- The desolate landscapes of the desert inspire visions
of both Heaven and hell. The silence is absolute -- it stretches around
you and presses in on you. This arid ground is the perfect metaphor for
the habitat of the soul; it symbolizes changeless eternity, the firmament
from whence we came and which, in truth, we have never left.
-
- Only the desert, mercilessly dry and barren of life,
could serve as the backdrop for the 2007 film by Joel and Ethan Coen, "No
Country for Old Men." Adapted from the Cormac McCarthy novel of the
same title, "No Country..." is the tale of a southern everyman
who happens upon a load of cash at the scene of a botched drug deal. His
"lucky day" turns calamitous when the lone survivor of the debacle,
a professional killer (and master at this trade), comes looking for the
dough. What follows is a deadly cat/mouse game between pro and novice --
the cold calculating predator, patiently stalking an over-matched yet dangerous
prey.
-
- "No Country's" antagonist, played by the preternaturally
gifted Javier Bardem, is nothing like the psychopathic "bad guys"
in most Hollywood films. Some moviegoers may have secretly admired the
eminently clever Hannibal Lecter, a caricature of "evil genius"
who titillated more than he frightened. But only the clinically insane
could see anything admirable in Bardem's character, a perfect embodiment
of blank sociopathy. He is smart but not funny; smooth but not charming;
efficient but not "cool." His huge, oval eyes convey a terrible,
avid intelligence, without the faintest spark of compassion or empathy.
What does it mean to be human? Clearly, he has no idea.
-
- The ultra-violence in "No Country..." is exactly
like real-life violence in every regard. In Newtonian reality, "good
guys" do not wear bullet propellant or possess superhuman strength.
When human beings, "good" or "bad," get shot or stabbed
or garroted, they scream and spray red and gargle and die. Such deaths
are generally not instantaneous; they involve tremendous pain and terror
and dehumanization. Those who witness or cause violent deaths suffer life-changing
traumas from which they may never recover. And unlike in movies and TV
shows and video games, death in the real world is the absolute end.
-
- "No Country..." is truly independent, anti-commercial
film-making. Throughout the movie, a constant background of almost total
silence pervades, occasionally underlaid with a foreboding ambient tone,
and interrupted in harsh squawks of sudden violence. It is not a movie
"about" real life; it's a brute, naked, unflinchingly honest
HOLOGRAM of life as it really is. As in the real world, problems are not
solved in a neat, predictable, or satisfying manner. Things don't necessarily
happen "for a reason," nor do they "add up" to anything.
What happens, happens because people are the way they are. That's it.
-
- It is not surprising, therefore, that "No Country..."
is not exactly a box-office blockbuster. American moviegoers do not want
painful yet illuminating honesty in their "entertainment"; rather,
they want to live vicariously through attractive and charismatic people
so they can temporarily feel better about themselves. In other words, they
want to be LIED to, to divert their attentions from life's harsher realities.
-
- The number one movie in the country last weekend was
the aptly titled "Enchanted" -- a Disney fairytale about a princess
cast into the present-day world by an evil queen. Like virtually all Hollywood
films marketed to young people (particularly young girls) it features a
gorgeous cast, an *uplifting* soundtrack, a relatively cliched script,
and of course, a "happy ending" (girl gets guy, they look forward
to a future of which every young person dreams, music swells, credits roll).
-
- The talent behind "Enchanted" is undeniable,
and for what it is, it's not a bad flick. But it's fundamentally disturbing
when the vast majority of a populace prefers "enchanting" lies
to uncomfortable truths. I understand that parents feel safe taking their
kids to films that are non-threatening, fun, and age appropriate. But in
truth, many of Hollywood's most genuinely profane offerings are rated G
to PG-13. What makes these films profane is that they present a picture
of the world and the human condition that has nothing at all do with reality.
They train young minds to expect things from life that are unrealistic,
or totally unattainable.
-
- Real life is not conducted in surround sound, with computer
generated special effects and beautiful, ageless people who are immune
to weight gain, tooth decay, and death. The common "triumphs"
of movie heroes -- the conquest of villains and the acquisition of the
ideal romantic partner -- are neither realistic nor healthy goals for human
beings. In the real world, the desire for revenge is an incredibly corrosive
emotional force that leads inexorably to conflict and violence. And romantic
love, with all its infantile ideations and fantasies, is one of the greatest
blunders in human history. Only in the movies does anyone find "happiness"
by killing bad guys, then riding into the sunset with a fair maiden in
tow.
-
- Yes, we all take pleasure in occasional escapism, and
in the Media Age, we can find it anywhere, at any time. But the purpose
of real art -- and despite the best efforts of Michael Bay to prove otherwise,
film IS art -- is to enlighten as well as entertain. A character on the
movie screen provokes our minds and stirs our hearts when he or she reveals
a part of ourselves that we know to be true. This doesn't require absolute
realism in situational storytelling, but it DOES require an honest reflection
of the laws and principles that govern reality. I'm not just referring
to physical laws, because a movie can teach great lessons in the midst
of implausible scenarios and outlandish effects (see Star Wars, The Empire
Strikes Back, etc.). But the film should stay faithful to basic psychological
truths, i.e. it should honestly depict the inevitable consequences of a
human being's beliefs and actions.
-
- Parents who want the best for their kids should not insulate
them from reality, nor allow them to be programmed with unhealthy fantasies.
This is not to say that youngsters should be exposed to carnage, cruelty,
and ugliness simply because "it's the way of the world." Rather,
they should learn as much as possible about what it actually means to be
human. What really matters in life? What will make them happy? How should
they view themselves and others? Instead of taking their children to the
mall for a couple of hours of wasteful spending, or heading to the cinema
for two hours of ear-splitting, mind-numbing, soul-corroding inanity, parents
should consider guiding their kids through a tour of a hospice or a homeless
shelter. Yes, the child might find it a little frightening, but you'd only
be telling him or her the truth. Life is nothing like a Hollywood movie.
And this isn't an entirely bad thing.
-
- "No Country for Old Men" might sound like a
depressing film, but I find nothing depressing about an authentic meditation
on the human condition. Quite to the contrary, I am depressed by films
that try to persuade me to a view of reality that I know to be false. Real
life is not "fair," easy, pretty, scripted, or even meaningful
in any obvious way. Unlike movie characters, one does not find personal
completion through life's ephemeral events, which never result in "happy
endings." Real meaning in life's journey is found through an understanding
of oneself, and this requires great courage, diligence, and above all else,
honesty. We have all been lied to (and lied to ourselves) for quite long
enough. It's time to leave no room in our lives for anything but the truth.
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