There are moments when a movie just hits you like a… you-know-what. Yes, a wave. Rolling over you without you noticing that you are swept off your feet, and things are not the same anymore. You have been told a secret, somebody else’s story. This story you must carry with you - and you will, unless your heart is cold.
In The Secret Life of Words, there are waves, lots of waves. Taking place on an oil rig, the movie shows us mile upon mile of endless waves clashing on the steel construction in the sea. They are measurable: One can count the waves. Since it was built, the oil rig has survived 25 million waves, we are told by the movie’s idealistic oceanographer who wants to count the waves. For what reason? one may wonder.
One can count the waves, as if they were, literally, shock waves of the ocean wailing. Why would the ocean wail? Because it cannot take anymore? Because human quests for riches suffocate the ocean? Perhaps, as suggested in this truly touching movie, perhaps counting the screams of a person can measure pain. Or let us believe that pain can, somehow, be measured.
What I imagine must be the most unimaginably horrible pain is the pain caused by a collective of humans who, through their collaboration, loose their humanity by humiliating and terrorising others. It is a malign wave. That is the story told in The Secret Life of Words.
3 Responses to “Secrets”
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You’re right - there are definately malign waves out there. And sadly I guess they are more common that the waves of smiles that make the world go around.
But the movie also shows us how we can inspire and help eachother by smiling and sharing our secrets…….and by speaking out our thoughts - even when life destiny has made it almost impossible to do so.
This reminds me of two former posts here on Share A Brainwave. Both of them adressed to citizens in the Western world encouraring us to share, smile, help and inspire each other. But the points are just as - maybe even more - relevant when it comes to people suffering from horrible memories. Being there for eachother. Share smiles and sadness.
http://www.shareabrainwave.net/2007/01/21/smiling-is-a-benign-virus/
http://www.shareabrainwave.net/2007/01/23/speak-out-your-thougts/
In order to fight the malign wave, I do believe that you’re absolutely right in suggesting that we must initiate benign waves by sharing smiles and sadness. This way we can create space for our own humanity, both on a personal level and on that of the civilization.
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