They say that feelings don't count as evidence. Who is they? I have a feeling that I don't know. But one thing that I do know is that feelings are a useful tool to lead us to things...even evidence. So, let me begin with a story.
Two days ago, I watched most of the movie "Equilibrium," most meaning the important three quarters. In some ways, it is a very good movie, one that points out yet another way in which an intelligentsia and a sheepish population can produce a horror. For those of you who don't know, in the world of "Equilibrium," the rulers have produced and mandated with death a drug that, according to the movie, stops pain, war, and sorrow by stopping feelings. I think it's more like it stops them by stopping feelings, Chestertonian moments, wonder, Dasein awareness, and I-Thou relationships. (Philosophy may begin in wonder, but logic definitely does not, considering that an absence of feelings does not prevent the main character from believing a cloaked variation on the Final Cause argument.) Regardless, the resistance movement regards the ability to exercise their gifts (I almost said God-given, but in the context of this particular movie, which is under suspicion of being slightly anti-Christian; that is a question for another day) as a right which it is worse than death to not be able to exercise. The main character joins them, has a few Chestertonian moments, kills the ruler, and liberates the world. A bit formulaic perhaps, but if you're following an archtypical story, there's going to be a few repeated elements. And that's usually a good thing. Why then, did I feel so unhappy for about an hour and a half after watchin the movie? There's the fact that Equilibrium follows the formula that stipulates that the story must be interrupted every so often for a sequence of slowed-down, over-dramatized violence, but I don't think that that is enough to account for such a thing.
I think that the real reason, following Chesterton's comments on Isben in Heretics, is that "Equilibrium" does not really provide an arresting vision of a world with what the resistance is fighting for. There are those one or two moments where you realize, by something as simple as the character touching a stair-rail, just how vital life beyond the drug is. But there's no happiness: no member of the resistance is ever seen doing something happier than reading Yeats. Even the room of hidden forbidden objects, with its snow globes and Beethoven LP's has no people enjoying themselves. More importantly, it has no religous symbols, instead it has small pictures of scantily dressed women. The captured resistance member says that she lives to feel...and although she mentions love she doesn't say or even imply just how much she loves, or Who the object is.
Unfortunately, this absence of happiness is compounded by the shallowness of all the characters. Only the main character and the woman who converts him have more than a functional role in the story, leaving the world with feelings almost as empty as the world without them.
Like Isben, Equilibrium warns of the horror of evil, and does so effectively. Like Isben, Equilibrium does not know what goodness really is. Like Chesterton, I find it quite lacking.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
I don't mean to preach, but this has been on my mind and I thought I'd share it. Religion can be a touchy subject, I know you have beliefs of your own, so if I am being didactic or annoying, please let me know. But this is what i've been thinking:
Everyone ever born goes through life with a hollow place in their heart. We look to family, friends, and lovers (usually lovers) to fill that void, and we always end up disatisfied, but we keep relying on the people around us. If a person wishes to live a truly full and happy life, that emptiness can only be filled by God, in whatever form you worship, and it is our responsibility to cultivate our relationship with Him.
I don't wish to sound pretentious but I weep for those who don't believe in a creative power. Divine love is given to everyone, but to feel and recognize it is a priceless treasure. I wish everyone could more often. It is always there, and if we can learn to recognize it, our lives can be whole.
This isn't annoying at all. This is what gets people out of the religion-is-boring stage to the religion-is-great stage. When I was a child, I went to church because I had to. As I grew older, and learned more about what it means to be human and what it means to be happy, I realized that only God as a Lover could ever satisfy. And now, life without that seems like a horror. There's no reason why people from a multitude of religions can't understand and live by this.
The reason we have different religious beliefs ought to be because there's always the question of whether and why one religion could be better for this relationship than for another, but that's a slightly different issue.
As a side note, Equilibrium has no concept of this sort of Divine-human love relationship, or if it does, it's too hidden to save the movie.
check out my new post and tell me what you think. btw no need to post comments that aren't really relevent to the topic if you don't feel like it. although anyone who sees this is more than welcome to have a look :D
Knight Owl, I agree with you wholeheartedly.
OFL: This sounds like an interesting movie! I would be interested to see it.
Post a Comment