Blogcritics Author: Richard Pettinger

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

Movie Review: How Green Was My Valley

Richard Pettinger — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 17:31:06 EDT

How Green Was My Valley is set in a Welsh mining village during the beginning of the mining industry. It tells of how the people and community were irrevocably affected by the arrival of industrialisation. The story is told through the eyes of Huw Morgan, the youngest brother of the Morgan family.The film evokes a powerful imagery of the dignity, honesty and good nature of the mining communities. The atmosphere of the film is enhanced by the beautiful welsh choral singing. The music feels both spontaneous and soulful; it becomes a poignant contrast to the harsh realities of mining life and is perhaps symbolic of the growing divide within the community.The film concentrates on the Morgan family who are representative of a community struggling to deal with the economic and social changes being forced upon them. For example the father Gwilym Morgan, played by Donald Crisp, does not believe in creating a union. His stance is at odds with his 5 sons who as a consequence decide to leave the family house. Despite the rift created in the family, they retain a dignity and nobility which seem reminiscent of a bygone era. Despite touching on political issues, the film doesn’t take sides. It merely considers the human impact of social changes. In particular the film shows how adversity can bring the best and worst out in people.The film creates a powerful emotional impact as we see the idolised world of a simple mining village torn apart by the overwhelming social and economic upheavals. However, at the same time as portraying the ideals of the community, the film does not hold back from illustrating the narrow mindedness of many individuals. In particular, the deacon comes across as the archetypal religious zealot and hypocrite. Perhaps his evangelical self-righteousness is slightly over played but it makes a sharp contrast with the self-sacrificing minister, Mr. Gruffydd played by Walter Pidgeon. Eventually Mr Gruffydd is forced out of the village due to the innuendo and gossip of village busybodies, despite denying himself the woman he loves.The film is beautifully shot; there are striking contrasts between the beauty of the Welsh countryside and the dominating presence of the coal mine. The photography and music help give the film an uplifting presence, amidst the struggles and misfortunes of many of those involved. Many regret that How Green Was My Valley was awarded the Academy award in 1942 rather than Citizen Kane. Maybe How Green Is My Valley is a little dated now, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching it.

Richard is a keen cyclist and competes in UK time trials. He races for Sri Chinmoy Cycling Team. Richard's other interests include meditation and spirituality. He is a member of the Sri Chinmoy Meditation Centre and gives free meditation classes in his home town of Oxford

Movie Review: The Scarlet and The Black

Richard Pettinger — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 07:31:34 EDT

The Scarlet and The Black tells the true story of Irish priest Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty, who helped to save thousands of Allied POWs and Jews during the German occupation of Rome in 1943-44.Monsignor O’Flaherty got to know British servicemen by visiting Italian POW camps. When Italy switched sides in 1943, many Allied servicemen fled to Rome, where they sought the help of O’Flaherty in the Vatican. The Gestapo learned that there was a network dedicated to hiding Allied prisoners and sought to break the network. In particular the Gestapo chief Kappler becomes obsessed with finding and capturing the priest at the centre of the huge operation. The film, directed by Jerry London for television, creates a great sense of tension as the Gestapo try every means to capture or assassinate O’Flaherty. This tension is heightened by the personal battle of wills between O’Flaherty (Gregory Peck) and Kappler (Christopher Plummer). The acting is superb and there are some very sharp, incisive and memorable dialogues between the two. Gregory Peck successfully pulls off portraying a priest who embodies both great compassion and a burning sense of indignation at the actions of the Nazis. His role is equally well matched by Christopher Plummer, who portrays the complex character of Kappler. On the one hand Kappler is responsible for the most appalling atrocities, on the other hand we are aware of his good nature which is slowly squeezed as he serves the Nazi regime. He is devoted to the Nazi ideology but we see it gnaws at his hidden consciousness. His hatred of O’Flaherty is perhaps a realisation he secretly admires his nobility and selflessness. At the end of the war, as the Nazis are in full retreat, we see Kappler make an emotional appeal to his arch-enemy O’Flaherty to save help save his family.The Scarlet and The Black is a good action film, but also portrays the complex moral dilemmas that many faced during the Nazi occupation of Rome.

Movie Review: Molokai - The Story of Father Damien (1999)

Richard Pettinger — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 22:37:24 EDT

Molokai tells the true story of the Belgian Catholic missionary, Father Damien. As a young priest and missionary, Father Damien voluntarily agreed to go to the leper colony on Molokai and spend the rest of his life on the island caring for the forgotten victims of leprosy. This film, directed by Paul Cox, recalls the priest's experiences in dealing with hundreds of patients who had effectively been left to die unaided. Before he arrived there was nothing in the way of law and order; the island was in a near state of anarchy, where the wealthiest and strongest got what little shelter there was. Father Damien had not only to fight against the terrible effects of leprosy but also the inaction and at times indifference of the civil and religious authorities. However, with the meagre resources allocated to him, Father Damien was instrumental in improving the material conditions and well-being of the patients. After serving the leprosy patients for several years, Father Damien himself contracted the disease. Father Damien eventually died from leprosy, the disease that he had dedicated his life to fighting.David Wenham plays the role of Father Damien. He gives a sympathetic if understated performance. At times he appears to be a model of forbearance, at other times his inner frustrations do come to the fore. These frustrations could have been magnified for dramatic effect, but you feel that Father Damien was fairly portrayed as a character of great dignity. There is a repeated emphasis on his Catholic zeal to save souls and win converts. Usually such an evangelical approach would hardly endear you to such a person, but with Father Damien his ideological beliefs seem of little importance compared to his self-sacrifice and devotion to the patients on the island.More than anything, the film stands out for its beautiful photography of the island of Molakai. The film uses to great effect the contrast between the outstanding natural beauty of Molakai and the pitiful condition of the lepers. It provides a sharp reminder of the vagaries of life.The film is genuinely inspiring without reaching the status of being a classic. Apart from Father Damien there is not much in the way of character development. In particular the lepers are given little more than cameos. It could be this was how it was for Father Damien, maybe he always felt a little bit of an outsider and wasn’t able to connect.But whatever its faults Molokai is definitely worth seeing as a powerful reminder of man’s capacity for self sacrifice and willingness to do the right thing whatever the personal cost.

Book Review: Meditation - Man-Perfection in God-Satisfaction by Sri Chinmoy

Richard Pettinger — Sun, 4 Mar 2007 04:59:19 EST

Meditation, by Sri Chinmoy, is a short guide to the fundamentals of learning to meditate. Split into different chapters, Meditation deals with both the basics and advanced issues of meditation. For example, Sri Chinmoy explains how breathing and concentration exercises can be used to calm the mind. There are also sections on Samadhi and the highest experiences of meditation.Throughout the book there are question and answer sections. These include questions, common to all beginners of meditation. For example, a very common problem that people experience is learning how to silence the mind. Sri Chinmoy advises that the best place to meditate is in the spiritual heart. It is in the heart that a seeker is able to distance himself from the critical thinking mind. If one can enter into the heart it is possible to experience the silence and expanse of real meditation. “If you meditate in the heart", Sri Chinmoy writes, "you are meditating where the soul is… If you want illumination, you have to get it from the soul, which is inside the heart.”Meditation is an invaluable reference book; it is not necessary to read it from beginning to end and try to absorb all the information at once. It is a book that can be dipped into from time to time. Also, to get the most from the book it is essential to try to practise the various exercises offered. Meditation is not so much concerned with the theory of meditation as it is with its practical use in helping a seeker in his or her own meditation.As well as offering clear advice about the basics of meditation, reading this book will offer encouragement and inspiration to begin and continue meditating. One short chapter is titled “Do Not Give Up”, in which Sri Chinmoy encourages the reader to persevere with meditation even as difficulties arise. There are also numerous aphorisms offering a poetic inspiration for meditation. For example one aphorism of Sri Chinmoy says: “Do you need happiness? Then do just three things: Meditate regularly, Smile soulfully, Love untiringly.” These short aphorisms make a useful complement to the text and guidelines on meditation.Sri Chinmoy writes with a clarity that stems from his own inner experiences of meditation. His account helps to clear the obstacles a newcomer may experience. It offers a simple and practical approach to improve your meditation. It is invaluable for beginners but also serves as a reference even for those who have been meditating for a long time. Meditation is an important reminder of the fundamentals of meditation and its inherent simplicity.

Book Review The Flying Scotsman by Graeme Obree

Richard Pettinger — Sat, 3 Mar 2007 01:54:47 EST

The Flying Scotsman tells the compelling account of the career and life of unique cyclist Graeme Obree. The book starts with a sobering account of his early childhood life, which is dominated by bullying. These early experiences were to adversely affect him throughout the rest of his life. After a failed cycling shop adventure, at one stage Graeme is declared bankrupt. However, Obree then tells the remarkable rags to riches story in which he overcomes all odds to break the ultimate prize of cycling, the world hour record. The story is fascinating account of how an unemployed and unfashionable Scottish cyclist is able to rise to the top of professional cycling. The account of the world record ride in Norway is well told and genuinely riveting, even to a non-cyclist.Along the way Obree doesn’t spare the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) any embarrassment, but one can understand the sense of injustice he felt at being unfairly disqualified from a track world championship in the 1990s.As well as being a great cycling book, Obree's autobiography gives a telling insight into the mindset of a depressive. At times it can make for difficult reading as you get a glimpse into the mental torment he went through at certain times. Yet you admire his honesty and courage in telling of his inner demons. In fact, the overriding feeling you get from reading the book is that Graeme is a sincerely honest guy. He turned down a professional contract partly because he wanted nothing to do with the doping scene that was prevalent at the time. You can’t help rooting for a guy who, using a bike made from a washing machine and old BMX, rose from anonymity to beat the multi-million pound superstars.If you have any interest in cycling this a must-read. Even if you don’t like cycling you may find this a stimulating book, if not one that always offers a rose-tinted view of life.