Human nature is a bridge

Talon 2021-10-19 09:48:39

Question: Man is a rope, connected between the animal and the superman --- the rope hangs above the abyss.

Kubrick is one of my favorite directors. His cold and profound film perspective with dark humor is often consistent with my perspective on the world. Everyone will have a fondness for things that are similar to their own nature. This is what psychology says.
Although the all-metal case is also a Vietnam War movie, it looks very pleasant and smooth, without a feeling of depression and dullness, and even the black humor from time to time is hilarious. I think this is the model of a good movie-deep and interesting. The same is true of Kubrick's other movies, such as the interesting Clockwork Orange.
The beginning of the movie is a plot of shaved heads, the background music is relaxed and lively, but somewhat similar to country music. This scene is very meaningful. To change the substance, the first thing is to change the form. Therefore, in order to transform the thinking of these rookies into the way that the "party state" needs, the first thing is to change the appearance, and the easiest way to change the appearance is the hairstyle. So everyone became bald, maybe the reason for being upright is to help treat injuries.
Except for this suggestive scene, the other scenes have no direct performance, but we can see that: the uniformity of clothing (uniform), the uniformity of expression (Sir, yes, sir), the brainwashing of thoughts (singing, swearing), The unity of behavior (cohort training) is all about erasing the personality that the country does not need. In addition, the swear words and insults of the instructors are also a powerful weapon outside the system.
The power of discipline and training is powerful, but even more powerful is the power of the situation. I am studying social psychology recently and there is an interesting experiment in it.

Jim Bateau once used experiments to show the world how easy it is to turn a peaceful person into a torturous and hostile person. In 1971, he recruited some students at Stanford University to imitate prison guards and prisoners. He gave all the outfits of a real guard to his "jailer": uniform, whistle, handcuffs, sunglasses, which can make the volunteer behave more like a jailer. He also asked those pretending prisoners to use no names and only numbers to distinguish them. Many studies have found that this form of anonymity is an effective tool to change the way people treat others. As a result, the experiment had to be stopped after only 6 days, because those ordinary summer school students who were selected as guards due to their good mental health actually pushed many prisoners to the brink of emotional breakdown.

Just game-based experiments have caused such consequences, so what if it is a real barracks? Human nature and morality are a thin shell. It doesn't take much effort and strength to remove this shell. It only requires a brave heart, a heart brave enough to face reality and self. As long as you are rational and brave enough, you will easily find that behind this beautiful and warm shell is an animal.
Humans are just animals. Your animal nature affects you all the time. Your little will and reason are not worth mentioning in front of it.
Humans are intelligent animals. Moreover, this animal has killed the owner who once ruled its soul, God is dead, and modern people are empty, anxious and depraved due to lack of sacredness. They are attracted by material desires, just like a sheep that has lost the shepherd. They only know how to chase the plump water plants without caring about the danger under their feet. Many people are praying to God, but in reality they believe in Manny, the lovely and seductive Manny. God and the sacred are the creations of human beings, their childhood dreams, but the dream is to wake up after all, modern people wake up, but find that human nature is just barren. As a result, there are all kinds of modern psychological diseases, 99% of people have mental problems, but with the treatment of psychological drugs such as "friendship", "family affection" and "love", they will not collapse. Of course, love medicine is not very effective anymore.
Humans are animals, and their sole purpose is to survive.
The subsequent movie plots confirmed this time and time again. This has nothing to do with morality. The so-called good and evil are just the choice of survival strategy. Are prostitutes mean? She just wanted to survive. Are Americans here for freedom and peace? They just want to keep their world hegemony, let the entire United States dominate the top of the human world, plundering the most resources and benefits. Are the soldiers cruel? They are just trying to save their lives. Is the sniper girl cruel? She just wanted to keep her home. You must make a sensible judgment in front of survival, otherwise you will die like the hockey puck that ran out to save people and be eliminated by the law of survival.
We fight anytime. In a peaceful society, we have a harsh social class, fierce job competition, and political intrigue. This kind of battle is still cruel, but not so bloody. The loser will not lie in the pit covered with lime powder, but Kenneng will make a living by taking the subsistence allowance to pick up cabbage. In the age of war, we have adopted a more direct, primitive and cruel method of competition. There is no substantial difference between the two, but the latter is more transparent and easier to see at a glance.
Humans are animals, but they are wise animals after all.
So we shouldn't and shouldn't be completely reduced to beasts. However, there are always some people who are too weak to accept the cruelty of the laws of survival, so that they are completely degenerate. For example, the machine gunner on the helicopter, he carried out meaningless killings, but to vent his fear. It was useless except for letting people see him cruelly concealed weakness. Killing is not an end but a means. Its direct purpose is not to vent or provoke hatred, but to bring fear and destruction to the enemy, and to bring benefits and survival to oneself and friends.
As intelligent animals, the greatest thing humans have learned is trading and cooperation. In order to cooperate, humans have to converge on animality, and create tools such as morality, law, conscience, etc., to maximize the reconciliation of contradictions between people, reduce confrontation, and reduce transaction costs. In order to detain the beast, human beings use education to tame it, morality to persuade it, law to flog it, religion to numb it, not for the so-called "good", but to ensure the order of transactions, and then To ensure a better survival for the vast majority of people.
The vast majority of people just live in the appearance of the world, bewildered by its appearance, so that they have the illusion that "the world should be like this, and human beings should be like this". That's why they often can't adapt and become crazy because of sudden changes in the environment. For example, the incompetent fat man, I believe that as long as he has enough courage and time, he will become a good sniper, and maybe he will get a battle medal. If he is smart enough and lucky enough, maybe he will fight with a nigger. Compete for the post of President of the United States and receive worldwide attention. But he was too fragile, so he was eliminated first.
The education and edification from a young age has a huge impact on the external environment. How many people can transcend the shackles of human nature and understand the truth, and how many people can face the truth squarely. Most people just numb themselves and continue to live, just like a herd of animals. The clown in the movie is a typical one, so he can survive, but he has left a psychological trauma, and he is destined to wake up in a nightmare in the future.
If you have the wisdom to see through the appearance, and also have enough courage, then please walk across this bridge and come to the other side, Kubrick, waiting for you here.

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Extended Reading
  • Elroy 2022-03-25 09:01:05

    The first half is a masterpiece, the second half is too much, and the jump between the two is too big. This is a sad and violent movie, and what it shows is madness. This can be compared with "Apocalypse Now". Both are surreal reflections, and they are also all about the Vietnam War, and they are all about madness. The former is passionate but shallow in thought, and the latter is dark and dull but profound in meaning. In short, although this film is not a reflection classic, it is a textbook on how to create crazy images.

  • Korbin 2022-04-24 07:01:02

    Kubrick's lens is still sharp, very meaningful film. But it seems that Kubrick is not good at shooting war scenes, although this is not a war movie

Full Metal Jacket quotes

  • Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: [calling out to platoon] Left shoulder, hut!

    [Pyle accidentally puts his rifle on his right shoulder, then corrects quickly, but not before Hartman sees it. He walks up on him]

    Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: Private Pyle, what are you trying to do to my beloved Corps?

    Private Gomer Pyle: Sir, I don't know, sir!

    Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: You are dumb, Private Pyle, but do you expect me to believe that you don't know left from right?

    Private Gomer Pyle: Sir, no, sir!

    Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: Then you did that on purpose! You wanna be different!

    Private Gomer Pyle: Sir, no, sir!

    Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: [slaps Pyle hard on the left hand side of his face] What side was that, Private Pyle?

    Private Gomer Pyle: Sir, left side, sir!

    Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: [shouts] Are you sure, Private Pyle?

    Private Gomer Pyle: Sir, yes, sir!

    Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: [slaps him hard again, this time on right side of his face, knocking his hat off; shouts] What side was that, Private Pyle?

    Private Gomer Pyle: [nearly in tears] Sir, right side, sir!

    Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: Don't fuck with me again, Pyle! Pick up your fuckin' cover!

    Private Gomer Pyle: Sir, yes, sir!

  • Vietcong Sniper: Shoot... me. Sh-oooot... me...