I love that you put this out there and asked the community that seeks to support you for help. (And I'm completely unsurprised that they came through.) Your substack is a beautiful place. If you ever have any doubt about the importance of your work, look to your readers and the community you've cultivated here. This little microcosm of humanity is such a hopeful spark!
I am continually in awe of the people who read the substacks that I read: brilliant, kind, helpful, and delightful "commentarians" from so many aspects of Life each with a piece of vital info. Thanks for helping Celia, Mrs S. That website may be important for other authors among us, too. 🙏😊.
Looking at a couple of pages of that script, it seems so remarkably disjointed, I wonder if it's been edited; or is that just the way Tarkovsky wrote his dialogue? At any rate, it smacks of a combination of the sophomoric pesudo-sophistication of "My Dinner With Andre" and a more vaunted voice commanding our artistic respect whether we know enough to assent or not.
Can't help you with the quote but it made me go sideways with my thinking and realized it is describing spiritual practices from the yoga sutras and Christianity alike. In the sutras the practice of 'santosha' is prescribed for 'contentment'. The Upanishads also tell a story of a yogi being offered food, which he accepts. When offered another serving he declines, not being able to accept even one more bean so as not to disturb the delicate balance of santosha/contentment. In Christianity, two of the seven deadly sins are greed and gluttony. Why categorize these as deadly? They ultimately lead to a bad end.
What is evil? It’s not the opposite of Good as many believe. An action with no goodness , say the genocide of a people or the ritual abuse of a child , is about as evil as it gets. It marks the end of like preceded by horrific torture. On the Good side there is no limit to the expression of actions deemed good.
Analogy
Is cold the opposite of hot? No, not really. Cold and hot are expressions of the motion of molecules. Absolute cold is attained by stopping molecular motion . Warmth on the other hand is not limited . The motion of molecules has no limit as it can always become greater. Same with light and darkness. No limii to light , while absolute darkness easily attained .
Well, not necessary for what? Not familiar with the movie, BUT, I can see/sense/know that the Universe is necessary. Iyis a beautiful miracle that I think our task and joy here is to learn to appreciate it. Read the short story by Rachel Carson.
"A sense of Wonder." Poke around and find it for free, ponder your own life while reading/contemplating it.
Just started watching it double time on YouTube and then noticed you posted the request this morning and am here checking if someone came thru. And so very glad several someone's did....
Speaking of evil and sin, "Tarkovsky studied film at Moscow's VGIK under filmmaker Mikhail Romm, and subsequently directed his first five features in the Soviet Union: Ivan's Childhood (1962), Andrei Rublev (1966), Solaris (1972), Mirror (1975), and Stalker (1979). A number of his films from this period are ranked among the best films ever made. After years of creative conflict with state film authorities, Tarkovsky left the country in 1979 and made his final two films abroad; Nostalghia (1983) and The Sacrifice (1986) ..."
So he only left the Evil Empire belatedly over a "creative conflict", eh?
Wonderful, thanks to your question, to be able to focus once again in detail the monologue of Alexander.
Tarkovsky must have added it in the process of finalizing the script since it is not there in the original version of 1984 which I verified in the "collected screenplays" published by Faber and Faber in 1999.
Every single movie of him is a present to humanity and more than ever they are treasures of wisdom for generations to come.
Some people think other people or people groups are unnecessary. Are the groups evil, or the person thinking that thought? (the Shema in my view is the plumbline).
BTW I think the word I would choose for working hard on a project may be "perserverance."
The two commandments that sum up the ten. First commandment -- love your God with all your soul, mind and spirit (I may be wrong), and second command -- love your neighbor as yourself.
Can't reliably do the second without dedication to the first.
The second refers to the innate value/inalienable rights of all humans as human beings.
I am "on deadline" with the book about James Thorp and could not take time to search so asked if anybody just knew it. Old fashioned way of going about it.
According to BING, The film “The Sacrifice” by Andrei Tarkovsky opens with the aria “Erbarme dich, mein Gott” (“Have mercy, my God”) from Johann Sebastian Bach’s St Matthew Passion.
I love that you put this out there and asked the community that seeks to support you for help. (And I'm completely unsurprised that they came through.) Your substack is a beautiful place. If you ever have any doubt about the importance of your work, look to your readers and the community you've cultivated here. This little microcosm of humanity is such a hopeful spark!
Ann, thank you. I trust the people who come here with my life. I think we have achieved some kind of frequency of trust and good will here, together.
Facing another all nighter but trying to just finish just finish just---
Celia, start watching at 21:00 with subtitles on—ah, Tarkovsky!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzVkwyJIL88
Here is the script: https://www.scripts.com/script.php?id=the_sacrifice_15113&p=2
I am continually in awe of the people who read the substacks that I read: brilliant, kind, helpful, and delightful "commentarians" from so many aspects of Life each with a piece of vital info. Thanks for helping Celia, Mrs S. That website may be important for other authors among us, too. 🙏😊.
Thank you Sandy. That's such a kind comment.
Here you go
"As soon as we make a scientific breakthrough we put it to use in the service of evil.
And as for the standard, some wise man once said that sin is that which is unnecessary."
https://www.scripts.com/script.php?id=the_sacrifice_15113&p=4
Oh wow. I remembered it…wrong. Or…rather different. Goes to show. And thank you.
"Some wise man once said that sin is that which is unnecessary." THAT is it.
Thank you thank you. All.
I like the way you got it wrong "they're both right".
haha! Thank you.
Worth expanding a bit:
‘Man has defended himself, always
against other men, against Nature.
He has constantly violated Nature.
The result is a civilisation built
on force, power, fear, dependence.
All our "technical progress"
has only provided us
with comfort, a sort of standard.
And instruments of violence
to keep power. We are like savages!
We use the microscope like a cudgel!
No, that's wrong.
Savages are more spiritual than us!
As soon as we make
a scientific breakthrough
we put it to use
in the service of evil.
And as for the standard,
some wise man once said
that sin
is that which is unnecessary.
If that is so,
then our entire civilisation
is built on sin,
from beginning to end.
We have acquired
a dreadful disharmony
an imbalance, if you will,
between our material
and our spiritual development.
Our culture is defective.
I mean, our civilisation.
Basically defective, my boy!
Perhaps you mean
that we ought to study the problem
and look for a solution together.
Perhaps we could, if it wasn't
so late. Altogether too late.
God, how weary I am of this talk!
"Words, words, words!"
At last, I know what Hamlet meant.
He was fed up with windbags.’
Very helpful. Thanks!
Looking at a couple of pages of that script, it seems so remarkably disjointed, I wonder if it's been edited; or is that just the way Tarkovsky wrote his dialogue? At any rate, it smacks of a combination of the sophomoric pesudo-sophistication of "My Dinner With Andre" and a more vaunted voice commanding our artistic respect whether we know enough to assent or not.
"Words, words, words!"
I am fed up with windbags.
A more than ironic line, considering it's ensconced within a script of over 7,500 words.
Can't help you with the quote but it made me go sideways with my thinking and realized it is describing spiritual practices from the yoga sutras and Christianity alike. In the sutras the practice of 'santosha' is prescribed for 'contentment'. The Upanishads also tell a story of a yogi being offered food, which he accepts. When offered another serving he declines, not being able to accept even one more bean so as not to disturb the delicate balance of santosha/contentment. In Christianity, two of the seven deadly sins are greed and gluttony. Why categorize these as deadly? They ultimately lead to a bad end.
They lead to illness. Physical. Mental. Spiritual. And the death of all three. Agree.
What is evil? It’s not the opposite of Good as many believe. An action with no goodness , say the genocide of a people or the ritual abuse of a child , is about as evil as it gets. It marks the end of like preceded by horrific torture. On the Good side there is no limit to the expression of actions deemed good.
Analogy
Is cold the opposite of hot? No, not really. Cold and hot are expressions of the motion of molecules. Absolute cold is attained by stopping molecular motion . Warmth on the other hand is not limited . The motion of molecules has no limit as it can always become greater. Same with light and darkness. No limii to light , while absolute darkness easily attained .
Happy light and love filled holidays!
Anthony Fauci; "what is evil?.
Christine Grady; "all that is unnecessary".
Anthony Fauci; "what is evil?.
Christine Grady; "all that is unnecessary".
Anthony Fauci; "are you implying I am unnecessary?"
Christine Grady; "yes"
Well, not necessary for what? Not familiar with the movie, BUT, I can see/sense/know that the Universe is necessary. Iyis a beautiful miracle that I think our task and joy here is to learn to appreciate it. Read the short story by Rachel Carson.
"A sense of Wonder." Poke around and find it for free, ponder your own life while reading/contemplating it.
Just started watching it double time on YouTube and then noticed you posted the request this morning and am here checking if someone came thru. And so very glad several someone's did....
aw, how sweet!
Speaking of evil and sin, "Tarkovsky studied film at Moscow's VGIK under filmmaker Mikhail Romm, and subsequently directed his first five features in the Soviet Union: Ivan's Childhood (1962), Andrei Rublev (1966), Solaris (1972), Mirror (1975), and Stalker (1979). A number of his films from this period are ranked among the best films ever made. After years of creative conflict with state film authorities, Tarkovsky left the country in 1979 and made his final two films abroad; Nostalghia (1983) and The Sacrifice (1986) ..."
So he only left the Evil Empire belatedly over a "creative conflict", eh?
Wonderful, thanks to your question, to be able to focus once again in detail the monologue of Alexander.
Tarkovsky must have added it in the process of finalizing the script since it is not there in the original version of 1984 which I verified in the "collected screenplays" published by Faber and Faber in 1999.
Every single movie of him is a present to humanity and more than ever they are treasures of wisdom for generations to come.
great movie. all of them are. the house burn sequence at the end is epic
Some people think other people or people groups are unnecessary. Are the groups evil, or the person thinking that thought? (the Shema in my view is the plumbline).
BTW I think the word I would choose for working hard on a project may be "perserverance."
The two commandments that sum up the ten. First commandment -- love your God with all your soul, mind and spirit (I may be wrong), and second command -- love your neighbor as yourself.
Can't reliably do the second without dedication to the first.
The second refers to the innate value/inalienable rights of all humans as human beings.
Celis, I posted a comment that vanished. Van you finf it? D Geery
wha? Definitely not me! I don't know why that happened. Disturbing.
Am a huge Tarkovsky fan as well. What “new” Tarkovsky film? You must mean a film about him?
With all due respect for how hard you work, I don’t understand your not being able to figure out how to find that quote.
🤷♀️
I am "on deadline" with the book about James Thorp and could not take time to search so asked if anybody just knew it. Old fashioned way of going about it.
So glad you got the quote here. Praying for you Celia.....
According to BING, The film “The Sacrifice” by Andrei Tarkovsky opens with the aria “Erbarme dich, mein Gott” (“Have mercy, my God”) from Johann Sebastian Bach’s St Matthew Passion.