Last Tango In Paris : Bernardo Bertolucci

Bernardo Bertolucci's Last Tango In Paris is a disturbing masterpiece which keeps visiting my mind during various occasions of living. Described as pornographic and obscene, this controversial film was banned in many countries. The film revolves around two characters Paul (Marlon Brando) and Jeanne (Maria Schneider). It is about experimenting with an anonymous relationship, a blind date, an one night stand, which turns into a torrid passion for both involved. In the process, the myriad colours of human love explode with all its highs and lows, its ecstasies and agonies. In this particular sequence, the fluidity of love gets depicted with an irreverential tone and tenor, apart from mocking at the hypocritical conventions of social life. It is one of the most poignant moments in the history of narrative cinema.

I Heard God Laughing ~ Hāfez-e Šhīrāzī

 (Tomb of Hafez in Shiraz, Iran)

WHY CARRY?


Hafez,


Why carry a whole load of books


Upon your back


Climbing this mountain,


When tonight,


Just a few thoughts of God


Will light the holy fire.


_____________________________


ZERO


Zero


Is where the Real Fun starts.


There's too much counting


Everywhere else!
 
 
_____________________________
 
 
IF IT IS NOT TOO DARK


Go for a walk, if it is not too dark.


Get some fresh air, try to smile.


Say something kind


To a safe-looking stranger, if one happens by.


Always exercise your heart's knowing.


You might as well attempt something real


Along this path:


Take your spouse or lover into your arms


The way you did when you first met.


Let tenderness pour from your eyes


The way the Sun gazes warmly on the earth.


Play a game with some children.


Extend yourself to a friend.


Sing a few ribald songs to your pets and plants –


Why not let them get drunk and wild!


Let's toast


Every rung we've climbed on Evolution's ladder.


Whisper, "I love you! I love you!"


To the whole mad world.


Let's stop reading about God -


We will never understand Him.


Jump to your feet, wave your fists,


Threaten and warn the whole Universe


That your heart can no longer live


Without real love!
 
 
_____________________________
 
 
 
I KNOW THE WAT YOU CAN GET


I know the way you can get


When you have not had a drink of Love:


Your face hardens,


Your sweet muscles cramp.


Children become concerned


About a strange look that appears in your eyes


Which even begins to worry your own mirror


And nose.


Squirrels and birds sense your sadness


And call an important conference in a tall tree.


They decide which secret code to chant


To help your mind and soul.


Even angels fear that brand of madness


That arrays itself against the world


And throws sharp stones and spears into


The innocent


And into one's self


Oh, I know the way you can get


If you have not been out drinking Love:


You might rip apart


Every sentence your friends and teachers say,


Looking for hidden clauses.


You might weigh every word on a scale


Like a dead fish.


You might pull out a ruler to measure


From every angle in your darkness


The beautiful dimensions of a heart you once


Trusted.


I know the way you can get


If you have not had a drink from Love's


Hands.


That is why all the Great Ones speak of


The vital need


To keep Remembering God,


So you will come to know and see Him


As being so Playful


And Wanting,


Just Wanting to help.


That is why Hafez says:


Bring your cup near me,


For I am a Sweet Old Vagabond


With an Infinite Leaking Barrel


Of Light and Laughter and Truth


That the Beloved has tied to my back.


Dear one,


Indeed, please bring your heart near me.


For all I care about


Is quenching your thirst for freedom!


All a Sane man can ever care about


Is giving Love!
 
 
______________________________
 
 
WHY JUST ASK THE DONKEY?


Why


Just ask the donkey in me


To speak to the donkey in you,


When I have so many other beautiful animals


And brilliant colored birds inside


That are all longing to say something wonderful


And exciting to your heart?


Let's open all the locked doors upon our eyes


That keep us from knowing the Intelligence


That begets love


And a more lively and satisfying conversation


With the Friend.


Let's turn loose our golden falcons


So that they can meet in the sky


Where our spirits belong -


Necking like two


Hot kids.


Let's hold hands and get drunk near the sun


And sing sweet songs to God


Until He joins us with a few notes


From His own sublime lute and drum.


If you have a better idea


Of how to pass a lonely night


After your glands may have performed


All their little magic


Then speak up sweethearts, speak up,


For Hafez and all the world will listen.


Why just bring your donkey to me


Asking for stale hay


And a boring conference with the idiot


In regards to this precious matter –


Such a precious matter as love,


When I have so many other divine animals


And brilliant colored birds inside


That are all longing


To so sweetly


Greet

You!
 
You carry all the ingredients



To turn your existence into joy,


Mix them, mix


Them!
 
 
______________________________
 
 
STOP BEING SO RELIGIOUS


What


Do sad people have in


Common?


It seems


They have all built a shrine


To the past


And often go there


And do a strange wail and


Worship.


What is the beginning of


Happiness?


It is to stop being


So religious


Like


That.
 
______________________________
 
 
THE GOD WHO ONLY KNOWS
FOUR WORDS


Every


Child


Has known God,


Not the God of names,


Not the God of don'ts,


Not the God who ever does


Anything weird,


But the God who only knows four words


And keeps repeating them, saying:


"Come dance with Me."

Come

Dance.

 

_______________________________

 

ELEGANCE

It


Is not easy


To stop thinking ill


Of others.


Usually one must enter into a friendship


With a person


Who has accomplished that great feat himself


Then


Something


Might start to rub off on you


Of that


True


Elegance.
 
 
______________________________
 
 
 
Last night,

from the cypress branch,

the nightingale sang,

In Old Persian tones,

the lesson of spiritual stations.


_____________________________


~ Hāfez-e Šhīrāzī (14th Century)

(Translated By Daniel Ladinsky) 


_________________________________

Gandhi, Mon Amour..

Today, you have worn on your heads a crown of thorns. The seat of power is a nasty thing. You have to remain ever wakeful on that seat. You have to be more truthful, more non-violent, more humble and more forbearing. You had been put to test during the British regime. But in a way it was no test at all. But now there will be no end to your being tested. Do not fall a prey to the lure of wealth. May God help you! You are there to serve the villages and the poor.

~ Mohandas K. Gandhi on 15th of August 1947 at Calcutta

(Manu Gandhi : The Miracle Of Calcutta)

Painting : Vincent van Gogh's 'The Potato Eaters'

Vincent van Gogh : The Potato Eaters (1885)

There are things which we feel to be good and true, though in the cold light of reason and calculation many things remain incomprehensible and dark. And though the society in which we live considers such actions thoughtless, or reckless, or I don't know what else, what can we say if once the hidden forces of sympathy and love have been roused in us? And though it may be that we cannot argue against the reasoning sentiment and to act from impulse, one would almost conclude that some people have cauterized certain sensitive nerves within them, especially those which, combined, are called conscience. Well, I pity those people; in my opinion, they travel through life without compass..

What I think about my own work is that the painting of the peasants eating potatoes that I did in Nuenen is after all the best thing I did..

You see, I really have wanted to make it so that people get the idea that these folk, who are eating their potatoes by the light of their little lamp, have tilled the earth themselves with these hands they are putting in the dish, and so it speaks of manual labour and — that they have thus honestly earned their food. I wanted it to give the idea of a wholly different way of life from ours — the so-called civilized people. So I certainly don’t want everyone just to admire it or approve of it without knowing why..

~ Vincent to Theo

Television : Roald Dahl

(Peter Mertens : Kill The Television)

The most important thing we've learned,

So far as children are concerned,

Is never, NEVER, NEVER let

Them near your television set --

Or better still, just don't install

The idiotic thing at all.

In almost every house we've been,

We've watched them gaping at the screen.

They loll and slop and lounge about,

And stare until their eyes pop out.

(Last week in someone's place we saw

A dozen eyeballs on the floor.)

They sit and stare and stare and sit

Until they're hypnotised by it,

Until they're absolutely drunk

With all that shocking ghastly junk.

Oh yes, we know it keeps them still,

They don't climb out the window sill,

They never fight or kick or punch,

They leave you free to cook the lunch

And wash the dishes in the sink --

But did you ever stop to think,

To wonder just exactly what

This does to your beloved tot?

IT ROTS THE SENSE IN THE HEAD!

IT KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD!

IT CLOGS AND CLUTTERS UP THE MIND!

IT MAKES A CHILD SO DULL AND BLIND

HE CAN NO LONGER UNDERSTAND

A FANTASY, A FAIRYLAND!

HIS BRAIN BECOMES AS SOFT AS CHEESE!

HIS POWERS OF THINKING RUST AND FREEZE!

HE CANNOT THINK -- HE ONLY SEES!

'All right!' you'll cry. 'All right!' you'll say,

'But if we take the set away,

What shall we do to entertain

Our darling children? Please explain!'

We'll answer this by asking you,

'What used the darling ones to do?

'How used they keep themselves contented

Before this monster was invented?'

Have you forgotten? Don't you know?

We'll say it very loud and slow:

THEY ... USED ... TO ... READ! They'd READ and READ,

AND READ and READ, and then proceed

To READ some more. Great Scott! Gadzooks!

One half their lives was reading books!

The nursery shelves held books galore!

Books cluttered up the nursery floor!

And in the bedroom, by the bed,

More books were waiting to be read!

Such wondrous, fine, fantastic tales

Of dragons, gypsies, queens, and whales

And treasure isles, and distant shores

Where smugglers rowed with muffled oars,

And pirates wearing purple pants,

And sailing ships and elephants,

And cannibals crouching 'round the pot,

Stirring away at something hot.

(It smells so good, what can it be?

Good gracious, it's Penelope.)

The younger ones had Beatrix Potter

With Mr. Tod, the dirty rotter,

And Squirrel Nutkin, Pigling Bland,

And Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and-

Just How The Camel Got His Hump,

And How the Monkey Lost His Rump,

And Mr. Toad, and bless my soul,

There's Mr. Rate and Mr. Mole-

Oh, books, what books they used to know,

Those children living long ago!

So please, oh please, we beg, we pray,

Go throw your TV set away,

And in its place you can install

A lovely bookshelf on the wall.

Then fill the shelves with lots of books,

Ignoring all the dirty looks,

The screams and yells, the bites and kicks,

And children hitting you with sticks-

Fear not, because we promise you

That, in about a week or two

Of having nothing else to do,

They'll now begin to feel the need

Of having something to read.

And once they start -- oh girl! oh boy!

You watch the slowly growing joy

That fills their hearts. They'll grow so keen

They'll wonder what they'd ever seen

In that ridiculous machine,

That nauseating, foul, unclean,

Repulsive television screen!

And later, each and every kid

Will love you more for what you did.




~ Roald Dahl (1916 ~ 1990)




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