The Occupy movement: A large drum circle combined with picket signs; followers and true believers wanting for a charismatic leader, for something to believe in. It was full of energy when it expressed the frustrations of the majority, but has since decayed, having no purpose and no constructive impetus -- and most importantly, no leader. It attempts to defy leadership, it attempts to champion egalitarianism. Mass movements, however, require leadership, humanity requires leadership -- it is in the mortal nature of humanity to seek a specific social structure. This isn't to say egalitarianism and democracy are impossible, but to say: for perfect equality all must achieve true psychological or philosophical autonomy. Even then, the nature of specialization necessitates the empowerment of certain specialists according to the needs of the greater whole. "We the people" are as soveriegn as ever, wherever we assume responsibility for ourselves, and accountability for the state of the nation, even in dire times. We are Wall Street, and we are Capitol Hill.
15 November 2011
07 July 2011
The Three Musketeers (A Response to the 2011 Movie Trailer)
As an avid fan of Dumas, I was curious to see what the new Three Musketeers movie would be like, so I watched the trailer.
At first, I thought: D'Artagnan is well-cast, but acts nothing like D'Artagnan (groveling at the heroics of the three musketeers, when in the novel, D'Artagnan's bravado has him dueling them all on the same day). Porthos is horribly miscast. The Cardinal looks too young. Nice costumes.
Then the Duke of Buckingham arrives with a fleet of airships, and the Countess de Winter is a ninja assassin. There is slow-motion and dialogue comprised entirely of quips.
What disappoints me is that the movie only tries to cash in on the adventure, the bravado, the "all for one". The musketeers are about action and killing 40 or 400 men in a day (and to joke it was an "off day"). There is comparatively very little action in the novels. The action and bravado is D'Artagnan being a Gascon, part of his embodiment of a Romantic ideal. The other three musketeers, Aramis, Porthos, and Athos, each embody an aspect of the Romantic ideal as well; they embody chivalry. The story is in how that affects the musketeers, how it influences their actions, their words, and their lives as they unfold over decades. It's about honor, loyalty, compassion, faith, a sense of duty, maturity, and about bravery and wit and romance and love.
The movie is about airships, fight scenes, slow motion, and quip after quip. All that costing tens of millions to produce.
There are scenes in the novels where D'Artagnan sadly observes the character and quality of the up-and-coming generation -- the sycophantic, spineless courtiers driven by avarice and senseless to honor. Over the series, the musketeers watch as the Romantic ideals die with them.
I don't want to see the movie. I've already seen it. It has nothing to offer (except for maybe an argument for why copyright should be extended indefinitely).
It would be more efficient, and far more effective, to simply plug an electrode into the hypothalamus of movie-goers for 90 minutes.
At first, I thought: D'Artagnan is well-cast, but acts nothing like D'Artagnan (groveling at the heroics of the three musketeers, when in the novel, D'Artagnan's bravado has him dueling them all on the same day). Porthos is horribly miscast. The Cardinal looks too young. Nice costumes.
Then the Duke of Buckingham arrives with a fleet of airships, and the Countess de Winter is a ninja assassin. There is slow-motion and dialogue comprised entirely of quips.
What disappoints me is that the movie only tries to cash in on the adventure, the bravado, the "all for one". The musketeers are about action and killing 40 or 400 men in a day (and to joke it was an "off day"). There is comparatively very little action in the novels. The action and bravado is D'Artagnan being a Gascon, part of his embodiment of a Romantic ideal. The other three musketeers, Aramis, Porthos, and Athos, each embody an aspect of the Romantic ideal as well; they embody chivalry. The story is in how that affects the musketeers, how it influences their actions, their words, and their lives as they unfold over decades. It's about honor, loyalty, compassion, faith, a sense of duty, maturity, and about bravery and wit and romance and love.
The movie is about airships, fight scenes, slow motion, and quip after quip. All that costing tens of millions to produce.
There are scenes in the novels where D'Artagnan sadly observes the character and quality of the up-and-coming generation -- the sycophantic, spineless courtiers driven by avarice and senseless to honor. Over the series, the musketeers watch as the Romantic ideals die with them.
I don't want to see the movie. I've already seen it. It has nothing to offer (except for maybe an argument for why copyright should be extended indefinitely).
It would be more efficient, and far more effective, to simply plug an electrode into the hypothalamus of movie-goers for 90 minutes.
20 May 2011
(SATIRE) Apocolyptian-Aquarian: The sensible person's horoscope for May 2011
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Your Horocope for May 2011:
Bot fly larvae cause headache surely. Something may happen to you or someone you may know. Courage is needed. The time for reconciliation with a loved one can wait. The fortune cookie lied. Make room for love and love will make room for you. A heavy burden will be eased with time and plenty of fiber. If you let your body go it will come back to haunt you. Angels are watching over you. The odds are 10:1.
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