I truly feel that movies have replaced novels in our times. Many movies, go beyond being lame entertainment. They cast the same spells of intrigue and involvement that books entrap you in. Often, they provide startling insights that can light up your day. As examples, I'd like to quote two movies that made an impression on me in recent times.
1. Kungfu Panda - This is a light, funny movie about how a hopeless, hapless, overweight Panda gets a chance to follow his dreams and becomes a Kungfu master. It has layers of satire built into the script to keep the adult audience happy. But what clinched the deal for me was the beautiful message at the end. It's been two months since I watched the movie, but the message still rings lound and clear in my head. Towards the end of the movie, after overcoming many trials and tribulations, Mr. Panda gets to read the Dragon Scroll which contains the secret to limitless power and Kungfu glory. When he unscrolls the parchment paper, he stares in disbelief, the page is absolutely clean, there is nothing written in it. Neither he, nor his master can make head or tail of this. How can the Dragon Scroll be empty? Where is the secret to limitless power? How can one become the best fighter without divine instructions?
In the mean time, the Panda's nemesis, the evil Kungfu Tiger lays seige on the city and people start fleeing in panic. Devoid of the divine secret, the Panda feels there is simply no way he can defeat the Tiger and so, puzzled and disappointed, he returns to his father's noodle shop. Resigned to the fact that he's going to make noodles all his life, the Panda asks his father about the family heirloom, the secret of the secret recipe in his dad's famous "Special Secret Noodle Soup." His dad smiles and says, the secret ingredient in the soup is well...."nothing". He explains, "it is ordinary noodle soup, it's just that I put a special effort to make it good and then call it the Special Secret Noodle Soup with the secret ingredient". Kungfu Panda's eyes light up, his dad's secret ingredient had just decoded the message of the Dragon Scroll! The secret to becoming the best fighter was "nothing". There was no shortcut, there was no magic code, the only way to become the best was to believe that you are the best and put in the extra effort. Needless to say, equipped with this divine knowledge, Kungfu Panda kicks the butt of the Evil Tiger and becomes the hero that he always dreamt of becoming. Cheers! What an entertaining way to dish out a simple yet deep thought.
2. Goodwill Hunting: This movie is about coming to terms with your complexes, your realities, dealing with your shortcomings and facing your fears. However, the part that left a deep impression on me was the one where the movie ponders on what is truly important in life. What should one prioritize over the other - professional achievement or personal happiness? The math prof. in one sequence derides the psychologist Robin Williams for being a loser because he didn't achieve as much professional success as he promised during his early years. Robin Williams's character, Sean Maguire, was supposedly brighter than the math prof's during their MIT student days, but later Sean chose a life of quiet teaching and hospital work. He loved his wife and was content in his small world and didn't chase after professional glory, unlike our math prof. who was a Field's Medal winner - the Nobel Prize's equivalent, for mathematicians. In that scene Sean flares up and says, that his life was not a waste. He did not consider himself to be a loser. On the contrary, he felt he had done quite well for himself. He had found a wife whom he loved dearly, he practised his profession with dignity and he shared his knowledge with his students and gained immense satisfaction out of it. He points out that he never sought to win any Medals or honours. He chose his path to happiness and was content with his life. Our Field Medalist math prof. is at a loss for words, now looking back at his own life, he realizes that he's become a ruin living in the reflected glory of the Fields Medal. He has nothing else to lean on - no family, no friends, just a pompous reputation and a bloated ego. I kind of loved this idea about figuring out what is truly important in life...it helps you to define your anchoring points and remain grounded...
No comments:
Post a Comment