Hindu Philosophy 101

Rating: 8/10 (14 June 2008)

I'm not being bias here but I think one has to be raised with an eastern way of thinking or have some knowledge of it in order to appreciate a film like The Happening. For example, I'm a first generation American born Indian and I grew up hearing that we should respect all beings including plants even the microscopic beings we can't see. This means we shouldn't curse, fornicate like cats and dogs, and be violent with each other. Essentially, everything we do and say can affect our environment in either a positive or negative way, depending the way we behave. If you notice the film follows a formula in which the deadly wind follows those who break these rules...that is why if you are in a smaller group the chances of being around someone who is a threat is less. I also heard that Mahatma Gandhi used to tip toe around his house because he knew that with each footstep he was killing dust mites and other microscopic bugs underneath his feet. This may or may not be true but the point is that I can believe it because I was raised with this non-violent approach to life. It's a very Hindu and Buddhist philosophy that is new to people and hence, it is misunderstood. What M. Night is trying to say in his film is simple...respect nature. My mother once pointed out to me that one should be like a tree. At first I didn't understand because my environment (Georgia) didn't allow me to think outside of the box and that kind of talk would get you beat up because people would think you are a pagan or a tree hugging hippie. What my mother was trying to say is that nature deals with anything thrown at it and it never asks for anything in return. It just gives. A tree can go through the harsh winter and come back with leaves during the spring. I liked the film and for a change something we usually ignore day to day is speaking out. See the brilliant irony in it? The plants are fighting back. That's genius. It's not zombies or mutants. It's something we can't touch or run from. The only problem with the film was that I think M. Night should have put a little old Asian man or woman saying things about nature instead of the Caucasian guy eating hot dogs. It would have been more effective and the characters would have at least seen his advice as wise from an eastern point of view instead of cuckoo in the head. It's easier to hear Bruce Lee say something about nature versus any Tom, Dick, or Harry because it is coming from someone's mouth who is raised with that philosophy and it's more acceptable. Even Quentin uses an old Oriental man to say all the wise things in Kill Bill. Using an old and wise Asian man or woman would have reinforced the idea of showing respect to nature and perhaps by the end of the film, people would have began taking better care of the earth. Instead, the movie ends where it begins...with a bunch of clueless people walking around like a bunch of dopes not caring about anyone or anything. Perhaps, M. Night wanted to keep it unresolved...showing us that to err is human.