"The greatest thing you'll ever learn...is just to love and to be loved in return."
These words capture the essence of Moulin Rouge. There are countless reasons to love this movie (the stars, the music, the brilliant cinematography), but to me the best thing about Moulin Rouge is the story. An incredible tragic love story that gets me everytime I watch it. I've watched this movie many times but the other night as I sat watching it, I found myself crying. It touched an emotional nerve in me. For the past couple days, I've pondered why and I think I finally figured it out. Satine is flawed, she's not a perfect woman. Outwardly she portrays "The Sparkling Diamond", a woman that all the men want because of her perfect beauty. Inwardly she is insecure, afraid of being unimportant and very sick. And despite all that, Christian loves her. He is able to see past the facade and see her true self. There is an obvious struggle to accept her place as a courtesan, her willingness to sell herself to gain a place in the world. But when all is said and done, he loves her and she loves him, Come What May...
I am flawed. I'm not a perfect woman. I don't even have the outward physical beauty to hide behind that Satine did. But in a way, I hide my fear and insecurity behind a facade of confidence. The world sees a woman who has a good job, is a good mom and has things together. The world doesn't see how hard I struggle to keep going. There are days when I feel like giving up, but I don't. I can't. Just as Satine fought her demons, I fight mine. But she found a man who saw past all that and loved her. He loved Satine, not "The Sparkling Diamond". I want to find someone who will love me and accept my flaws. Behind the hard cynic is a desperate romantic who dreams of finding love, Come What May...
http://www.kellyclarksonweb.com/I'm a fan. I watched the last two seasons of American Idol and was enthralled. Kelly's new CD has taken up rotation on my CD player at the moment. She's got an amazing voice and this CD is a strange blend of the agnst of Avril Lavigne and the power of Faith Hill. And, I must admit,I'm a bit jealous. I envy that Kelly (and Ruben and Fantasia and now Carrie) have had the chance to get up on stage and prove to the world how good they are. 10 years ago I would have been standing in line with the other millions of hopefuls, but now I'm bordering on too old...and I know I don't have "It". But that doesn't change the fact that being on American Idol would have been a dream come true. I love to sing. I've been told I'm good at it. I have been singing for as long as I could remember. I remember driving in the car with my dad when I was about 5 and him teaching me how to stay on pitch while he harmonized. Then he taught me to sing harmony. I was raised on Broadway and oldies (50's & 60's) I used to crank up the radio in my bedroom and sing along to Madonna. When I was in High School, I was in Choir (the one anyone could be in...just sign up and show up) and I was also in Madrigals (an adution only 20 person choir). I was in JuMP Co. (a local musical theater group for kids) I took four years of voice lessons and competed locally. I sang in the church choir. I loved singing. Which is why it was a shock when, after graduating from high school I settled in and had myself a good old fashioned spell of teenage rebellion. I quit. For a long time I didn't sing. I didn't have it in me at the time. Singing is a very emotional thing for me and during the "dark" phase of my life I just couldn't find the spirit to sing. But several years later I have found the music again. I may never sell a million records or be on TV, but I had the honor of singing at White Honors when I graduated from College and I have sang at the weddings of several close friends. I sing in the shower, the car, my bedroom. Music is the window to my soul. Listen to the live version of Beautiful Disaster on Breakaway. That coulda been me...
I am a geek. Not the biggest geek in the world. There are others who far surpass me in their geekiness. The point of this is... I've seen Episode III three times. Granted there will be folks who have seen it many more times than that. But for me to see a movie 3 times in the theater it has to be good. For me, "Sith" is the culmination of a long journey. Which is funny, what with this movie taking place in the middle of the storyline. But I'm sure I'm not the only one who felt that watching Anakin's fall and Vader's rise was a fitting end to a story that has intrigued and fascinated me since I was a girl. Watching the classic triliogy now has a new meaning. Vader is no longer just an evil villian. He a human being who gave in to temptations. He let his passions consume him. Palpatine played on the insecurities that plauged Anakin. That could happen to any of us so easily. My heart ached for a man who loved his wife and was so comsumed with saving her that he would do anything to keep her from dying. And in losing his soul he lost her as well. I felt for Padme. She wanted to save the man she loved, but by the time she stood pleading with him he was too far gone... consumed with jealousy and greed for power. She died beliving that there was still good in him somewhere. Obi-Wan had a tough job too. He felt he had failed Anakin. That last battle between Ani and Obi was epic! Not only was it great action, but the emotional content was intense. Obi-Wan wanted to save Anakin, but he knew that the Dark side had sunk deep into Anakin's soul. He had to stop Anakin and it tore him apart. The anguish on his face as the ship sped away from Mustafar was heartbreaking. I walked out of that movie pondering life and how each of us struggles to find the balance between the Light and the Dark. Each of us strives to attain the serene wisdom of the Jedi, but are constantly battling the forces of passion that rule the Sith. Somewhere in between is where we live our lives. That is why I feel that the Star Wars saga has become such a pivotal story for so many people. The story of the Chosen One who brings balance to the Force. The Force is life and the balance is humanity.
