Hrm. A PS to the Last

Sarah, it seems, does not share my opinions. It is not, by any stretch, a normal movie; I suppose I should have given more of a review. By saying "one of Story's finest hours" I mean not that it is an excellent story itself, but that it is about stories and authorship. Spoilers lurk below.

Part of its charm, to me, is that it is wildly unrealistic and yet, to use an annoying but helpful bit of grammar, Realistic. It's a fairy tale - a bedtime story. The basic thrust of the plot is simple, the characters are iconic, the conflict is basic. But this is a fairy tale meant to make a point about fairy tales, so it contains plenty of food for thought. [Obviously, if you don't like literature being self-referential, this is not for you :).]

It's about the inspiration of stories: There is an author, for whose inspiration a certain muse (whose name is Story) has been sent. Then, we are told, the work of the author will be the inspiration for another man to effect great, good change. In broader terms, it is about everyone, not just writers, maintaining their link in the chain of events. To be able to do this, they must realize that there is a Story being told in which they are characters, each with a distinct role and purpose. [The presence of an Author is not directly addressed but can be sensed. There is someone watching out for the characters and telling the story. In this movie, as in Signs, Shyamalan has cast himself in the role of God.]

The tragedy of the critic is that he didn't get any of this. He believed that things like romantic reunions in the rain are just trite lies that we tell ourselves via story - such things have no basis in fact, not even symbolically. He missed the Real in looking at the real. So when he found himself in the midst of the Story, he misunderstood the characters and the plot. Using his supposed knowledge, he gave bad advice to our heros. And when he found himself face to face with an Enemy, all he could do was comfort himself with trite lies he didn't believe.

That, at least, is the essence I came away with.

Oh. Wow.

I just got back from seeing Shyamalan's latest: Lady in the Water. It is one of Story's finest hours. It ought to be mandatory viewing for anyone who aspires to write.




So why are you still here? Get to your local theater posthaste! :)

Blessed

“We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life…”

It’s been a good day… a good week, so far. So I can think of nothing more fitting than to list some of the many things I have to be thankful for:
Air conditioning
Living in a country removed from war
Triple shot grande mochas
The book of Proverbs
A meaningful job
Bailey’s Irish Cream (aka “nectar of the gods”)
Lapis and Vladimir, my faithful servants
Brother Lawrence
Disposable income
Coworkers with senses of humor – and Belgian chocolates :)
Fun TV shows like Stargate, Smallville, House, and Lost
Augustine (and accompanying happy memories of Drs. Bates and Mitchell)

“We exalt you, O God our King, and praise Your name for ever and ever.”

A Tale of Two Captains

[Last Sunday I saw Pirates II… and the movie really deserves a response. However, it’s taken some time for me come up with what I think about it. This commentary is vague enough that you could read it before watching the movie, if you want.]

Jack Sparrow and Malcolm Reynolds (of Firefly/Serenity). The two characters are remarkably similar. Both are anti-heroes thrust into heroic situations. Both love their ships, which they consider their source of freedom, and their crews. Both hate the bad guys but neither gets on well with society at large, either. Both are practical realists, willing to do what is necessary to get the job done. And both happen to be among my favorite literary characters :).

All well and good, but what’s the point? Just this – that these two remarkably similar characters end up taking markedly different paths. Mal ends up the “hero” in the end and Jack… well… it’s hard to tell. So why the difference? In short, the abilities of their authors. Jack’s character was tweaked, ever so slightly, in Pirates II, but it was enough to set him down a different course. The writers took away – or greatly diminished – his ability to love.

The problem is, love is the saving grace of both Jack and Mal. For these self-preservational fellows, love imparts a wider sense of self. That is, the idea that “me without you is not worthwhile/bearable/good” enables them to sacrifice themselves without destroying their character. Neither has a highly developed sense of duty, so it’s love alone that lets them act heroically.

Mal is fortunate in that Whedon (his author) seems to have recognized this fact. He is deeply devoted to his ship and crew, and, to a much lesser extent, the rest of humanity. This is why he’s the good guy. Without that love, he would lose his moral footing and end up like Jayne (pure mercenary). Whedon understands his character, particularly his character’s motivations, and the way the world works. So we have a likeable, coherent character in a likeable, coherent story (minus some of the glitches between Firefly and Serenity).

Jack, on the other hand, has been less fortunate. The writers of Pirates seem to be a bit more confused about who they’re dealing with and where they’re going. (Of course, we haven’t reached the end yet, so it’s still anybody’s game.) In the first movie Jack had some sense of loyalty or attachment – to his ship, his crew, and his friends, Will and Elizabeth. The second movie denies this completely... while at the same time relying on it as a foundation. Throughout the movie, Jack is entirely self-centered, lacking any ties to anyone – we even see him beating a retreat from his beloved Pearl at one point. He has become merely mercenary. However, many of his schemes in this movie wouldn’t work if he hadn’t proved himself at least slightly trustworthy in the previous movie. Likewise, the end of this movie (and beginning of the next) could not happen unless he had a group of devoted friends – which is hard to come by if you’re so completely disloyal. So we’re left with a strange situation: either Jack is a good guy who’s been abused by his authors, or he’s a sociopath. I’m voting for the first.

So, by all means, see Pirates II. It’s fun – hilarious at points, it’s thought-provoking, and, if nothing else, it’s a bridge to the third movie, which may yet make a good end of things. However, bear in mind that the author(s) failed to understand at least one of the main characters and the story suffers for it – at least in comparison to the original.

The Greening of PHC

In honor of Dr. Walker’s call for fasting and prayer, I post the following lyrics. Michael Card wrote them (obviously) for the city of Belfast, Northern Ireland, torn at the time by Catholic vs. Protestant violence.

In a green, green land, riding on the sea,
Live a people who speak like a song.
But their fertile field lies so fallow and bare
And has borne bitter fruit for so long.

Pray for the greening of Belfast,
That what is now barren might bloom and be fair.
God loves the city of Belfast,
For so many children who love Him live there.

The verdant hills, like strong arms, embrace
A heart-breaking, heart-broken town.
With the air so full of angels there,
It’s not hard to imagine the sound
Of their cries and tears, of their pleas and prayers
For their city to know peace once more.
Let the fighting cease, let the saints be released
To join in true spiritual war.

Pray for the greening of Belfast,
That what is now barren might bloom and be fair.
God loves the city of Belfast,
For so many children who love Him live there.

Proud to Be an American

Happy Fourth!

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