I stubbornly cling to the notion that it is good for a person to pay attention to what it is happening in the world. But it is important to give yourself some relief, some soothing thoughts, during all this.
For Americans, books and movies about the Battle of Midway can provide soothing thoughts. On the British side of the pond, it might be even easier. People used to get their news from the BBC, virtually a branch of the British government. Naturally that does not make for brutal truth-telling. But that is not our concern in this post -- soothing is.
I downloaded "Mrs. Miniver" from Archive.org. It had quite an effect on me. Everybody was so polite and wore such nice clothes. The actresses were lovely, gracious, and feminine. It was a different world back then.
Why were actresses were so appealing in the 1940s? Perhaps it is because the movie industry had finally gotten away from the bleached blonde and over-groomed eyebrows of the 1930s. In Greer Garson's case, her voice was even more pleasing than her eye-candy. Just listening to her speak a couple sentences makes me feel like this:
Brits of all classes were working together, in the movie. Nobody had any doubt about the necessity of the war. Everybody knew who the good guys and the bad guys were.
Thus, after watching this movie, you feel fortified to go back to the sordid, modern world, with all its lies and ugliness.
Comments