உலக நாயகன்

 "The Man from Earth" - This movie will go down in my all time favorites. The whole 87 minutes is just one location where a group of people confess, critic, cross-question and cheer about a central theme. The intellectual discussions gave me multiple highs like very few movies did to me. 

A story is narrated, the listeners throw questions - what? when? where? who? how? etc. Everything gets answered - mind you - not necessarily the answer you wanted / liked to hear. The core question of why? is not convincing for the audience, and that makes their disbelief stronger.  

The philosophies are tied into intricately. Man does not die for 14,000 years - who would want to hear his never-ending story? Of course, "bring us only the high-points" asks the mundane and pre-programmed audience. In a way its good, again, who will listen to a long, never-ending story?

You know only as much as your race would know that point of time. You either learn from your best lot of the species or teach / preach them when you have known the most. But every memory need not stay - perception of time, knowledge of languages, origin of religions, concept of love - every human aspect is explored in conversations. These conversations are rich and thought-provoking.

High degrees in Anthropology, Biology, Art, Archaelogy, History are baffled by the revelation - simply because you know, rather you trust only as much as your text knowledge. When anchor of belief is shaken, one cannot accept it instantly. But the truth of differentiating knowledge and faith is an eye-opener. How can we suddenly trust endless possibilties? 

Oh my God! (quips), endless possibilities? Horizons are infinite for real. Those biblical references and the puns! "Why did you have to cave to Gruber?", the names like Oldman, Young, etc.

Life comes a full circle for eveyone, except this man - which goes in a painstakingly long forward looking line. The film teased the hell out of my curious brain. Being blamed for taking life forces, accused guilty of outliving your loved ones, one time the vampire, another time the messiah, purpose of life and what not? 

That fake flashback attempt was full on satirical - did I not say we want to hear what we like to hear? Every story has to come to an end. Does it really? We just take whatever closure out of it and move on. The protoganist too, moves on and on. The man who has lived the most talks from his experience and all we witness is the core getting lost in Translation & Perception. 

How does one's time come to an end? By physical non-existence or by being forgotten? 

"சாகாவரம் போல் சோகம் உண்டோ? தீரா கதையை கேட்பார் உண்டோ?" 

We never know the person in front of us really well, do we? Their story, history and nature. As long as we are here, for the time that we are, being kind (to others, to beings, to nature, to oneself) can make the earth engine revolve a few more times with life aboard, for more stories to continue and happen....,