It was a strange evening for Art Rebel. He didn't feel up to trying to pursue that which he desired. He wanted what he desired to come to him, instead, for a change. It took a great deal of focus, but in the end it all worked out just as he had hoped it would. And this is because he retained his power by resisting the impulses of his ego. In the end it all was the way he wished it to be. And then the stranger spoke, and said what it was that made it so... and no one understood what he meant at all. And, so the stranger smiled to himself and walked off into the sunset.
When ArtRebel was at a young and impressionable age, he had the distinction with his peers to see this astonishing film one steamy August night in summer camp, a long time ago. He barely recalls that night, and yet, this dreadful film instilled in him a grave foreboding of what the future might hold in store. And being of the age where young men believe they are invincible heroes, he dedicated his life to the opposition of this horrific foe. This monster above all monsters - this Grey Utopia which no one can stop. The Great Leviathan that can not be slain. His chosen weapon: Art Rebellion. Love and Beauty, he reasoned, are the only hope for victory.
Warning: The following BBC TV film, "1984" (1954), is based on George Orwell's book '1984'. It is starkly terrifying, and deeply disturbing. I do not recommend it for anyone who is not strong of mind and spirit enough to endure it without succumbing to it's morose and terrible message. It is far beyond normal horror, not so much for it's violence which never fully revealed, but because we can now see that this fictional future written in 1948 could become our future with terrible ease. It appears the world has been slouching toward Gomorrah after all, as is evidenced by the chaos we witness daily, and seems to be in a state of rapidly increasing instability: thus the conditions are growing more and more ideal for the kind of world that Orwell envisioned.
Art Rebel chooses to fight in his own sweet way. Poor lovely poetic Art Rebel. Always standing in the dappling shadows invisibly listening to the bird song. Whether men shall honor him or not, he is little concerned. To his mind, the world is filled with great ancient spirits flying through the winds everlasting and their stories cascade across the myriad realities within and without us all. And so, he is invisible to the worldly eyes around him, because their hearts can not perceive his dream. To perceive it is to be drawn out of Oceana for a fleeting moment. A moment of escape. And Big Brother simply can not allow it. Remember it.
And remember, Eternal Vigilance is the price we must pay for our Liberty.
The book, of course, is far more terrifying than the film, for all the detail it went into, which I could not stomach for long.
In fact, I can only sincerely recommend this film for those who do not sufficiently comprehend, and therefore fear, Socialism, aka Totalitarianism. It reveals what the ultimate goals of Socialism are, for those who are the Party Leaders.
I think all people should have some familiarity with 1984, especially at this time. Understanding the minds of the Grey Utopians, one can better defend against them. Turning one's shoulder away from the horrific temptations of IngSoc, people must dedicate themselves to thwarting the designs of the evil if they wish to have a mind of their own, and remain a free people.
However, there are many who have already succumbed to the Great Slavery and wish this hideous Doom upon us all so that we may all suffer together. And many people have succumbed to evil without ever quite realizing what has happened. Until it is far too late. If you succumb you become them, and perish into the Grey Utopia. If you resist you remain among the living, and your spirit burns bright for the rest of us.
We must be vigilant and understand the reality of our times and be prepared to thwart the vile design. For the Art Rebels this is done via Strategic Art-War. Does anyone believe that hearts and minds are won by bullets and bombs, rather than through inspiration and the spirit of love? Yes, the Slaves of IngSoc believe it.
For the rest of us, those who are already quite aware of the dark perils of the Grey Utopia and already of a mind to eschew the evil, then please, my recommendation is to leave this film behind, resist the temptation and avoid the disturbing image, and so spare your mind the shock and horror. Be of a good courage.
It is believable, and inevitable, that some among wish for IngSoc to be our future. A nightmare future in which they get to be the ones who stamp their boot on human faces forever. It is something we must defend against at all times, least they get their way. And the terrifying fact is that they are currently in the process of getting their way, and have been for 40 years, slowly, incrementally, and inexorably.
