[Dialogue] Movies

[LAURELCG at aol.com]

Dear Colleagues,

I've wanted to write about the movie Blood Diamond ever since I saw it.  I 
debated with myself about renting the DVD because I'm attempting to maintain 
peace and non-violence in my own thinking, and am avoiding violence in what I 
watch.  But after seeing it, as painful and violent as it is, I am glad to have 
seen a story of redemption, and think it could be a good new RS-1 movie.  The 
lines I would recall (though not perfectly) in a movie conversation would be:  
"Do you think there are bad people and good people?" (spoken by the good 
mission teacher, nearest thing to Miss Miller in this work.)  Leo's character (a 
very "bad" person) answers, "I think there are just people."  The good teacher 
replies, "You're right.  Bad people can do very good things given the right 
circumstances."

The memory of the scene in which the African father talks his M-16-toting son 
into going home with him still brings tears to my eyes.  What a wonderful 
picture of fatherhood (and husbanding.)  If you haven't seen it, I recommend it.

I love the special features on some DVD's.  They can add a lot to my 
understanding.  The director's comment on Blood Diamond, that the real treasure is the 
boy, not the diamond, transformed my thinking.

The other movie I wanted to comment on is "Wag the Dog."  I know it's old, 
but our Tibetan Buddhist teacher recommended it to us this month, so I dutifully 
rented it.  The teacher wanted us to be reminded of how the media can be 
manipulated to influence our thinking.  The movie is still funny and horrifying 
and truth-telling.  Again, the DVD special features are priceless, with one that 
traces the history of how the media influenced and was influenced by politics 
and economics in the 20th century, and the movies that told that story (such 
as "The Manchurian Candidate.")

Blessings,
Jann McGuire<BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> Get a 
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