Archive for April 21, 2008

Monday Movie Review: The Kite Runner

April 21, 2008 / / Comments Off on Monday Movie Review: The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner (2007) 8/10
Amir (Khalid Abdalla) and Hassan (Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada) grew up together as boys in Afghanistan. Now, a young writer in California, Amir returns to Afghanistan to pick up loose ends left behind. Directed by Marc Forster.

The problem with heartwarming movies, or indeed any drama that looks back to childhood, is that it is hard to create a preview that doesn’t make it seem like one of “those” heartwarming movies. You know what I mean; where you sit there in the theater and think, “Oh, no, it’s heartwarming. Guess I’ll skip it.” This movie reeked of that sort of heartwarming, the preview tugged at sentiment shamelessly. But it was also widely praised, and since Marc Forster is directing the next Bond movie, I was interested in seeing some more of his work. I’m glad I did.

First of all, The Kite Runner is a movie that reminds me how much I long for a Best Titles Oscar. So many great title designers, from Saul Bass to Maurice Binder, have gone sadly unrecognized. The title designer for this film is uncredited as such (there are all these credits for graphic design and animation design and other visuals, and I can’t tell who is who) but the flow of Arabic script into English language and back again sets an unforgettable mood.

The movie is nothing like what I expected, because the boys are nothing like what I expected, and most of the film is spent with them. Amir (played as a boy by Zekeria Ebrahimi) is the son of Baba, a wealthy intellectual (Homayoun Ershadi). Hassan is the son of Baba’s servant. Hassan is fierce, Amir timid, and Baba is ashamed of Amir’s timidity. He wants Amir to be brave, and as the boy’s life unfolds, bravery will be required of him.

Rarely in films do we see bravery fail when it is desperately needed. Heroes may be allowed to show cowardice, but in the crucial moment, they will come through. In a crucial moment in his life, though, Amir runs away. It’s devastating to see, and it’s devastating to see how he behaves afterwards, how he will do anything to cover up his shame.

When Russia invades Afghanistan, Baba and Amir escape to America, leaving Hassan and his family behind. It is in California that the adult Amir’s story is told, and to a certain extent, this weakens the movie; the boys are simply more interesting. But eventually (as you saw in the preview, if indeed you saw it), Amir is called back to Afghanistan by an uncle. Hassan is long dead but his son is in need and only Amir can help him.

Even typing the plot makes it sound cliché, but it’s not, it’s just simple. It’s straightforward in plotting because the real story is happening behind the scenes; with Amir as he is forced to wonder if he will ever find his own courage. Some unnecessary back story is given to Amir to help motivate him, but ultimately we have a delayed coming of age story rich in a culture alien to most Americans and free of too much plotty encumberance.

Sunday Meditation: Happy Passover

April 20, 2008 / / One comment

Passover is a celebration of freedom. I have a few thoughts about today that are ripe meditation subjects.

First is the notion of freedom. Passover is primarily a holiday of political freedom; as we contemplate freedom from slavery, we are obligated to contemplate those who are not free. Wherever anyone is enslaved, we are taught, we ourselves are not free. We must meditate
upon those who suffer so we can understand their suffering, but meditation is not enough. We should be prepared to act.

There is also inner freedom. Passover is a time wherein we can contemplate that which enslaves us. What binds you? What are you stuck with? What are you slave to? What runs you? What conditions, habits, addictions, relationships, needs, and desires do you have that prevent you from being truly free?

Passover is also a descent and resurrection. This is a universal motif in religion and myth. A god or goddess or hero descends into hell, suffers trials, and is miraculously able to return from hell after a harrowing journey, to be reborn in a way that redeems his/her people.
This is true of the descent of Inanna, of the abduction of Persephone, of the descent of Hercules, of the Wiccan tale of the Descent of the Goddess into the Underworld, and of the death and resurrection of Jesus. The Jewish version is unique in that it is the entire Jewish
people who descend and are resurrected, and therefore it is the tribe of the Jews, not any one person, who embody the redemption of the Jewish people. Perhaps this is why Moses does not enter the Holy Land; because there cannot be a single Savior of the Jews (except the Messiah); the Jews must save themselves.

The Jews journey to Egypt in pride and success but are enslaved. Slavery, symbolically, is Hell. Through a series of miracles, the Jews are led out of slavery, and in their long and arduous journey they are reborn as a new people, newly monotheistic (after that little calf
business) and with a set of laws. Thus resurrected, they enter the land of Israel.

So, resurrection. That’s a big one. But more important is the journey into and out of hell. Our lives follow trajectories of darkness and light. We are going one place la la down the road. Then we are in some other place, and it is hell. What the fuck happened? Our lives are
utterly unrecognizable. Yet we continue to journey. We can resist or accept but there we are. In Wicca we are taught that embracing the darkness leads to transformation; that only when we embrace Death can we know Rebirth. So it is a good time to ask: What do you resist? What embrace do you refuse? Is that refusal preventing you from moving on?

May your resurrection be blessed, and may you be truly free.

Elemental Relationships

April 17, 2008 / / Comments Off on Elemental Relationships

There’s a section in The Way of Four in which I talk about how a relationship flows through the four elements. This came up in my talk at Halcyon Moon and I’ve been thinking about it.

One way to characterize it is like this:
Air=Crush
Fire=Sleeping With
Water=Romance
Earth=Relationship

Truly, until it’s in Earth, it’s not a relationship.

Now, if you look at those love aspects, you can see how they’re kind of chronological; first you meet and crush on someone, then you sleep with them, then fall in love, then form a commitment. Of course, that’s cultural and individual. Some people fall in love before they
have sex, but I sort of think that unless you’ve gotten down and dirty, your “love” is still partly a crush; it’s still what you imagine your romance to be, and imagination is Air.

In some cultures and religious communities, there are arranged marriages, so Earth comes first and everything else follows. Your crush phase is part of childhood, and is disconnected from the relationship you eventually have. I don’t actually think arranged marriages are a bad thing, provided they’re freely chosen (as in the marriages of my Indian co-workers), but they’re based in a culture that has completely different expectations about marriage than our own. You grow up believing certain things about marriage, and then you fulfill those beliefs.

Anyway, I suspect that even an arranged marriage, starting in Earth, will cycle around back to Earth. Getting-to-know-you is Airy, and at the same time you’re discovering your and each others sexuality (Fire) and learning to love (Water), and eventually settling in (back to
Earth).

None of this means anything except as it pertains to self-knowledge. Who am I in my relationships, in my life? What is going on in this relationship? What energies influence it? Certainly relationships need spiritual balance just as individuals do, and using the elements is a good way to achieve that balance.

Solutions to “E” quote trivia

April 16, 2008 / / Comments Off on Solutions to “E” quote trivia

All done with one hint.

» Read more..

Thank you to Halcyon Moon

April 16, 2008 / / One comment

On Sunday, I did a talk, book-signing, and readings at Halcyon Moon in Beachwood, NJ (near Toms River). It was a pretty good turnout, and the people were focused and interested. My talk on “The Elements of Ritual” covered basic qualities of the elements (Air, Fire, Water, and Earth), occult history, the way that the elements have manifested in different kinds of ritual and occult groups, the nature of the magic circle, how and why Guardians of the Quarters can be called, and the presence of elemental symbols on the altar. Among other things. It was wide-ranging and fun.

Halcyon Moon is a lovely little store with lots of things like rattles and jewelry that are made by local artists, as well as more typical things like crystals and wands. I was pleased to see a lot of altar basics in stock; so few stores these days carry the Wicca 101 things like athames and pentacles, but Christina had them.

I certainly would be happy to visit there again, despite the long drive!

Wednesday hint for Tuesday trivia

April 16, 2008 / / Comments Off on Wednesday hint for Tuesday trivia

Only one outstanding question: A hint has been added.

Tuesday Trivia: Quotes from movies that begin with “E”

April 15, 2008 / / 12 comments

(And “the” doesn’t count.)

1. “I hate you, God. I hate you as though you existed.”
Solved by Melville (comment #2).

2. “The war has come down to the two of us.”
Hint: In this World War II spy movie, this line is spoken by the father of a current popular actor.
Solved by Roberta (comment #11).

3. “I’m not afraid of any man, but when it comes to sharing my feelings with a woman, my stomach turns to jelly.”
Solved by Anthony Cartouche (comment #3).

4. “Darling, nothing is final ’til you’re dead, and even then, I’m sure God negotiates.”
Solved by Evn (comment #4).

5. “I’m forever blowing ballgames, pretty ballgames in the air.”
TIE: Solved by Tom Hilton (comment #1) and Melville (comment #2).

6. “I passed through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, through the sea of swirly twirly gum drops, and then I walked through the Lincoln Tunnel.”
Solved by Melville (comment #2).

7. “I mean, it’s real hard to be free when you are bought and sold in the marketplace.”
Solved by maurinsky (comment #10).

Home again, home again

April 15, 2008 / / Comments Off on Home again, home again

Well, that was fun.

Exhausting. But fun.

I actually tried to write Monday Movie Review from my hotel room on Sunday night, but I nodded off. Literally. The text started swimming. I felt bad about that; I don’t know if I’ve missed more than one or two Monday reviews in the past couple of years. But there you are. Too pooped to pop, my mom always used to say.

I fully intend to get you some trivia today, but first I have to clean up the unread email, unheard voice mail mess on my desk.

Here’s what my next few days look like

April 10, 2008 / / Comments Off on Here’s what my next few days look like

Tomorrow morning I am at a course in Manhattan. This necessitates catching a 7 a.m. bus. The problem being I don’t normally get out of bed until 7:30. Oh, well. I’m actually looking forward to the course, which should really contribute a lot to my day job. And in the evening I’ll be meeting my sister, sister-in-law, and nephew for eats.

Saturday morning, part two of the course. Same damn early rising, but driving because no bus runs from my home on weekends.

Sunday morning I have to leave at 9 a.m. to get to my lecture in New Jersey at 11. Readings to follow. So that’s a busy day.

But wait, there’s more!

Monday morning I have to be in Baltimore at 8:30 a.m. So I’ll drive straight from Halcyon Moon to my hotel and arrange my bright and grumble grumble wake up call.

Monday afternoon I drive the 3 1/2 hours home from Baltimore. Undoubtedly chipper as a gorram puppy.

I’ll have my laptop with me but I don’t guarantee blogging.

Car dancing

April 9, 2008 / / 7 comments

I dance in the car. I totally rock out. I’m not even embarrassed. In fact, I’m the opposite of embarrassed.

And when I say “not embarassed,” I mean that people sometimes honk and point and shout at me. This is a true fact. I try to get them to dance with me.

But I was in the car and I was listening to the soundtrack of The Commitments and I was driving past construction guys and all of a sudden I realized I was doing jazz hands.

Jazz hands.

I was embarrassed.

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