10 Movies, 10 Books
Inglourious Basterds
World War II is a sensitive topic to discuss and parody even now, 65 years after its close. One could say that Quentin Tarantino, the director of Inglourious Basterds, was being blatantly flippant with this film, but it would be more appropriate to say that he was trying to create a film about revenge, justice, and the hero, and succeeded in doing so.
I first saw Inglourious Basterds with my father and had a long discussion afterwards about whether it was more or less awkward to indicate the number “three” using the index, middle, and ring fingers or with the thumb, index, and middle fingers (an important distinction which influences the course of events in the film). I then realized that Tarantino had turned horrific events, World War II and the Holocaust, and molded them into an operatic, elegant story of glory and sacrifice, which is hard to accomplish about any subject, but is especially difficult with this one.
The film is a near work of art, not only because of its characters, costumes, music, and script, which are excellent, but because it proves that dark events in history can be treated lightheartedly, without any hint of hypocrisy. Tarantino shows that sometimes, by treating an event or topic as if it is infected with a deadly virus, one is actually refusing to look at it closely. World War II, like another catastrophic event in human history, was shocking and horrifying, but it is not to be treated as some sacred object. This movie shows that tragedies should be considered with the utmost respect, but as with all other significant events in human history, they should not be remembered merely as a lesson, but should be examined for elements of absurdity and even levity. Tarantino’s revision of history mixed with humor reflects the human instinct to come to terms with tragedy by positing an alternative ending.
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Borat, directed by Larry Charles, while vulgar and mildly disturbing, shows the state of mind in the United States, and is a valuable tool for showing educated Americans and foreigners America’s failings. I have lived in New York City essentially my entire life, so I have never seen firsthand how people act in the rest of the country. From the redneck rodeo watchers who cheer when Borat declares, referring to Kazakhs, “We support your war of terror,” to the drunken college kids who pick Borat up from the side of the road, the whole country, with the exception of the major cities and a few other places, is disturbed beyond comprehension.
After seeing this movie, I could finally comprehend how someone like George W. Bush could have been elected President of the United States, not only once, but twice. I also learned why the entire world, again with a few exceptions, thinks Americans are stupid: because many are, or at least they are making a very good impression of it. This sudden comprehension that I was living in a nation of greedy, violent, dangerous fools, with the only beacons of intelligence being in the major cities (New York, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, etc.) made a huge impression on my 14 year old mind. Ever since then, blatant ignorance has become much more evident to me, not just in the United States, but throughout the world. I believe I would give anything to view the world as I did four years ago, if given the chance. Ever since then, I have become more cynical, which I do not enjoy one bit. It is much easier to see the world through rose-tinted lenses than as it truly is.
The Departed
Most people assume that the boundary between good and evil is a clear cut line, with everybody having clear reasons for being on the one side or the other. The Departed, directed by the excellent Martin Scorsese, shatters that belief entirely and shows that even generally “good” people can have malevolent intentions and that people who one would assume to be ignoble can be more righteous than any of their peers. I learned from this movie two important truths, which are both necessary to the survival of all humans.
The first is that even the most noble of groups, such as the police department or the government, are not free of corruption. While this message seems self-evident or obvious, it made an impression on my naïve mind. This is not to say that we should be wary of everyone with good intentions, which would be ridiculous, but that one must be prepared for the possibility of a betrayal by a trusted person and must not be blinded by rank or position.
The second lesson is just as important: it is likely that what appears to be malevolent may contain some good. For example, a criminal may have a wife and child and may only be committing crimes in order to support them. This criminal cannot be forgiven merely because he has a reason for his actions, but should not be treated as if he is not even human. One must remember that someday, one may be in a position where it becomes necessary to decide between one’s family or friends and one’s honor, which is an impossible choice.
Both of these lessons seem abstract and irrelevant, but they are in fact necessary to see the world as it truly is and have helped me since I learned them.
Crank and Crank: High Voltage
These two movies, both directed by Mark Neveldine, lack any meaning whatsoever, but I have found them to be highly enjoyable when I am depressed, which admittedly, does not occur very often. These movies personify the inner lunatic and manly man within every person, which is usually hidden, but appears when in a rage or when a person experiences some other strong and violent emotion. Perhaps I am assuming too much about other people, but I believe that most people sometimes just want to let go of life and their problems and act solely on emotion and instinct every so often. The two Crank movies allow the viewer to do this without so much as lifting a finger, and, of course, with the added benefit of not having to go to jail for murder, destruction of property, grand larceny, grand theft auto, and a metric ton of other violent crimes.
While it seems insane to merely fantasize about these movies, it would be much crazier to actually go around doing what is seen, which I don’t ever plan on doing. It’s lets us release some rage just as seeing a romantic comedy can satisfy one’s own feelings of unrequited love. Watching these movies helps me relax, and I would advise that anyone else who feels pent up stress and anger try this therapy, as there is no way their lives could be as messed up as Chev Chelios’s is in these movies. When one finishes watching either of these movies, one is guaranteed to have adrenaline pumping and feel much livelier than before.
District 9
Encounters with beings from another planet have been a fascinating topic for humans for at least the past century. Usually novels and films with this premise are about oppressive aliens and valiant humans. District 9, directed by Neill Blomkarp, gives new perspective on this subject, with the aliens arriving to Earth helpless and with little unity. The humans immediately quarantine them and start to conduct experiments on their technology and bodies, many of which are painful or lethal. This is, perhaps, a twisted form of irony, as mankind’s greatest fear of aliens seems to be that it will be “probed” or studied by invading aliens, when in fact, it seems most likely that we would do the same thing to them if given the chance.
District 9 made me think about how we, the human race, should and would react if aliens arrived to Earth stranded and alone. We should, of course, try to help them to make friendly relationships with the other beings in the universe for our mutual benefit. We would, on the other hand, do exactly to them what was done to the “prawns” in this movie. We would dissect, destroy, and torture them in order to find out how we could “defend ourselves” against them, despite not even knowing whether they have hostile intentions or, perhaps, no intentions whatsoever. Eliminating the possibility for peace and coexistence is certainly not the advisable thing to do, yet it is surely what we would do, taking into account how most meetings between two different groups of humans ended in the subjugation of one of them. Now, one may have lost all confidence in the human race after hearing this message. Fortunately, one can take comfort in the fact that not every human is hellbent on destruction, such as Wikus van de Merwe in District 9, the hero.
Sin City
While Sin City, directed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez, can be purely enjoyed for its action scenes and violence, it does carry many messages in each of its many episodes. One can learn to sacrifice oneself in order to protect a loved one, that determination is sometimes the only thing necessary to preserve justice, that honor and intelligence can prevail over brute strength and, perhaps most importantly, that even the darkest of times and places can carry a spark of decency, courage, and loyalty.
Most movies seem to enlighten the audience on the evil in our generally peaceful world. While that is a fine and noble goal, it can end up disheartening the audience and plunging the world into the dark times it warns against. Occasionally, in order to restore one’s faith in the human race, one must watch a movie like Sin City, which, while infused with darkness and violence, shows the good qualities of man: namely his compassion and desire to help his fellows. Noble people will always prevail over the dishonest, corrupt, and cruel. While it would be nice to live in a carefree world, one must always recognize, as I do, that times may change for the worse, but that there will always be some modicum of compassion present in the world, ready to guide the rest of it back to glory and sanity.
It seems odd that such a vibrant and strong message could come out of a movie so dark, but that is what I saw. I hope that all the other people who saw Sin City picked up on this message as well and did not mistake it for a pure action movie about violence.
The Prestige
The Prestige, directed by Christopher Nolan, cannot be fully comprehended until its conclusion, but that does not mean it cannot be enjoyed. The experience or journey can be more important than the resolution or destination. While the ending to this movie is unexpected and incredible, it would not be fair to say that the rest of the movie is any less enjoyable or remarkable. Throughout the movie, the audience tries to piece together the incredible events witnessed, from a man seemingly teleported from one box to another to a man who drowns himself so that his clone will be able to gain fame and fortune.
The Prestige is like an intricate machine that ticks and turns incessantly forward. It spits out bits and pieces of information until it stops at the incredible resolution, which is simple, yet elegant. This is the second lesson to be learned: sometimes simplicity is best and complicated interweaving can only hide the truth.
I usually prefer movies which are either action thrillers or complete comedies, but that have a plot that is memorable. In the case of this movie, the plot carries the whole and no explosions or witty wisecracks are necessary to keep the viewer entertained, something which I would not have expected before I saw it. I did not expect to enjoy this movie, but I did, and though I cannot be sure, I believe that seeing this movie made me more open to new genres and themes and has allowed me enjoy things I would usually have dismissed.
Blazing Saddles
Blazing Saddles, along with History of the World: Part I and Space Balls, all three directed by the great Mel Brooks, ranks among the very greatest comedic films of all time. I am ashamed to say that I only saw Blazing Saddles for the first time last year, but am glad to say that it is one of the most enjoyable movies I have ever seen. That is also what one must take away from this film: that pure comedy, raucous laughter, and ridiculous antics are some of the most enjoyable things available to humans. Since life would be meaningless if it was not enjoyed, one must always remember that no matter how bogged down or stressed one is, he should never give into it, for eventually he will laugh again. The greatest feat possible, in my mind at least, would be to banish all thoughts that cause stress or intrude upon one’s happiness, but without giving up the ability to deal with one’s problems.
I feel that I may have accomplished this task, with the help of Blazing Saddles and several other factors. For example, during a college interview, an experience that most people seem to find stressful, despite the fact that the interviewer likely wants to help them, I had set firmly in mind the scene in which Mongo walks into town and all the people run away, with Lili Von Shtupp’s scene as backup. While these scenes seem an insignificant defense against a wall of stress and uncertainty, they served well in practice and got me through the interview without so much as a frown or a bead of sweat running down my forehead. Perhaps this is a feat not many people can accomplish, but I would advise all people to at least attempt something similar before they dismiss it.
The Old Man and the Sea
Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea is merely a novella, but within its pages, it carries a message suited to a volume at least ten times as large. The old man, Santiago, is a poor Cuban fisherman who goes on his journey with the determination to catch a notable prize. With all his determination and after a long-fought battle, the old man catches a great marlin, greater than any other that has ever been caught, only to have it eaten off the side of his boat by sharks. There is much to learn within this story that is typical of Hemingway: how to show courage, honor, pride, and stamina, but there is also a message that is more prevalent here than anywhere else.
The accomplishment is more important than the reward for actually accomplishing it. Santiago does not get to sell his prized marlin in the market, but he does have the privilege and honor of knowing he accomplished something that no one else could ever hope to do. That alone is enough to put him up in the halls of those respected few who deserve praise for what they have done. What one must take away from this story is that determination and strength are the only things necessary to accomplish a great feat, but that more importantly; one must not expect to be rewarded with any more than the knowledge of the accomplishment. Whether I will ever be able to accomplish anything as meaningful to myself as catching that marlin was to the old man, I do not know, but I know that I will be satisfied with the knowledge that I did, if I ever do. This must also be remembered when accomplishing small, irrelevant feats, such as learning something that one thought impossible to comprehend, despite it seeming obvious to everyone else.
Rogue Male
Geoffrey Household’s unnamed protagonist in Rogue Male exemplifies all that a man could wish to be. He is daring, bold, brave, cunning, and, of course, noble. The hunter, for that is his passion, decides to hunt game which he has never hunted before: man, but not just any man. He will hunt one of the most well protected men in the world. He goes into Poland and comes very close to shooting the Hitler-esque dictator who is his target. Unfortunately, he is caught and flees, resulting in a journey back to England where he hides in what amounts to no more than a hole in a ditch. This is his transformation back to an animal, living in the wild.
If there is one role model I look up to, it would certainly be the rogue male. Not only does he exemplify some of the best qualities in man, but his worst flaws prove his humanity. The rogue male was not even aware that he actually intended to kill the man he hunted, until the man who hunts him psychologically tortures it out of him. The male could not admit to himself that he was going to actually kill another person for his country, as he hates patriotism, so he had deluded himself into believing that he was doing it for sport. While this may not seem like a flaw, a man who does not even know his own intentions cannot be trusted to do anything. However, this odd justification of killing: for sport, would have been enough for the rogue male to accomplish his task, shows that he would do his duty, despite not believing in it personally. The greatest thing a man can do for the world is to perform a task that will benefit others, even if he finds it distasteful himself.
A Tale of Two Cities
I admit that I never would have read Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities if I hadn’t been required to do so for a class. I will also admit that I detest most of what occurs in this novel, but I do admire one of the characters. Sydney Carton is the only interesting character, as he does not seem plagued by foolishness and folly. Carton’s self sacrifice in order to preserve the happiness of the one he loved, Lucie Manette, despite the fact that she did not love him, shows his pure nobility. I will forever remember the scene in which Carton ascends the gallows with no regrets, and I like to think, the honor and privilege of sacrificing himself for someone he truly loves.
Despite being a drunk and an unlikely hero, Carton shows more daring than anyone else I have even seen or heard of, fictional or real. Some may say that his sacrifice was in vain and that he is the fool for saving Lucie’s beloved, Charles Darnay, when he could have had a chance for her himself if Charles was executed. Those people may be correct, in theory, but they fail to realize that Carton would not have been able to live with himself if he had known that he betrayed and hurt the woman he loved by his inaction. His death underscores his nobility and pure passion for his beloved.
I do not know what I would do if I were put in a similar position, as it is impossible to know such things until the time comes, but I know what I would like to do. Most of us would not be able to make Carton’s noble sacrifice for love, which is why he inspires us.
Candide
Voltaire, the author of Candide, is known for his wit and harsh criticism of monarchy and clergy because of their blatant corruption. He does not disappoint in Candide, with Candide himself constantly running into trouble caused by kings and the Catholic Church. I do not believe that monarchs and religious bodies are necessarily corrupt, but I do agree with Voltaire that they are prone to corruption and believe that it is wise to heed the warnings hidden in Candide. Quite simply, one must always be aware that the people in power are likely to be corrupted by their power and that it is sometimes necessary to rebel in order to live life the way one sees fit. One would expect that Americans, whose country was created in a revolution, would be all too aware of this message, but alas, that is not the case.
The clergy and the vast majority of the monarchies of Voltaire’s time have become harmless or been eliminated through various means. Today, we have corporate CEOs and politicians playing their role, which is much more frightening, in fact. Candide was merely a boy when he started on his journey through Europe and the Americas, but even he recognized the corruption and evil in the world and sought to avoid it. Now it is much more difficult to do as he did, as there is essentially nowhere to run, but the evils of Voltaire’s age are the same. Voltaire criticized the Spanish Inquisition for its radicalism and violence, but now we have entirely different types of inquisitions, where people who are not rich are the targets. Candide does not provide any insight in how to fight this corruption, but Voltaire does say that every free soul must, which I believe wholeheartedly.
Crime and Punishment
Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, tells the story of a man who becomes deluded by his own intelligence into believing he has a justified reason for murder. This man is Raskolnikov, a former student living in poverty in St. Petersburg. Even in his folly, Raskolnikov has much to teach, but by far the most important thing is the price of arrogance and egotism. Raskolnikov even realizes his own folly and confesses the crime he had committed, avoiding the more serious punishment he would have received had he not done so. The entire sequence of events that ends up putting Raskolnikov in exile in Siberia could have been entirely avoided had he realized that no amount of intelligence or cunning can create a justification for murder, even of a despicable old woman.
It would do the world a tremendous amount of good if more people who deem themselves intelligent would realize, as I hope I have realized, that they are still bound by the laws of the common man. Indeed, the men who are victim to this great folly appear less intelligent than even the most ignorant of men, who at least realize that they are only human and can do nothing to change that. I have become victim to the folly myself, but have always remembered what happens to those who cannot control their arrogance before I could cause any true harm to myself or any one else. Crime and Punishment reads as a warning of what happens when a man becomes carried away, and for that reason, it deserves a place in every library merely as a reminder of the consequences of one’s actions.
The Demolished Man
The Demolished Man, by Alfred Bester, carries much the same message as Crime and Punishment. Instead of Raskolnikov, we have Benjamin Reich, the head of Monarch Industries, who murders the head of the D’Courtney cartel, a rival company. This would be the first successful premeditated murder in nearly 80 years, thanks to the Espers, a group of psychics who are able to read minds and detect murderous intentions. Bester presents much the same message as Dostoyevsky: that not even the most intelligent and powerful of all men can justify murder, and he shows it with the capture of Reich. Where the two stories differ is in what happens to the protagonist after their capture.
While Raskolnikov is exiled, Reich is demolished, which is not, as it sounds to be, execution. When a man is demolished his mind is destroyed and all his criminal and harmful thoughts are erased, but his basic intelligence and natural abilities are left intact. This leaves a man who is perfectly capable of functioning in society, but who has all the talents of his former self. Since the man went against society and committed an extraordinary act, murder, he must be far more capable than the average man and be a great benefit to society. The lesson to learn here is that even people who have committed unthinkable crimes or evils are not necessarily pure detriments to society. If they can be remolded, they can, in fact, function perfectly normally and benefit their peers. Of course, we do not have the tools to literally demolish someone’s mind and rebuild it, but I still believe it is necessary to try to do so to people who may seem beyond help or rehabilitation, with the help of doctors if necessary.
The Last Cavalier
The Last Cavalier is most likely one of Alexander Dumas’s least read works, as a nearly complete copy was only released in 2005, but it does remain one of his best. I came across this novel while working on a project for one of my classes and was amazed by what Dumas describes. He seems to have compacted every aspect of the Napoleonic Era into this novel with royal courts, murder plots, naval battles, piracy, and a host of other adventures which pivot around the Compte Hector de Sainte-Hermine. The true message of this novel is perhaps only clear in the title of the English version: The Last Cavalier, as opposed to its French title: Le Chevalier de Sainte-Hermine, which translates to The Knight of Sainte-Hermine. This message is that there are no more cavaliers or adventurers, as there are no more adventures to go on.
I only accepted this depressing realization once I actually looked at the world and saw that there are no more pirate ships, court backstabbings, or expeditions to the jungle, or at least none that have been untainted by the modern era and remained pure. Now, most people would never have even dreamed of going on such a journey in the first place, so one may argue that it is no great loss, but for the few adventurers out there, and I number myself among them, that option is closed forever. Now we are left to wallow and fade away in the modern world, which, admittedly, has its own dangers and trials, but has none which are reminiscent of the days of old. The Last Cavalier, with all of its adventure, merely serves to bring to light to the modern man of all he has lost and what little he has to gain. Of course, one must realize that the world has changed, if only to be able to take the modern world and perhaps use it to create something enjoyable.
The Greatest Generation
The Greatest Generation, by Tom Brokaw, is purely nonfiction and tells the story of many men and women who served the United States in one way or another during World War II. This is another book which I would not have read had I not needed to do so for a class, but it is one of the few that I read a second time. Unlike many of the novels of fiction I have written about previously, this one shows honor, courage, valor, and the desire to do what is right in people who actually lived or are still living. I was awed by the incredible tasks and achievements accomplished by Brokaw’s subjects, not only during the war itself, but afterwards as well.
These people served their country not out of greed or desperation or any sick desire to kill, but because they were true patriots and wanted to do what was right for the world. I only wish I could be as valiant and noble as they were, though I am not sure that I would not be if presented the opportunity. It seems that World War II was the last noble war in which the victor did not fight merely for power or glory, but to defend the world from a threat against humanity. These soldiers, both drafted and enlisted, were true heroes and truly deserve their place in history with the title The Greatest Generation. Ever since that time, it seems that each successive generation has been much more susceptible to greed, weakness, and malicious intentions, including my own. I hope this will change and know that it could be accomplished if more people would look back on the last great generation and see what they had to do.
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