We had a date last night – usually disasters due to our desire to leave the eastside. this time we stayed local – Bouzyos for dinner and then the VanEast theatre for the movie. And what a movie.

It’s rare to see the world of your mind expressed by someone else, it feels like sledding down a perfect run, a kind of enveloping and developing excitement-satisfaction.  The aesthetic is perfect – the Victorian-futurist or “steampunk” that I’ve always known but only caught glimpses of. Here it is, a whole world made of brass and glass and magical blue glowing energy, airships and aeronauts, dials and switches. Beauty on the outside, code on the inside.

The eternal conflict between spirit/knowledge and organized/enforced morality is also explored against a very different personal backdrop. These people’s souls walk beside them in the world, a constant companion who reflects that person’s indelible essential character, expresses their emotions, and defends their body against enemies.  They manifest as an animal spirit – coded for the audience to easily know the kind of person we are meeting.  Agents of evil have insects, snakes and other predators. Agents of good have noble predators. This is the great chain of being.

Here’s the thing that struck me: this is a world of people who are never alone. They are not lonely. They always have another who understands them. Such an amazing idea. When I was a little girl I pretended to have an animal spirit who sat on my shoulder and whispered to me. It was my defense against loneliness, I suppose. Perhaps its everyone’s dream.

a note – the acting is amazing. The young woman who plays the lead is immensely believable even when interacting with the animated polar bear.  Nicole Kidman’s talent, charisma and beauty is has magnetic power.

I can breathe again without the pressure of final paper being due.  I really should be doing my pre-reading for next semester. Instead it’s winter festival time… more on this anon.

In the meantime: Happy Hannukah!