civilization and its discongruities

Janna and I saw Mad Hot Ballroom Saturday afternoon. Accurately described as a cross between Spellbound and Strictly Ballroom it was obviously meant to tug at the heart strings. However, it was more than just an introduction into the unique and interesting world of a particular kind of adolescent geek, and it was more than a dancing movie. Rather, it was a movie about the battle for civility. As one of the principals pointed out, the dance program was not merely teaching the children about dance but, "manners,...life; it's everything."


Of course, the intriguing part of the movie to me was the construction of a moral universe for these not-even adolescents. There was the ever delicate balance between demanding excellence and encouraging emotional competency. Of course, the two shouldn't necessarily be mutually exclusive, as I believe most of the teachers in the film displayed. In fact, the film beautifully demonstrates that the classroom must be a moderately stressful environment. It needs to teach kids how to accomplish goals, yet not overwhelm them with their failures and frustrations.
In effect, this film is about education in the most basic sense of the word, leading children out of ignorance and depravity towards knowledge and virtue. This same theme showed up in the movie we saw at The Jefferson tonight, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou. I thought the basic theme of the movie is the recognition of morality and its intergenerational dynamics.
Now, don't get me wrong, I think Wes Anderson did a much better job with Rushmore and possibly The Royal Tenenbaums. However, I felt like there was an almost allegorical clavis to be found in this movie more than his others.


Here's my thesis, feel free to tell me I'm full of **it. The intergenerational interaction between Steve and his many "sons" in the movie is intended to be understood at a human emotional level, but also as a metaphor for Western culture as it transitions from the last "modern" generation of the Baby Boom, to the "post-modern" Generation X. In the "modern" era, people believed in vague notions of "progress" and "science," which were often merely self-righteous romantic fantasies. However, this "modern" morality preferred to speak of social justice rather than personal responsibility. This process, somewhat paradoxically, was conducted by becoming extremely sensitive to one's own emotions (i.e. Steve Zissou) to a certain degree of self-righteousness. However, as the dark and destructive side of this swaggering new social morality became more apparent, our culture has awakened to the necessity of instilling individual moral values in youth.
Now, please don't take this clavis too seriously, however, I believe certain things and characters in this film represent greater ideas and generations in society. I believe that the Belafonte represents the sort of communal (planned) economics which reached its ideological zenith in the 1970s and saw the beginning of its demise under the Reagans and Thatchers of the world. Hennessey and his ship represent the opposite--the kind of market forces which are running the world more and more these days. These can be in the difference between the ancient, constantly failing equipment of the Belafonte, and the new gleaming outfitting of the Hennessey.
Steve, Eleanor, and the rest of the old team represent the Baby Boom generation, whereas Ned, Jane, the Interns and Klaus's nephew represent Generation X and beyond. The pirates possibly represent the forces fighting against colonialism in the Cold War period.
The scene which holds this whole thesis together is the scene on the deck, where part of the the Interns and Anne-Marie (the stripper) decide to leave the Belafonte and Zissou behind. Of course, this is an interesting moral dilemma. It is due to Steve's immoral and selfish behavior that he has gotten himself into such trouble. Therefore, these conscientious objectors are within their moral rights to leave the crew behind. However, those that stay are also demonstrating the moral values of courage and loyalty. Therefore at this point, there is a moral choice to be made, and no one in the film can escape it, although they all, in some way, make a "good" decision.
The crisis of the film is the loss of Esteban, who of course is a father figure to Zissou and possibly represents the so-called "greatest generation." The moral vacuum left by his death, of course, is the conflict of the movie. At the end of the film, Steve comes to grips with the fact that he is a father, however, as hinted, possibly not a biological one. He understands the moral nature of this situation, and carries Klaus's nephew on his shoulders in an allegorical way of picking up this ethical burden. In fact, Jane's struggle to stop swearing, smoking, and drinking throughout the film demonstrate this theme.
As society became increasingly "modernized" by technology in the 20th century, some believed that we could do away with individual morality entirely--that it could be replaced by pills, machines, and science. However, in the 21st century, we realize that human beings must be moral or civil society is destroyed. It is this struggle for civility that defines our times.
Well, there was more than a healthy dose of bull$ђ!+ in this post, but these are my thoughts and this is my own đ@мŋ blog. Peace.

Okay, once I went to bed last night, I asked myself, "What does the Jaguar Shark represent in your schema?" Well, the answer came to me like a thunderbolt--the knowledge of good and evil, life and death. It represents the absolute kind of truth that we are all going to bump up against more or less rudely throughout our lives. People fail us; they are weak, and then, they die. This knowledge of this truth is what the Jaguar Shark represents.
And yes, it is impossible for me to stop thinking like a teacher...ever. Di immortales!