Read the Movie Club Off to a Great Start
There was a good turnout in chilly conditions for our first Read the Movie Club meeting last night. The Bridge of San Luis Rey offered an array of topics to discuss. The characters in the book drew numerous comments as we tried to understand their motivation. Several members were puzzled by the mutism imposed on Manuel and Esteban in the movie. We couldn't really come up with a reason why they decided they shouldn't talk since they do in the book. Their relationship seemed to illustrate the general difficulty in communicating with another human being. Although Esteban urged Manuel to pursue Camilla, Manuel felt compelled to relinquish the chase in deference to Esteban. We discussed Dona Maria and her smothering mother love and the irony of the letters becoming her legacy. Our discussion of Madre Maria del Pilar centered on her devotion to her work, which we related to a woman choosing a career rather than traditional family life today. We talked about Uncle Pio, and his cold criticism of Camilla. As a common thread, one member suggested that all those (with the exception of the young boy) who perished on the bridge had a relationship built on selfish love that eventually became a more mature, encompassing love. One of the central themes of the book pitting chance against divine design popped up throughout the discussion. It's unclear from either the book or the movie what conclusion Brother Juniper ultimately came to from his study, except that it seems to involve learning to love in this way. Whether that's provable scientifically, as Brother Juniper wanted to do, is up for debate. A hilarious discussion of whether we ourselves would cross the bridge, or bungee jump, or take other risks continued in this vein, with some members feeling you don't tempt fate and others feeling that your life and death are appointed to you. We talked about the way the book was written with rich language and imagery. Some of the insults the characters used were cited such as the Cardinal telling the Abbess that he counted among the compensations of dying the fact that he would never have to meet with her again, or Camilla writing to her lover after he stood her up that no one aged faster than a matador, not even an actress. Some members found the movie a little slow moving and confusing. Others appreciated the period costumes and visual richness of the surroundings. Many felt that Robert de Niro was miscast as the Cardinal, and that Brother Juniper was undeveloped as a character. For a review of the movie from a religious angle try this website http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week842/review.html Thanks everyone who came for a great evening, and those of you who missed it we hope to catch you next time.
posted by Suzi Worthen @ 2:09 PM
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