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Nadine Feldman, Author

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Madonna

Metropolis: The Movie

April 24, 2012 by admin

Remember way back when Madonna was still cool and she made the video “Express Yourself“? The grim images of workers slaving away in dark rooms in an expansive city were an homage to Metropolis, a silent film made in the 20s in Germany. A cinematic masterpiece, the special effects of Metropolis remain stunning 85 years later. What Madonna didn’t know was that years later, in 2008, lost footage of the film would be found in Argentina, allowing a more complete restoration. It was this version, accompanied by a live three-piece orchestra, The Alloy, that I had the pleasure of viewing at the Rose Theatre in Port Townsend.

Metropolis paints a dystopian picture that is relevant to today’s politics. A class system has workers devalued and living underground while the upper class lived and played without a care. Sound familiar? One blog, moviediva, examines the movie in the context of Germany of the 20s, with a severe depression that ultimately led to the rise of the Nazi party. It’s an interesting read. Unfortunately, unlike the benign and helpful “mediator” who was sought in the story (a savior archetype), the Germans ended up with Hitler.

From a personal standpoint, Metropolis can also represent the inner journey. The son of the aristocrat has a Buddha-like awakening while frolicking in his garden, when he is unexpectedly exposed to a group of impoverished children. Awakened to suffering, his personal journey takes him to the depths of the workers’ city, even becoming a worker himself — and in his personal growth, has the potential to change the world. I write a lot here about overcoming inner struggles, and this includes traveling to the greatest depths of our being in order to triumph.

One of the memorable characters in Metropolis is Marie, who is encouraging faith among the workers. The same actress plays another role in the movie, that of a robot made in her image to trick the workers. She follows instructions to incite them to violence; unfortunately for the workers, they do not realize that in their rebellion, they risk destroying themselves. The robot invites references to the Whore of Babylon, and perhaps can be relevant today in terms of the myth of woman as destructive temptress.

The tagline of the movie is “The mediator between the head and the hands must be the heart.” Though dismissed later by Lang himself as being silly, I think it’s true for all of us — as individuals and, collectively, as a society.

I’m unclear as to how Metropolis plays into the narrative in Madonna’s video, but oh, well. It was fun to watch it again with a greater understanding of the Metropolis references…and to tap my toes a bit.

Filed Under: movies, politics Tagged With: Express Yourself, Fritz Lang, Madonna, Metropolis, moviediva, movies, silent films

We Wanted An Angel

February 15, 2012 by admin

She had the face of an angel and the voice of an angel. Whitney Houston leaves behind a daughter and a breathtaking musical legacy. Like Judy Garland, Edith Piaf, and many others before her, she also leaves behind the debris of an addicted life.

A cacophony of criticizing, judgmental voices has already arisen on the Internet. Gossips chat gleefully about her last hours. All eyes are on Bobby Brown, considered by many to be the villain of the piece. Even young Bobbi Kristina hasn’t escaped unscathed, and she’s just a teenaged girl whose mom just died!

Welcome to our celebrity culture. We put people on pedestals so we can get a better view of them when we shoot our rifles of judgment at them. We expect our celebrities to be something beyond human. We buy their records or watch their movies and somehow start to believe that we own them. We need to know every bit of their business and then comment on it. On Monday, while at the grocery store, I heard two employees complaining about the choice of Jennifer Hudson to sing the Whitney tribute at the Grammys. J-Hud, in her recent book, describes some of the hurtful comments she’s received because she lost 80 pounds and got healthy! Apparently we’ve already moved on to the next target!

Then there are the celebs who refuse to play by the scripts we have handed them. Angelina and Madonna keep creating, keep growing as artists, despite the roar of the judging crowd. After the Super Bowl, Madonna was described by some as an “arthritic grandmother” who could no longer handle the rigors of long dance routines. I saw that same performance, and the only problem I saw was her shoes! I think the heels were causing Girlfriend some problems. These women keep going, no matter what, and they have learned to ignore our opinions about them. That causes some to shoot even more, spreading outright lies to try to “get” to them.

After we tear them down, we hope for redemption. On the same weekend that Whitney Houston died, we honored Glen Campbell for his contributions to the music industry, and we are touched by this man’s dignity as he fades into the sunset of Alzheimer’s but is enjoying his final performances. Campbell, too, struggled with alcoholism and addiction, and it’s possible that those years of abuse contributed to his illness. But we love a good comeback story, don’t we? Tear ’em down, then build ’em back up again.

People often think that celebrities, with all their money, are immune to problems and challenges. We don’t know what started Whitney on her road to addiction. It could have been something as simple as taking a sleeping pill. For some, it’s taking that very first drink — some alcoholics are addicted from that very moment. There’s a lot we still don’t know about brain chemistry and addiction, but to criticize an addict for being addicted makes no sense.  Addiction is not a character flaw. It is much, much more complicated than that.

If you don’t understand this, stop eating sugar or drinking coffee for thirty days and see how that works for you.

She sang like an angel and looked like an angel, and we wanted her to be one so we wouldn’t have to be. When she showed us that she was all too human, we disapproved. We expected more from her than we do of ourselves. Would you like to live with that kind of pressure?

We will never know the truth of Whitney’s end. I am sad that she never saw her 50s and all the good that comes from maturing. I am sad that her daughter must live without a mother. I am sad that we understand so little about addiction. I am sad that we will never hear new material from a remarkable and talented artist. Mostly, I am sad that we wanted an angel instead of accepting that she was just like us — with joys, sorrows, talents, and troubles. She was human.

Filed Under: health, Life Changes, women Tagged With: addiction, alcoholism, Angelina, celebrity culture, Edith Piaf, Glen Campbell, Jennifer Hudson, Madonna, Whitney Houston

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