So what are my other favorite movies?
American Beauty
Dr. Strangelove
Field of Dreams
Hanna and Her Sisters
Life is Beautiful
Schindler's List
Star Wars, Episode IV and Episode I
Though they certainly span the decades (nothing in this century yet though), there are some common threads - both obvious and more deep. Obviously there are two Italian films, two about concentration camps, five use black and white, and they are generally serious, witty, and often dark. More deeply, they are studies in contrast - always for me the most attractive form of art. The generally share themes of self-actualization in the face of adversity, determination, and penance.
The most common thread is most clearly spelled out in Star Wars - the struggle of good and evil, the battle for the human soul, in short Joseph Campbell's (and Jung's) Hero's Journey, on which Star Wars is based. I'm always surprised by how few people appreciate this most popular movie as a rendering of mythical themes. Distracted by the special effects, I guess.
Speaking of Campbell, I retold again this week my favorite Campbell quote (I'm pretty sure I first heard it in The Power of Myth):
If you follow you bliss, doors will open for you that would not have open otherwise, and that would not have opened for anyone else.
The Yoga I practice I learned from Ananda Marga, which literally means "The Path of Bliss," and this is just the bliss that Campbell is talking about, as he was a Yogi at heart. People can, of course, learn their true nature from many paths. Isn't it funny that when they do, and they act on it, they start knocking down doors that they hadn't even seen before? I can guarantee that if you do honestly practice quietude and meditation you will uncover that steady hum that lies within us all.
