We respond to beauty and love

Just now I am reading 'A Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man' by James Joyce. This brilliant writer draws from his own experience of a Irish Catholic youth to portray various struggles within the protaganist Stephen Dedalus, who is searching for identity and meaning in his life. I'm at the point in which Stephen is at a crossroads in his life, the seductive lure of sin clashing with religious sentiment. A Jesuit priest preaches brimstone and fire, hammering into Stephen and his fellow students the reality of Hell and eternal damnation of his immortal soul. As an 'artist' Dedalus would probably be much more responsive to beauty, whether that be in the form of scripture or theology. There is so much beauty and so much ugliness in this world, living side by side like the wheat and chaff. The Jesuit priest describes the old school image of hell at great length and in vivid detail to his congregation of students. I am glad that I was not alive in that age or exposed to that style of theology. I would have lived my life in perpetual fear, afraid that I might fall into mortal sin at a moments notice. It is something which leads to a false piety, an unhealthy spirituality which has gradually eroded over the years, especially since the 2nd Vatican Council. The image of God as a loving and merciful Father has superceded the portrayal of God as a stern, vengeful Judge. Now, we are encouraged to speak the truth in a spirit of love. It is the priest's duty to attract people to God and the church with practical love and the eloquent translation of theology. The Young Artist is impressionable and at a crucial stage in his life. He will respond to beauty and love like a flower to sunshine and water. An analogy would be the unborn child and abortion. Some Pro-life groups use shock tactics, like showing photos of aborted babies, blood and guts. It's a horrific sight. Would it be better to show photos of the developing baby in the womb, something beautiful and sacred? Would that have more of an impact on society, especially with the constant advance of technology? In the meantime I will read on and discover the fate of Stephen Dedalus, which might also be the fate of Joyce himself.

Infamous

It's hard to watch Infamous without comparing it to the Oscar winning and nominated Capote of the previous year, but after a while I managed to switch my inner critic off and enjoy Infamous on its own merits. The plot is very similiar to Capote, dealing with his research and writing of the book 'In Cold Blood'. Two men, Perry Smith and Richard Hickcock, murder a family of four in Kansas and Truman Capote sees an opportunity of turning this tragedy into a best selling non-fiction novel. Aiding him in his research is Harper Lee, fresh from winning the Pulitzer Prize for 'To Kill A Mockingbird', and together they try to build up a picture of how a town copes with such brutal murders. Capote uses his charm and wit to ingratiate himself into the lives of this small Kansas town but, in terms of his book, he hits the jackpot when the two killers are caught and brought in. The relationship between Capote and the two killers, especially Perry Smith, becomes the central point of the film, both on both an emotional and psychological level. Does Capote really care for these two men or is he just using and manipulating them to get what he needs for his book? Probably a bit of both. Often a poignant scene between Capote and Perry Smith is followed by Capote relaying the information to his society friends back in New York as though it were a casual piece of gossip. The soundtrack is unusual. Often jaunty and upbeat, when out dining and partying with friends, then sombre and dark when is comes to the murders and the murderers. It's a nice juxtaposition and works well to make the dark darker and lightness of New York society seem frivolous and contrived. The cast is impressive, with Toby Jones, Daniel Craig, Sandra Bullock, Sigourney Weaver and Jeff Daniels all in excellent form. Jones and Craig in particular shine in their roles and the former can consider himself unlucky not to be at least nominated for an Oscar. I was dubious at first with Sandra Bullock being cast as Harper Lee but to her credit she gives a very measured performance. The direction, screenplay and cinematography are all very good, but again no Oscar nominations. It's a shame that Infamous should be overshadowed by the 2005 Capote, as it is both gripping and moving and offers a fascinating insight into a deeply complex and in some ways very troubled man. 8/10