Sydney Pollack 1934 - 2008

I was saddened last night to hear news of the death of a great director, producer, and actor.  Sydney Pollack was probably one of the most well respected and widely influential living filmmakers until his loss to cancer yesterday, and will be sorely missed by many people within the industry and thousands of fans who appreciated his work.  I like to remember him as the director of such great films as They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, Jeremiah Johnson, The Way We Were, The Yakuza, Three Days of the Condor, Tootsie, The Firm, The Interpreter, and of course his ultimate classic, 1985's best picture and best director winner Out of Africa.  Even more memorable in many ways was his ability to be convincing both behind and in front of the camera, as he also starred as a character actor or supporting character in many of his own films and scores of others as well.  You can catch him at his best on screen in Tootsie, The Player, The Majestic, The Interpreter, and Michael Clayton.  After taking time off as an actor to work on his directing, his first on screen role in 20 years was Tootsie.  Dustin Hoffman reportedly talked him into it by sending him roses with a note reading "Please be my agent. Love, Dorothy."  (If you've never seen Tootise by the way, you owe it to yourself to see it soon.)  He's fondly remembered by many of those he worked closely with, among them George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Dustin Hoffman, and Robert Redford (who made 7 films with the director).  Clooney has been quoted this morning as saying of his Michael Clayton co-star: "Sydney made the world a little better, movies a little better and even dinner a little better.  A tip of the hat to a class act."  In the past 11 months he discovered he had cancer and since that time, almost every big name in Hollywood took time out to go and visit him at his house.  He referred to himself as "Mr. Mainstream" and was once quoted as saying "I don't value a film I've enjoyed making.  If it's good, it's damned hard work."  That sort of hard work ethic not only characterized Sydney the man, but an entire slate of films he directed, produced, or starred in that defined a generation.  Rent Out of Africa or Tootsie this weekend and enjoy Sydney Pollack's great works for yourself.  

Lessons from Nanking

As many of you know, I have a curious streak when it comes to somewhat obscure world history events.  What I mean is simply that I like to dig deep into major world events in history that for whatever reason, probably aren't covered well in Western history books.  The unique thing here is how I tend to gravitate towards darker truth: stories of war and atrocity really strike me on an emotional level.  I have always harbored a desire to learn more about and raise awareness of the current genocide in the Darfur region of the Sudan, as well as past genocides, tragedies, and atrocities such as the Rwandan Genocide, the Bosnian War, the 2004 Asian Tsunami, etc.  Basically if the event is international and deals with issues of justice & injustice, I'm most likely interested in it.  I believe that some of the most fascinating stories come out of histories darkest chapters.  In the dark chaos of war and injustice, there are always a few individuals who rise to the challenge and let their light shine brighter because of it.  So it's only natural that I've recently taken up an interest in the 'Rape of Nanking', the horrific events that unfolded in the Chinese capital during December 1937  when the Japanese invaded during WWII. 

For the uninformed, do yourself a favor and either go to wikipedia and read up on this historical event, or better yet, if you have the time, pick up Iris Chang's graphic yet definitive work on the subject, The Rape of Nanking. There's even a recently released documentary called Nanking that brings the story to life through archival footage and interviews with survivors, as well as dramatic readings from journals of Nanking citizens by some of the best vocal actors in Hollywood.  The Rape of Nanking is certainly not for the faint of heart, but I believe it to be a story worthy of being told.  As an aspiring filmmaker, the thought has crossed my mind more than once to make a full fledged screenplay out of the events I'm about to briefly relate in the hopes of one day having this story recreated and told with the visual style that only a major Hollywood Epic can pull off.  I don't mean to sound exploitative, but I would simply point to films like Schindler's List and Hotel Rwanda: these films were important in the way they educated everyday Americans about the events that went on during the Holocaust and the Rwandan Genocide.  

What fascinated me about the rape of Nanking was the story of the international community living in the city at the time.  Take Bob Wilson, an American doctor who stayed behind and quickly became known as the 'sole surgeon of Nanking' when it was left to him to perform surgery on hundreds of wounded Chinese soldiers and civilians.  Or look at the case of Minnie Vautrin, the missionary in charge of Ginling Girls College who took in thousands of Chinese girls and saved them from rape and torture at the hands of the Japanese troops.  Cases such as these fascinate me: these are the real heroes of history, men and women who have stood in the gap and put the lives of others ahead of their own in times of crisis.  Sadly, many of these brave souls are never remembered or heralded in the mainstream record of history.  

The sole individual who truly caught my eye though was John Rabe, because of his unique story and situation.  Born in Germany, Rabe moved to Nanking shortly after joining the newly-established Nazi Party.  He was in charge of the Siemen's office in Nanking, and when the Japanese invaded he was one of the key players in the formation of the international safety zone, and was responsible for saving the lives of thousands of Chinese in the process.  Here we have a card carrying Nazi working hand in hand with Christian Missionaries to save lives in a time of war.  In Rabe's defense, he wasn't a Nazi in the sense that they are remembered today, in fact, he was a good man of character and integrity, and was blind to the atrocities being committed back home by Hitler.  His only source of news was a German newspaper that was a propaganda piece for the Nazi Party, and therefore obscured the truth from every reaching Rabe's ears about just what the Nazi's were quickly becoming known for everywhere else in the world.  When he returned home after the war, he was arrested by the Gestapo and interrogated for hours about his knowledge of the Nanking massacre.  He eventually was released because he was deemed innocent and harmless, only to be blacklisted as a Nazi and rearrested by the Soviets when they took Berlin at the end of the war.  Unable to get a job and virtually lost in the fog of war, Rabe ended up eating roots out of his own garden to stay alive.  Back in Nanking, the mayor of the city heard of this and together with the people of the city (people Rabe had saved no doubt), they compiled a load of food, clothes, and supplies to send to him.  The theme of live saving had come full circle with Rabe owing his life to the very people he had protected only years earlier.  Does this story not amaze anyone else besides me?  Can't you just see this fantastic biography being adapted into a motion picture of some sort?  I'm currently about to start reading Rabe's diaries, compiled in a book called The Good Man of Nanking: The Diaries of John Rabe.

The truth of it is, the Nanking Massacre left over 300,000 Chinese people dead, raped, and mutilated at the hands of the Japanese invaders.  It's one of the darkest chapters of the second world war, and is virtually unheard of in the west.  I would encourage everyone to get out and read about the Rape of Nanking, as well as see the documentaries and interviews on the subject.  No doubt it will impact you as much as it has me, and you may lose some sleep over it, as did I.  But you can never claim ignorance ever again and we can all walk away from such an atrocity with a greater appreciation for life, among other things.  I have a friend who lives in Nanking, he says today you can go and visit the house John Rabe lived in, it's a museum now to commemorate the massacre and also highlights the lives of the other international ex-patriots living in the safety zone.  Every December 13th they sound the air raid sirens and the whole city falls silent in remembrance of the day all those years ago that the Japanese bombed the city and invaded.  For such an event to have taken place, and then to have fallen silent in the majority of history books, is a crime and shame indeed.  Read the stories, hear the testimonies, and be touched by the tragedy and the inspiring actions that occurred in the city of Nanking.  

Reign Over Me

I wanted to take a moment to reflect on a film that I think was criminally under-appreciated upon it's release.  If you haven't seen Reign Over Me yet, do yourself a favor and go out and rent it.  This touching drama of two men who are both broken in their own unique ways really grabs a hold of you and asks a lot of good questions about life too.  They end up helping each other with their various problems, but in a way that doesn't ever feel contrived or scripted, the emotions come across as genuine and real.  Don Cheadle and Adam Sandler deliver two of the finer performances of their careers, and they have great chemistry as buddies who have reconnected after years and circumstances have led them in different directions.  What I liked most about the film was the raw feeling of it all, that genuine character development seen on screen through the actions of the people themselves.  The script is well polished and follows the old adage that "less is better" and really leaves it up to the actors to bring it home with intensity and impact.  Take the scene of Sandler telling Cheadle about his family after years of pain and denial.  The monologue is well written, but it's the simple, emotionally raw delivery by Sandler that really puts Reign Over Me over the top as a film about reaching out to others in their times of need, about living in community and caring for each other.  I would be at fault to not mention the small yet powerful role played by Donald Sutherland as the court judge at the end of the film as well: his gravitas leads extra depth to the climax of the film and the outcome of Sandler's character.  See this film for yourself, and be challenged to live every day like it's the best day of your life. Rated R for language and a sexual reference.  

On a much lighter note...

I am pleased to announce that in the aftermath of the Chinese earthquake, all 86 of the Panda Bears living in the Wolong National Nature Reserve have been accounted for and are safe.  I found this story and the above photo amusing, yet it also sounds eerily familiar to the point I made a few weeks back when I said more people cared about the horse that died in the Kentucky Derby than the thousands that died in the Myanmar cyclone.  This isn't the time or place to open up that can of worms again, I've already expressed my feelings there to many people.  I just thought this image and headline were hilarious, so don't read too deep of a social commentary into this post.  Just know the Pandas are OK.  :-) 

China Earthquake + Myanmar Cyclone = Asian Chaos

As some of you have been aware of (I pray most all of you are aware of these events actually), the death toll from the Myanmar Cyclone continues to rise, and this was greeted with more tragic news much earlier this week when early Monday morning an earthquake hit China that registered a magnitude of 7.9.  I waited to post on this because I was curious to see how wildly conflicting the damage assessments would be in the immediate hours following the quake and then a few days later when more information could be gathered.  Sure enough, the news becomes more and more grim each day.  The initial reports I heard were as few as 3 confirmed deaths, one secondary school collapsing in a rural village, and not much else... these were in the early stages of data though, when the Chinese rescue workers and government troops marches closer and closer to the epicenter, the toll has only expounded in a huge way: now the latest report I can find says that more than 15,000 are believed dead and thousands more are still unaccounted for, most believed to be buried in the rubble.  Rescue crews work around the clock still as I type this to dig out around 900 children from a collapsed school that have literally been buried alive.  It's not looking too good for thousands of families as they try and locate loved ones who have been missing since Monday.  Add these statistics to the mounting death toll in Myanmar - now at 128,000 and growing due to government negligence and unwillingness to accept outside aid  - and this brings the following shocking statistic: last month, there were at least 143, 000 more people in Asia than there are now.  I realize that to many of us, including myself, the figure 143,000 is simply that: a figure.  Stalin once said, "The death of one man is a tragedy, the death of millions is a statistic".  Obviously I'm not saying Stalin was right in what he did, just simply using his quote to suite my purposes here: the simple fact that to us, these 143,000 are but a headline, a number to go in the history books.  But to the families, the people left behind, the children without fathers and mothers, the parents who have lost their children, familes that were ripped apart by the effects of a fallen world in turbulent motion, this number is a part of a greater tragedy.  These two events have changed the face of Asia, and will impact the generations to come for decades.  Family lines have been cut off, entire cities removed from the map.  I am continually reminded that in all of this disaster however, God still is in total control. 

When I was in Uganda over last summer, I remember looking out over the IDP camps in northern Uganda and wondering how could God allow so much injustice... and then I remembered that His ways are not my ways, and my plans not his plans.  I was reminded that as a believer, I exist now in the land of the dying, it's this very earth we sit on right now.  Only having passed away will we truly enter the land of the living.  For the true believer, our best days are always before us, and we are to remember that we are not home yet.  We are pilgrims, aliens, and strangers in a land that is foreign to us, harsh for us, and will continue to present trials and tribulations until that day when we do reach our eternal home in glory.  I was reminded of a song by Jars of Clay, called Art in Me.  The lyrics go something like this:

Images on the sidewalk speak of dream's decent

Washed away by storms to graves of cynical lament

Dirty canvases to call my own

Protest limericks carved by the old pay phone

In Your picture book I'm trying hard to see

Turning endless pages of this tragedy

Sculpting every move You compose a symphony

And You plead to everyone, "see the art in me"

Broken stained-glass windows, the fragments ramble on

Tales of broken souls, an eternity's been won

As critics scorn the thoughts and works of mortal man

My eyes are drawn to You in awe once again

In Your picture book I'm trying hard to see

Turning endless pages of this tragedy

Sculpting every move you compose a symphony

And you plead to everyone, "see to art in me"

You see, we live in a fallen world: that much is given by the evidence around us, as well as the scriptures that say "for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us.  For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.  For the creation was subjected to frutility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.  For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.  And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.  For in this hope we were saved.  Now hope that is seen is not hope.  For who hopes for what he sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." (Romans 8:18-25)

Consider this: creation groans as in childbirth.  Childbirth hurts a lot (so I hear), but the end product is the arrival of new life in the world.  What a beautiful picture of redemption!  I will continue to follow and pray over these sobering events that have taken place in Asia these past few weeks, but not as one without hope. For we long for the day when earthquakes and cyclones and death are a thing of the past, and the effects of sin on this world lose their grip and fall away with the arrival of a new heavens and a new earth.  Keep China and Myanmar in your prayers, and keep the larger picture of God's redemptive plan for the nations at the forefront of your mind as well.  We may see tragedy for the time being, but God is sculpting a symphony of grandeur and grace.    

And the Cyclone story continues...

This comes not from me, but a third party source (don't you just love cut-and-paste?) and really drives home how big of a deal this may become...  

"The death toll in cyclone-ravaged Burma (Myanmar) could hit 500,000 - more than TWICE the total killed by the December 26th 2004 Tsunami.  Sources said 200,000 people were already dead or dying.  But the figure could rise to Half a Million through disease and hunger if the nation's hardline army rulers continue to block aid for the devastated lowlands of the Irrawaddy Delta.  That would dwarf the 230,000 deaths across South East Asia in the 2004 catastrophe."

"Disaster struck on Saturday when 120mph Cyclone Nargis forced ashore waves up to 20 feet high.  The Irrawaddy town of Labutta - population 80,000 - was wiped off the map."

"Local doctor Aye Kyu told how families clung to trees as their homes were swept away.  He said, 'I asked survivors how many there were left.  They said about 200.' A spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid said: 'The entire lower delta region is under water. Teams are talking about bodies floating around. This is a major, major disaster.'  The UN World Food Program said up to a million may have been left homeless in the vital 'rice bowl' farming region alone.  In the city of Bogalay, 95% of homes are thought to have been destroyed."

And what's the worst news?  The military junta is apparently doing nothing right now.  Concerning help from the Myanmar Air Force, only 4 of the countries 80 helicopters are being used to move food, water, and supplies to areas of need.  

Is this really happening?  People are dying left and right and the government, a group of ruthless generals that run the country, (the biggest one being a dude by the name of Gen. Than Shwe), are literally sitting on their hands.  BBC reports that the few aid packages that have made it to the Rangoon capital airport are just sitting on the tarmac.  This is enough to frustrate anyone.... Spread the word, keep up with the news, and pray for the people of this nation! 

Cyclone Update and Rant Part II

I woke up this morning after my initial rant last night and discovered that perhaps my wishes came true a little when I signed online.  I was greeted by the Yahoo frontpage and the lead story was (gasp!) NOT about Hilary, Obama, or anything American.  The internet finally caught on to the Myanmar Cyclone and the lead story was all about it.  Unfortunately, the news is even worse than we feared.  Remember yesterday's USA Today that had the death toll at 350?  Now Yahoo is reporting the death toll has soared past 22,000 and there are still 41,000 people missing, presumed dead.  This could mean that potentially 63,000 people are dead, and I still wouldn't be surprised if it went higher.  I realize that parts of my initial rant were naive and written in the emotion of the moment. But seriously folks, as a good friend pointed out to me last night, we give more attention and media coverage to one horse being euthanized at the race track over the weekend (The Kentucky Derby incident on Saturday involving the filly Eight Bells) than possibly 63,000 people being swept into eternity.  For all the fuss we made over Hurricane Katrina (and rightly so, don't get me wrong, it was an "American Tragedy"), we sure don't seem to notice when disasters much worse occur around the world.  Out of sight, out of mind seems to be the adage (or perhaps more appropriately, "Out of America, Out of the News") and I can't help but still feel frustrated that as I stated earlier, I'd bet fewer Americans can even find Myanmar on the map than can tell you there's been a Cyclone.  

On a completely unrelated rant, did this business with the horse at the Derby not strike anyone else as a little crazy?  They seem to euthanize any and all race horses these days.  Barbaro, the horse that won the 2006 Derby, was euthanized a few months later when he shattered his back leg in the Preakness.   Now Eight Bells, the first filly to run in a long time with the big boys in the Derby, breaks both front ankles and is euthanized on the track.  What if this was the case with athletes?  What if when a player got injured we euthanized them on the spot, no questions asked?   I know the two issues are world's apart, but the idea that once a horse bred to race gets injured must be let go kinda bothers me.  Not because I'm some "save the whales" animal lover (I'm not, in the sense that I don't hold vigils for animals and sign petitions), but I mean, surely there is someone somewhere who would like to buy the horse from the owner, and let it live out it's days, as tough and race-free as they may be, in peace and quiet on a horse ranch somewhere?  Why do we decide that's not an option and the creature must be euthanized.  If anyone reading this knows more about horses than me, let me know.  I'm not as mad about this issue as I am about the lack of media coverage for the cyclone, but I am curious.  Like I said, if this principle held up in other sports, you'd see lots of the greatest athletes of our time laid to rest early in their careers after suffering injuries.  It just seems a little wild to me, that's all.  

Oh well, I'll continue to monitor the information coming out about the Cyclone in Myanmar, until then, realize that most of the population there is Buddhist or Hindu or Muslim, so the other sad statistic is the fact that many of the people there perished without knowing the Lord.  Makes one realize how urgent the great commission truly is. Obviously I believe God is sovereign and this is all part of his perfect plan and timing, but I'm still allowed to be a little frustrated and upset about it.  :-)  Pray for Myanmar, and pray the media gives it the attention is needs.  Pray the body count doesn't rise much higher either... 

The above image is a satellite photo of the Myanmar area that was affected by the cyclone before and after it hit... as you can see, major flooding has occurred, the landscape has been permanently altered for the time being in some cases... 

350 vs. 13000 - Does Anyone Notice (Or Care?)

I turned on the news today and watched for over an hour while pundits went back and forth about Hilary vs. Obama.  I think I speak for most everyone when I say I'm sick of it.  Not because I'm a republican, but because I'm tired of every night turning on the news and hearing that the top news story is Hilary vs. Obama.  Is there nothing else going on in our world?  A food fight broke out in Mogadishu, Somalia today.  People there in Northeast Africa can't afford the food costs for the little food they can purchase to begin with, costs have soared over 40% in the last month alone.  Government troops fired into the crowd and killed 2 people during the demonstration.  People died simply because they were demanding the basic essential of life - food - be offered at a reasonable cost.  Does this bother no one?  Is Hilary, Obama, or McCain more important?  Because by the looks of the media, it seems that way.  Do you know how much time the media gave to this story in Somalia?  less than 20 seconds.  Commercials for Taco Bell last longer than 20 seconds.  You know what "story" followed the mention of the food fight in Somalia?  The cyclone in Myanmar.  The news said they feared the death toll could reach 5,000.  The front page of the paper that morning said as many as 350 were feared dead.  Now the online reports are saying the death toll has exceeded 13,000... Does anyone else care about this kind of thing?  I realize it takes a little while for news to travel from a third world source back here to America, and that at the time of the paper's pressing, perhaps the death toll was just starting to come in, hence the reports of 350.  But now it's over 13,000.  That's more than 12,650 people that have since been reported dead.  That's 13,000 people wiped off the face of planet earth, gone to spend an eternity either in heaven or hell.  I'm not being melodramatic.  I'm simply calling for a greater interest and awareness in the world at large.  You know how much time the media gave to the cyclone story?  about 30 seconds.  Then they went into another 45 minute block of the same old same old we've seen over and over the past 5 months and will continue to see until November: Obama vs. Hilary.  Don't we still have boys on the ground in Iraq?  What happened over there today?  Oh my bad, I forgot... the media only reports the bad news now.  Like when a roadside bomb kills a convoy full of soldiers.  Then they're all ears, demanding that we pull out and end the war.  I'm not a war monger.  I despise war.  But I also despise a national media that turns a blind eye to the suffering around the world, playing mere lip service to international disasters and only broadcasting the news that suites their interests and ideals.  Spend some time outside of America.  Then you'll begin to realize what a narcissistic complex this great country has.  I realize I'm being a bit naive, but I want to simply know one thing: why?  Why should someone born half a world away be denied the same things someone born here is entitled to?  Why are some not entitled to simple things like clean water, basic education, decent standards of living, and religious freedom?  I know life is not fair and the world is fallen.  I just find it incredibly frustrating living in a culture and society where most people couldn't even locate Somalia or Myanmar on a map, but they can tell you everything about the latest Paris Hilton headline or Hannah Montana tour.  Septemeber 11th woke this nation up to the world around us, but I feel that for the most part, we've returned to our exclusive lifestyle and fallen asleep again.  I pray it doesn't take another 9/11 to reawaken the great sleeping giant of America.  I love this land.  I just wish this land loved their neighbors around the world more.  It's not about us, at least not nearly as much as we think it is... Any thoughts?  I blog because I care.