The love of money is the root of all evil, but in the case of loving money because it helps others, goodness flows from this desire. This theme of benevolent and malevolent greed is showcased in the movie \"A Fistful of Dollars,\" where Clint Eastwood, named 'Joe' by a townsperson, earns blood money, only to give it up for the good of a family.
Flowing from this major theme of greed, multiple individual themes that correlate with Buddhism are apparent.
Author Dean Sluyter provides ample insights into the relationship between the above Spaghetti Western and the Asian Religion/Philosophy founded by the Buddha.
One parallel is the idea of \"stillness in action\"(226). The director of \"A Fistful of Dollars\" notes that Clint Eastwood is so brilliant in his role because he is comfortable being on camera and yet not really doing anything at the same time. Clint is able to give long, drawn-out facial expressions over actions taking place that say more than other film angles could.
Especially drawn out is the scene of his slow approach towards Ramon in one of the final vignettes. His calm demeanor is in high contrast with the anxiety and high-energy of Ramon. Joe is so successful in overtaking Ramon because he is serene in his actions. His pulse stays steady; Slutyer mentions that this calm heartbeat is also seen in famous athletes, such as Wayne Gretsky. This shows that real life applications of 'stillness in action' provide superiority in facets of life.
Expanding on the idea of the enlightened man, Slutyer exrapolates that \"The figure of the ronin, the wandering, masterless samurai of Yojimbo, gave [director of Fistfull] Leone the ambivalent protagonist he required, The Man with No Name.\"(228). This very independence is the key to Joe's success. Joe neither need be under one gang or other because he is his own man, in control of his life, not easily micro-managed by anyone. Joe does not care that the leaders of his community think him ill-advised because he chooses not have a gang by his side. As an outgrowth of this manner of living, Joe seems to go from village to village, taking advantage of others in order to give the towns tranquility from violence.
A contradiction can possibly be seen in Joe's use of violence to squelch violence. This black and white area is turned gray when one realizes that a majority of Joe's momentum comes from playing the rival gangs off of each other. The Rojos and the Baxters direct energy towards Joe, only to have that energy diverted and strike both themselves and the opponent.
As \"a walking embodiment of transcendence\"(230), Joe lives in a realm above the ordinary material world. While others are stuck in samsura, the cycle of suffering and rebirth, Joe seems to have risen above this, and acts in a world of ideals. His mind is set on higher contemplations while the musings of his contemporaries are filled with thirst for power and wealth.
Along with this transcendence, Joe takes the path of the Middle Way. In literal words, Joe places himself between the Baxters and the Rojos, in a more metaphorical manner, Joe is elevated so that he doesn't give in to the pettiness of either rival. This is symbolized when Joe befriends the middle-man bar owner. The Cantina Man gives Joe neutral ground from which to ascend the stairs to the balcony, where he takes a survey of the strivings of those still on the earth, who have not yet seen the enlightenment in realizing that the life they are currently living is but an illusion, and that true life is close at hand.
Slutyer hypothesizes an interesting explanation for why the defender, in most cases Joe, has an advantage in any confrontational situation. He said, \"every act of aggression places the aggressor in an intrinsically unstable position by creating a local disturbance in the equilibrium of the universe\"(234).
Although sounding like Star Wars, this concept resonates as reasonable. When reaching outward, the extender places himself off literal and spiritual balance. The receiver is able to accept and deflect this violation with ease because of his stable position. Non Confrontation is an ideal of the Buddhist way, although acts of aggression must be met with a solid, yet fluid, resistance.
One reason Joe is able to part with his money is that he realizes it is impermanent, what Buddhists call anitya. As someone enlightened, Joe has risen above the need for currency, and sees the benefit in giving it up to someone who is able to rise above their poverty, so that eventually their impoverishment will not remain an obstacle to also becoming enlightened. This seems contradictory, but in the case of Marisol and her family, the constant need for survival disallows them to study the universal.
The money is also relinquished in order to clear up the bad karma that Joe received in his reception of the money. By passing along the rewards of his deceitful actions, Joe's karma account is either balanced, or credited. Oneness with reality, and not opposition to it, is the harmony that Joe seeks in his life.
The Buddhist perspective is so wide that it is easily applicable to most topics. Because of this universality, I see the pairing of Buddhism with “A Fistful of Dollars” as entirely valid. As with any method of interpretation, counter-arguments can be thrown against it, but need not be.
If everyday men and women emulated the positive characteristics of Buddhism that Clint Eastwood modeled, the world would be a better place, and one step closer to enlightenment. As is, the world has their hands full. To be free, they must empty their hands, and reach out to hold the hand of the Buddha.
Flowing from this major theme of greed, multiple individual themes that correlate with Buddhism are apparent.
Author Dean Sluyter provides ample insights into the relationship between the above Spaghetti Western and the Asian Religion/Philosophy founded by the Buddha.
One parallel is the idea of \"stillness in action\"(226). The director of \"A Fistful of Dollars\" notes that Clint Eastwood is so brilliant in his role because he is comfortable being on camera and yet not really doing anything at the same time. Clint is able to give long, drawn-out facial expressions over actions taking place that say more than other film angles could.
Especially drawn out is the scene of his slow approach towards Ramon in one of the final vignettes. His calm demeanor is in high contrast with the anxiety and high-energy of Ramon. Joe is so successful in overtaking Ramon because he is serene in his actions. His pulse stays steady; Slutyer mentions that this calm heartbeat is also seen in famous athletes, such as Wayne Gretsky. This shows that real life applications of 'stillness in action' provide superiority in facets of life.
Expanding on the idea of the enlightened man, Slutyer exrapolates that \"The figure of the ronin, the wandering, masterless samurai of Yojimbo, gave [director of Fistfull] Leone the ambivalent protagonist he required, The Man with No Name.\"(228). This very independence is the key to Joe's success. Joe neither need be under one gang or other because he is his own man, in control of his life, not easily micro-managed by anyone. Joe does not care that the leaders of his community think him ill-advised because he chooses not have a gang by his side. As an outgrowth of this manner of living, Joe seems to go from village to village, taking advantage of others in order to give the towns tranquility from violence.
A contradiction can possibly be seen in Joe's use of violence to squelch violence. This black and white area is turned gray when one realizes that a majority of Joe's momentum comes from playing the rival gangs off of each other. The Rojos and the Baxters direct energy towards Joe, only to have that energy diverted and strike both themselves and the opponent.
As \"a walking embodiment of transcendence\"(230), Joe lives in a realm above the ordinary material world. While others are stuck in samsura, the cycle of suffering and rebirth, Joe seems to have risen above this, and acts in a world of ideals. His mind is set on higher contemplations while the musings of his contemporaries are filled with thirst for power and wealth.
Along with this transcendence, Joe takes the path of the Middle Way. In literal words, Joe places himself between the Baxters and the Rojos, in a more metaphorical manner, Joe is elevated so that he doesn't give in to the pettiness of either rival. This is symbolized when Joe befriends the middle-man bar owner. The Cantina Man gives Joe neutral ground from which to ascend the stairs to the balcony, where he takes a survey of the strivings of those still on the earth, who have not yet seen the enlightenment in realizing that the life they are currently living is but an illusion, and that true life is close at hand.
Slutyer hypothesizes an interesting explanation for why the defender, in most cases Joe, has an advantage in any confrontational situation. He said, \"every act of aggression places the aggressor in an intrinsically unstable position by creating a local disturbance in the equilibrium of the universe\"(234).
Although sounding like Star Wars, this concept resonates as reasonable. When reaching outward, the extender places himself off literal and spiritual balance. The receiver is able to accept and deflect this violation with ease because of his stable position. Non Confrontation is an ideal of the Buddhist way, although acts of aggression must be met with a solid, yet fluid, resistance.
One reason Joe is able to part with his money is that he realizes it is impermanent, what Buddhists call anitya. As someone enlightened, Joe has risen above the need for currency, and sees the benefit in giving it up to someone who is able to rise above their poverty, so that eventually their impoverishment will not remain an obstacle to also becoming enlightened. This seems contradictory, but in the case of Marisol and her family, the constant need for survival disallows them to study the universal.
The money is also relinquished in order to clear up the bad karma that Joe received in his reception of the money. By passing along the rewards of his deceitful actions, Joe's karma account is either balanced, or credited. Oneness with reality, and not opposition to it, is the harmony that Joe seeks in his life.
The Buddhist perspective is so wide that it is easily applicable to most topics. Because of this universality, I see the pairing of Buddhism with “A Fistful of Dollars” as entirely valid. As with any method of interpretation, counter-arguments can be thrown against it, but need not be.
If everyday men and women emulated the positive characteristics of Buddhism that Clint Eastwood modeled, the world would be a better place, and one step closer to enlightenment. As is, the world has their hands full. To be free, they must empty their hands, and reach out to hold the hand of the Buddha.
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