My dad asked me today to order him a book called "War of the Worldviews: Science vs. Spirituality." This, I'm sure is an interesting book, and I'm a bit jealous that I haven't had the opportunity to write at least one chapter for a book like that.
It's an interesting subject, and one that has popped up for me several times recently. To summarize my view, I believe science is wonderful, but ultimately inadequate to whole understand the world we live in. After all, no one hears a beautiful song, watches a sunrise, or hugs their child, and understands these experiences scientifically, or logically. These are experiences that have to be understood intuitively and emotionally.
If you look at it in the terms of "one versus the other" it seems science and faith have always had a tenuous relationship. Science and religion have struggled against each other for hundreds of years, and this is a fight that acts itself out in a myriad of ways. I was considering this never ending struggle and how it plays out specifically in modern mythology
For instance, Frankenstein, a myth about as old as modern science, depicts a scientist that tries to create life and is capable of only creating an abomination. In this myth science is the enemy of natural creation.
In Planet of the Apes Dr. Zaius hides archeological evidence to protect his religion; skewering Christians who refuse to believe in evolution.
These are two stories that I think really crystallize each side of the fight; however I think the two opposing viewpoints may be melding, at least in mythology, in recent years.
In modern classic films such as Blade Runner and Ghost in the Shell, machines literally become human. In these stories science and faith no longer struggle against each other. The boundaries between creator and creation blur to the point that one is indistinguishable from the other. There is no longer any moralization against scientific creation, or denial of the human soul.
This is an amazing viewpoint. No longer is one side railing against the other; only acceptance. The process simply plays out, for better or worse, with or without consent. We are as powerless to stop the intrusiveness of scientific creation, or even to deny the existence of the "Ghost" in the machine, as we are to stop the passage of time.
I feel it is important to point out that these stories are not set in idealized futures, as one might expect, but in very realistic "cyberpunk" settings. That being a future of extremely complicated technology existing simultaneously with squalid poverty, violent crime, and low culture.
These myths also seem to be a modern sort of Pinocchio story, that also say a lot about the bond between creator and creation. In Genesis God created man "in His own image." In Pinocchio the puppet wishes to become human.
I don't think it is helpful for science and faith to be seen as opposing forces, but that one should learn from the other, because neither by itself is capable of understanding the universe or our human experience.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
The Last Circus- Movie Review
I've been really excited about this movie, and haven't seen much hype about it since the trailer release so I thought I'd review it myself.
I'm not even going to try to attempt to give a plot synopsis. The most important aspect of this movie is a love triangle between a sad clown, a happy (yet sadistic) clown, and masochistic attention seeking woman (the happy clown's wife). This is the lone coherent plot thread throughout the series of crazy images and happenings in the film.
The most interesting aspect of the movie is that of the woman enjoying torturing the sad clown by flirting with him endlessly. She wants him to love her, (which isn't hard to get him to do considering that the sad clown is so fat and hopeless) however she has absolutely no interest in reciprocating. When he pursues her she resists, when he pulls back she flirts and teases again. She returns to her husband over and over again, because the sad clown can't satisfy her sexually. She can't can't be happy with her husband because he abuses her.
Is this just pure misogyny or some sort of social or politcal commentary? I have no way of telling. The beginning of the movie is set in the Spanish civil war. It's something I have no knowledge of and so I'm guessing any political commentary this film may have will be lost on an American audience. I really can't say I understood any of this movie, yet I would personally rather watch a movie and not understand any of it than watch something that has already been done to death.
Most genre films have one act, and the first act gives the rational for everything that happens for the rest of the movie. This movie has a minimum of 5 acts, none of which didn't appear to have much of a rational flow to them. This will probably turn off a lot a viewers.
When you are watching a movie like this, which seems to be a parade of nonsensical and illogical events, the sense of direction of the film becomes lost, and frustrating to follow. Not that this is a bad thing. In a movie that is purposely illogical and directionless I think the viewer needs something tangible to hold on to, and the love triangle provides enough stability that the movie doesn't entirely run off the rails, and the imagery in the movie was strong enough to keep me interested.
On the downside this movie was marketed as a crazy exploitation film and it really isn't. It's more of a twisted love story. There is sex a violence to be had, but the movie is prudish compared to the intentional sleaze of a true exploitation film.
On the upside this is the most original movie I've seen all year, and the acting is very solid. It follows on the heels of several extremely strong foreign releases such as Attack the Block, Troll Hunter, and I saw the Devil, and solidifies my opinion that if you really care about finding all the best horror movies than you will have to get used to watch a lot of foreign movies.
I give The Last Circus a solid "B" for it's originality, imagery, and strong performances.
I'm not even going to try to attempt to give a plot synopsis. The most important aspect of this movie is a love triangle between a sad clown, a happy (yet sadistic) clown, and masochistic attention seeking woman (the happy clown's wife). This is the lone coherent plot thread throughout the series of crazy images and happenings in the film.
The most interesting aspect of the movie is that of the woman enjoying torturing the sad clown by flirting with him endlessly. She wants him to love her, (which isn't hard to get him to do considering that the sad clown is so fat and hopeless) however she has absolutely no interest in reciprocating. When he pursues her she resists, when he pulls back she flirts and teases again. She returns to her husband over and over again, because the sad clown can't satisfy her sexually. She can't can't be happy with her husband because he abuses her.
Is this just pure misogyny or some sort of social or politcal commentary? I have no way of telling. The beginning of the movie is set in the Spanish civil war. It's something I have no knowledge of and so I'm guessing any political commentary this film may have will be lost on an American audience. I really can't say I understood any of this movie, yet I would personally rather watch a movie and not understand any of it than watch something that has already been done to death.
Most genre films have one act, and the first act gives the rational for everything that happens for the rest of the movie. This movie has a minimum of 5 acts, none of which didn't appear to have much of a rational flow to them. This will probably turn off a lot a viewers.
When you are watching a movie like this, which seems to be a parade of nonsensical and illogical events, the sense of direction of the film becomes lost, and frustrating to follow. Not that this is a bad thing. In a movie that is purposely illogical and directionless I think the viewer needs something tangible to hold on to, and the love triangle provides enough stability that the movie doesn't entirely run off the rails, and the imagery in the movie was strong enough to keep me interested.
On the downside this movie was marketed as a crazy exploitation film and it really isn't. It's more of a twisted love story. There is sex a violence to be had, but the movie is prudish compared to the intentional sleaze of a true exploitation film.
On the upside this is the most original movie I've seen all year, and the acting is very solid. It follows on the heels of several extremely strong foreign releases such as Attack the Block, Troll Hunter, and I saw the Devil, and solidifies my opinion that if you really care about finding all the best horror movies than you will have to get used to watch a lot of foreign movies.
I give The Last Circus a solid "B" for it's originality, imagery, and strong performances.
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