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This is a really fun, insightful film about spiritual existential searching. It presents things from both sides- the Plato side (played, not surprisingly by the sexy French actress Isabelle Hupert) and the Winn side (played, not surprisingly, by the short and funny Dustin Hoffman). The parallels aren’t perfect, but they are there.
The write/director of the film is a Zennist and a former activist, and so isn’t just making a movie, but is creating a world to explore the spiritual side. He doesn’t take dogmatic lines (doesn’t even show meditation as meditation). Actually, its more at the psychotherapeutic end of things, but that idea is also rejected in the movie with a few punches.
The director’s commentary is good, goes deeper, and isn’t just about how “good” is some actor.
Enjoy!
chrisI really Huckabees. Though I’m not sure the parallels are between Winn vs Plato are accurrate. I don’t think Plato would want to be in the amoral/Nihilist camp.
The whole VS. thing gets ridiculous. Mostly there is no real conflict. It seems to me they are arguing over which order to do things. Work on deep no mind stuff first, then let the energy come on its own. Or work on energy stuff and let the no mind later. Truth is they’re not mutually exclusive. You can and probably should do both at the same time.
Its not like you do energy work 24/7. To me there is room for both. They compliment each other.
A good movie that was on last night was ‘Big Fish’. It has the same existential vibe as Huckabees.
Peace
Michael
p.s. apologies to vegetarians
I agree that you can do both, and the main character thought you could do both too. But, remember that the French woman got angry at him for doing both approaches. And, at the end he helps get the French woman back working together with the Americans. Again, the alternation between together and apart, together and apart.
The nihilism part of the French woman is somewhat like Plato – her approach was the fairly blunt and simple approach of showing meaninglessness of physical existence, not using it as a tool to learn. In Plato’s Buddhist guise he takes a similar approach of – just meditate and don’t get caught up in the body.
The parallels aren’t great, but while watching the movie I kept being reminded of “the debate”.
I loved “Big Fish”, though I found it a bit more sentimental than existential.
Chris
l> Work on deep no mind stuff first, then let the energy come on its own. Or work on energy stuff and let the no mind later. Truth is they’re not mutually exclusive. You can and probably should do both at the same time. >
Namo guru daka dakini yeh!
O all-pervading Heruka and your mandala of bliss,
O Tilopa, also known as the sublimely wise Jnanabhadra
Who took the insight of ecstasy and void to its limits,
And Naropa, an emodiment of Chakrasamvara:
I request you, bestow blessings, that we may achive
The wisdom of ecstasy and void conjoined.– Seventh Dalai Lama
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