Monday, March 16, 2009

Timing is Everything


Redbuds washed out of the trees over the weekend.

I sit around, or walk around, and think. My brain twitches, my brows knit, I wonder about truth. I contemplate the idea of a pervasive divine truth underlying all my human stories but I'm not sure whether that, too, is a construct of my storytelling. I pull a face. Passersby steer a wide path around me. Sometimes I'm like a German expressionist movie.

Don't get me wrong - I love all my intellectual exertions, but really, for heaven's sake.

One of my core "truths", should say core stories, is that the multiverse has a sublime sense of humor. When I opened the netflix packet last night after work, to my total delight, the movie inside was the amazing Kurosawa film Roshomon. The movie is the story of a murder told by three people. Three distinct truths, three different stories. Everyone is confused, you never figure out what "really" happened. Oh yeah.

If you've never seen the film, by all means put it on your netflix list. Warning: there are no car chases, nothing blows up, no naked women, in fact, no babes at all in the movie (except the young, raw and beautiful Toshiro Mifune as the "notorious bandit everyone talks about.") Actually, there is one babe, but she's behind a veil. The pacing is slow compared to American action films. Akira let you take it all in, which is spectacular in so many ways. Roshomon is the perfect after-work entertainment for She Who Frets About Truth. Thanks to all the gods of synchronicity. Thank you so much!

22 comments:

Unknown said...

i really like multiverse as opposed to universe.....profound x

Elizabeth said...

Yes, indeed. Truth is a very elusive and subjective thing.
I'm always very wary of those who think they have all the answers.
India was amazing and difficult too.
You wrote you went to the floating palace in Udaipur....magic indeed.

Reya Mellicker said...

India is amazing and difficult - a country of paradox. Glad you're home safe and sound.

Lisa - multiverse, yes! First heard the term from my friend Donald Engstrom, a shaman. The physicists love calling it a multiverse, too. yes!

Hilarywho said...

Great term: multiverse. I haven't seen the movie Roshomon, but have seen the play based on it. How funny that it arrived for you just while you were contemplating truth!

tut-tut said...

I haven't heard that term "multiverse" before. I'll be looking out for some more to read about it.

Those redbud blossoms in you photograph--just amazing.

Larry said...

You live in a much more Southern climatic zone than I do, Reya! The redbuds in northern Missouri are just now awakening -- stretching, muttering to themselves, and thinking about expanding their flower buds. I love your DC photos!

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Reya, I believe I said something about there being no such thing as a coincidence. You're right. Timing is everything.

Tess Kincaid said...

I've been wanting to see this film for quite some time. It's added to the queue!

Tessa said...

The Rashomon effect or, more commonly, Chinese whispers. The game fascinated me as a child.

David said...

My favorite narrative voice in novels is that of the first person unreliable narrator. If done right, these sometimes make for the most interesting stories.

Steve Reed said...

Our redbud hasn't bloomed yet!

I liked Rashomon, though I forgot that we don't ever find out quite what happened. I thought we got some resolution at the end. Maybe I need to watch it again! (It's been a while.)

It's human habit to look for truth, when really it's right here all the time, in every breath and every footstep and everywhere our eyes happen to glance. You know? No searching involved!

Mrsupole said...

It just goes back to the truth is elusive and subjective.

Great redbud blossom pictures. Just fantastic. Seriously spring is in the air. Cannot wait. But some more rain here in CA would be even better. Just loved the picture. Will have to see the movie again. Truth is eternal.

God bless.

Unknown said...

Once again a terrific post. I like the term multiverse. Yes it does seem like truth is a very subjective thing. We each have our own perseptions and how we see things affects our idea of truth.

Reya Mellicker said...

How perfect, Steve, that you and I have different memories of the film.

Rothko, some of your coolest posts do just that - narrate a probably not exactly "accurate" reality.

Mrsupole - Hoping you get more rain in California before the season ends. let it rain!

Kathi said...

Me thinketh you thinketh too much Reya.
Love the red buds on the red car...

Ronda Laveen said...

My Redbud is outside of my bedroom window. In upper no. Cali, no blossoms yet. Amazing! I would have thought that mine would have been in bloom b4 D.C.

If it had been in bloom, it would have washed away the last couple of days in the torrential down pours. Not complaining...we are in desparate need.

I love Redbud.

A Cuban In London said...

'Sometimes I'm like a German expressionist movie'.

I almost stopped reading there. My sides! I'm still aching. Anyway, we fret, don't we, dear? That's the price we pay so being rational human beings. Beautiful post and I used to be a fan of Toshiro Mifune's movies.

Greetings from London.

Reya Mellicker said...

Cuban in London? Oh yeah! Glad I made you laugh. I laughed when I wrote it, mostly because it's so true!

suezoos1 said...

One of my favorite movies..

Unknown said...

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jgm said...

the picture of the flowers is awesome - great angle!