A Window Into Thomas Becket's Life, Death, Sainthood, and Miracles

WEEK 14, 2021

all photos by The Chapter, Canterbury Cathedral

In the early 1200s, 12 stained glass windows, about 30 feet tall, were made to depict the events of Thomas Becket’s life and death, including miracles attributed to him. The series of windows, called the “miracle windows,” surround where Becket’s now-lost shrine was once placed. This particular window (L, the top half of the window, R, the bottom half) shows how Becket helped ordinary people.

History A Window Into Thomas Becket’s Life, Death, Sainthood, and Miracles The exhibition: ‘Thomas Becket: Murder and the Making of a Saint’ at The British Museum, London

Lorraine Ferrier Storming into the cathedral, the focuses on Becket’s life and legacy, how knights abruptly interrupt the glorious he rose and fell, and how 350 years after It is Dec. 29, 1170, at Canterbury Cathe- sound of monks singing and chanting he died, he was once seen as a traitor by Three short dral in southeast England, one of the Vespers, evening prayers. The knights King Henry VIII. years after his most important places of worship in the shout: “Where is Thomas Becket, traitor Stunning pieces of jewelry, sacred reli- country. The archbishop of Canterbury, to the king and the kingdom?” quaries, illuminated manuscripts, and death, in 1173, Thomas Becket is settling down for din- Pandemonium ensues. an 800-year-old stained glass window Becket became ner in the Archbishop’s Palace after a Becket grabs one of the cathedral’s from Canterbury Cathedral are some St. Thomas of busy day. pillars in another attempt to resist ar- of the items that shed light on Becket’s It is a day like any other, yet an ex- rest. Enraged, one of the knights raises intriguing life and legacy. Canterbury. traordinary event is about to happen, a his sword high over his head, and then heinous act of sacrilege that will affect strikes the archbishop. The other knights From Clerk to Archbishop the king, country, and much of Europe for follow his lead, until England’s most Becket’s parents came from Normandy centuries to come. powerful churchman lies lifeless in a and settled in England after the Norman Five vivid eyewitness accounts, some of pool of blood. Conquest. His father was a merchant of them graphic, help us re-create the scene. His murder shook Europe. Three short no notable wealth. He was educated in Outside Canterbury Cathedral, four of the years after his death, in 1173, Becket Merton Priory in southwest London, and knights of King Henry II have just arrived became St. Thomas of Canterbury. then he studied in Paris for a few years. from Normandy, France, home of the royal On his return to England, Becket began court. They traveled to England with an ‘Thomas Becket: Murder and the working as a clerk for Theobald of Bec, express purpose: to avenge the king. Making of a Saint’ the archbishop of Canterbury. Barging their way into the palace, the Becket’s life and martyrdom has fascinat- Becket was charming, intelligent, and knights demand Becket’s arrest. He ed many for centuries. The British Mu- had an authoritative presence. These refuses to cooperate. Becket’s monks seum in London hopes to open in May its qualities impressed the archbishop to persuade him to take refuge in the cathe- new exhibition: “Thomas Becket: Murder such an extent that he put his clerk for- dral. But the sanctity of the church will and the Making of a Saint.” ward for the role of royal chancellor. not protect him from the knights’ blood- Remarkably, the exhibition is the first thirsty rage. large UK show dedicated to the saint and Continued on Page 4 B22 | ARTS & CULTURE TUESDAY, WeekAPRIL 14, 6, 2021 TUESDAY,Week 14, 2021 APRIL 6, 2021 ARTS & CULTURE |B3 3

PuBlic DomAin PuBlic DomAin At one point, Pyotr Verhovensky tells Stavrogin: “A teacher who laughs with children at their God and at their cradle is on our side. The lawyer TH who defends an educated murderer 2021 NTD 8 because he is more cultured than his victims and could not help murdering them to get money is one of us … The International juries who acquit every criminal are ours. The prosecutor who trembles Chinese Vocal at a trial for fear he should not seem advanced enough is ours, ours. Among officials and literary men we have Competition lots, lots, lots, and they don’t know it themselves.” Sound familiar?

Bolshevik revolutionaries attacking the czarist police in the early days, 1917, of the Russian Apparently, Dostoevsky could foretell the Revolution. From Edward Alsworth Ross’s “The Russian Bolshevik Revolution,” 1921. future. A portrait of Fyodor Dostoevsky, In ‘Devils,’ 1872, by Vasili Perov. Tretyakov Gallery. a collection of Literature that event pointed to Dostoevsky radicals intend as a prophet, a prognosticator who had foretold this upheaval. I would to seize control of go even further than these men and society. Undermining women of letters and declare “Dev- ils” a crystal ball in which the author predicted the totalitarian movements Ultimate Goals the Foundations: of the last 100 years, with their statist Near the end of “Devils,” one of the philosophies, their utopianism, and radicals confesses his part in the at- their willingness to murder, often on tempted uprising. When asked what a grand scale, to advance an agenda was “the object of so many murders Lessons and to seize power. and scandals and dastardly outrages,” In “Part Two: Chapter Seven: A he replies: “It was with the idea of Meeting,” for example, we encounter systematically undermining the a gathering of “the flower of the red- foundations, systematically destroying From Fyodor dest Radicalism of our ancient town.” society and all principles, with the idea This assemblage discuss subjects as of nonplussing everyone and making diverse as the family (“a superstitious hay of everything, and then, when form”), a moral compass (“There’s no society was tottering, sick and out of such thing as moral or immoral”), joint, cynical and skeptical though Dostoevsky’s and “the division of mankind into filled with an intense eagerness for two unequal parts,” with one-tenth, self-preservation and for some guiding an elite, acting as governors while the idea, suddenly to seize it in the hands, Dostoevsky depicted demons, possessed by revolutionary furor, attacking the foundations of civiliza- others “have to give up all individual- raising the standards of revolt….” tion. An engraving, “The Temptation of St. Anthony,” circa 1480–90, by martin Schöngauer. The met- ‘Devils’ ity and become, so to speak, a herd, Sprinkle this explanation with some ropolitan museum of Art, new York. and through boundless submission, of the obscenities used by today’s will by a series of regenerations attain radicals, and you could well be listen- Jeff Minick a real-life incident of a revolutionary primeval innocence, something like ing to a member of Antifa spelling out Jeff Minick has four children and a growing platoon murdered because he wanted out of the garden of Eden.” that organization’s goals. of grandchildren. For 20 years, he taught history, arly in March, I was sucker the movement—but by the end of the This year marks the 150th anniver- literature, and Latin to seminars of homeschooling VOCAL.NTDTV.COM punched by a Russian. A dead novel, the pages are littered with more The More Things Change, sary when installments of “Devils” students in Asheville, N.C. He is the author of two Russian, as a matter of fact. bodies than at the close of “Hamlet.” the More They Remain the Same first began to appear in “The Russian novels, “Amanda Bell” and “Dust On Their Wings,” GOLD AWARD REGISTER Let me explain. Some of the key figures in this move- As Pyotr Verhovensky says, “It’s a new Messenger.” Given humanity’s various and two works of nonfiction, “Learning As I Go” and +1–888–477–9228 Late in December, I made ment are Stepan Trofimovitch Ver- religion, my good friend, coming to catastrophes since then, we are appar- “Movies Make The Man.” Today, he lives and writes in NEW YORK Oct. 2021 VOCAL＠GLOBALCOMPETITIONS.ORG Ea New Year’s resolution to read at least hovensky, a school teacher and liberal take the place of the old one.” ently a race of slow learners. Front Royal, Va. See JeffMinick.com to follow his blog. six classics that were new to me in the idealist who unintentionally helped coming year. Sir Walter Scott’s “Ivan- create some of these radicals; his son hoe” was my first choice, and I found Pyotr Verhovensky, who is a leading that excursion into the days of King figure among the revolutionaries; Ivan Richard and Robin Hood an agreeable Shatov, who initially is a member of adventure. the group but comes to despise their Next up for investigation was Fyodor ideas; and the charismatic Nikolay Dostoevsky’s “Devils,” the Constance Stavrogin, who tests the limits of mo- Garnett translation that had sat un- rality while acting as a skeptical com- opened on my shelf for years. Long ago, mentator on the plans of the radicals. I’d read “Notes From the Underground,“ The Brothers Karamazov,” and “Crime and Punishment,” and I later taught these last two books to my Advanced Placement Literature students. When the Russian And so I began “Devils,” unfazed by Revolution occurred, the novel’s length—almost 700 pages—and inspired to make my march many contemporaries through that story by the book’s blurb, of that event pointed to which proclaimed that the novel cen- tered on a group of radicals and revolu- Dostoevsky as a prophet, tionaries in 1860s Russia, a “prophetic account of modern morals and politics, a prognosticator who had with its fifty-odd characters, amazing foretold this upheaval. events and challenging ideas.” For almost 200 pages, I read of love affairs and intrigue, listened in on bi- Difficulties zarre conversations, and met strange “Devils” is not an easy read. First, the characters like those who inhabit all Russian names ring unfamiliar in the the books I’ve read by Dostoevsky. “So ears of most of us, and so many char- where are the radicals?” I kept asking acters step in and out of the story that myself, and was shocked when the for a while keeping track of them was Ying and Yang by Sandra Kuck author revealed that several of them difficult for me. were already planted in the story. Like Moreover, as I wrote above, the real revolutionaries, they had hidden blurb mentions “fifty-odd characters,” themselves away until the time came referring, of course to the number, but to put their plans into action. if we remove that hyphen, the descrip- That was the punch that knocked me tion would be just as apt. Here are to the canvas. odd souls indeed, men and women Now let’s look at “Devils.” very different from fictional American characters then or now. The Plot Dostoevsky’s Russians dash from The above subhead is a double enten- self-pity to anger, from love to hatred, dre, for here I will briefly summarize a in the blink of an eye. The stiff up- complicated plot that in fact involves per lip and restraint associated with Original artworks, canvas wraps, a plot. Also titled “The Demons,” “The such American characters like Natty Devils,” or “The Possessed,” depend- Bumppo in “The Leatherstocking and prints of Award-winning oil ing on the translator, “Devils” involves Tales” or even the obsessed Captain paintings now available at a group of conspirators in a fictional Ahab in “Moby Dick” stand in stark provincial town that has links to other contrast to the nervous tics of the in- cells of those seeking to overthrow the habitants of Dostoevsky’s novels. InspiredOriginal.Org/Store government. A tip: Readers who decide to under- Composed primarily of atheists, take reading “Devils” might consider Original artworks, canvas wraps, socialists, idealists, adventurers, and using the online sites that distill the art posters, and framed prints of criminals, this collection of radicals plot, themes, and characters of this intends to seize control of society and novel as guides for this journey. Award-winning oil paintings begin the process of leading the Rus- now available for purchase at sian people toward a heaven on earth. Prophecies and Philosophies Eventually, a sort of rebellion takes Despite these stumbling blocks, “Dev- InspiredOriginal.Org place. At first, a few people are mur- ils” has much to say to our own time. dered or commit suicide—Dostoevsky When the Russian Revolution oc- based the execution of one man on curred, many contemporaries of B44 | ARTS & CULTURE TUESDAY, WeekAPRIL 14, 6, 2021 TUESDAY,Week 14, 2021 APRIL 6, 2021 ARTS & CULTURE |B5 5

1 2 3 4 THE CHAPTER, CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL THE CHAPTER, CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL

Details from the fifth “miracle window” at Canterbury Cathedral shows pilgrims seeking cures: 1) Ralph de Longeville has leprosy, and Goditha of Hayes has dropsy; THE CHAPTER, CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL CANTERBURY CHAPTER, THE THE CHAPTER, CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL CANTERBURY CHAPTER, THE 2) Etheldreda comes with a high fever, and Saxeva from Dover suffers from painful arms and a stomachache; 3) Eilward of Westoning recovers from blindness and castration; and 4) monk Hugh is purged of an illness. HISTORY DAVID ILIFF/CC BY-SA 3.0 the left; her stomach appears swollen from dropsy. Moving along to the right of the window, she’s seen leaving the tomb, looking slimmer and healed of her A Window Into Thomas Becket’s disease. The second story (from the top) of the window shows a group of women traveling to Becket’s tomb. Among them Life, Death, Sainthood, and Miracles is Etheldreda who suffered from a high fever, and Saxeva who had painful arms and stomach. Both women are depicted as being healed. Continued from Page 1 Becket was appointed archbishop purchase these ampullae filled with In the third panel from the top of the on May 23, 1162, and consecrated on this concoction they called St. Thomas’s window, Eilward of Westoning is de- It was as chancellor that Becket and King June 3. But Henry’s idea did not go as he Water. picted. This is the only known medieval Henry II became firm friends, enjoying planned. Becket resigned as royal chan- Several artifacts in the exhibition dem- artwork to depict a castration. Eilward the pleasures of the royal court, includ- cellor later that year, and he fully em- onstrate how the water was used. One had been blinded and castrated as pun- ing hunting and traveling together. braced his responsibilities as archbishop. astonishing ampulla depicting Becket ishment for stealing. Remarkably, after As royal chancellor, Becket had a lav- flanked by two knights is on display. he prayed at Becket’s tomb, his eyesight ish lifestyle, living in opulent homes and From Friend to Firm Foe The knights have their swords drawn as returned, as did his testicles. traveling to France on his own ships. In just a few years, a firm rift would form if they have been caught the moment Interestingly, “The ineffectiveness When the archbishop died on April 18, between the king and the archbishop— before they strike the archbishop. of surgeons and physicians is a theme 1161, Henry wanted Becket to become Becket would stay loyal to the church in the miracles of St. Thomas,” said archbishop. The king had a political mo- and its interests while Henry still hoped expert of medieval visual culture M.A. THE TRUSTEES OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM BRITISH THE OF TRUSTEES THE tive for appointing his friend: He wanted This 13th-century to restore the crown’s power. The fallout Michael, on the Getty website. This is Becket to be both chancellor and arch- English ampulla would lead to Becket’s murder. For the first time, one of especially clear in the bottom story of bishop so that he could have a close ally shows Thomas In the years prior to Becket’s death, the exhibition’s miracle window. In the in the church. Ultimately, as king, Henry Becket between two the problems between the two men the 30-foot-tall stained left-hand teardrop, Hugh, a monk from wanted to reduce papal dominance and knights. worsened. In October 1164, Henry sum- glass windows will leave Jervaulx Abbey in Yorkshire, north- restore sovereign power to the state, as it moned Becket to the King’s Council east England, is bedridden and being had been during the reign of his grand- where, among other accusations and de- Canterbury Cathedral to attended to by a lay physician. Hugh’s father, Henry I. mands, he was ordered to relinquish all story progresses in the top teardrop, At the time, Rome exerted dominance non-landed property and to make his be installed in The British where he’s at Becket’s tomb, sipping St. over much of England. For instance, accounts from when he was chancellor Museum exhibition. Thomas’s Water. In the right teardrop, most of England was educated by the available for scrutiny. He refused to ac- his illness can be seen being purged by church. In addition, any crime commit- cept the council’s decisions. a sudden and violent nosebleed. ted by an ordained churchman was tried In 1165, Becket fled to north-central Detailed scenes of pilgrims using St. in the church court and was not under France, where he spent six years exiled Thomas’s Water are depicted on some The Legacy of St. Thomas the crown’s jurisdiction, regardless of at Pontigny Abbey. During that time, of Canterbury Cathedral’s stained glass of Canterbury the crime committed. Henry’s son, Henry the Young King, was windows, called “miracle windows,” On July, 12, 1174, a remorseful Henry THE BRITISH LIBRARY crowned (becoming joint sovereign) by made in the early 1200s. The series of walked barefoot three miles to Canter- the archbishop of York, Becket’s rival. 12 windows once surrounded Becket’s bury Cathedral, confessing his sins in Becket was furious: Coronations were shrine in Canterbury Cathedral’s Trinity an act of penance. When he entered the traditionally presided over by the arch- Chapel. Becket’s shrine no longer exists, cathedral, he ordered the bishops, who bishop of Canterbury. but seven of the windows do and show had been present when Becket was mur- Becket appealed to the pope, and after the miracles that occurred in the three dered, to each flog him five times with intense negotiations, Henry and Becket years after he died. a rod. He then commanded each of the spoke for the first time in years. Henry The cathedral’s miracle windows are 80 monks to flog him with the rod three promised to restore Becket as arch- the only known media to show Becket’s times. Henry’s blood spilled on the spot bishop of Canterbury and assured him miracles. The stories on the windows where Becket died. that it was safe for him to return home to must have been “reassuring and uplift- Before Henry’s penance, his wife, England. ing” to the pilgrims who had journeyed Eleanor of Aquitaine, and two elder But before Becket left France, he wrote to the cathedral, said Leonie Seliger, sons were plotting against him with to the archbishop of York and two of the director of stained glass conservation at his archrivals William II of Scotland bishops present at the recent coronation, Canterbury Cathedral, in the exhibition and Louis VII of France to take over his excommunicating all three. This action press release. land. After Henry repented at Becket’s may have proved fatal for Becket. For the first time, one of the 30-foot-tall tomb, miraculously nothing came of the The archbishop of York and the two stained glass windows will leave Can- rebellion, and his sons sought Henry’s On the southern side of Canterbury Cathedral’s Trinity Chapel, seven stained glass “miracle windows” depict the miraculous healings bishops traveled to Henry’s court in terbury Cathedral to be installed in The forgiveness. that were said to have taken place at St. Thomas of Canterbury’s tomb between 1170 and 1220. The fifth of these windows is part Normandy and told the king what had British Museum exhibition. The chosen From that day, Henry often prayed at of a new exhibition at The British Museum. happened. Henry was incensed: “What window is the fifth in the series of 12 that Becket’s shrine. THE TRUSTEES OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM, LONDON miserable drones and traitors have I shows several stories of healings. Becket’s legacy traveled far and even nurtured and promoted in my house- Last year, researchers working on the prompted England’s first visit by a head hold who let their lord be treated with windows in preparation for the exhibi- of state: Louis VII. The French king’s such shameful contempt by a low-born tion made a startling discovery. Looking 14-year-old son, Prince Philip, was grave- clerk!” he said, according to one of at the window under a microscope, they ly ill, prompting the king to make the Becket’s biographers. realized that some of the glass panels pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral in To this day, no one knows if Henry were in the wrong order. They deduced the hope that St. Thomas of Canterbury himself sent his knights to Canterbury. A that, when the window was restored would heal his son. Philip recovered. commonly held belief is that the knights in the 1660s, the craftsmen must have Even now, Becket’s martyrdom is set off on their own accord, after hearing made the mistake when the window was remembered by world dignitaries. Last the king’s angry outburst. reconstructed. For the first time in over year, on the 850th anniversary of Beck- 350 years, the window can be seen as it et’s murder, President Donald Trump A Window Into Becket’s Miracles was intended. said: “Thomas Becket’s death serves After Becket’s death, Canterbury Cathe- as a powerful and timeless reminder dral became an important pilgrimage The Stories of the Miracles to every American that our freedom site, with many seeking cures for their The window in the exhibition shows from religious persecution is not a mere diseases. In medieval times, illness was depictions of common folk being healed. luxury or accident of history, but rather believed to be divine retribution for sins, At the top of the window, in the left-hand an essential element of our liberty.” and so saints were often sought for teardrop, Ralph de Longeville sits next a cure. to Becket’s tomb, where an attendant The British Museum’s exhibition At the cathedral, monks filled ampul- bathes his legs in St. Thomas’s Water, “Thomas Becket: Murder and the lae, often pewter flasks, with Becket’s after which he is cured of leprosy. Be- Making of a Saint” is due to open in May, (Left) Thomas Becket’s murder is depicted on an alabaster altarpiece panel, around 1425–50, in England. The sculpture would An illumination shows Becket’s martyrdom on an English manuscript, mid- probably have been part of a sequence of similar sculptures showing scenes from Becket’s life and death. 1180s, containing Alan of Tewkesbury’s “Collection of St. Thomas Becket’s diluted blood that they believed had low the four teardrop panels showing pending COVID-19 restrictions. To find Letters,” and John of Salisbury’s “Life of St. Thomas Becket.” miraculous properties. Pilgrims could Longeville, Goditha of Hayes enters on out more, visit BritishMuseum.org (Right) French reliquary casket showing the murder of Thomas Becket, about 1180–1190. B66 | ARTS & CULTURE TUESDAY, WeekAPRIL 14, 6, 2021 TUESDAY,Week 14, 2021 APRIL 6, 2021 ARTS & CULTURE |B7 7

ALL IMAGES IN PUBLIC DOMAIN 1. 6. ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF AMAZON STUDIOS

2. 3. 4.

1. Rockers Lou (Olivia Cooke) and Ruben (Riz Ahmed) coming to grips with the reality that their profession has damaged Ruben’s hearing, in “Sound of Metal.” 2. Ruben Stone (Riz Ahmed, C) begins to get the hang of sign language. 3. Joe (Paul Raci, L) and Ruben (Riz Ahmed) have a facing-reality talk. 4. Ruben Stone (Riz Ahmed) tries to convince his girlfriend Lou (Olivia Cooke) not to leave him. 5. Dr. Paysinger (Tom Kemp, L) conducts a hearing test on Ruben Stone (Riz Ahmed). 6.Ruben Stone (Riz Ahmed) behind his drum kit.

Riz Ahmed plays Ruben Stone, a for- Ruben exit this movie in a cloud of Lou’s Mark Jackson grew up in Spring Val- mer heroin addict with bleached-blond power chords and shrieked vocals, accom- ley, N.Y., where he attended a Waldorf hair and many tattoos, who drums in a panied by his own drum-kit bash-ery? FILM INSIGHTS school. At Williams College, his pro- White-Stripes-like two-person band with fessors all suggested he write professionally. He acted professionally his girlfriend Lou (Olivia Cooke) who’s got Performances WITH MARK for 20 years instead. Now he bleached-blond eyebrows, and many self- Ruben is not an easy character to like: an writes professionally about harm cutting scars on her forearms. edgy, hair-trigger temper in an aggressive, TRADITIONAL CULTURE Since ancient times and until recently, education has meant the for- JACKSON acting. In the movies. They appear to have done rather well, arrogant, dismissive, hyper type-A person- mation of character. “The School of Athens” fresco by Renaissance living a nomadic life touring the USA in ality. It’s easy to be thoroughly annoyed artist Raphael depicting the Platonic Academy, a famous school in a well-appointed, cozy Airstream RV that with him until at least halfway through the ancient Athens founded by the philosopher Plato in the early fourth doubles as a recording studio on wheels. film. If there was ever someone who has to The End of Education century B.C. In the center are Plato and Aristotle, in discussion. When Ruben’s world suddenly goes silent learn the hard way, it’s him. after many ignored warning signs, their Armchair quarterbacking is easy; to roll Don’t Take relationship, both personal and profes- one’s eyes when we can predict the outcome SEAN FITZPATRICK form the whole person according to were. He informed me that one of ditional anthropology that includes sional, is immediately on thin ice. Hearing of certain actions is facile. Teaching is hard. timeless, intrinsic values, rather than his sheep down in the barn had hoof treatment of the human as a spiritual tests are taken; there’s a possible expensive And so it becomes easy, watching “Sound The school should always have as train all people to conform to a con- rot to the point where he had to shoot being in possession of appetites, in- surgical option that Ruben, in a complete of Metal,” to appreciate the wisdom and its aim that the young man leave it temporary set of uniform, economic it with his revolver, and the carcass tellect, imagination, and will; thus, Your Soundscape state of denial, decides will be a tidy fix to patience of good teachers (like Joe) who can as a harmonious personality, not standards. Thus, education responds needed to be disposed. “You look it cultivates wonder as the root of this temporary setback. see the mistakes and the pain coming but as a specialist. This in my opinion to the universal truths of man rather like you could use the experience,” inquiry and the beginning of wis- But Lou, recognizing the warning signals don’t interfere in the process. is true in a certain sense even for than to the specific particulars of the he told me matter-of-factly, and he dom. At its worst, it cuts people off of an imminent addict-relapse stemming There’s also a sense that Ruben is trying G.K. Chesteron for Granted technical schools … The develop- multitude. When first things are put was right. After some brief instruc- from divine and moral agency and from Ruben’s heightened stress levels, in- hard to learn and change. And so Ahmed’s ment of general ability for inde- first, the rest tends to fall into place. at work at Crisis tion, he left me, a city kid, with the is reduced to a set of objectives and sists he go another route. In the form of a is a virtuoso piece of acting. He walks a fine Magazine. pendent thinking and judgment The Common Core standards are filthy, inconceivable task of haul- operations geared toward gainful MARK JACKSON ‘Sound of Metal’ rural farm-and-school community of recov- edge of being off-putting and yet generating should always be placed foremost, far too common to address the hu- ing a 200-some pound dead sheep employment; thus, subordinating ering addicts who also happen to be deaf. just enough likability for us to root for him. not the acquisition of special man core. It shrinks learning into over hill and dale to the dump at the the higher inclinations of man to the I love the sound of metal. That is, the un- D i r e c t o r Darius Marder knowledge.—Albert Einstein a one-size-fits-all centralized set of crack of dawn. acquisition of functional and worka- muffled rumble of V-8 and V-twin engines Fork in the Road of Life informational sessions designed to The second time was at night. day knowledge. of American muscle cars and Harley-Da- Starring The pervading philosophy of this commu- here are at least two sens- achieve success by narrowing the “There’s a ewe giving birth to a Such an “education” leaves stu- vidson motorcycles, respectively. I own a Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, nity, espoused eloquently by deaf 12-step Paul Raci, Lauren Ridloff, ‘Sound of Metal’ has been es of the word “end”—the focus to basic facts for measurable lamb in the barn,” the headmaster dents prepared for a limited life, bike of significant loudness. I also used to Mathieu Amalric counselor and community leader Joe (Paul one being fulfillment of recall. This requires a reduction of told me. “I want you to stay with her and not prepared at all to live in the drum in a rock band. I sometimes worry Raci), is that theirs is not a disability, and nominated for a Best an aim, the other, the the human to empirical calculus in until the lamb can stand.” Down I contemplation of truth for its own about … my ears. Rated silence is a reality to be embraced—cel- death or failure of some- a lowest-common-denominator tramped with a flashlight. Blood sake—which is the end of education. Early in my riding career, like an addict R ebrated even—and not run from, especially Picture Academy Award. Tthing. A large part of the crisis in paradigm—which is so far from last week and this week, birth. A This philosophical mindset goes be- needing a stronger fix, I took the baffles out Running Time not run from in the addictive state of mind education today is that the aim, the the end of education, it only serves full circle was completed that was yond mere knowledge, rising above of my exhaust pipes. Crossing Manhattan’s 2 hours that Ruben is displaying. Olivia Cooke as Lou is tasked, on the one fulfillment, or end of education is so to bring an end to education. educational—and not because I the accumulation of facts to a frame- George Washington Bridge at rush hour was Release Date There’s an extended period of dissonance, hand, with the challenging portrayal of a mistaken in schools and the world was studying to be a sheep farmer. work whereby all things might be an immediate, literal power trip. When cars Dec. 4, 2020, when Ruben slowly acclimatizes and ac- woman with enough low self-esteem to have at large that it effectively takes on its ‘A Call to Something Education is about furnishing understood in their proper relation and trucks hear that infernal din encroach- on Amazon Prime Video; cepts his situation, learning a new lifestyle, had self-harm issues, along with the code- other meaning: an end, or a failure, Higher Than Ourselves’ such real lessons in reality—pure to one another—a vision that is not ing on their six o’clock, they part like the in cinemas May 17 sign language and all, of how to be deaf. pendent-addictive connection to an addict, of education. Real education lifts the intellects of teaching moments that corrobo- only the end of education but the end Red Sea—you sail through an hour’s worth Throughout most of the film, though, -Ru and on the other, someone with enough One major source of this misun- all students to the highest aspira- rate the readings and lectures on of human life as well. of traffic jam in ten minutes. It’s like having ben clings desperately to his old life, sneak- self-awareness to try to evolve beyond her derstanding of education’s purpose tions of man, encompassing a stu- the true, the good, and the beauti- “The whole point of education,” Thor’s hammer connected to your throttle ing into Joe‘s office to research online, bor- dependency on Ruben. It’s pretty masterful. is that education is seen as utilitar- dent’s capacity for imaginative and ful, and prepare students for the hu- wrote English author G.K. Ches- hand. Loudness is power; power is addictive. rowing from Peter to pay Paul, obsessing, The third main character in this film is the ian. The purpose of education, how- emotional appreciation of reality, man condition, for life and death. terton, “is that it should give a man After a month of that, even with earplugs, and contemplating selling his beloved RV sound design. It depicts and simulates how ever, is not servile. It is liberal. That as well as for analytic and scientific The whole But to achieve this, education must abstract and eternal standards, by my ears started complaining. I also real- for money to get the operation. losing one’s hearing happens. It also func- is, education is not for the sake of a habits of mind. It is that cultivation be governed with exceptional care which he can judge material and ized I’d become one of those super-loud However, the seeds are planted early tions as a powerful reminder for hearing career; it is for the sake of charac- of mind which, as John Henry New- point of that cultivates experiences that both fugitive conditions.” Education as- bikers people tend to hate. I put the baffles that this will be a spiritual journey. As it people not to take life and its run-of-the- ter. The aim of education is to bring man says, “implies an action upon complement and confirm a curricu- cends to excellence in cultivating the back in the pipes. But many Americans also is said in faith-oriented literature: When mill sounds for granted—coffee dripping, people to more perfect knowledge our mental nature, and the forma- education is lum and fosters genuine character virtues, leading toward that interior love that sound and will stand at attention one leaves the shore and heads out on the birdsong, wind, talking on the phone. of themselves in the context of the tion of a character.” that it should in an atmosphere of friendship: ex- knowledge and exterior knowledge on their porch and salute you even if you stormy seas (like the boats leaving the Grey It brings to mind Albert Einstein’s obser- highest realities, and when it devi- For the ancients, the ends of action periences in classrooms, on playing which comprehends the order of re- weren’t in the military like you should have Havens in “Lord of the Rings”), one should vation that there are only two ways to live ates from that end, education ends. and of education were the confor- give a man field, in the woods, or any place least ality, both visible and invisible. To been. Hmmm ... I should quit it. But I don’t be prepared to not see land for a long time. life: One is as though nothing is a miracle; mance of the soul to reality for the expected—like a sheep pen. Educa- know the whole truth of things and wanna. Just yet. Meditation is introduced, along with the the other is as though everything is a mir- Education Today sake of wisdom. For the moderns, abstract tion can happen anywhere, and it to think well for the sake of living concept that if one can learn to embrace acle. Part of the path of spiritual cultiva- Modern schooling strategies tend the ends of action and of educa- and eternal happens best when it points students well is the excellence that education When the Ears Can’t and cherish the deep, cozy silence—that tion and evolution is learning to cherish ev- to apply broad-based benchmarks tion are the conformance of reality toward encounters with real life that strives for: to gain self-rule and the Handle the Profession gift will be forever. As opposed to the fickle erything in the moment for its miraculous to arm students with 21st-century to the soul by means of technique. standards, by are informative and formative. habit of virtue. “Sound of Metal” is about a metal drum- and potentially addictive information com- wonderment. It seems like a no-brainer. skills before marching them off like Excesses of technique and overspe- which he can This approach involves launching Education has descended to con- mer (“metal” = a form of hard rock music) ing to us through the five senses. But go have your hearing taken away by money-making militants to collab- cialization, however, dull the desire students into interactions with real- sidering man’s excellence as consist- who loses his hearing. Ten minutes into the Will Ruben get the surgery? Will it res- “Sound of Metal,” and you will go home orate, innovate, and compete in a to experience through the distance judge material ity by leading them in a relationship ing of mere means rather than ends. film, and after seeing the lead character urrect his old life, such as it was, with the with a heightened appreciation of the subtle 21st-century global economy. The they create from reality and life, and that balances hardship and friend- The modern mantra is to work rigor- experiencing familiar symptoms of hearing intense assault and battery of his ears? noisescape around you. prevalent Common Core initiative thereby dull the ability to learn. and fugitive ship. English teachers should spur ously and vigorously for the sake of loss, I noticed a state of denial coming on; I The couple’s Will he reconnect with Lou? Will there The film also brings up the understand- is especially retrograde and degrad- Dr. John Senior, who headed a conditions. students to undertake Shakespeare, living well—which is to say, to gain suddenly didn’t want to watch it anymore. well-appointed RV. be a resolution of the dissonance? Will the ing that it’s only by way of experiencing ing, developing and implementing storied program at the University of and then congratulate them when self-sufficiency and the marks and Luckily, I had a job to do. journey into silence be completed—or will hardship that we ever really change for comprehensive statistics together Kansas in the 1970s called the Inte- G.K. Chesterton, they share a thought on a sonnet accoutrements of worldly success. the better. We often hear people say they with assessment systems to measure grated Humanities Program, and English author before peers. Coaches should push There is far more to living, however, wouldn’t trade their bouts with cancer for student performance, to ensure that whose legacy is gaining attention their charges in facing physical fears, than making a living. The current anything, knowing how far they were able all students are equally provided and traction in various spheres of and then acknowledge a young ath- concept of worldly success is for the to evolve spiritually. It’s the universal law with a program of prepackaged ex- academia, once wrote: “Education lete when they bloody their nose sake of economic excellence, while of “No loss, no gain.” The riches hidden be- pectations designed to meet the re- is not the acquisition of marketable on a rugby pitch. Choir directors education’s end is for the sake of hu- hind pain and sacrifice are always more quirements of colleges and careers. skills, or self-improvement, culture, should demand perfection, and then man excellence. Anything less than desirable than the unawakened state. As But the end of education, of true personal fulfillment, or even knowl- honor a student for singing beau- the latter educational end is a par- Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not education, is not to get a degree or edge—though these benefits nor- tifully at Mass. Camping leaders ticipation in the end of education. worth living.” a job or a financial portfolio. It is a mally occur; but, essentially, it is a call should command excellence, and That said, should I maybe sell the bike ... Marxist principle that man is de- to something higher than ourselves.” then praise a youngster for telling Sean Fitzpatrick serves on the fac- ? I feel like Saint Augustine, saying, “Dear termined by his technologies, his I remember being summoned to a story around a fire. ulty of Gregory the Great Academy, Lord give me quiet pipes. But don’t give means of production, and an “edu- things higher than myself at the Education pursues its end when a boarding school in Elmhurst, Pa., them yet.” Or was it chastity? I’m pretty cation” modeled after commercial boarding school I attended. The first it dwells in what all people should where he teaches humanities. His sure it was chastity. Similar deal. culture is not leading out (e-ducere) time was at six o’clock in the morn- know as knowers—the truth. The writings on education, literature, “Sound of Metal” has been nominated but digging in. The world sorely ing. I was awakened by the head- result of this is not necessarily “use- and culture have appeared in a for a Best Picture Academy Award, and Riz needs to go back to school, as in, go master, who stood below my bunk in ful,” but it is good and beautiful and number of journals including Cri- Ahmed and Paul Raci have been nomi- back to schooling. rubber boots. None of my five room- humanizing. sis Magazine, Catholic Exchange, nated for Best Actor and Best Supporting The aim and end of education is to mates were stirring, but the birds At its best, education assumes tra- and the Imaginative Conservative. Actor Oscars, respectively. B88 | ARTS & CULTURE WEDNESDAY,Week APRIL 14, 7, 2021 WEDNESDAY,Week 14, 2021 APRIL 7, 2021 ARTS & CULTURE |B9 9

WARNER BROS. PICTURES WARNER BROS. PICTURES Reaching Within: What traditional art offers the heart How to Be Worthy of Being Human A Look at 2 Paintings

ALL PHOTOS IN PUBLIC DOMAIN Eric BEss “Apollo and Marsyas,” between 1616 and any stories in Western 1620, by Bartolomeo culture warn of the woes Manfredi. Oil on can- that come from challeng- vas, 37 5/8 inches by 53 ing the divine. Today, we 9/16 inches. St. Louis will investigate two paint- Art Museum. Mings that illustrate one of these stories: “Apollo as Victor Over Pan” by Jacob Jordaens, and “Apollo and Marsyas” by Bartolomeo Manfredi.

The Musical Contest Between Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” Apollo and Pan (Marsyas) (2008) canonized the grueling seriousness of As the ancient Greek story goes, Athena our modern mythos. was playing the flute until she saw her The Justice League in “Zack Snyder’s Justice League.” reflection in a body of water. Playing the flute distorted her beauty so much that she threw the flute away in disgust. The satyr Pan (also known as Marsyas) cULtURe found the flute and blew into it. Since it once belonged to a goddess, the flute effortlessly made beautiful sounds. Marsyas believed it was his own talent ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’: that produced the beautiful music, and he soon challenged Apollo, god of music ing member of the Caravaggisti, a group Midas for even daring to side with any- and dance, to a musical contest. of painters who followed in the high- one who would challenge the heavens? Apollo accepted Marsyas’s challenge In the sciences, contrast style of Caravaggio. He depicted Is it also possible that Apollo turns King The Postmodern Struggle for the Mythic on the condition that the winner could academia, Marsyas enduring the punishment that Midas’s ears to donkey ears because, punish the loser however he wished. Ac- comes from challenging a god. unable to hear the beauty of heavenly PUBLIC DOMAIN cording to differing sources, the judges or arts and Marsyas is on the left. He is tied to a music, Midas is no longer deserving of sEAN FiTZPATricK ogy of materialism (which is a species of were either the Muses or the god Tmolus tree and wears an animal pelt around human ears? If so, this suggests that nihilism) and will necessarily be dark if and the mortal King Midas. Tmolus and culture— his loins. Apollo is shown to the right being worthy of being human is directly Th e legions of keyboard warriors and hard- taken seriously. King Midas are the judges depicted in modern of Marsyas; he wears the victor’s crown connected to recognizing and appreciat- core comic-book fanboys fi nally have their Even though Snyder’s “Justice League” Jordaens’s painting. of laurel leaves and is dressed in a ing the divine, wherever and however it victory over the Hollywood horde of mass- incorporates characters called the “old Apollo played beautifully on his lyre, culture openly purple robe. manifests. entertainment executives. “Th e Synder gods,” like Zeus and Ares, hearkening to and he was followed by Marsyas who Apollo has just begun the act of flaying Cut” has been released. Justice prevails. the mythical importance our superheroes also played beautifully on the flute. In the challenges the Marsyas. He looks calmly but intently Th e world can now stream “Zack Snyder’s wish to inherit, there is a bizarre reduc- second round, however, Apollo outdid his divine. at the satyr as he seems to slowly slice Justice League,” a superhero fi lm unlike tionism in these classical borrowings and competitor by either turning his lyre up- into his skin. In response to the pain, any other in its shameless length and sheer translations. Th e “gods” are consistently side down to play or singing along with the Marsyas leans forward, revealing some Challenging the spectacle that packs, perhaps, the biggest made technological or archeological, more tune he played. Marsyas could do neither. of the veins in his neck. The corners of divine, however, punch to date toward making comic-book like faraway races from faraway planets The Muses agreed that Apollo was his mouth draw downward, his eyebrows heroes less comic and more mythic, and or cultures rather than present spiritual the greater musician. The god Tmolus lift, and his eyes widen as the knife starts comes with its whose seriousness should be of serious entities demanding and requiring worship. believed that Apollo had produced the its journey. consequences. cultural concern. Th ough it is all in good fun, and it is bet- most heavenly sound he had ever heard. Th e theatrical “Justice League” (2017) was ter to have the vestige of gods than none at King Midas, however, disagreed and said Avoiding Blasphemy reviled as one of the most specious entries all, there is a loss here, for what had once that the ruling was unfair. For this blas- and Recognizing the Divine Of course, the real punishment comes in the superhero fi lm genre and deemed a been depicted as mighty deities are now phemy, Apollo turned King Midas’s ears Modern culture openly challenges the to those who directly challenge the $3 million failure that died on the cutting- mere aliens. to donkey ears. divine. Whether it’s in the sciences, divine. Because he challenged heavens, room fl oor after director Zack Snyder left Apollo was deemed the winner. For academia, or arts and culture, traditional Marsyas is tied to a tree—which, to me, the helm due to a family tragedy. Rumors What’s at Stake challenging a god, Apollo decided to beliefs in the divine, in heaven, in God, in represents the earth—and made to suf- of a “Snyder Cut,” however, led to a vocif- Th e struggle of postmodern myth is to por- punish Marsyas by pinning him to a tree angels, and so on, are being challenged. fer. Challenging heavens causes Marsyas erous campaign for its release, and three tray greatness and grandeur in a world that and flaying him alive. Challenging the divine, however, to be imprisoned and tortured on earth. years later, with the fi lm industry gasping has grown too small for the heroes we want comes with its consequences. Marsyas Apollo, however, is framed by the heav- under pandemic restrictions, Warner Bros. to be inspired by. Th e world has certainly Illustrating Blasphemy didn’t realize that the flute’s creation ens, which reasserts his divine and succumbed to pressure and funded the changed in the past few millennia and, completion of Snyder’s original vision in consequently, so has the reality and un- Jordaens and Manfredi both illustrated was divinely inspired or that the sound heavenly nature. Our modern superheroes, such as Batman and Superman, cannot compare with, say, the noble the consequences of challenging a god. it emanated was a consequence of its Manfredi doesn’t depict Apollo as all its gritty Wagnerian glory. hero Hector. “Hector Admonishes Paris for His Softness and Exhorts Him to Go to War,” 1786, derstanding of heroism. Mankind needs Jordaens, a 17th-century Flemish paint- divine nature. His pride, one of the most taking pleasure in the punishment he Besides the unrestrained artistic prec- by Johann Tischbein. Augusteum in Oldenburg, Germany. heroes and, though the heroes of our age er, depicted four figures on a mountain- dangerous of character flaws, caused causes Marsyas. Instead, Apollo seems edent that “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” are not the heroes of antiquity, they may side. Apollo is at the far left holding his him to challenge Apollo, the divine rep- to calmly but intently do what he ought sets with its four-hour runtime streaming be the very heroes we need. People still lyre. According to Ovid’s poem, Apollo is resentation of music itself. to do as a being of heaven: punish those on HBO and slow-motion magnifi cence, about Heracles. Sigurd is no wag either. epic of Gilgamesh and the discrepancies in uphold their heroes to idealized standards. dressed in robes dyed with Tyrian purple, Of course, Apollo wins the contest. who challenge the heavens. And Marsyas there is also a deeper bow here before the Beowulf is brutal. Lancelot is a paradox of gravitas are clear. Batman and Superman Th ough the standards are not the same, nor but Jordaens depicted him in pinkish Mere mortals may think they can chal- is punished greatly for his sin. will of the consumers when it comes to imperfection. are no Hector and Achilles, though they as high, the principle retained is that good robes, unless the original color has faded. lenge the divine, but they can never Both King Midas and Marsyas were what they want to consume, no matter how One explanation for this serious trait in strive to be. Even so, superheroes stand as should overcome evil. To the right of Apollo is Tmolus, who is (L–R) Apollo is crowned truly compete with divinity. But we must prideful mortals. Their hubris did not af- bombastic. It also gives a new burst to the the ancient heroes is that the ancients took the imaginative expressions and embodi- Whether or not postmodern mythology in the act of crowning Apollo the victor. by Tmolus in a contest presume that Apollo, as a god, knew he fect them at first, but it eventually made streaming platform as the movie theater their heroes seriously. Th is serious tone in ments of postmodern men and postmod- holds a key to cultural preservation is, in all Beside Tmolus is Marsyas, whose face is with Pan, while Midas would win. Why might he participate in them suffer. slips into the mists of the past. superhero movies like “Zack Snyder’s Jus- ern ideologies. fairness, yet to be seen. Th ere is cause to be distorted since he continues to play his sports new ears as the contest, then? And further, another cinematic stone has tice League” may signal a kind of artistic Th at an artistic propensity should arise to wary, however. Th e concepts of moral con- flute. The figure to the far right is King punishment for poor Maybe Apollo sought to leave a lesson For Those Who Recognize the Divine been set on the strange and serious foun- evolution. Even if they are just entertain- dignify them by making them more repre- sequentialism are slipping with the times, taste. “Apollo as Victor Midas. According to the Prado Museum Over Pan,” 1637, by to those who would later think it wise This is not a call for us to attack those we dation of the temple being built up by a ment, there seems to be an attempt to cap- sentative of the way the world is perceived and the optimism that shines from an un- website, Apollo is pointing at King Midas Jacob Jordaens. Oil on to challenge the heavens. In Jordaens’s think are challenging the divine. This myth-starved multitude, who are yearning ture a poetic tone that aligns more with the is understandable—even laudable, in a cul- derstanding of objective truth, goodness, to give him donkey ears. Canvas, 70.8 inches by painting, Apollo is shown turning King kind of act would suggest that we are to elevate comic-strip pulp into a grand and form and function of classical myth. ture where cynicism is fashionable. Th e and beauty is getting harder to grasp. Good Manfredi was a late 16th and early 106.2 inches. Prado Midas’s ears to donkey ears. divine ourselves, a claim that is itself gorgeous postmodern mythology. problem is that the sickness of cynicism is and evil themselves are growing more con- 17th-century Italian painter and lead- Museum, Madrid. Is it the case that Apollo punishes King blasphemous. too advanced to depict heroes untouched fused in our mythology because they are But if we do possess a connection to the Why So Serious? by its creeping nihilism. Th is emptiness or more confused in our society. divine, and if we are to be worthy as hu- Th e self-important superhero fi lms of the shallowness is what sets our “mythology” Our mythology, insofar as we can claim man beings, shouldn’t we try to recognize last few years have left many asking the Traditionally, apart from even the most fatalist strains, one, refl ects our world. Entertainments and appreciate the divinity in things? question made famous by the late Heath mythical heroes are like the old Nordic chronicles of Ragnarok. like “Zack Snyder’s Justice League,” in Is it the case that we should spend more Ledger’s menacing, anything-but-funny Ancient myth, no matter how dark, has all their silly seriousness, are the closest time celebrating and encouraging an Joker: “Why so serious?” solemn types. Th ere is always been animated by a sort of divine thing that we have as a culture to the clas- appreciation of the heavens and the di- Th e motivation behind this trend of hope, which is a hard chord to strike in sa- sical myths, but they are emblematic of a vine, while leaving punishment to God? grounded and grueling seriousness—be- nothing lighthearted gas arising from societies where the divine world that has fallen short of the fullness Should we repopularize, encourage, and gun by Tim Burton’s “Batman” movies, about Heracles. Sigurd is forgotten. of truth, though it retains fragments of it. appreciate the moral lessons that are canonized by Christopher Nolan’s “Dark While these movies are fl ashy fun in spite prevalent in traditional stories concern- Knight” trilogy, and given even sharper is no wag either. Godless Heroes of their stern tones, like so many myths of ing divine things, so that we may once edges by Zack Snyder’s fi lms—is a desire Th e defect of the modern mythical world- old are, their aspiration to be more than again be worthy of our humanity? to make the superhero more realistic, more Beowulf is brutal. view, then, is that it is a defi cient worldview. cheap (or expensive) escapism is delightful relatable, more fl awed, and more psycho- Lancelot is a paradox While the old heroes were godlike and god- even if it is dubious. The traditional arts often contain spiritual logically divided. Struggling to fi ght crime fearing, the new heroes are godless, and When the world is pathetic, desire for the representations and symbols the mean- in a world where the line between good of imperfection. one may well consider whether a mythol- epic will be keen. When vice predominates, ings of which can be lost to our modern and evil is grayed, the hero is caught in the ogy is truly mythological if it fails to present men will grope for virtue. When heroism minds. In our series “Reaching Within: calamity of moral judgment. a holistic vision of reality. has lost its clarity, there will be a What Traditional Art Offers the Heart,” People have always established fi ctional Making Myth Meaningful A principal element in any my- struggle to depict heroes. And we interpret visual arts in ways that may archetypes to echo society and the souls Th e current tendency to depict the heroes thology is to encapsulate a com- For more these are issues to take seriously be morally insightful for us today. We do that make it up, and their mythologies of our culture more seriously may indi- prehensive philosophy by de- arts and culture because, after all, the human not assume to provide absolute answers to have always been diagnostic and didac- cate a traditional longing and its reac- lineating the relation between articles, visit race still needs to be saved. questions generations have wrestled with, tic. As such, they fervently seek answers tion, whether conscious or unconscious, the natural and the supernatu- TheEpochTimes. but hope that our questions will inspire to the cosmic questions arising from the to make our heroes more meaningful. If ral. In our time, the former has com Sean Fitzpatrick serves on the a reflective journey toward our becom- primal and mystical sensitivity of the hu- comic-book superheroes, however, are a swallowed up the latter to form faculty of Gregory the Great ing more authentic, compassionate, and man spirit. What are the secrets behind the contribution to the folklore of the human a new paganism that is more like Academy, a boarding school in courageous human beings. mysteries of nature? What is the purpose race, representing the ideals of the age, atheism. Th e creative result is the Elmhurst, Pa., where he teaches of life? How does man relate to the divine? there is cause for some concern. god-man—the superman—and the fi rst humanities. His writings on education, Eric Bess is a practicing representational Th ese are serious questions that deserve Th e Fantastic Four do not hold a candle catalog of heroes that are not heroic for be- literature, and culture have appeared in a artist and is a doctoral candidate at the serious consideration. to one Fionn mac Cumhaill, as Irish tales ing religious. number of journals including Crisis Mag- Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Traditionally, mythical heroes are sol- will tell. Compare the multiverse episodes Ours is not a mythology of gods and he- azine, Catholic Exchange, and the Imagi- Arts (IDSVA). emn types. Th ere is nothing lighthearted of Green Lantern to the Mesopotamian roes, but of hero-gods. Ours is a mythol- native Conservative. B810 | ARTS & CULTURE TUESDAY, WeekAPRIL 14, 6, 2021

PoPcorn and InsPIratIon Biopic About Self-Determination and Self-Reliance

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF SOnY PiCTURES RELEASinG Ian Kane self-indulgent. For example, there’s a humorous scene erendipity is astounding. I recently where Chris shows up at a run-down day- began watching a series of motiva- care center in Chinatown to drop off his tional videos, and once in a while son. The place is run by a Chinese woman they feature a black gentleman who speaks broken English and seems to with a distinctively deep voice, think that having the kids watch TV all Sbut I never see his name. One of the things day is educational. When he complains he says over and over is that you have to do about that, as well as that the daycare’s things yourself because the cavalry isn’t sign outside spells “Happiness” as “Hap- coming to save you. I kept wondering why pyness” (the film’s title), she responds in they’d intertwine his parts of the videos some fast-talking Cantonese, and we get with scenes from a movie featuring Will the gist of what she’s intimating. Smith and his son Jaden. Curious, I looked The more dramatic scenes are handled up Smith’s filmography (well, scoured equally well, such as when Chris and his through it, actually) and found out that the son get kicked out of their low-rent apart- film was titled “The Pursuit of Happyness.” ment and have to spend their nights I also discovered that it’s a biographical sleeping in a scummy (and dangerous) piece covering the rags-to-riches life of a subway bathroom. Despite their circum- man named Chris Gardner. stances, Chris’s ever-positive spirit rises And guess what! After watching the up: His destiny has been decided. to the occasion: He portrays the bath- film, I looked up Gardner and discovered But when Chris reveals his new dream room to his son as a cave where they’re that he was the man who has affected me to Linda, their divide ruptures and she hiding out from dangerous creatures. in all of those motivational videos. walks out on both her husband and their One of the things that I really appreci- son. Instead of wallowing in despair, ated about this film is that it never pulled an ambitious fire engulfs Chris, and out the tired and worn-out race card through much effort, he scores an in- found in so many movies that portray ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ ternship with a major brokerage firm. blacks struggling. Chris’s story simply However, there’s a catch: He’ll have (Top) Father and son Will and reveals that with inner fortitude and should compel many folks to not only survive but strive through Jaden Smith play father and son self-reliance, anybody can make it in this a six-month unpaid internship to earn in a story of a man working hard to great country, no matter where they’re to feel more than inspired. his shot at a paid position. He also has to achieve his dream. from on the socioeconomic spectrum. compete with other hungry interns. The actors’ performances were also (Above) Christopher (Jaden A New Dream Smith, L) and Chris Gardner (Will spectacular, with Smith turning in a riv- Helmed by director Gabriele Muccino, Hard Work and a Positive Attitude Smith) struggle to keep a roof over eting portrayal of Chris Gardner. Smith the film is set in San Francisco during The rest of the film covers his many their heads. never becomes overly dramatic to make the early 1980s. Salesman Chris Gardner ups and downs as he struggles to keep scenes feel impactful. Instead, he regis- (Will Smith) has invested virtually all of himself and his son from falling into ters subtle emotions in both his facial ex- his money in bone marrow scanners. He homelessness, and works his behind off ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ pressions and his body language. Smith’s lives with his wife, Linda (Thandie New- at the firm, while maintaining a positive son Jaden, as well as Thandie Newton, ton), and young son, Christopher (Jaden outlook about his slim prospects. Director were also excellent as his wiser-than-his- Smith). Through the opening scenes, we Much of the film features Chris run- Gabriele Muccino years son and angry ex, respectively. can see that Linda constantly nags Chris ning from place to place, either with his Starring “The Pursuit of Happyness” should Will Smith, Thandie Newton, and isn’t supportive of him in the least. son, a briefcase, or one of his devices, in Jaden Smith compel many folks to feel more than One day, Chris is walking the city the “pursuit” of happiness, both literally inspired. It’ll make you feel like you can streets to sell his medical devices when and figuratively. Running Time take on the world—and win. I think that’s 1 hour, 57 minutes he spies an elegant, red sports car. The This film has many outstanding scenes, a pretty good message to broadcast in car’s expensively suited driver steps out, some tragic and heartbreaking, and Rated today’s tumultuous and uncertain times. PG-13 and Chris spontaneously asks the man others heartfelt and inspirational. Of what his profession is. How can he afford course, there’s a little of that good old Release Date Ian Kane is a filmmaker and author such a vehicle? When the man replies Will Smith comedy sprinkled in to keep Dec. 15, 2006 (USA) based out of Los Angeles. To learn more, that he’s a stockbroker, Chris’s eyes light things from becoming overly serious or visit dreamflightent.com

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