(This article originally appeared at The One About...)
Back in nineteen ninety nine, I was living in Seattle Washington. In Seattle was a glorious old theater that had recently been renovated called the Cinerama. It only had one screen, but oh man, what a screen. It was as tall as the side of a building. This thing had been originally conceived and built back in a time well before anyone had ever thought of, let alone heard of Imax.
It was at the Cinerama that I saw several showings of George Lucas' Star Wars: Episode One: The Phantom Menace. I loved seeing that movie at that theater so much that I made a point of looking out for what the next movie showing was, once Star Wars had ended its very long run.
It was a movie starring Anthony Hopkins called "Titus". I knew nothing of the movie's source material, one of Shakespeare's lesser plays, called "Titus Andronicus", and knew less than nothing about the films director, a woman named Julie Taymor.
I went and watched the movie and was in awe. It was one of the most amazing, most visually arresting movies I had ever seen. I became an instant fan of Ms. Taymor's work and resolved to learn all I could about her.
I quickly found out that while Titus was her first movie ever, she had long been active in the theater, and that she was best known for adapting Disney's "The Lion King" for the stage.
Throughout the following years, any time I learned of a new movie by her I made a point of seeing it. While there have not been anywhere near as many as I'd like I have treasured each one.
It was not long after the release of "Across The Universe", her incredible musical about the wonder and turmoil of the sixties, featuring the music of the Beatles, that I heard about a new stage musical she was mounting along with Bono, and the Edge of U2. It was called "Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark".
Even though I knew I'd most likely never get to see it, I followed the shows development quite closely. Unfortunately it would turn out to be a very troubled development. It went through multiple setbacks, ranging from technical difficulties involving on stage wire work, to test audiences who didn't seem to really understand, or quite care for Ms. Taymor's very grand, almost mythic approach to Spiderman and his world.
After several delays the production and Ms. Taymor parted company. She was for all intents and purposes let go, the show was retooled to be simpler in terms of both story and technical production.
By most any reasonable estimation Ms. Taymor's efforts on Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark were a failure.
I think that is the most wonderful thing in the world.
Here's a simple truth that far too many people in this country have lost sight of. The only people who never fail, are the ones who never try.
That used to be a motivational statement in this country. A goad to encourage people to be bold, and daring, to risk failure by trying to do new, and bigger, and better things.
But somewhere, somehow, we lost sight of that. We slowly started to create a climate wherein the core ethos is not failing at any cost.
Well the cost turns out to be never ever risking.
In storytelling it means taking and rehashing stories, characters, and ideas that are already well known and popular. This has led to things like the endless remakes and reboots of popular movies and television shows. To things like George Lucas and his obsessive mining of his creation Star Wars, as if he were afraid to step outside of its confines.
In art it results in work that is geared towards being easy on the eyes without any attempts in either its subject or execution to challenge the viewer.
If it had only affected the arts, this fear of failure would be horrific enough. But it has become so pervasive that it has affected almost every aspect of American life.
Take politics for example. Politicians by their very natures are usually fairly cautious individuals. But there was a time, when there were some who were willing to, within the boundaries of that caution, attempt some pretty amazing and audacious things. Sometimes at the risk of upsetting people both within the opposition party, as well as their own party. This tended to especially be the case with the President of the United States. Most Presidents, during their first term, tended to be a bit more cautious, because they were mindful of their desire to be re-elected. But those who achieved that second term tended to go for broke, trying to push their agenda through.
This all changed with Bill Clinton. To this day I remember watching him during his second term and the timidity of most of his policies and wondering what exactly he thought he was running for now? Dog catcher? In the years since it's only gotten worse. Most politicians are so unwilling to even attempt any legislation that is truly groundbreaking, that when one does, even if what he is attempting something incredibly stupid like destroying Medicare and Social Security he is called a bold visionary.
The national fear of failure extends even to people's personal lives. We have gone from the idea that people should follow their dreams, back to the thinking that characterized the Great Depression. Get a job as quickly as you can, no matter how menial it might be. Then keep your head down and hope like hell that you don't lose it. Gone are the days when you heard stories of average people taking their lifes savings and starting a new business, or some other bold endeavor. We have been told in a thousand ways that such ideas belong to a time past. That only those already successful are likely to succeed. On top of that in a country with a social safety net that has gone from shaky, to pretty much non-existent, the price of failure for most of us is just too high.
I for one hope, and work for a return to being a nation and a people who revel in failure. Who see it as something grand and glorious rather than shameful. Because we will be celebrating the idea that if someone has failed, it is because they tried to do something bold and spectacular.
Keep The Faith My Brothers And Sisters!