Interpretations/ Thoughts on the film. Spiral Dynamics, anyone?
**spoiler alert**
Although this movie was tedious to sit through, I do not think it was altogether pointless...
OK, here's my personal take on the movie: I believe it is showing us a snapshot of a group of individuals WHO ARE AT A PARTICULAR LEVEL OF CONSCIOUSNESS (or spiritual growth).
Specifically, CTL gives the viewer a snapshot of youth gang culture and what it is like to be a part of a gang.
Here are some significant things to note:
1) There is a leader of the group who runs things in perfect dictatorial fashion. He bosses his underlings around and does whatever he pleases without taking into account how others feel.
2) The leader is eventually toppled and his dictatorial end comes to a rule quite abruptly. He pays for his misdeeds. That's karma for you. Whatever you put out into the universe is what you get back and this dude really had it coming to him.
3) Chauvinistic attitudes towards women. The leader of the group does not recognize the dignity and worth of women. He sees them as mere sex objects to be toyed with and tossed away on a whim.
4) The drive for power. This theme is quite central to the film. The leader is not benign or just. He has a lust for power and control and takes every chance he gets to assert his power over others.
5) Quest for revenge. The leader is fueled with fury for the misdeeds committed against his kin (Jamal). His honour has been affronted and he is determined to make things right. What happened to Jamal is interpreted by the leader as a personal attack on him. He is not able to look at his issue with detachment or an open mind.
6) Violence. The leader does not know how to resolve his problems by communicating using language in a calm, cool, and collected manner. He sees violence as the only way to solve his problems. This is because he is not at the level of spiritual maturity where he knows how to effectively and non-violently express himself.
7) Lack of forgiveness: The leader has no concept of forgiveness. He cannot let go of his grudge against Sebastian. He is conditioned by pure vengeance.
I don't know if anyone has heard of Spiral Dynamics. It's essentially a theory about human development. There are about 7 to 8 phases of human evolution. Each phase is associated with a particular colour as well as a particular set of values, beliefs, collectively referred to as a "meme". These kids' behaviour/ attitude would fall under the RED meme.
I copied and pasted the next bit from http://themagicofbeing.squarespace.com/spiral-dynamics/. You have to understand the whole article to get it... But this what the movie is trying to show: what life is like when one is at a particular level of consciousness. And it's not a good or bad thing. It's a part of human evolution and we all go through it.
K, that's my two-cents. Thanks for reading!
P.S.: If you want to find out what Spiral Dynamics is all about, check out this link to a PDF document on the subject. Really detailed and informative. Enjoy!
www.mcs-international.org/downloads/046_spiraldynamics_wie.pdf‎
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EXCERPT FROM http://themagicofbeing.squarespace.com/spiral-dynamics/:
"Red emerged in response to the order and security that was created by Purple; it was the first showing of the individual ego, distinct from the collective identity of the tribe. These individuals stood out both positively and negatively, being heroic and rebellious, impulsive and risk-taking, explorative and hedonistic. Red believes very much in the law of the jungle; it is dangerous out there and we need the strong Red individuals to protect us. This leads to feudalism where peasantry exchange their labour for protection.
Red leaders might even get to the stage at which they begin to deify themselves. Red Roman, Chinese and Japanese emperors all saw or portrayed themselves as gods, and English Kings and Queens saw themselves touched by divinity until relatively recently. The saying that power corrupts and that absolute power corrupts absolutely could have been written for Reds, who often wield their power mercilessly and can become irrational megalomaniacs. Red leaders often employ dependent administrative elite to enforce their orders.
At an individual level we will experience Red as toddler tantrums and teenage rebellion. We may also have access to Red when we need to use aggression to protect our patch. Red is hedonistic, maximising the immediate pleasure with little thought of the personal or wider consequences. Binge drinkers and ruthless hierarchy, such as that in Maoist China or Gangsterism, are Red. Red is another response to disaster; as social norms break down, there are those who take the opportunity to create a new ‘Red’ order. A Blue government is well placed to crack down on an outburst of Red, but an Orange or Green government might find it more difficult.
Today, Red represents about 20% of the adult population and about 5% of the influence."
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There's only one instant, and it's right now. And it's eternity.
- Waking Life