[MD] To Anybody NOT Sitting on a hoity-toity cushion

[John Carl]

The curse and delight of being the father of mostly girls, is I see a lot of
the "romantic comedy genre".  The latest being a Heath Ledger vehicle called
"Knight's Tale" to which I was subjected last night.  And strangely has
stuck in my mind today, along with the song Golden Years by David M. Bowie.


Actually, I don't know what his middle initial is.  And David Bowie is a
made-up name anyway, like Cary Grant.  But hell with it.  It suits my mood
to make him a DmB.

What persisted most from the silly  movie was a comic character that the
young squire's party meet on the road - a naked poet, Chaucer, by name.
Naked because he seriously screwed up in a game of cards, and he persuades
them to let him tag along, and feed and clothe him, because he's a writer.

And writers can come in handy, ya know.

It's not exactly historically accurate.  They start out with a Joust and the
stands rockin' out to Queen's, We Will Rock You, and you know it's not
historical accuracy that matters in a movie like this.   But overall, I have
to say I found the juxtaposition of old and new quite wonderful.  And that
which stayed with me upon further reflection was that the poet's words had
more impact upon the elevation of a lowly squire to a noble knight than mere
cunning of arms could ever accomplish.

What kept going through my mind most was this
speech<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpJIVfGcL6Y&feature=related>by
Paul Bettany, which I think steals the show, and I thought Garrison
Keillor's P.O.E.M - the Professional Organization of English Majors would
really appreciate this guy.  Who used the power of words to transform a frog
into a prince.  And really an illustration of how rhetoric creates reality,
because it's really Chaucer's speech that enable the pretend knight to earn
his way into society's contests where he can compete and become an equal.
And its also, to an extent, the over-blown, poetic aspect of living up to a
story, that drives Ledger's character onward and accepts no compromises when
things get tough.  A sort of Messiah complex, writ on the silver screen and
before our very eyes.

The whole thing turns then, in my view,  when Bettany's Chaucer turns away
from the Lords and ladies and declares his audience to be "those NOT sitting
on a cushion" and reveals himself as the low-down sophist he undoubtedly is,
and thus influences all that follows, leading up to the inevitable ending,
two combatants facing each other, mean squint, this town ain't big enough
for the both of us...

 The best cowboys have chinese eyes...

And more fitting my mood than any operatic score, there's this scene, that
also sticks in the head; our brave knight's first foray into gentile
society, and immediately he gets
challenged<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1_WbhGmpTw&feature=related>by
his nemesis.  I thought Heath's acting in this grade B flick was
beautiful.   Bowie's Lyric matching the mood perfectly and fittingly.

Last night they loved you, opening doors and pulling some strings,

angel.

In walked luck and you looked in time

Never look back, walk tall, act fine

Come get up my baby

I'll stick with you baby for a thousand years

Nothing's gonna touch you in these golden years

Go-oh-old'en years.


And who is that dark man? Looking on?  Exiting stage left?  Who is he
really?

Asks the guy who is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward.