"Now I been happy lately -Cat Stevens, "Peace Train" Yeah, spent some time on a day filled with beautiful weather outside, played some tennis then hung out with tennis people for dinner, company, generally fun time. Then I got an unexpected workout for my mind when we all went to see the new Star Wars movie. I've always liked the Star Wars series, feel they are among the best in entertainment cinema, but have never been a total nut fan or anything. And honestly, through most of the first half I thought it was pretty mediocre, good action adventure flick but little more. Then I had a realization (don't worry, this won't spoil anything if you haven't seen it yet) that made me respect what they've decided to do with these prequels a lot more. I'm operating on the assumption here that the readers HAVE seen the previous 4 movies. Anyways, Anakin is feeling repressed in this new movie ("Attack of the Clones"... you think they assigned a whole committee to coming up with a totally cheesy title or did Lucas do it alone?)by the Jedi order, which is noble and good in intent. And if you've seen the old school movies, you know that Anakin eventually goes over to the "dark side"... largely because of the limitations collectively imposed by this Jedi order. And it struck me that this somewhat mirrors the situation of all of us in our present society who hope to do more good than the current system enables us to (either in terms of freeing our individual selves or changing the external world (which, I feel, are really one and the same)). We've got a system that was founded, and attempts to exist on fundamentally good principles. Yet there is this encroaching evil infiltrating the system... not an evil with an actual physical or personal embodiment like in the Star Wars films, but a similar "dark side" nonetheless... its the old dichotomy of sin and goodness within each person, whatever you want to call it. So anyways, back to the plight of Anakin, who desires to do more good than the order of Jedi society allows him... he's got a very dual personality: first, the side that is frustrated by the Jedi structure, and seeks to tear it down. This is what causes him to capitulate and give in to the so called "dark side", which is really an embodiment of his own psyche. But the big contrast in the new film is with his good side which emphasizes love... a love frowned upon by the Jedi order (hey, I don't consider speaking about what you obviously knew was going to happen to be a spoiler). Here's the part that got me though, the big picture overview of the whole series of films: that even though he attempts to achieve his salvation, and the salvation of what is good, by tearing down the flawed but well intentioned system of the Jedi order, the violent manner that he chooses to break with it means that he only becomes a servant of the dark side, which he meant to defeat.... And yet, it is his love, which represents its own very different rebellion for the system, that literally creates Luke... who eventually defeats the dark side and brings back out the good side of Anakin in the Return of the Jedi... So, other than being intellectual masturbation as I test my overanalytical tendencies, where is all of this going? Well its a message about how to revolution, and what I consider to be the principles of a good revolution. See, there has to be a recognition that its not a matter of Us vs. Them... there is no enemy to all that is good, the intents and propogators of the current system are not some evil entity that must be destroyed... the real enemy is one component part of all of us, just as the ally is a component part. People are neither basically good nor evil, just basically human, and that is what causes most of the problems of the world as well as its joys. So, when I'm talking about a revolution, even when I say its nonviolent I feel a need to go further than that... its not even confrontational in the traditional sense. It IS about confronting the inner demons of ourselves, and then helping others to do the same-- its not about imposing will on others. If the idea is good and just, it will find a way over time. And of course, the key to this, other than self exploration (hence the religous aspect of the revolution), is love... just like in Star Wars, which is one of the century's greatest artistic explorations of the duality, interdependency, and psychology of good and evil. So yeah, there is the essence of the revolution in its current phase... opening the mind, looking everywhere for the everyday symbolism and meaning in hidden places. Its about the creative force of an active imagination... "Imagine there's no heaven, its easy if you try, no hell below us, above us only sky... Imagine all the people living for today" And that alone can dispell many of the demons... Because even if meaning doesn't exist in the objective sense, once you create it and perceive its existance, it retains its reality... its a quality unique to meaning, that it can not exist absolutely and yet absolutely exist for each and every one of us. As to spreading the ideas... don't try, it isn't something that can be attained fully by proactive effort, each must come to them individually. Just worry about imagination, and try actively to love those around you, and the rest will follow... Imagine... |