Last week my wife and I watched two movies that got me thinking: Seven Samurai and Superman Returns. Though I had seen Seven Samurai before, I enjoyed it anew. Though I couldn't really enjoy Superman due to various reasons, I found Bryan Singer's direction to be on par with his other productions. Certain portions of the script really stood out as being exceptions to the mundane rules of Hollywood.

In the end of Seven Samurai one of the characters waxes philosophical about who won and who lost. Death was present on all three sides of the battle. Farmers, bandits, and samurai all perished by the sword. By the way, I'm including spoilers. He declares that he had lost, despite surviving the terific battle. The subtleties of the scene were not lost on me.

We went back to watch the end again with the commentary turned engaged. Though Kurosawa was not the voice, a notable critic was relating how many critics in '54 had spoken unfavorably of Kurosawa's movies. Kurosawa made beautiful movies many critics couldn't help but criticize. In the end, his views, his imagery, and his storytelling are all beautifully sealed in his work to stand the test of time and the unsteady temperment of generations of critics. Like so many enigmatic figures, his detractors have been many and his work has been analyzed, deconstructed, and sometimes condemned.

Many inspired works and noble actions have only met with scorn, disdain, and criticism. Though I'd like to take the moral high ground here, I too am guilty of criticism. It is so easy to find fault with the work of others and so difficult to really create great work, or even recognize beauty when it blossoms.

What I enjoyed about Superman was not the action sequences or the spectacle of the story, but the sublime metaphors woven throughout the film. Some critics have said what was sublime to me was actually heavy-handed, but what do they know?
;-)

In a world with many competing views and never-ending wars of words causing tumults of opinions, finding sparks of truth is pleasant, despite so many reasons to suspend disbelief. It is my hope more of us find the truth hidden within the world. Regardless of whether it is in a movie, a blog post, or kind words from strangers we may meet on the street, I believe the truth is out there. Nothing is more uplifting to the hearts of men and women than doing what is right. Superman didn't teach me that, but he was evidently sent to the movie earth to remind each of us of that principle.