Three idiots

Here is the link of 三个白痴.3.Idiots.2009.
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/l4b6dY8o5Jg/

Comment from A.K.:

Hi,

Thank you for sharing a good movie.

It has a bit of everything. Funny, entertaining: there are some Bollywood songs and dances-how can you make an Indian movie without them-, scenes that bring tears to your eyes, beautiful love story with gorgeous lead man and lady, and yet an attempt to tackle some serious issues facing modern society.

I had a great time watching the movie, but then a little later questions started to arise in my mind. How is it possible that a person who challenges the established order of society and its prevailing values could survive so easily, win over friends and foes, not only excel in it but also be successful both materially and spiritually, and most of all, score so well with a gorgeous babe? This is every young man's dream, and no wonder the movie is so successful.

As we grow older, we realize that stories do not always have happy endings. People who challenge the prevailing values of society are often treated with disdain, if not scorn and ostracism. The movie succeeds by giving us a fantasized version of reality-you can go your own way, assert your individuality and be highly successful in the world.

This is the spiritual path with the difficult part taken out. This might happen to a rare few who are extremely lucky（有福報）, but for most, the path is laden with hard work, pain and sacrifice. This is the realm of religion, and we must be able to tell the difference between religious practice and entertainment.

But all in all, I enjoyed the movie. It does attempt to address some central themes in modern commercial society: efficiency as a supreme value, man as an appendage to the machine, alienation of young people in the System, fierce competitiveness of society, etc. It reminds me of Charlie Chaplin movie about automation in the 30's.

The final thought is: what would Buddha say about it?

A.K.

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