Movie Review
Two great films last year, American Beauty and the Fight Club speak to the angst of the American male. Their message transcends the now all-too-familiar plight illuminated by the men's movement of the '80s in which stereotypes, cultural standards, and beliefs handed down to the generations have left man feeling helpless and oppressed instead empowered and potent. The statements posed by these films can be re-framed to reveal the more powerful question: are their new ways of behaving for men in the 21st century? In fact, one of the most heartening aspects of these movies is that men are not alone as lost souls. Both men and women are portrayed as having slipped out of the path of meaningless aspirations and vacant meanings for success. However, both movies focus more desire for men to break out of the cookie-cutter experience of a tasteless life.
In American beauty, Kevin Spacey to discards his mediocre job and refuses to indulge in his beauty-struck, incredibly shallow life for more important things-whacking off in the shower and bolting up to appeal to his daughter's cheerleading friend. One could argue that these activities are not what great minds are made of. That's not the point. Breaking through to the truth of his analogy and the hopelessness of his exististance brings him joy and power and finally some sort of real connection with people-his teenage daughter and homophobic next-door neighbor.
In the Fight Club, Edward Norton finds a connection to his feelings in his body in a vibrant relationship with another human being-Brad Pit in this case - by beating and being beaten in the human version of cockfights. The movie goes far beyond that - incredible sexual exploits, fantastical forms of indiscriminate brutality, devotional longing for guidance and direction - but the core remains a search for the underbelly of the lkia-saturated life that we pretend is fulfilling, for something, anything else. Who can deny that the taste of a bloody lip is more exciting than watching "Who Wants to be a Millionaire". I left to changed from this movie in a similar disturbing and profound way that I was changed from experiencing A Clockwork Orange many years ago. Like the Shaman's journey into and through the demonic and ugliest aspects of our lives, there's something to be said for courageously playing with our guts on the outside. Of course, we leave the violence and harmful (s)exploitation as a state of mind rather than a way of being.
Interestingly enough, both movies (and several others I have seen recently such as the talented Mr. Ripley) have male characters who fall in love (or under the spell) with other males and in a way that honors into passion what male relationships bring to our lives.
By Doug Engel