OK, but what it does is model a way of being ... George Lakoff ( anyone can benefit from reading his books, they are truly brilliant, like "The Political Brain" ).
In this movie what Lakoff calls the "strict father mentality". Pretty much like what I said ... I don't express it as well as Lakoff. This is why this is set in a very old and Conservative part of the US, and it is all very toned down, almost black and white, no bright colors in this movie.
There is also the ever-present presence of religion. There is so much to this it's impossible to transmit in a single post. But it means there are people that society believes are hopeless, and Lee is a model of this. We think Lee is a good guy, because he accepts society's condemnation of himself, internally. This is what overrides all of Lees failures, because inside he is moral because he knows he is a loser and there is nothing he can do about it but wait til he dies.
The other side of this Conservative Morality is the Progressive Morality Lakoff calls the "Nurturing Parent" ... that is parent, male or female, not father - meaning patriarchal power. Nurturing parent would have made a movie that somehow shows a character arc of Lee and his relationship to redemption, with the help of society, friends, etc.
The one flash of the "nurturing parent" was when his ex-wife tried to ease his conscience and tell him sorry. But Lee has already internalized his guilt and shame and cannot see past it. Now, I think what Lee feels is completely understandable. I don't think his character in the movie makes sense, but he resonates with all of us. If you notice there are times in the movie where there are a few colors, and yellow is prevalent at certain times, and other times it is almost black and white. To me the message should have been you cannot let someone like Lee fade away and die, and that is what surely happens. As they say, it takes a village. Lee was doing the right thing, and yet he had people who cared about him and that big gulf was to me the center of the movie.
The Strict Father mentality reinforces a conservative or traditional power hierarchy, that leaves out women, children, minorities, and only recognizes one way. Anyway, the thesis is pretty fascinating.
reply
share
Incandenza (32)
8 years ago
I see what you mean now. Those are some interesting points, and thank you for giving examples.
Society definitely seems to be walking in that direction, maybe because the people who have the power have the most influence and they need that kind of thinking to justify their positions.
I can't say I noticed it in this film, and it's always tricky to state whether the film is supporting or criticizing what it shows on screen, but it's certainly true that the real intention often has no bearing on its effects (like anti-war movies still functioning as pro-war propaganda; the effect of story telling in this powerful medium, I think).
reply
share