Tuesday, April 11, 2006

V2

Great art is often a matter of multiple interpretations.

Round 2 with V for Vendetta this weekend. This time around with my deep thinking, great friend Bo. Bo grew up under Communist Europe, he's also one of those super intelligent, open your eyes types so I was real curious to know what his take would be. Did he like it? Yes. Would he see it again? Yes. Just one problem...

What does it prove? What can one person really do to change a society?

My initial reaction, disagreement. Yet chat some more, dig a bit deeper and it's clear. Bo saw the V as a person. I saw V as an idea. Bo sees Communist Europe. I see a future America. Each perspective follows its natural course to radically different results. A person in Communist Europe changing society? Not likely says Bo. But an idea in a future America? Who knows, says Clif...

Same film. Multiple interpretations. Great stuff.

We are told to remember the idea, not the man. Because a man can fail. He can be killed. But four hundred years later an idea can still change the world. I've witnessed firsthand the power of ideas. I've seen people kill in the name of them; and die defending them. But you cannot touch an idea, cannot hold it or kiss it. An idea does not feel pain, it cannot bleed, and it does not love.

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