Scorcese's Temptation

An incredibly stimulating and somewhat upsetting film was recently shown at Villa Grey. The Last Temptation of Christ is a 1988 film over which a great deal of ink has flowed.

Based on a novel by Greek writer Nikos Kazantzakis (of Zorba the Greek fame), this film explores the possibility that Christ had human doubts about his mission and his faith in God. 

There are so many amazing aspects to this film: the cinematography, costmes, original soundtrack (some of it by a budding Phil Collins) are all original and unusual; along with the staging of strange, pagan-like rituals and songs throughout, they lend the film a unique feel.

Another impressive feat is the (mostly) successful screenplay, which is in contemporary language, but set to represent ancient people talking. What a challenge for the screenwriter Paul Schrader: writing an 'authentic', convincing dialogue between Jesus and his disciples, Mary Magdalene or Judas in modern-day English! The characters themselves and the happenings as Kazantzakis envisions them, although they are based on very contested historical accounts, are fascinating and very believable, complete with human frailty and vulnerability.

The film does de-sanctify the image of Jesus Christ, and it’s understandable why it caused so much strife. This is one artist’s rendition of a famous historical figure, though sacred for some! Scorcese's rendition is a unique experience, not to be missed next time it comes around. Especially since, as some would have it, we would not have a chance to see this film at all. Here is one person’s account who actually witnessed the picketing of the film in 1988 (as quoted in the University of Nebraska at Omaha website):

“Evangelicals, Orthodox and conservative Roman Catholic Christians picketed the theater in Chicago where I saw The Last Temptation of Christ in 1988. Standing in the cold they pronounced the Martin Scorsese film, and the Kazantzakis novel on which it was based, blasphemy and told those of us waiting for tickets that attending might imperil our souls. It is temping to think that the controversies generated by this film were unique. In fact however, filming the life of Jesus has always been a problematic enterprise and has always met mixed reactions.”


N.B. Villa Grey is showing films every Wednesday night. Citizen Kane is up next Wednesday, July 2nd. For more on this venue see article in Egypt Today on Villa Grey, December 2007 Issue.

No-Talk

The 10,000 things rise and fall without cease

The sage goes about doing nothing, teaching no-talk

Creating, yet not possessing

Working, yet not taking credit

Work is done, then forgotten

Therefore it lasts forever


Lao Tsu The Tao of Becoming

Ian Watson's Emotional Release Work

Emotional Release work helps us undo the learned habit of holding on and preventing ourselves from experiencing our feelings as they occur. Ian Watson, a British homeopath and healing practioner has made it his current work to share what he has learned about emotional release. He explains that we learn how to hold back feelings growing up, when certain feelings are deemed socially and culturally unacceptable (for example anger for girls, tears and fear for boys). From doing that consciously, we become so good at it that it becomes an automatic response as soon as a strong emotion arises in the body. It's like driving, the body just does it automatiacally -- we clench our muscles and then we stop ourselves from experiencing the feeling and we get to keep it!

There is usually a specific place between the throat and the pubis where we store various emotions. We keep the emotions because we were told not to express them; soon we do not allow ourselves to even experience them. The good news is that all that the body NEEDS to do with these emotions in order to let them go is to actually experience them fully, that's all. As Ian puts it with a sly little smile: "What you don't want to experience, you get to keep, it's as simple as that!" The body [wisdom/ecology] knows it needs to feel the feeling fully in order to 'heal' from the emotion.

Ian also points out in response to questions of what do you do if 'certain people make you feel this way or that': "Nobody can GIVE you a feeling that wasn't already there. Our willingness to do the work of emotional release is crucial to our health and wellbeing and is what Ian calls "The Birth of Self-Responsibility". He also points out that expressing a feeling is different from experiencing a feeling and afterwards letting it go or releasing it. It is not necessary to express a feeling in order to feel it fully, allowing it thus to be transmuted and left to go. In fact, we often express our feeling to those that had nothing to do with it, the spouse, the kids, or the cat!!(First release it, then see if you also need to express it.) A clue to knowing that the feeling being expressed has nothing to do wiht the present circumstances but with our past history is the degree of intensity packed into it: "When it's Hysterical it's probably Historical"!

Bauhinia Spring

Compiled by Samia Zeitoun
First published in Heliopolis Magazine, April 2001

"One of the most attractive flowering trees is now on show in our streets announcing the approach of spring. Look out for the pink, white or lavender orchid-like blossoms of the Bauhinia Variegata tree. It is a medium sized deciduous tree native to India and China. Its lobe-shaped leaves have given it the popular common name of camel foot tree or Khuf el-Gamal.

... A tradition held in Hong-Kong, called the Bauhinia Festival, casts national attention on this beautiful species,; during the month of March, mass tree plantings are held in specially selected areas in which all the community participates. In addition to improving the city's lanscape and propagating the Bauhinia, it serves as a tourist attraction in Hong Kong."