value or desire including our lives for the sake of any random stranger. This would truly be the the sort of worship the Lord thy God would accept as his due service.
I would tend to believe that, as far as philosophical reasoning is concerned, we look toward Immanuel Kant for this ego that reportedly exists or did exist in defiance of reason, truth, logic, reality and any good that may come of man's life on earth.
Enjoy Cormac McCarthy and best of luck with philosophy.
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