Film, Literature, & the Human Condition

Not many people would consider a comic strip to be literature, but I must confess that I do, in particular, the body of work by a Mr. Charles M. Schulz. Literature is simply works of the creative imagination, works that give us pause, make us think, and break our hearts. There are many ways to break someones heart, but the pure, unadulterated statements Mr. Schulz makes about humanity through his characters are enigmatically powerful. We begin reading the panel unsuspecting of how we will feel by the end of it. That these characters are children, and these children are so articulate and profound about human sadness, is a statement on its own. It discusses very intense themes, such as loneliness, isolation, melancholy, unrequited love, and infuses them with a lightness and laughter that somehow illuminates the bitterness of life. Peanuts is not simply a comic strip, it is one of the most thoughtful works of art ever created. (continue reading…)

Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List is an ode to mankind. It unfolds before your eyes without any tricks up its sleeve, no sudden jerks in John Williams’ beautiful score or dramatic crane shots. The film is timeless and pure, shot with a documentary style that makes it both edgy and beautiful, paying deep respect to its disturbing subject matter and making a statement about the most deplorable episodes of man’s inhumanity against man. But Steven Spielberg does something more than just dishearten the human spirit by portraying these abominable events, he avows us by illustrating relentless compassion and benevolence within the snowstorm of brutality and heartlessness. Above all, he shows it to us rather than tells it to us. As the director, he is invisible, but you can see his footprints in the film’s esoteric restraint and discerning regard for the great significance of the Holocaust. (continue reading…)