Tuesday 25 August 2009

The Gods must be crazy

After recommending Into the Wild I couldn't help but suggest having a look at a film I heard about through the DitchMonkey - The Gods Must Be Crazy. The fact that a lot of things said in this film (1980) still ring true, to me, shows how strong it really is and how before its time it was, certainly underrated, if not under the radar.

Both films made me really think about how we live our lives, how I want to live my own in the future, and how ridiculous a lot of our "normal" routine really is. How absurd are some of the now normal aspirations? Do I really want a 9-5 with all the trimmings? Why are people in this day and age so fascinated with becoming famous, appearances and materialistic things; when behind the facade many of these people unfulfilled in a lot of ways, and things generally don't make you happy? Something for another post, maybe.

Anyways, below is a small quote from the narration in the film:
Civilized man refused to adapt himself to his environment; instead he adapted his environment to suit him. So he built cities, roads, vehicles, machinery, and he put up power lines to run his labor saving devices. But somehow he didn't know when to stop. The more he improved his surroundings to make his life easier, the more complicated he made it. So now his children are sentenced to 10-15 years of school, just to learn how to survive in this complex and hazardous habitat they were born into. And civilized man, who refused to adapt himself to his natural surroundings, now finds that he has to adapt and re-adapt himself every day and every hour of the day to his self created environment.................


Below is a wee snippet of The Gods Must Be Crazy, and yes it does look like it cost less than a tenner to film, but its still quality and worth following through with.





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3 comment(s) so far, add your thoughts -->>here<<--:

Mac E said...

I watched 'Into the Wild' a few weeks ago, good film. I must look out for 'The Gods must be Crazy' I agree with what you've said, why is society celebrity obsessed? They talk of entertainment on TV, I don't want to be entertained, I want to be inspired, inspire me and I'll entertain myself. Get a Career, what is a career? define it, tell me why I should aspire to having one.

The bulk of society are trapped in a rat race, the only escape once you're/they're in the loop is to drag others into the same loop as the only way to improve your lot in the rat-race is to climb upwards using the newly introduced as your ladder.

Employees are now considered a resource (something used for want of better), switch back, consider your employer as a resource from which you fund your life.

Well something like that ;-)

Mac E said...

Just to be clear, I'm not knocking Career if it benefits society, i.e. medicine etc. It's the idea that every job tends to be classed as a career.

Keith said...

Just thought I'd point out that "The Gods.." is more a comedy than a life changing docu-soap that it might appear to be at the start, still pokes some holes and fun at modern life. Very much a feel good film, don't think you can help but smile at the end of it.

Well there is too much to say about the consumerist throw a way society that we live in than just in a comment box, if I'm going to have a bit of a rant it will be a full sized post :-)

On the whole celebrity front, at least the Z list celebrity creator big brother is going to get axed, why anybody would want to watch such shit, I don't know. The only reality TV I want to see is stuff like "on thin ice" and even then it just makes me wish I was there, or heading that way!