Art Imitating Life...Again

My Bride and I watched a movie on pay-per-view last night – “A Late Quartet.”  It’s the story of the members of a renowned string quartet who, after 25 years of performing together, seem to self-destruct.  The catalyst for this coincidental existential meltdown is the news that the cello player must retire, having been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.

It’s an excellent film, and there’s a lot going on here.  The second violin player, who is married to the viola player, has an affair; their daughter seduces the first violin player; the cellist struggles with the reality that he will longer be able to play the cello.  The movie centers on Beethoven’s Opus 131, a piece some 40 minutes long that Beethoven wrote to be performed straight through – no pause, no second chances, requiring players to adjust their performance and tuning on-the-fly.  A perfect metaphor for Life, which is what old Ludwig von intended for this composition.  For me, there is a message in this movie that transcends music or film or art – it’s a Life Lesson that is well-portrayed and presented for the taking.

To wit:  only the Young and the Old have the clarity of Higher Purpose – those of us in the “middle” get consumed with the daily torments of ego, lust, avarice, loss, uncertainly, self-doubt.  The quiet spaces in Life are usually filled with the inner voices confessing the shortcomings of Self.  Thoreau said that “the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.”  Humankind has not changed in the past 150 years…hell, the Human Condition hasn’t really changed in the past 4,000 years.  We are all, in one sense or another, searching for Meaning, Gratification, Answers to the Big Questions, Fellowship and the key to the Enigma of Death. 

One implication of “A Late Quartet” is that the Young and the Old lack the onerous burden of Life’s Baggage that begins to overwhelm our productive hours.  The Young, because they haven’t yet gathered the experiences, little wounds or great joys that shape their souls; the Old, because they’ve come to terms with the hand that Life has dealt them.  Both see Hope and Possibilities – and Purpose – that the majority of us are too busy or distracted to comprehend or appreciate.

So as a card-carrying member of the Baby Boom, this film struck a resonant chord.  No, it’s not “the feel-good film of the summer.”  There are no car chases, zombies, Transformers, aliens, werewolves or wizards.  But in closely examining the lives of these musicians, the story enlarges to Everyone’s Story.  As retirement allows me to slip away from the incessant “existential hum” and frees me to consider Larger Concerns, it’s helpful to know that others have tread this path and come out whole. 

Recommended?  Yes, see “A Late Quartet” if you’re at a point in your life at which you can begin to address some of these questions. 

The self-reflection?  I’d also highly recommend that, regardless of where you are in your life.  Getting a handle on the Meaning of Life can liberate anyone to concentrate on that Higher Purpose.

Whatever it is…