American Society Today, Dehumanized - "Run Lola Run" & "Pan's Labyrinth"

What Hath We Wrought? American Society, News, War, Nature & Virtue “Pan’s Labyrinth” was heart wrenching, terrifying and extremely difficult to watch – but that was the purpose. The Spanish Civil-War was one of the first wars that was covered by the media – but no one can fully comprehend the tragic violence of war unless they get the full picture, which would not be allowed in the papers because of political censorship or editorial discretion. Today we are seemingly bombarded with news of violence, shootings, murders and updates on our war in the Middle East --- but we have become numb to these images and stories. War does not seem very devastating or horrific from our living room televisions, in the palm of our hands from Blackberry news alerts or splattered across the front page of the New York Times while we scarf down breakfast. War has crippled America financially, politically and socially – but the malevolence and murder of war is the least of our worries, so long as we regain economic stability and increase our GDP. Having been raised in a very Conservative household, I have tended to blindly support war and foreign policy that was ruthless for the sake of America’s continued prosperity – but pieces like ‘Pan’s Labyrinth,’ and Picasso’s ‘Guernica’ have impacted me. As I watched the film last Thursday, I was overwhelmed with feelings of horror, disgust, sorrow, dread and disbelief at the inhumane truths of war – fighting back tears over Ofelia’s selfless sacrifice for her brother, so wise beyond her years and morally upright despite any vengeful sentiments towards her brother over the death of her mother. The story of war from a child’s perspective really affected me, so much so I had to leave in the middle and call my mother, sobbing about how awful war really is. American society needs to be slapped in the face, as I was, with the reality of war in order to realize the insanity of our society that dismisses the killing of soldiers AND innocent civilians as “acceptable” in times of war. Society, war and culture are not a part of nature as human beings are; these ideologies are the manifestation of man’s free will and nature that allows us to think. Isn’t it ironic that the societies and cultures man has created sacrifice humanity itself? Wars, murders and injustice in the world exceed the natural process of “survival of the fittest,” – people today are willing to kill their neighbor to increase their monetary value, even though money has no true value in nature, only the economic value that man has created. Wars have been fought endlessly over the course of history, so many brutal killings that one cannot even begin to name them – killings in the name of religious beliefs, money, lust, fear, business and fame. ‘Run Lola Run” shows “what if,” alternate endings to the benefit or detriment of a person’s life when faced with having to choose between money (or other material goods that society values) or virtue (truly valuable parts of life and humanity). However – both of these films also illustrate the startling reality that after you make your decisions and suffer the fatal consequences, there is no second chance - - death is final and permanent! Once man is lost, dead and gone – there is no use for materialistic goods, politics or discrimination as nothing else matters – man is futile, even if he possesses all the riches in the world, if he is without LIFE.

Humanity was able to advance and progress through stories, culture and societies – but now the value of humanity has been lost, only through stories can we attempt to illustrate the backwardness of society and the changes that need to be made to renew truth, morality and justice for humanity. America and societies all over the world need to rediscover the undeniable value of life, humanity and altruism – these things cannot exist when materialism, war and injustice disillusion our reality.