A Tale of Two Angels: Painful Past and Precious Present by Haley Ecker

Sun or moon. Black or white. Rain or shine. Day or night. These are all opposites, describing two polar ends of specific spectrums involving color, nature, space, and time. These are all broad gestalts, but it is because of their major differences that we often are forced to choose between the two poles. We recognize that there are mediums between these poles, being noon, the color grey, a clear night sky, and an overcast day. It is the choice between the two poles; however, that choice encourages us to look at the middle.

Wim Wenders introduces two figures in The Wings of Desire that represent two other poles: present and past. Damiel and Cassiel are two angels that overlook the residents of a Berlin Wall-divided Germany. After watching and listening to the hopes and dreams of a melancholic trapeze artist, Damiel begins to consider trading his immortality for a regular life amongst the rest of the humans that he and Cassiel watch over. Cassiel does not share this same desire to trade in his immortality and debates Damiel about the worth of becoming human in the context of all the tragedies they have had to witness. Wenders uses the angels to represent two sides of humanity, with Damiel being the incarnation for hope and love for the present and Cassiel being the depiction of humanity’s disdain and constant looking-over-the-shoulder-motion toward the past. With these two contrasts, Wenders is able to demonstrate how living in the moment, rather than staying in the past, is what helps to bring about a full, meaningful life.

           

The core difference in the fundamentals of the two angels can be seen in the people they choose to interact with. Damiel, our angel of the precious present, is often seen watching over smiling young children such as a young girl coloring on an airplane (Wenders, 00:04:12) and another girl sitting next to him at the circus (Wenders, 00:56:58). Both children appear to acknowledge his presence and smile at him as if they can actually see him, despite the fact that the angels are not typically seen with the naked eye. Cassiel, on the other hand, is viewed less often with smiling children and more so with somber adults reminiscing about the misery of the past, such as Homer, an old man who recollects about how Berlin used to look prior to World War II and the rise of the Berlin Wall (Wenders, 00:42:11).

While the elderly people Cassiel follows focus more on the past perils of Berlin, the children Damiel watches tend to focus more on playing games and being entertained. These kids are too preoccupied living in the moment to worry about the past. There is some purity in that only the children notice the angels’ presence – they lack a closed off imagination and desire to dwell on the past. This is analogous to those who can appreciate life’s beauty and those who cannot. The children do not know as much pain as the elderly since they have yet to experience any real tragedies. Ariana Farajollah best describes this idea in her blog post on Taking Giants Steps Press, stating that “the children, not yet corrupted by the limits of the rational mind, easily sense the comfort emitted by Damiel” (Farajollah, par. 7). Although naive, there is something simply beautiful about this; the children still have hopes and dreams to fill and are able to be in the present. 

           

Damiel is more interested in objects in the moment and entranced by the normalcy of human life. This is why he chooses to surround himself with happy, young children rather than the same depressed folks that Cassiel watches. In fact, when Damiel invites Cassiel to watch the circus discussed earlier, he is seen moving further away from Damiel and the kids as opposed to getting closer to the lively show (Wenders, 0:56:58). He appears significantly less excited to watch the performance and be around the youthful children than Damiel does. Instead of following and watching Homer with Cassiel, Damiel imagines twirling around a pen with his fingers in Homer’s library (Wenders, 0:19:44). He studies the pen as Cassiel listens to Homer think about how much Berlin has changed. As observed in how he watches Homer from the upper level of the library, Cassiel constantly distances himself from humans. Damiel, on the other hand, is willing to walk alongside the humans and get close to them. This distancing from the present is representative of how we humans tend to distance ourselves from the moment. Wenders uses a constantly “drifting camera” to further establish Cassiel’s distance from the present (Singer, par. 7). Once Damiel becomes human, the audience gets less of a bird’s eye view and more of a “dynamic, street-level” look at the present alongside Damiel (Singer, par. 7).

          

The difference between Damiel and Cassiel is ever more apparent through Wenders’s use of color. For the majority of the film, the viewers see through the monochromatic lens of the angels. Henri Alekan, the cinematographer of Wings of Desire, is responsible for this artistic decision, as the “sepia-tinged black-and-white imagery [depicts] the angels’ muted vision of the world. Ironically, [Alekan’s] rich, creamy monochrome might appear too gorgeously tactile for the angels’ non-sensory world” (Singer, par. 5). This observation makes sense because the only times the screen flips to vibrant color is when Damiel gets physically closer to Marion, the somber trapeze artist from the circus (Wenders, 00:35:17), and when he eventually becomes human (Wenders, 01:31:38). This never happens to Cassiel, however. In fact, when Damiel firmly admits his desires for becoming human, he and Cassiel turn around and notice that there is only one set of footprints behind them now (Wenders, 01:31:28). This is emblematic of Damiel’s transformation. The footprints and color of Damiel’s new life are representative of how life becomes more vibrant when one chooses to live in the moment. Cassiel’s constant black-and-white lens harkens back to how old Hollywood films use to only be in black and white. Like these old movies, Cassiel is still looking back instead of looking forward, following around old remnants of Berlin, and continuously recollecting on the people and scenarios he witnessed centuries ago.

           

It is those who tend to look toward the past rather than live in the present that live some of the most painful lives around. Both Cassiel and Damiel deal with individuals near death in the film. While Damiel chooses to comfort a victim of a crash through reaching out and petting his head (Wenders, 00:36:30), Cassiel tries to prevent a man from jumping off the top of a building. Damiel does not intervene from the impending death of the person he is with. Cassiel, however, completely tries to use his powers to get the person he is observing to not jump off the roof. He tries so hard to prevent this tragedy from occurring that when the man does jump, Cassiel screams in anguish at the top of his lungs (Wenders, 01:09:00). This is the only time in the entire film where Cassiel appears to show any emotion. He is upset because he had to witness someone willingly throw away their life. His reaction leads one to question whether this is the first time he has had to witness such a harrowing event. Cassiel takes a more preventative approach rather than just letting things happen naturally, as his counterpart would. While it is sad watching a person take their own life, this situation shows how we cannot always prevent the past from reoccurring or the present from occurring. We have to let things happen naturally, even if it will lead us down a painful path. Cassiel’s attempt to avoid this pain makes the viewer see how hard it is to not let the world unfold as it appears to do so. Sometimes, we have to let the chips fall where they may and just be there in the moment when it all comes crashing down.

           

The first scene of the film is Damiel looking over the city with a silhouette of his wings. The very last scene of the film, conversely, is Cassiel looking sadly over the city on the same building his counterpart was on (Wenders, 02:04:31). His friend is finally able to feel and experience all the things they never could do as angels, from drinking coffee, to running in the street, to feeling blood course through their veins. Damiel is clearly so much happier back down on Earth walking amongst the citizens and holding Marion in his arms. The difference between the two perspectives of the angels can better be described by Peter Handke’s poem, “Song Of Being a Child.” Handke writes about the mind of a child when it is young versus when it grows old:

Many people seem beautiful to [the child]

And now not so many and now only if [the child is] lucky

[The child] had a precise picture of paradise

And now can only conceive of it at best

[The child] couldn’t imagine nothingness. (41-45)

Lines 41, 43, and 45 perfectly describe Damiel’s attitude and demeanor; he sees all the beauty in the world and is so full of life because he is able to appreciate the “paradise” of the present. On the contrary, lines 42 and 44 seem to better fit Cassiel’s narrative. In the places where Damiel sees beauty, Cassiel only sees pain and what will eventually become future tragedies. He lacks the same amount of optimism for humanity that Damiel has. Similar to writer Michael O’Malley, Damiel genuinely believes that “humanity is naturally good… everywhere there are people who naturally feel inclined to help each other, even if they are strangers” (O’Malley, par. 2). Cassiel clings to the cynical mindset that based on the past events of history (especially World War II and the Cold War), humanity is not some sort of paradise. The past will only continue to repeat the same tragedies over and over again until the end of time. This is why he connects so much with Homer– his thoughts about how Berlin has come to ruins only further supports Cassiel’s misgivings about mankind.

           

It is understandable to be wary of the past like Cassiel. That is why we study world history, after all. Humankind has made so many erroneous blunders over the course of time that it makes sense as to why Cassiel would rather watch from a distance as he sees the world crumble and boil into an abyss of agony, bound to repeat the same mistakes we made centuries ago. One must not always be this pessimistic, though. There are so many beautiful things around us that if we continue to dwell on the past, we will forget about how amazing the present is. We may forget to relish in once-in-a-lifetime moments because we worry too much. This is no way to live life. We have an entire lifetime to worry about our past mistakes and the ones we might make in the future. That is why we must choose Damiel’s pole: the present. Appreciating the simple things about life, like Damiel desired for so long, is how we become more positive individuals. Each moment only happens once in your entire life, so live boundlessly and lovingly. Today is the youngest you will ever be from now on and the oldest you have ever been. Enjoy the precious present and take your mind away from the painful past.

Works Cited

Farajollah, Ariana. “It Is the Little Things That Make Life Big.” Blogspot. N.p. 21 Sept. 2017, http://giantstepspress.blogspot.com/2017/09/it-is-little-things-that-make-life-big.html. Accessed 3 May 2019.

Handke, Peter. “Song of Being a Child.” Peter Handke – Song of Being a Child, edited by Poetry Bar. Wordpress.com, 2009. Accessed 7 May 2019.

O’Malley, Michael. “Comfortably Numb with an Infected Humanity.” Blogspot. N.p. 31 Oct. 2018, http://giantstepspress.blogspot.com/2018/10/. Accessed 3 May 2019.

Singer, Leigh. “Five Visual Themes in Wings of Desire – Wim Wenders' Immortal Film about Watching.” British Film Institute, 14 Sept. 2016, www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/features/five-visual-themes-wings-desire-immortal-film-about-watching. Accessed 6 May 2019.

Wenders, Wim (Dir.). Wings of Desire. Perf. Bruno Ganz and Solveig Dommartin. Road Movies, 1987. Accessed 7 May 2019.

"Witch Hunts, Weapons & The Enemy Within" by Matthew Mayer

 I. Fear - /ˈfir/ (noun) – an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger  (“Fear”)

Nelson Mandela once said, “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear” (“19 Quotes”). In the society of the modern world, we drown in a massive swimming pool of “consumption and fear” (Moore, 47:31), one where it seems there is no guard on duty. Fear is internal, but I believe it transposes externally, as we find ourselves in situations where police officers around the country are unlawfully shooting African-Americans or where we believe our president is going to run the United States of America - or the world - into the ground. Every single human being on the planet is instilled with fear, but it is quite clear that the degrees of which they do fear vary across the map. If there is something to be said about the characters of Lena Wertmüller’s 1974 film, Swept Away, it would be that they, too, lay in the swimming pool of fear. That is until they find an island.

Swept Away is the story of a capitalist woman and her Communist servant, who, after deciding to hop off of their yacht, find themselves stuck on a dinghy in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. Eventually, they float their way to a deserted island, where they have to fend for their lives, but throughout the entirety of the film, we see a strong confliction between the two. Serving as a juxtaposition of wealthy versus poor, beautiful versus ugly, and the Left versus the Right, the film teaches viewers about people and their interactions toward one another. To that end, Swept Away embodies what happens when one thing takes control of our power: fear.

When it comes to artists and their works’ themes, Lena Wertmüller was not the only creator to use the idea of fear as a paintbrush. Over the course of their forty-plus year legacy, Rush wrote many bewildering, yet bewitching tunes. Through drummer Neil Peart’s captivating lyrics, the Canadian prog-rock trio’s music provides audiences a medium to not only engage with, but one to also connect with.

Over the span of three albums, Peart wrote a lyric trilogy entitled, “Fear.” Constructed in a reverse-chronological order, the band formed compositions that captivated how the world perceives and drives fear. By utilizing the Fear trilogy as a set of lenses, one can analyze and compare the ideas expressed by both Lena Wertmüller and Neil Peart.

II. The Enemy Within

“I’m not giving in to security under pressure, I’m not missing out on the promise of adventure, I’m not giving up on implausible dreams, Experience to extremes, Experience to extremes”

 - Rush’s “The Enemy Within (Part I of Fear)” - Grace Under Pressure (1984)

Throughout the film, it is quite plain sailing to infer from Gennarino’s body language that he deals with his own insecurities, his own “enemy within.” The five fears imbedded in the servant’s system include (but are not limited to) the fear of the lack of nobility, the fear of ostracization, the fear of being unloved, the fear of the refusal of power and dominance, and the fear of reality. Through his perceptions and actions, we, as an audience, can get a better picture of the consequences of fear from humanity.

To Gennarino, the threat of lacking nobility is haunting. As Samantha Storms writes in her essay about the comparisons of Nicolas Roeg’s film, Walkabout, and Wertmüller’s Swept Away, the “daunting weight that exists between” the characters is their “status,” and Gennarino understands that his own status will keep him out of his favorable role in society (Storms, par. 2). Deep down, Gennarino does not want to be a servant for some rich, bossy woman. Why would he? Why would anyone? His position as someone else’s “slave” keeps him from being noble in any way, and after he finds a way to exert his own power, the tables turn.

When the “blonde beauty” and the “brunette beast” reach the deserted island aboard their dinghy, Gennarino begins exerting his power and dominance on Raffaella. This first becomes evident when he forces her to call him “Signor Carunchio” (Wertmüller 54:06) and tells her to “kiss your master’s hand” (Wertmüller 59:45). Furthermore, Gennarino starts to beat Raffaella for the societal problems caused solely because of the wealthy class. Issues like “inflation,” “not paying taxes,” raising the prices on food, fares, and gas, and miscellaneous taxes are his reasoning for slapping and punching his former mistress, and shortly thereafter, he begins to rape the innocent woman (Wertmüller 1:09:17). At first, Raffaella refuses to be exercised under the power of somebody else, but over time, she comes to learn that her obedience is imperative to her survival; without the first, she will not receive the latter. Because of all of the treatment that she had put him through on the yacht, Gennarino is afraid that she will not obey him in order to suffer the equal (if not worse) amount of “pain” and torture. In terms of their new status, the server has now become the served, and the served has become the server; as Gennarino states, “I would like a little service. It’s my turn; that’s life” (Wertmüller 1:03:30).

Throughout Swept Away, there are many instances where Gennarino expresses fear when he is not being loved by Raffaella. Towards the end of the film, the “egocentric Neanderthal” (Storms, par. 5) tells Raffaella that he needs “proof” of her love, with her responding that he is “all that (she) wants” (Wertmüller 1:38:02). This scene reveals the irony in Gennarino’s character because he tells her to “Admit you’re scared”, but in the end, it is quite obvious that he is the fearful one; he knows that he will never be good enough for her whether she says so or not. Also, in the closing scene where the beauty and the beast discuss their fate, Gennarino’s tone is diluted with sappiness and fright when he pins Raffaella by stating, “Unless you’ve changed your mind already” (Wertmüller 1:45:33). He knows that she never loved him to begin with, just as much as the viewer knows it, and it can be argued that she was under a spell of “Stockholm Syndrome” (Farajollah, par. 1). However, as he tries his best to keep Rafaella interested in him and him only, Gennarino does not want to come to the realization that he is not loved. He is not alone; in a sense, we all have that fear of being unwanted, a fear of reality. However, in Swept Away, the difference between life on a remote island and life back on land is a catastrophe in the mind of the beast.

Three-quarters of the way into the film, Raffaella informs her “master” that she refused to call for help from a passing boat because she had been “swept away into a mad dream” (Wertmüller 1:26:28). Instead of being grateful for her love and “commitment,” he decides to physically abuse her because, deep down, he is afraid of the return to the real world, the return of reality. Gennarino knows that it is home where he cannot exert the same power and control as freely as he can on the island towards Raffaella. When he does return to the land, he is greeted by hugs and affection from his wife, but he pushes her away, exclaiming, “It makes a man look foolish to have his wife follow him around,” (Wertmüller 1:40:49). Not only does he refuse to accept the reality of the situation, but he also is afraid of being ostracized - the final fear.

Like many of us, Gennarino fears ostracization, as he wants to have a sense of belonging. However, as the servant of a wealthy class of sea-traveling vacationers, he is refused a place in their society.  Even though he is avoiding ostracization himself, Gennarino is undoubtedly ostracizing others; in the final scene, he is greeted by his wife, but he rejects her affection and pushes her away, which is accentuated when he vocalizes, “That’s enough. Stop!” (Wertmüller 1:40:33). In terms of his character, there are certainly many other fears and examples, and even the samples mentioned are interchangable. However, I think it is certain that these are the most impacting not only to himself, but also in regards to the treatment of others, specifically Raffaella.

The actions and insecurities of Gennarino coincide with the lyrics of Rush, especially those from the song, “The Enemy Within.” As mentioned previously, there exists an enemy within Gennarino, just as there lives one inside all of us. However, as far as his composition, Neil Peart writes, “Experience to extreme” (Rush, “The Enemy Within”), and in terms of the film and his character, Gennarino utilizes the need for power as an experience, one in which he takes to the extreme. When he brutally abuses and rapes Raffaella, it becomes quite clear that the beast is most certainly “not missing out on the promise of adventure” (Rush, “The Enemy Within”). It might not seem so obvious right away, but any experience can be taken to its extreme. However, in Swept Away, the struggle with fear is taken a step further, where Gennarino weaponizes his resources and power against Raffaella.

III. The Weapon

“We’ve got nothing to fear but fear itself; Not pain or failure, not fatal tragedy, not the faulty units in this mad machinery, not the broken contacts in emotional chemistry;

And the things that we fear are a weapon to be held against us”

- Rush’s “The Weapon (Part II of Fear)” - Signals (1982)

 From the get-go, the characters of Swept Away pull the trigger on each other. Both Gennarino and Raffaella weaponize each other throughout the film, sometimes more apparent than others and often under different circumstances. By taking metaphysical compositions and turning them into artillery, Gennarino and Raffaella hurt each other - mentally and physically - with what means the most to them.

Throughout the course of their journeys, the beauty and the beast beat each other around with their talks of political beliefs. With the mix of Gennarino’s communist views and Raffaella’s capitalist beliefs, there is often hostility and aggression between the two. For example, in the scene where “the master” physically abuses his “servant” because of the wrongdoings of the rich, Gennarino weaponizes politics as a way of giving reason to hurt someone else (Wertmüller 1:09:17). Also, in the very beginning of the film, Raffaella argues the ways of the government with another man aboard the yacht, and although she does not physically harm him, she is still attempting to criticize another person because of their beliefs (Wertmüller 4:02). Even today, we see this same style of weaponization, specifically with the opposing political beliefs of conservatives and liberals. If one is a fan of Donald Trump, they are seen as a “racist”, a “sexist”, or simply “evil”, but if another is against the ways of the president, they may be viewed as “spiteful” or “ignorant” (Hart, par. 8). In a world as divided as the one we live in today, we find ourselves getting further and further from what we strive to achieve: equality. Politics is just one of the many resources used to weaponize one another both inside and outside the world of the film.

Since the dawn of man, humans have been using sex as a tool and resource of pleasure and reproduction. However, over the course of several thousands of years, the dangerous species of man has found ways of weaponizing sex not only for their own pleasure, but also for the dehumanization of others. From the recent abuse cases of Harvey Weinstein to the practice of “sexual violence as a weapon of war and genocide” (“Sexual,” par. 1), the use and misuse of sex has become a concurrent activity that seems may never face its own fate.

In Swept Away, it is evident where the misuse of sex is present. After Gennarino beats the rich’s faults out of Raffaella, he proceeds to declothe and rape her - throwing her panties into the wind, along with his humanity. If the sexual abuse was not enough for him, Gennarino proceeds to belittle Raffaella by stating, “You’re finally going to know a real man. You’ve never had one before,” (Wertmüller 1:10:56). Later in the film, he degrades what many believe to be is the most precious thing to a female, the “coin of sexual purity” (Lindstend, par. 3): a girl’s virginity. Gennarino becomes offended that he was not Raffaella’s first romantic companion, so as a form of humiliation, he weaponizes her previous “partners” to make her feel like a “whore,” as he calls her (Wertmüller 1:19:34). This mockery through sex only adapts from the most important and potent weapon: power.

From the yacht to the island, Raffaella and Gennarino exert their own power towards each other. In the beginning of the film, the capitalist makes a fool out of her communist servant because he served her “reheated coffee” (Wertmüller 8:31) and “overcooked” pasta (Wertmüller 12:50). Here, it is not the pasta or the coffee that is the problem, it is their status and positions of power (or lack thereof); the goods only serve as a catalyst for the forthcoming events. In spite and revenge, Gennarino begins his own quest for power, but it is only once they reach the deserted island that he has his chance.

One could argue that it is Raffaella who is the alpha male in the film, but when their trip relies on survival skills and strength, it is quite apparent that the only one with power is Gennarino. Because of this, the beast uses his dominance to exert physical power and brute strength against the helpless beauty. Many of the instances have been previously mentioned, like the kissing of the master’s hand, the addressing as “Signor Carunchio”, and the request for “a little service” (Wertmüller 1:03:30). However, as a whole, Gennarino uses his power and dominance to not only physically harm Raffaella, as both a slave of labor and a “slave of love” (Wertmüller 1:12:45), but he also damages her mentally and emotionally. With a lack of resources and strength, the blonde beauty, likely suffering from “Stockholm Syndrome,” as mentioned before, has to abide to the ways of her new master, only until she gets the last laugh in the end (Farajollah, par. 1).

Because of his power to refuse resources, Gennarino often weaponizes food and shelter as a way of getting his own compensation, which is anything from affection to appreciation. After they find a place to rest, Gennarino prohibits Raffaella from entering the hut, ordering her to freeze outside during the remainder of the night (Wertmüller 55:30). Only shortly thereafter, the beast refuses to feed the beauty, stating, “If you want to eat, you must work,” (Wertmüller 59:22). By weaponizing basic resources, Gennarino not only endangers Raffaella, but he also creates a division between the two, one where, as mentioned before, the tables flip.

Much like all of the fears, Gennarino’s weapons are not limited and they are interchangeable. Without the power and dominance, he would not be able to acquire the sex, just as if he were unable to hunt for food and water, he would not be able to empower the blonde beauty. Gennarino, himself, is a weapon. He stands as the predator refusing to let any boundary get in the way, pulling the trigger with every ounce of power possible. And in terms of Raffaella, she is the target. She is the prey, fearful of the weapons “to be held against” her (Rush, “The Weapon”). However, in the end, as Neil Peart puts it, we really do have “nothing to fear but fear itself” (Rush, “The Weapon”).

IV. Witch Hunt

“The righteous rise with burning eyes of hatred and ill-will. Mad men feed on fear and lies to beat and burn and kill; Quick to judge, quick to anger, slow to understand.

Ignorance and prejudice and fear walk hand in hand.”

 - Rush’s “Witch Hunt (Part III of Fear)” - Moving Pictures (1981)

When Geddy Lee’s soaring voice roars to exclaim, “and fear walk hand in hand,” my hair raises and goosebumps are sent all over my body. There is something so powerful and truthful about the lyrics in “Witch Hunt” that every human can relate to because we are all guilty of premature frustration and criticization, and in those cases, we often do not take a moment to grasp what the circumstances are, whether it is the homeless fellow laying in the subway begging for a buck or it is the student wearing hand-me-downs because they are unable to afford the “cool” clothes. Walking down the streets of cities, like New York and Philadelphia, it becomes scarce to find another individual that is alike to another, and we often do not appreciate each other for our individuality and uniqueness. In Swept Away, there is no appreciation for one another, as both Gennarino and Raffaella follow the same footsteps as Neil Peart’s lyrical subject(s).

From start to finish, there is a constant sense of critique between Gennarino and Raffaella. In the beginning, we hear the beauty calling out her wealthy traveling companions and their political views (Wertmüller 4:24), and throughout her journeys on and off of the yacht, she is constantly judging others because of their lack of wealth and nobility. In terms of Peart’s words, Raffaella serves as “the righteous”, as she “rises” with power and looks down in dismay at those who she deems are not of her kind (Rush, “Witch Hunt”). However, glancing up at the righteous while simultaneously peering down at those that are not his kind, there lays Gennarino.

As far as Gennarino goes, he criticizes others, but in his case, he chooses to reprimand the wealthy, specifically Raffaella. In a scene where he is sexually assaulting his “sex slave,” Gennarino starts to assume that not only are the rich a class of “perverts” and “pigs,” but he also speculates that Raffaella has cheated on her husband, questioning whether or not it was “three hundred or six hundred times” (Wertmüller 1:19:25). By fitting her into a stereotype, the beast is degrading her individuality and feeding on “fear and lies to beat and burn and kill” (Rush, “Witch Hunt”). The wealthy and the poor judge alike, but as with anyone, fear is the stimulant that is driving us all down the wrong road.

V. “The Age of Fear”

In his article published by Rolling Stone magazine entitled “Why We’re Living in the Age of Fear,” writer Neil Strauss talks about the impact and potency of fear. Even though we exist in “the safest time in human history,” we are simultaneously “living in the most fearmongering time in human history,” according to Barry Glassner, the president of Lewis & Clark College and the author of The Culture of Fear (Strauss, par. 12).

Lindsay Knight states it best: Swept Away is “Wertmüller’s own call of action to humanity” (Knight, par. 9). In her mind, the film is voicing that if we do not punish predators and help victims “regain their freedom”, then we are just “accomplices in the recurring abuse cycle” (Knight, par. 9). The film says, “Yeah, it is scary to understand that there are evil people out there in the world. Here is a little fear of reality. So, what are you doing to do about it?” In today’s society, women - and, sometimes, men - have to fear for their lives from physical and sexual abusers, domestically or otherwise. In the film, the power that Gennarino exerts towards Raffaella should be a wake-up call, and it should make the viewer fearful both in the world of the film and the world of reality. However, there’s only one way to overcome fear: we have to face it.

According to Dr. Noam Shpancer, a specialist in insight therapy, “Exposure is by far the most potent medicine known to psychology” (Shpancer, par. 7). By facing our fears, we learn to deal with the possibilities instead of become more anxious from them, and as a result, we gain a “sense of accomplishment and empowerment” (Shpancer, par. 10), as well as a development of “skill and mastery” (Shpancer, par. 11). If we continue to avoid our fears, then we will continue to drown in the swimming pool of fear, but until then, it’s time to take off our floaties and ride the waves without allowing them to crash upon us.

In terms of humanity, fear is infinite. It is a “disease” waiting to be metaphysically infused into every single one of us, and it is a weapon pointing at society, its target (Strauss, par. 4). The only time that we will never live in fear is the time that we will not be living, and when we open our eyes more and more to the dangers of society and humanity, we start to fear fear. However, until our fate comes and the human race is no longer standing, generation after generation will soak in the same bath and spread the bug that is...fear.

the author (left) with  Jan Harlan, Stanley Kubrick's producer

Works Cited:

“19 Quotes About Facing Your Fears.” SUCCESS, Success Magazine, 31 July 2018, www.success.com/19-quotes-about-facing-your-fears/.

Moore, Michael, director. Bowling for Columbine. United Artists, 2002.

Farajollah, Ariana. “An Abused Woman’s Colonization and Declaration of Independence in SWEPT AWAY.” Taking Giant Steps, Giant Steps Press, 7 June 2017, giantstepspress.blogspot.com/search?q=swept away.

“Fear.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fear.

Hart, Kim. “Poll: Majority of Democrats Think Republicans Are ‘Racist," ‘Bigoted’ or ‘Sexist.’” Axios, 12 Nov. 2018, www.axios.com/poll-democrats-and-republicans-hate-each-other-racist-ignorant-evil-99ae7afc-5a51-42be-8ee2-3959e43ce320.html.

Knight, Lindsay. “‘Swept Away’: An Illusion of Affection Stretched Too Thin.” Taking Giant Steps, Giant Steps Press, 18 Oct. 2018, giantstepspress.blogspot.com/search?q=swept away.

Lindsted, Kjeld. “The Value Placed On Virginity Is One Of History's Biggest Travesties.” Mic, Mic Network Inc., 26 Oct. 2015, mic.com/articles/54313/the-value-placed-on-virginity-is-one-of-history-s-biggest-travesties#.1cfcamG6H.

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“Sexual Violence as a Weapon of War and Genocide.” Facing History and Ourselves, www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/video/sexual-violence-weapon-war-and-genocide.

Shpancer, Noam. “Overcoming Fear: The Only Way Out Is Through.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 20 Sept. 2010, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/insight-therapy/201009/overcoming-fear-the-only-way-out-is-through.

Storms, Samantha. “Passion’s Dark Side: Roeg’s WALKABOUT vs Wertmüller’s SWEPT AWAY.” Taking Giant Steps, Giant Steps Press, 8 Dec. 2016, giantstepspress.blogspot.com/search?q=swept away.

Strauss, Neil. “Why We're Living in the Age of Fear.” Rolling Stone, 25 June 2018, www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/why-were-living-in-the-age-of-fear-190818/.

Wertmüller, Lena, director. Swept Away. YouTube, Medusa Distribuzione, 1974, www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzAEF5g35uw&t=4775s.

Build Roads, Don't Just Drive on Them by Victoria Wetmore

Life is a crazy thing. I am not here to preach that living is some magical journey that changes the foundation of society as we know it, but people should take advantage of the life that they have been given. To have the ability to run through valleys, feel the wind in our hair, and breathe the air around us is amazing. The sad part of these hidden blessings is that we are all merely a blip in the existence of the world, yet we are expected to make the most of life. However, if life is so small, then what is the point? What are we here for if, in the relativity of time and space, we are only here for a few seconds? Why are humans expected to make a difference, to be somebody, and to carve our own paths for others to be inspired by? It is because we matter. Our few seconds on Earth make a difference to those who follow simply because we are all connected to one another.

           

In Peter Handke’s poem, “Song of Childhood,” written specifically for Wim Wenders’ 1987 drama/fantasy Wings of Desire, he writes, “...everything is soulful, / and all souls are one” (8-9). Our choices have meaning to those who succeed us; we continue on our journeys laced with the ideas of the ancestors rooted in our heritage, lineage and nation. Even so, the insights and discoveries of our predecessors do not determine how we should act, but they influence the choices that we make today. People are constantly out to be their best, to cope effectively with their existence and to advance human civilization. Hence, there is a constant inner battle with ourselves to be adaptable and to find the ability to make choices that are not stereotypical, biased or pre-determined. 

Personally, I am guilty of competing with others. I grew up believing that if I were not on top, then I was not the best; then again, I often did not show how smart I was to others because that would be showing too much of my hand. I also strived to not deviate from the path that our stereotyped society has created for me. I continued to do the same thing every single day—not because it was habitual but because I was scared to have my homeostasis rocked. In this sense, the character known as The Girl in Nicolas Roeg’s Walkabout is a parallel to a younger me. She did not want to go along with the Aborigine and break the cultural barriers of western civilization in the Australian Outback. The white, British, teenaged foreigner could not accept the advances of the indigenous teenager on his walkabout, nor learn his ways of life simply because they differed from her pre-chosen course. To cope with her decision to remain stagnant in a culture that constrained her, especially when her husband disappointed her, she daydreamed of the freedom that she experienced (Roeg, 1:38:03). 

Her swimming naked in the lake waters in the Outback (Roeg, 0:58:09) symbolizes her inner need to undress from a life that forced her to escape her mad and suicidal father, watch over her younger brother and become a boring housewife. The subconscious voice of the British girl yearned for the independence that her conscious mind could not even begin to understand nor allow. What she was seeking was a mind and life of her own, but she was too brainwashed by thoughts drilled into her of how she should run her life. She, as well as I, should learn to “join with the consciousness of others, not compete with it” (Gordon). 

Afraid to adapt to change, I often fall prey to these inner battles over the smallest of decisions. I do not skip class, but usually contemplate it to the point of having a headache. I do not have the ability to say no to even the simplest of requests because it is in my conditioning to be nice, even if I am swamped with work. I cannot join my friends in these basic teenage activities because I refuse to change my ways. For example, I never argue with my parents’ decisions when receiving a firm no after asking to stay out late with my friends. Usually, I am frightened by the consequences that would come from the potential fight, but in my mind what they say goes.  When I wish for a better way to grasp what is thrown at me, I go to my oasis, my waterhole, where I can swim freely. This metaphorical lake is the television. My favorite programs calm me down and allow me briefly to live a different life. If I picture myself in the shows, then I am not in reality. Despite this, as we all know, The Girl and I have not found a way out; we have simply developed coping mechanisms to blind us from the harsh reality that we refuse to change. 

           

However, there are ways to push past these “fixed” boundaries. Our “writing coach and midwife,” Paul Kirpal Gordon, suggests we create and develop three interconnected and interdependent experiences that check and balance each other. The first is a healthy love relationship with a significant other. If we are all supposed to be one collective soul, then we require healthy, quality human exchanges that help us sustain a love life and vital connection with the person we care most deeply about. To have someone to come back to at the end of the day who cares about you just as much as you care about them is one of the most beneficial things that the human mind, body and soul can have. Studies show, “From childhood until old age, being connected to others in secure and loving relationships helps our patients better deal with stress” (Vallas, par. 7). The second part of this model is to develop a dependable and inspiring core of friends, family and associates who one can trust with one’s deepest issues, fears and ambitions. Having peers to talk to or a supporting family life helps to keep a clear and focused mind and heart. Thirdly, one must discover on one’s own walkabout what one wants to do with one’s life in terms of a meaningful career, vocation and service to others. The Girl thought that she had to follow the predetermined path of compliant schoolgirl, responsible older sister, snobbish foreigner and obedient wife in the overbearing land of stereotypes and comfort, but she really wanted to break free of the chains of civilized man. The longing look of regret in her eyes at the end of the film (Roeg, 1:38:18) portrays her lack of independence and her yearning to return to the freedom that the Outback allowed. 

I want to establish my own path in advertising and become somebody who I can love and respect, not some plastic doll that my parents can dress into whatever career they think will earn me the most money. 

           

When I and The Girl escape to our imaginative states, we miss out on what reality presents to us, especially the people, things and events that can enlarge our perspectives on life. Coming into college, I had to learn to re-train my senses in order to experience Hofstra University because it is anything but a typical college. Here, there is the inclusion of all races, genders and backgrounds, as well as clubs and support groups that welcome us with open arms. In my town of Brick, New Jersey, such an impartial and non-judgmental community does not exist. Hofstra’s diverse and international community of individuals feels like several indigenous societies brought together into one spot, which has allowed me to immerse myself in an environment of change. It is not a place where I can pretend to be someone else for a little while; it is an environment that is molding me into who I really want to be: a decisive, determined, contributing part of a collective society. 

In order to make my engagement into a true community happen, I have to drop my old ideas about status and labels and categories that do not allow me to explore all the possibilities thrown my way. Lina Wertmuller’s controversial Swept Away helped with this part of my journey. Her two main Italian protagonists, Raffaella and Gennarino, become stranded on a deserted island together. In such a circumstance, one would think that differences would be set aside as survival becomes the imperative mindset of both castaways. Instead, Raffaella could not drop her upper-class ego to allow the lower-class ruffian Gennarino to help her. Her mistreatment of his help on the yacht fueled the fire that metaphorically burned the bridge for a true connection. Both protagonists allowed their social status and political views to constrict their lives on the island. They had the potential to break the norm and join together to construct a love relationship or mutual friendship, sans any previous connections of wealth and class. Nonetheless, trouble emerges when Gennarino starts bullying Raffaella who soon succumbs to Stockholm Syndrome. As described in Ariana Farajollah’s blog post, “An Abused Woman’s Colonization and Declaration of Independence in Swept Away,” “Mental disorder therapist Julia Layton describes the cause of the syndrome: ‘In a traumatic and extraordinarily stressful event, a person finds herself held captive by a man who is threatening to kill her if she disobeys him in any way. She may be abused — physically, sexually and/or verbally — and have trouble thinking straight’” (Farajollah, par. 2). Simply put, the two protagonists tricked themselves into believing that they had a true connection while on the island. However, when they return to the mainland, the stigma of class and status reappear, and they revert back to their own ways. Raffaella ditches Gennarino for her upper-class husband and his wealth. 

   

The idea that status controls us and inhibit who we can be with is preposterous but tragic. It cuts off the idea that we are all one and of the same place. This persisting issue of ranking falls in line with my own personal problem: I did not want to set aside my intentions of being on top. Nevertheless, if I were to stick to this framework, I would constantly be on this high horse that made me believe that I was better than the people around me. Consequently, entertaining this delusional state of mind would only be limiting my own growth and interpretation of the world. Since entering college, my antennae has allowed me to reach those in need of not only academic help but social assistance, too. I no longer attempt to be the best; instead, I use my tools to benefit others around me. Hence, I am more open to share my thoughts and ideas that used to be secretive. I use my school work to benefit others and to try new things that a younger, hesitant me could not think of doing. I dropped my own stereotypes and have since benefitted morally from the change.

I realized that to enhance my intellectual and moral growth I need to stop ignoring topics I do not fully comprehend. In fact, an obtuse, head-in-the-sand lifestyle can create these differences that further the disconnect gap that I am struggling to close. In order to become a better and more well-rounded individual, I am learning things that help me to better comprehend a larger world, not just things that relate to my public relations major. For example, I am all for mathematics, but I draw the line just at extreme problems that require four sheets of paper to complete. Similarly, I enjoy debating on politics, but I have no control over what the country or the world does, nor do I feel like my ideas fit directly into one political party.     

What I have learned is that every single person has the right to enjoy things that I do not. After all, my ability to accept those differences and participate in life with those who have contrasting ideas from me is what makes us all one. The concept that we can all be connected, no matter our personal beliefs, is something stronger than we are able to perceive. Jamie Uys portrayed this mindset in The Gods Must Be Crazy, in which an indigenous bushman of the Kalahari Desert, Xi, came across a Coke bottle. The piece of glass that was once seen as useful to the tribe was actually the catalyst that created the dispute in the community and eventually drew them apart. Although I agree with removing toxic things from our lives, I do not agree with Xi’s decision to travel to the end of the earth to rid his band of people from this new item. He did not like the disagreement that the bottle caused within the tribe, even though it was a tool that helped to roll out animal skins, make music, and other various tasks. Instead of attempting to regulate the use of the bottle or understand more about it, he threw it away. I tend to handle my problems with information that I do not care about nor comprehend the same way. The bushmen and I should learn how to open ourselves to appreciating the differences between those with thoughts that differ from our original ideologies. Just because we are from different places does not mean that we should be blind to the way others function; “spiritually we are one,” (Enea) but “we are different people who form part of a bigger group called mankind, which makes us one” (Orellana). I have begun to grow as a person by listening to ideas different than my own, and I associate myself with people I originally would have put off after the first meeting. I have gained a new set of eyes. After watching Uys’ film, I connected more profoundly with the idea that we are all one. Rather than seeing ourselves as animals in competition with one another, we are cooperative beings who share the same prerogative to experience the best lives that we can.

In a world where there is so much miscommunication and discrepancy, an imaginary force holds us back. We are closed off because we are blocking out the peripheral vision sensors that we are born with, which prohibits us from seeing the small things and appreciating what is right in front of us. It also lessens our desire to be content with what we have because we always have to be on top with the next best gadget. Although we have the freedom of choice to do what we want, when we want, and with whomever we choose, Walkabout, Swept Away and The Gods Must Be Crazy all portray what happens when we do not break the stereotypes that limit us, when we pretend to be something we are not and when we fail to adapt to change. In Wim Wenders’ Wings of Desire, angel Damiel drops these notions when he falls in love with a mortal. In what world would an angel be able to follow their heart to take human form in order to be with their mortal lover? Most people watching the film would say, “Never,” but that is because we are so blocked by pre-determined characteristics and the illusion that things are magically set in stone. Well, stones break and crumble. Damiel chooses to give up angelic immortality to know what it is like to love and experience the world first hand. As fellow “fallen” angel Peter Falk advises him, Damiel comes to appreciate the small things, like drinking coffee, bleeding, seeing color and tasting food. He celebrates hope. Fellow writer and Hofstra student blogger Monica Boretsky noted in “Wim Wenders’ Wings of Desire: A Reason to Believe,” “Damiel has a visible reaction of joy and contentment. His face eases up and clearly experiences the full sensation that many people have overlooked” (par. 2). Damiel broke out of the mold in order to join life instead of standing outside of it. We do not always understand that we have the ability to control our own fates. 

 

I have recently been immersed in an environment that has caused me to follow my career ambition and become the best person that I can possibly be, inside and out. I can make choices that benefit me, no matter the original preconceptions that I once had. For example, just because I am straight does not mean that I cannot have LGBTQ+ friends or learn from their experiences; I am female, but that does not mean I have to stay in the kitchen and cook for a man or stay out of the billiards room at Hofstra because the other pool players are male (see “The Art of the Real Hustle,” February 12, 2018, Taking Giant Steps Press Blog). Who says I have to remain quiet and timid when I was born with my own mouth to speak freely about feminism and equal rights? My own mind allows me to conjure up my own opinions and formulate my own lifestyle that transcends any and all stereotypes. Attending Hofstra University has done wonders for my growth and for expanding my mindset to a whole new level. I want to be myself! “Why lie and cheat when you have the confidence to be yourself?” (Gordon). I am tired of trying to be someone that I am not just to please the people around me. I am sick of the assumptions that make people believe they must be different or better than everyone else. Breaking those boundaries has expanded my comfort zone. In an attempt to network properly and get ahead for the years to come, I have found myself growing closer to students in my major. I am the person in charge of determining what happens with my life. 

I struggled to make friends when I first entered the university. I wandered around campus and introduced myself to the folks at the ultimate frisbee table. They made me feel accepted. When I attended their scrimmage, I was immersed in kindness and felt a communion with all of their wild spirits. I did not feel the need to be different or change who I was in order to be accepted. In this moment, I also realized that this is a group of people who do not judge anybody. They also played together as seven cogs in one cohesive machine, as opposed to seven individuals on a field. This type of comradery is what proved to me that this was the form of society that I needed to be a part of in order to thrive. 

In an attempt to get to my goal of being in advertising faster, I joined the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). I wanted to get a head start. I learned that I have to make my own path in order to get to where I want, not expect things to just fall in my lap. If I want to make it in this field, I must learn to work together with people, for being part of a team and acting as one is an important skill to have in this work setting. Damiel’s tenacity is exactly what I need to develop in order to stay strong in the business field. Handke’s message that we are all one is what reels me back if I lose the teamwork model. My seventh-grade teacher, a man who taught me more about myself at the age of twelve than I have learned in my other eighteen years of existence, presented me with this quote: “Learning is not attained by chance; it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence” (Founding Families). Abigail Adams wrote this to her son, John Quincy Adams, telling him that wandering is not the way to traverse through life. He has to be focused and know what he wants (which relates back to the three ideas for love-friends-career). Wenders takes this idea and flips it on its head, for it shows the journey of an angel, of a spirit, searching for something that transforms him. Damiel is on the hunt for love, for feeling, for something real; he is done with the business of watching and witnessing. Peter Handke’s idea that “all souls are one” influences Damiel’s decisions, for he does not let the fact that he is an angel stop him from loving a mortal and incarnating that dream. 

I am still learning to not let the preconceived notions of society weigh me down and make me feel trapped and unable to make my own choices. I have been on this journey for a long time and do not expect to stop when times get tough. Even though we are “of the same root but different flowers” (Gordon), we are soulfully one and have to remember that, under the umbrella of gender, sex, color, race, creed or religion, the sun shines equally on us all. Before college, I was in a town that was set in its old ways. After entering Hofstra University, I have been welcomed by individuals who see the world as a place to interpret thoughts and ideas for ourselves, rather than following a map that has already been written out. Perhaps it is better to deviate from those pre-written directions once in a while. I mean, what is a true adventure without getting lost a bit? While a good majority of rules should be followed, it is not up to our old stereotypes and predisposed information to determine our destinies. Instead, I am learning to figure things out for myself. I have even found joy in activities like writing and arts and crafts that I never found excitement in before college. These new experiences allow us to be unique and individualistic, but it is the same idea that we all want to be ourselves that make us all one. I am happy to report that I am going in the right direction and have Hofstra University and all of the people that I have met thus far to thank for it. 

Works Cited

Boretsky, Monica. “Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire: A Reason to Believe,” 

1Jan. 1970,giantstepspress.blogspot.com/2017/06/wim-wenders-wings-of-desire-reason-to.html

Enea, Kristen. Class Discussion. 18 Apr. 2018.

Farajollah, Ariana. Taking Giant Steps. "An Abused Woman's Colonization and Declaration of 

            Independence in Swept Away," 1 Jan. 1970, 

            giantstepspress.blogspot.com/2017/06/an-abused-womans-colonization-and.html.

Founding Families: Digital Editions of the Papers of the Winthrops and the Adamses, ed.C. 

James Taylor. Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 2018.

            http://www.masshist.org/apde2/

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Gordon, Paul Kirpal. Class Discussion. 18 Apr. 2018.

Orellana, Roger. Class Discussion. 18 Apr. 2018.

“The Positive Effects of Love on Mental Health.” Psychiatry Advisor, 11 Mar. 2016, 

            www.psychiatryadvisor.com/mood-disorders/the-positive-effects-of-love-on-mental-healt

            h/article/401655/.

Roeg, Nicolas. Walkabout. Perf. Jenny Agutter, David Gulpilil, and Luc Roeg. Twentieth 

Century Fox, 1971. Film.