The murder scenes in Match Point and Crime and Punishment represent the constant struggle between fantasy and reality, nihilism and faith. Nihilism is the rejection of traditional views that God does not exist; therefore, life has no meaning. Whether an individual believes in God or a higher power determines their relationship to moral behavior. If there is no God, then we can do anything: kill, bend and break the rules, indulge our urges, give in to dark desires, live a double life, and iron out our problems. There are no existential consequences, provided one can overcome one's moral conscience. The opposite is true when it comes to the “fantastic” vision of society. In the presence of a higher power, virtues such as honesty, integrity, forgiveness, kindness, and compassion require one to fulfill this moral obligation. Woody Allen uses Match Point to remind us that the amoral perspective is the reality of society, while the moral outlook is the ideal. The characters of Woody Allen and Dostoyevsky represent these two contrasting ideologies. Allen's character, Chris, mirrors the character Dostoyevsky attempted to portray in Crime and Punishment, a character so disconnected from morality that he can get away with crime. These characters are tools that reflect the “fantasy versus reality” ideal of their creators. Dostoyevsky created his character to represent the presence of justice in a world devoid of a higher power. While Woody Allen uses the character of Chris to evoke the nihilistic theme: the world exists without a higher power or a system of moral justice; there is therefore no reason to conform to social constraints. Match Point challenges the ideals presented in Crime and Punishment, that one must take responsibility for moral obligation and punish oneself. Chris was able to escape, he moved away from guilt and crime, his indifference is the root of his success. Comparing the murder scene in Match Point to the murder scene in Crime and Punishment, Woody Allen challenges Dostoevsky's argument that society is bound by moral obligation; the reality is instead that there is no constraint binding individuals to a moral compass; we can therefore do everything without fear of reprisals. The latter which reflects society and the social norms that govern the actions of society. Works CitedDostoyevsky, Fyodor, Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. Crime and punishment. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1993. Print.Match Point. Real. Woody Allen. Perf. Jonathan Rhys Meyer, Scarlett Johansson, Mathew Goode. DreamWorks Pictures, 2005. DVD.