LITERATURE-LIGHT AND DELIGHT
89. LEARNING FROM THE MOVIES
Well, popular novels and stories are made into films,with varying results. But does any movie make us turn to the books and stories?
A successful movie with an interesting story may induce us to take up the book. But any good depiction of a literary theme may rekindle interest in old literature.
One such movie I remember is Renaissance Man ( also called Army Intelligence somewhere).1994.
Theatrical Release poster. Used here for illustration .
Bill Rago, a senior advertisement executive runs out of business. Not wishing to remain idle, he secures temporary employment as an instructor in an army training school, teaching a bunch of good-for- nothing nuts English language and comprehension! These trainees are considered low on intelligence, not at all interested , and it is doubtful how literate they are!
Theatrical Release poster. Used here for illustration .
Struggling to connect with them and arouse their interest, he quotes from Hamlet, his favourite Shakespearean play, to not much effect. In a brilliant flash, he assigns to each cadet a character in the play and makes him read the lines! This sparks some interest. He takes them to live performances. He even talks to them about Henry V.
He has only 6 weeks on his assignment, but sets up a test at the end of it, against the 'wiser' counsel of the establishment, which doubts that any one would pass.
Then one day, the drill master provokes a trainee in front of every one; this cadet in full uniform and pouring rain, surprises everyone by reciting in full the St.Crispin's Day speech from Shakespeare's play,Henry V! The cadets all pass the test brilliantly.
Rago receives a salute from the soldiers on graduation day. He decides to remain a teacher in the army school!
St.Crispin's Day Speech
This is one of the most famous speeches from Shakespeare. The English are fighting the French. Duke of Westmorland, one of the military advisers doubts the capacity of the English soldiers, and wishes there had been ten thousand more. King Henry V disagrees, and makes this speech to his troops, to inspire them. It is a long one, but worth reading in full.
Westmoreland
Oh, that we now had here
One ten thousand of those men in England
That do no work today.
King Henry
What's he that wishes so?
My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin.
If we are marked to die, we are enough
To do our country loss; and if to live
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God's will, I pray thee wish not one more man.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires.
But if it be a sin to covet honour,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England.
God's peace, I would not lose so great an honour
As one more man, methinks, would share from me,
For the best hope I have. Oh, do not wish one more.
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he, which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart. His passport shall be made,
And crowns for convoy put into his purse.
We would not die in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is called feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day and comes safe home,
Will stand o' tiptoe when the day is named
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall see this day, and live old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours
And say, "Tomorrow is Saint Crispian".
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say, "These wounds I had on Crispin's Day".
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot
But he'll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words,
Harry the King, Bedford, and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remembered.
This story shall the good man teach his son,
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by
From this day to the ending of the world
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he today that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now abed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.
From: Henry V, Act IV, Scene,iii., lines 17-69
If a dull cadet could learn this by heart without compulsion, just on the inspiration of the teacher, what must be the calibre of the teacher? How grand that that a cine-screen writer could think of such a situation! What must be the general level of education of the audience to be able to hear such literary recital in a mainline movie! Do we not honour Shakespeare enough, if only we listen, unable to learn it by heart? Is there any other easy way of honouring our greats?
(Note: I reproduced this speech in full on purpose. There is one Tamil drama called "Manonmaneeyam" by one P. Sundaram Pillai, written a century ago. It is praised as a high work. In that too occurs a speech on the war front. Those who read this speech of King Henry will easily recognise the Tamil work as having borrowed from this heavily- without acknowledgement!)
How to teach- Language,Literature, Music, anything!
This movie also illustrates a great secret about teaching. Teaching language typically starts with the alphabets. They begin music with the notes- sa, re, ga, ma, etc. This has seemed to me to be the most Idiotic way of going about the business. Do children pick up speaking by learning the alphabets? do they pick up the jingles and rhymes on the TV by learning the swaras? When they like a song, do they not learn it on their own? The way to teach is to make the person interested in the thing. He will then learn on his own! He will himself seek resolution of the difficulties he faces. Of course, all of us are not interested in all the things. Any subject can be a vehicle of promoting knowledge and intelligence. We make youngsters dull by teaching them too many subjects and testing them in things they don't like- and they probably don't need in, or for, life!
Language teaching should begin with literature; music teaching should begin with good songs. In the olden days, most learned people were illiterate! They had scribes to record what they had to say! Even today, how many children can tell stories on their own! Sing on their own! What have alphabets and notations to do with learning, really? They may come later, not in the beginning.
Above all, real teaching is not teaching a subject. It is about making a man- or woman! This is what we see here, in 'Renaissance Man'. This is what we saw in 'To Sir, With Love.' There , the teacher tells the boys and girls, all unruly, that since in a few months they are going to enter the world, he would treat them as adults right then! With that stroke , he has imparted them the most important lesson in the school of life: responsibility for the self!
Who is a teacher?
The academic world runs on formal qualifications for teachers- B.Ed. M.Phil, PhD,and what not. We see that once a qualification is formally prescribed, it is obtained as a routine. Yet, how may of these degree holders can really teach?
This is another lesson 'Renaissance Man' teaches. Bill Rago is not qualified as a teacher. But he makes military cadets appreciate and read Shakespeare! In the movie, he talks on Hamlet. They were sparkling. Of course, it was the work of the screen writer- but he too was not a professional teacher! And he must really have studied Hamlet and 'seen' something in it! (Unfortunately, I have not been able get those beautiful lines.) Teaching is a great art- and it comes to some, naturally! Likewise, in 'To Sir', the 'Sir' is an engineer,out of employment and he teaches unruly boys and turns them into adults. He succeeded, where professional teachers before him failed! It shows he was a natural teacher.
Natural teachers don't - don't have to- teach formally. For them, any situation can be made a teaching/ learning situation. Most of us have learned- imbibed- many things from parents, peers, friends. For good or bad they have all been our teachers.Teaching does not always, or all of it, take place in the confines of the class room.Nor does learning occur there, necessarily.
There are two aspects even to formal teaching. One is to convey something- formal knowledge, organised information etc. The second is to ignite the spark in the student. The first is instruction, the second is teaching proper. Most formal teaching is mere instruction, not very lively or interesting. This is what makes most students skip classes, or teachers. This is what makes subjects dull. It is found that this takes place even in some famed institutions. Recently Harvard created a scandal by clandestinely monitoring students who skipped classes!
Instruction is important too. It conveys basic information and essential knowledge, especially at the lower stages. But higher learning is possible only when the mind of the student is lit up- his soul has to be touched by something more than information. Consciously or other wise great teachers carry some spiritual weight or authority. They connect us with something other than the ordinary- a higher or deeper dimension of life . Real teaching is to make the student touch or connect with his self. He experiences himself anew. This is what Rago does. The actor seems to be living his role. There is nothing filmy about it.
Critics are crooks
I was sad to know that this movie did not receive favourable reviews. The critics have crooked vision, if at all. They ask : how is Shakespeare relevant to the military trainees? Well, how is Shakespeare or Milton or Wordsworth or even Obama relevant to us? Life will go on with or without them! But what kind of life? A literary genius is the fruit of a living culture, and they are the light of the future. They nourish the mind and soul. Politicians press the people for military service and one day the whole thing looks absurd,and sad. A soldier will get discharged one day- all his military training and combat skill useless in the battle of life. This is where Shakespeare is more relevant. He will make the man in the soldier realise that in the great drama of life, one of his roles has ended, and another begun!
The critic raises this question because he is connected to the medium and has missed its message. He is evaluating the movie as movie, and is not connecting it to life. I would even question whether he is connected to life,either!
It is difficult to say by what standards do the critics judge. I am reminded of what Alexander Pope wrote in " An Essay on Criticism".(1711)
'Tis hard to say, if greater want of skill
Appear in writing or in judging ill;
But, of the two, less dang'rous is th' offence
To tire our patience, than mislead our sense.
Ten censure wrong for one who writes amiss;
In Poets as true genius is but rare,
True Taste as seldom is the critic's share;
Let such teach others who themselves excel,
And censure freely who have written well.
Authors are partial to their wit,'tis true,
But are not Critics to their judgment too?
Alexander Pope.
Michael Dahl [Public Domain] via Wikimedia Commons.
The movie may not meet all standards of technical excellence,as movies go, but it is not as bad as some critics may say and thus 'mislead our sense'. The normal viewer does not go to judge its technicalities, but to view and enjoy the story and its development, as delineated by the artists. The problem for Rago is want of a job; the problem with the cadets is their inability and unwillingness to learn.Rago solves the cadets' problem, making them all interested in learning, and he himself settles down to teach in the military school. Thus the dull cadets become eager learners; a business executive is transformed into a teacher; and both events occur due to the human spirit, not due to any executive strategy or the rigid military discipline. Is this not a great message for humanity? If a critic cannot appreciate this, is he human?
I don't go by the logic of the box office. Sometimes, significant events get overshadowed by more glamorous ones. Aldous Huxley died on the same day as John Kennedy. Kennedy event hogged all attention. But in the long run, what did Kennedy contribute to humanity, compared to Huxley?
.gif)
Aldous Huxley. Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
Renaissance Man can only be watched as a movie- it is on the You Tube.
Who is a teacher?
The academic world runs on formal qualifications for teachers- B.Ed. M.Phil, PhD,and what not. We see that once a qualification is formally prescribed, it is obtained as a routine. Yet, how may of these degree holders can really teach?
This is another lesson 'Renaissance Man' teaches. Bill Rago is not qualified as a teacher. But he makes military cadets appreciate and read Shakespeare! In the movie, he talks on Hamlet. They were sparkling. Of course, it was the work of the screen writer- but he too was not a professional teacher! And he must really have studied Hamlet and 'seen' something in it! (Unfortunately, I have not been able get those beautiful lines.) Teaching is a great art- and it comes to some, naturally! Likewise, in 'To Sir', the 'Sir' is an engineer,out of employment and he teaches unruly boys and turns them into adults. He succeeded, where professional teachers before him failed! It shows he was a natural teacher.
Natural teachers don't - don't have to- teach formally. For them, any situation can be made a teaching/ learning situation. Most of us have learned- imbibed- many things from parents, peers, friends. For good or bad they have all been our teachers.Teaching does not always, or all of it, take place in the confines of the class room.Nor does learning occur there, necessarily.
There are two aspects even to formal teaching. One is to convey something- formal knowledge, organised information etc. The second is to ignite the spark in the student. The first is instruction, the second is teaching proper. Most formal teaching is mere instruction, not very lively or interesting. This is what makes most students skip classes, or teachers. This is what makes subjects dull. It is found that this takes place even in some famed institutions. Recently Harvard created a scandal by clandestinely monitoring students who skipped classes!
Instruction is important too. It conveys basic information and essential knowledge, especially at the lower stages. But higher learning is possible only when the mind of the student is lit up- his soul has to be touched by something more than information. Consciously or other wise great teachers carry some spiritual weight or authority. They connect us with something other than the ordinary- a higher or deeper dimension of life . Real teaching is to make the student touch or connect with his self. He experiences himself anew. This is what Rago does. The actor seems to be living his role. There is nothing filmy about it.
Critics are crooks
I was sad to know that this movie did not receive favourable reviews. The critics have crooked vision, if at all. They ask : how is Shakespeare relevant to the military trainees? Well, how is Shakespeare or Milton or Wordsworth or even Obama relevant to us? Life will go on with or without them! But what kind of life? A literary genius is the fruit of a living culture, and they are the light of the future. They nourish the mind and soul. Politicians press the people for military service and one day the whole thing looks absurd,and sad. A soldier will get discharged one day- all his military training and combat skill useless in the battle of life. This is where Shakespeare is more relevant. He will make the man in the soldier realise that in the great drama of life, one of his roles has ended, and another begun!
The critic raises this question because he is connected to the medium and has missed its message. He is evaluating the movie as movie, and is not connecting it to life. I would even question whether he is connected to life,either!
It is difficult to say by what standards do the critics judge. I am reminded of what Alexander Pope wrote in " An Essay on Criticism".(1711)
'Tis hard to say, if greater want of skill
Appear in writing or in judging ill;
But, of the two, less dang'rous is th' offence
To tire our patience, than mislead our sense.
Ten censure wrong for one who writes amiss;
In Poets as true genius is but rare,
True Taste as seldom is the critic's share;
Let such teach others who themselves excel,
And censure freely who have written well.
Authors are partial to their wit,'tis true,
But are not Critics to their judgment too?
Alexander Pope.
Michael Dahl [Public Domain] via Wikimedia Commons.
The movie may not meet all standards of technical excellence,as movies go, but it is not as bad as some critics may say and thus 'mislead our sense'. The normal viewer does not go to judge its technicalities, but to view and enjoy the story and its development, as delineated by the artists. The problem for Rago is want of a job; the problem with the cadets is their inability and unwillingness to learn.Rago solves the cadets' problem, making them all interested in learning, and he himself settles down to teach in the military school. Thus the dull cadets become eager learners; a business executive is transformed into a teacher; and both events occur due to the human spirit, not due to any executive strategy or the rigid military discipline. Is this not a great message for humanity? If a critic cannot appreciate this, is he human?
I don't go by the logic of the box office. Sometimes, significant events get overshadowed by more glamorous ones. Aldous Huxley died on the same day as John Kennedy. Kennedy event hogged all attention. But in the long run, what did Kennedy contribute to humanity, compared to Huxley?
Aldous Huxley. Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
Renaissance Man can only be watched as a movie- it is on the You Tube.
No comments:
Post a Comment