The Last Refuge Of A Nonconformist Mind
The existence of an artist can be captured only by comparison with the imposing silence that gives final decisions, but can be understood by entering a hectic world.
I really liked this movie when I was a kid, Once Upon A Time In The West (1968) .The final scene is a memorable one, and is played “very slowly, very slowly.” It’s not about two fearless gunmen testing the edge of their lives with a single bullet, from a proximity that doesn’t seem to know distance.These are not old accounts that had to be “settled” now or never.One being haunted by the pain of the distant past, the other being haunted (imperceptibly) by his own equal.
But it is about that moment of monumental silence, when each seeks the gaze of the other, in a single second the whole past unfolds, and suddenly the inevitable happens: man is no longer the maker of his own destiny, but becomes the prisoner of his own failure, from which he can only be freed by death. This moment is haunted by a flawless calm.
Man’s character is often manifested by a longing that is put to the test during life, a deep longing that comes not only from his heart, but resounds like a battle cry on the horizon of various and unexpected events. This, until the decisive moment when that peace of mind, undisturbed by thoughts, reminds him of what he has become.
Have you become a new Self, the trophy of a decisive battle, the trophy of an “intransigence” beyond good and evil, or, perhaps, the last refuge of a nonconformist mind?
Can you achieve your causal integration in a competition for apparent supremacy, by optimizing the relationship between cause and effect, between the beginning and the fulfillment of an act of control?
As a humble and modest soldier, but devoted to a noble cause, the gunman is not afraid of the first drop of blood that serves his devotion mentally and physically, and in the depths of his interest in firearms is not the slightest bitterness, maybe just a little emotional pain associated with loss, disappointment, grief, injustice.
But the other gunman isn't inferior either. Far from condemning the ambition that we can appreciate in any fearless man, he seems to have the double advantage of discretion: he has the quality of keeping a secret, of being reserved in attitude, words and deeds. Through an intimidating Urtysnepajdú, the crazy vibration of a world in agony, he refuses to become the helpless victim of a meaningless world, which he resists with irony and mockery, displaying a sly smile on his face.
But is it not in the essential interest of the cause itself that its most ardent servants have a greater share in a vulnerability meant to lose the horizon of opportunities than other activities? Or would it be better not to sacrifice your freedom, but also yourself, under the pretext of selflessness that makes you put any dreams in parentheses?
- The merit of discretion ! that’s all. The only thing you know well, as a gunman, but you can’t divulge, even if only the face could tell the truth, is that kind of pressure, the need to fit into a certain pattern of strong people, active and energetic, who know they can do anything, and also know that nothing is accidental on this earth. Yes, it is a kind of intimidating pressure that you have to use in your favor, and it is not just about looking impassively, but also doing a lot of harm if necessary. It’s not just about “making things look good”, it’s also about the reward you receive after the end result.
The artist of an agitated world discovers himself through the discretion he manifests in an urgent situation in which the possibility of producing something captivating is maintained.
He is an artist because he promotes a state of mind that reflects the essence of the human soul, present everywhere and in everything: that of escaping from reality in order to venture with heroes in unknown worlds. In fact, this is what makes an artist: he starts from elements of reality to outline an imaginary universe, shaped by his vision.
The Last Refuge Of A Nonconformist Mind is the story of an artist who boldly redesigned his life, building his character from the various moods that his models try to take from the plane of objective reality. He calls himself an artist because his work corresponds to reality, but at the same time it offers an evocative image of a lost world.
