It is the journey.

Harold and Maude (1971)

Some look at life as full of doom and gloom, as a purposeless one. Whichever path one takes, we know what the final destination is, and the path leading to it can be paved with shrapnel and pain. Nietzschean and many existentialist philosophers perpetuate this idea. On the other end of the spectrum, others whose sole purpose of life is to savour the joy of being born as a human being push it to the tilt. They view the boon of birth as a gift on a platter to enjoy with no boundaries.

The truth must be lying somewhere in between - between nihilism and hedonism. There must be a purpose in our existence, perhaps to somehow leave a tiny mark of legacy, no matter how small, in a small way to propel our loved ones, family or community forward. A community, hence a country, is, after all, is made of subunits of families. So, improvements in families will sequentially propel the human race forward. 

We should probably get our cues about life from the words of the Stoics and Epicureans. In their minds, we have only this one life to do what we can whilst finding pleasure within all of the aches and pains it has to offer.

This 1971 film, made at the end of the time of flower power, must have been an assessment of the liberal care-free perception of society versus the traditional convention-abiding outlook of the community. It was a satire of society we live in, which involves 'groupthink' as determined by authoritative figures - religion, psychology, family, military.

This cult-following offering recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. It is a dark comedy about a death-obsessed 19-year-old young man who falls in love with a happy-go-lucky 80-year old lady. Yes, 80 years old.  Harold, brought up in a privileged background by a narcissistic single mother, grows bored with life. He is preoccupied with death and religiously attends funerals, even of unknown people, just to be closer to death. He has a warped sense of humour, sometimes faking himself hanging or cutting off his own limb. His mother's attempts at keeping him entertained with gifts and new girlfriends proved futile.

So Harold found himself quite at home with a chance meeting with Maude at a random funeral. Her care-less attitude and total disregard for the rule of law excited him. Their little escapade turned out to be a sort of coming-of-age phase for Harold as Maude shows him all the small things that make one appreciate the reason for living. Harold looks at funerals as the final destination we are all edging to as Maude looked at them as a moment to reflect the time of their existence. I guess the film's message is to accept death as an essential and inevitable recurring process that regenerates life.

The memorable scene in this movie is the one in a field of daisies. Maude said she would like to change to a sunflower most of all as they are so tall and simple. Harold replied that he would like to be one of the daises because "they are all alike". Maude turned to Harold and explained that they are not.  

"Some are smaller, some are fatter. Some grow to the left, some to the right. Some even have lost some petals. All kinds of observable differences". Harold could suddenly see the truth in her observation. The camera pans way back to show that Harold and Maude were standing in a graveyard. The gravestones were identical to the daises in one perspective. Even though the stones were all carved to look similar, they signify different lives lived - happy, sad, abrupt, or long. But the ending, the final destination, nevertheless, is the same.

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Make up your mind and move on...

Waiting for Godot (play, book)
Writer: Samuel Beckett

Thanks to MEV for the suggestion; for helping me in my journey to crack open my hard shell of ignorance. 

Albert Camus and Samuel Beckett fall into the same category of philosophers-writers who lived through World War 2-ravaged France to build a very nihilistic view of life's purpose. Samuel Beckett, an Irishman, who spent a good portion of his life in France, can be credited to have started the 'theatre of absurdism' and received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1969 for his books and drama.

The life that is laid in front of us is apparently meaningless. In this tragi-comic play, we are shown as headless chickens running, not knowing what to do and not knowing what is expected of us. We are so fickle, always losing track of our purpose and get swooned over easily by events around us. We eagerly await instructions from people in authority without an iota of a clue about the right thing to do. But we wait and follow like sheep, correctly or otherwise.

The play narrates a conversation between two tramps, Vladimir and Estragon, who await mysterious Godot's arrival. It seems that Godot is very elusive, does not keep to his word and has no qualms keeping his men waiting. Vladimir and Estragon, in their endless wait, have to do things to pass the time. They encounter Pozzo, a rich man, and his slave, Lucky, who traverse their path. They realise that their miserable lives are much better than that of the slave, but still, they are unhappy. They keep on waiting for Godot hoping to get instructions from him.

That is life as we know it. We are clueless about why we are here, why we are alive, what is our mission. We create stories trying to justify our existence. We are not convinced and need validation from someone, anyone. We grope in the dark, making along. This aimless journey is so long and arduous.  

Like Sisyphus, we are cursed to be doing the same repetitive unending chore. The boulder pushed with so much exertion, and determination just rolls down just as it hits the pinnacle. His job is repeated and repeated yet again. Sisyphus can just call it a day and call it quits. Sisyphus knows he is destined to do throughout his life. He has to find happiness and purpose in life within that miserable ordeal. Life is tough, but he has to find joy and fulfilment within that wretched circumstances. 

Looking at this paradigm, we can distract ourselves into doing things that take our mind off of what happens at the end of it all. The indulgence in primal pleasures, intoxicants, flesh and music remain possible options. One desirable alternative could be the dissipation in art forms. It numbs the pain but at the same time, open up the mind to gaze at our lives from different perspectives. We can be leaders and serve society or delve deep into science to uplift mankind. The bottom line is that this is our existence, we have to accept it and make sense of it all and make our own conclusion.

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Play ball or be cancelled!

Falling Down (1993)

Thanks, Danny, for showing the existence of this film.

We are constantly bombarded with the notion that we should follow the weather-beaten path, and everything will be alright. Do as I say, not as I do. Follow the dotted lines, and you will be taken care of. We are expected to act in a particular manner as it is how a civil society behaves. Keeping your emotions under check denotes maturity, and everybody will play their part.

We do our share of our bargain diligently but then, we realise that we had been taken for a ride. The promise turned out to be an empty one—a dream not, but a nightmare. And we flip. The system to whom we had been loyal all these while turns around and say that we are the evil one. The significant others whom we saw as the scourge is now the protected one.

Foster must have found himself in the same kind of predicament. Working diligently as a faithful servant in a defence facility, he realised one day that he had neither a job nor her family to go to. His employer had terminated him, and his wife has a restraining order against him. He is stuck in a bad traffic jam, his car air-conditioning has failed, and it is scorching hot outside. He had it. He decided to abandon his vehicle and walk-on home. Then it dawned upon him. He is the bad guy now. He is chided for leaving his car in traffic; he is threatened by ruffians when resting in an empty plot - is thought to have nefarious thoughts; guns and weapons are at everybody disposals, but was told that it was for peaceful reasons; he had to conform to pre-set orders on the menu; that people are outwardly pleasant masking a suppressed hatred; the immigrants who scaled the country in poverty are now dictating terms. Foster is now hunted as a villain because he deviated from the socially accepted norms.

Even his wife does not think he is right for her anymore as he has deviated from the societal pre-set rules. There is no place for self-expression; conform or be shipped out! (Hey, this is #cancel culture!)

In contrast, another character, a policeman, despite the curveballs that life has to offer, he is accepted as he plays ball. Like a domesticated cat, he conforms to the home environment.

A thoughtful offering on the pressure cooker state that modern man has to endure to stay relevant in modern societies. His wings are clipped, and his testosterone slowly dwindling in an environment that continually looks at him as toxic.

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What is life all about?

Star Trek: Picard (2020)
Miniseries, Season 1, E1-10.

I did not grow up appreciating the original Star Trek TV series. Hence, I do not qualify to identify myself as a Trekkie. I, however, managed to catch up Star Trek: The Next Generation when it made its way to the terrestrial TV channels. I remember the series not as much of an action-packed series but more of a cerebral one discussing life issues. I never did follow the ensuing Trek series or the silver screen productions. So, to me, Picard is only Starfleet Captain that I know.

More than a decade after his last mission and his unceremonious departure from USS Enterprise, Admiral Picard has to go to back to space. He does this clandestinely against the orders of the authorities, with a ragtag assembly of crew and space ship. In his previous mission, Data had caused the destruction of Mars. Because of that, androids, or synthetics as they were known in 2399, were banned. Picard had resigned in protest.

Enjoying his retirement in his chateau, Picard comes to know of a girl who may be the 'daughter' of Data as she was developed from Data's positronic brain. She is, unfortunately, assassinated. There is a vast conspiracy, from the Romulans mainly, as they had to bear the bunt of USS Enterprise's destruction of Mars earlier, to wipe out all synthetics. Picard's mission is to find Data's other twin daughter and save all synthetics from annihilation. 

Keeping with the characters who are all senior citizens trying to save the Universe, the series progresses slowly with a lot of dialogue and intellectual discourse.

The last two episodes are the most exciting part of the season for an occasional Star Trek fan like me. Perhaps at that time, earthlings have eradicated poverty and abated their fixation for material wealth, their discussions seem to focus more philosophical issues. People still try to create schisms and have pre-conceived ideas about 'the other' even though he never had the chance to meet or interact with them. They fail to realise that all these animosities will eventually cause self-destruction. Is it necessary for species to kill each other to survive? Is sacrifice the highest form of deed one can offer to a fellow kind? Is there logic in sacrifice or is life too precious to be wasted?

Picard, Riker and Troi (after retirement)

The finale discusses death and purpose of life. The past is already written. The future is for us to pen. How is the narration going to be? It is fear and suspicion of the unknown, which is the destroyer. Is believing that openness may allay these problems naive? To say that we do not have the choice is indicative of our lack of imagination. We are beyond all these. Our collective intellectual should be able to overcome adversities.

Being alive is not a licence to indulge. It is not a choice, but it comes with specific responsibilities. It is the price we have to pay for building consciousness. It expects us to think for the future. Mortality gives meaning to our time on Earth. Developing peace, friendship and love help us to appreciate the gift of life. At the end of our lifetime, we are left with only memories.

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Potpourri of life

Yi Yi - A One and A Two (Taiwan, 2000)
Written, Directed: Edward Yang.

Perhaps deep inside, we are all voyeurs. We like to observe people, seeing what they do behind the privacy of their doors. In the new pigeon holes that city dwellers run their hectic lives on the outside, they seem to be boxed in exclusivity. Conversely, with their clear glass exterior seemingly guarding their private spaces, to an inquisitive eye, all their dealing are bare open. Perusing through the landscape, we realise that everyone carries their own stories. What we see, as an outsider, maybe half-truths, skewed perspective, jaundiced or judgemental. We do not know the real predicament or turmoil that he is going through, but surely to a thinking person, it could be educational as we pave our own paths in the journey of life.

This Made-in-Taiwan movie tells the story of an extended family who lives in an exclusive high-rise apartment in Taipei. A 40-something couple with their two school going children (a teenage girl and a pre-pubescent boy) all have their internal issues to handle. Central to all these people is the maternal grandmother who is bedridden comatose with a stroke. The father, a software engineer, has to ask the burning question if life would have been different if he had pursued the love of his life. The mother, with her ill mother in the house living her remaining days, goes through an existential crisis. The teenage daughter is caught in a love triangle, and the son is bullied in school. Amidst all these, there are the father's brother, his demanding gravid new bride and the foul-mouthed old flame; the constantly squabbling neighbours with the adulterous wife and many characters to make us realise that life is a potpourri of fragrances. After some time, our senses get too numbed with the scent that we forget that it exists. We see the garden but fail to smell the flowers.

Even if we had decided to plant a different set of flora, the ensuing outcome would surely be uniquely different but aromatic, nevertheless. What if it were left to go wild, would it be sweet smelling too?

https://asok22.wixsite.com/real-lesson 

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Everyone carries their baggage!

After Life (2019)

Created, Directed, Acted: Ricky Gervais

You think you had it bad. You think nobody gives two hoots. You, only you had the realisation to come out of the rut to shine. Then everything clamps down on you. You realise nobody owes you a living, but you also say that no one gives a damn. God is dead. He was never there to start with, and humanity is gone too. There is no such thing as altruism, and everyone is in it for self-gain. Money is the be it all!

You drag your feet in this journey called life wearing a perpetual frown and exuding a tone so melancholic that a bean would fail to sprout. You see that there is no purpose in anything. Ending everything is easy. Then you realise it is not so easy after all. The mind is saying 'go', but the body is saying 'to hell with it all'. You chicken out.

For the first time, you look around. In the eyes of those around you see the weary worries of concern. You sense real compassion even in the most inanimate of things. You appreciate that many are in the same boat as you. Just that they bury their sorrows within, not whining or immersed in self-pity. Some indulge in self-destructive behaviours. Others manifest peculiar habits.

You cannot go around under the impression only your problem matters. You think you do not have nice shoes to wear when the person next to you has no legs, and he is not complaining. Everybody around us has his own narrative, and theirs can be equally if not more depressing.

A dark British comedy, starring Rick Jervais of 'The Office' fame, of a disillusioned widower who carries on life with baggage of self-absorbed sadness and demanding the world to wail with him. He relives in the memory of his perfect short marriage with his full spirited, fun-loving wife. She lost her battle with breast cancer. The constant reminders of that union are the video of her recordings and their canine companion. Then there is his Alzheimer stricken father cooped in the retirement centre. For these alone, he finds the reason to live.

https://asok22.wixsite.com/real-lesson 

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Our existence in a comedy!

Groundhog Day (1993)

This is supposed to be a comedy but ended up becoming immortalised as a movie with highly philosophical content. It is a story of an arrogant TV weatherman (Bill Murray as Phil Connors) who thinks he is God's gift to mankind who ridicules and belittles everything and everyone around him. He is sent to cover the all American celebration of Groundhog Day. Just for information, Groundhog Day is age old tradition which is celebrated on February 2nd to gauge whether following 6 weeks into spring is going to snow. Traditionally, the Groundhog is said to burrow out of his burrow after hibernation to look for his shadow. If he see his shadow, he would retreat to sleep indicating it would be a long winter. Conversely, if his shadow is not seen, it would mean cloudy skies and early spring!

After finishing his stint, he and his team (producer, Andie MacDowell, his love interest and cameraman) had to stay overnight due to blizzard. The following day and the following days, Phil Connors get trapped in a time loop. Everyday, he gets up to the alarm clock blaring the tune of Sonny and Cher's 'I got you babe' to the morning of 2nd February again and again and again.

Initially Phil is confused and frustrated but later enjoys it. He uses his previous day's experience for his own benefit like luring his victims to satisfy his hedonistic desires. Slowly he gets bored and attempts suicide as well as commit crime just to start all over sharply at 6 the next morning.
With time, he attains realisation. He improves himself by learning skills and builds a meaningful relationship with Rita, his producer. In the true fashion of Hollywood, Phil manages to break his time trap when he manages to woo Rita and she agrees to spend the night with him! Only then it was February 3 for him.

Many spiritual leaders hailed this film as the most religious movie ever made. Believers of the Buddhist teachings profess that Phil's trap in February 2nd repeatedly is a symbolism of births and re-births (samsara). With self-improvement, one can attain nirvana. The rabbi correlates the recurrent days as birth to serve mankind for betterment of mankind. Even Christians and members of Falon Gong see parallelism between their teachings and the storyline- that one can learn from mistake and there is always hope.
Incidentally, Harold Ramis (a co-writer of the story; he is one of the trio of Ghostbusters) is a non practising born Jewish now atheist who married a Buddhist. The existentialism comparison of the story is news to the writers who just wanted to entertain their audience with their brand of comedy.