Danny ChaiSo I watched the new Pride and Prejudice, and I came out feeling deeply depressed. I have to say, first of all, that I’m a total Philistine, with no proper respect for this type of material. I think for a time I pretended to be sensitive like that, watching all those Austen movies and stuff like The Age of Innocence (a movie which, in retrospect, I was profoundly bored by and didn’t understand at all, although I acted like I appreciated it. Incidentally, I think I watched this with Minho, a man who actually is sensitive). So call me a caveman, but yeah, I think P&P would have been improved with the addition of a few key fight scenes.
But that’s just why I wasn’t into it. Why it depressed me was, I dunno, the whole movie to me represented such a profoundly empty life. Their whole existence centers around getting married. Absent that, it’s just about entertaining themselves. The oldest daughter has this line where she’s talking about London, and how it’s such a great place because there’s so many ways to divert yourself. That pretty much sums up how they live. Even Darcy reflects this when he talks about the kind of woman he wants. They learn to play piano, languages, cross stitch or whatever, read, and for what end? Nothing. Just to divert themselves. Then they die. What kind of sad, pathetic existence is that?
I dunno, I think I’m one of those unfortunate individuals who are deeply emotionally affected by abstract, philosophical ideas. In particular, I’m obsessed with purpose. Maybe this is just a Stanford thing. I remember a KCPC deacon once saying how annoying the Stanford folks were, because whenever they were asked to do something, they always had to know why. But yeah, purpose is really important to me.
And a lack of purpose depresses me. I pretty much can’t do anything without seeing a point to it, and that includes living. And the secular world, I don’t really see a point to it all. So I’ve said this before, but if I weren’t a Christian, I’m fairly sure I’d be suicidal. I’m that impacted by a lack of real purpose. And the secular alternatives – entertainment, self-improvement, existentially self-defined purpose – aren’t compelling to me.
However, I am Christian, I do have purpose, so I’m not suicidal. But whenever I’m reminded of empty life, it still really depresses me. Pretty much the whole movie, someone would say a line and it just made me want to run up to the character and yell, “why?” Why get married? Why learn piano? Why go to London? Why travel? What’s the point? Why, why, why? I don’t think they could give a good answer, and that just totally depressed me.
I dunno, I’m turning into my dad I guess, but P&P was just a reminder to me that the world needs Jesus. Or at least I do, to remain sane.
Don’t ask me why this movie depressed me, but The Transporter 2, an infinitely more hollow movie, did not. Haven’t totally figured that out. But yeah, I do think it’s related to the fight scenes. If you’re gonna be empty, might as well spice it up. As Cher says in Clueless, “Until mankind is peaceful enough not to have violence on the news, there’s no point in taking it out of shows that need it for entertainment value.” Well said.