On my first weekend in Paris I was wandering the streets not unlike the last couple of days in Paris. Anyway I was looking for something to do a I didn’t know anyone or what sights to do I headed off to the English pub. The bombardier is a typical friendly English pub based in the heart of Paris unlike the horrid irish wannabe pubs it was authentically English with a good landlord, sash, who created a good atmosphere. I am very ba at social situations without some sort of back up and for those first couple of days I was stranded so I left after a few swift ones. Near the pantheon there are a bunch of small cinema’s which show old English films. So I was walking by one of them d they were showing one of my favourite films of all time Serpico. It has been a favourite ever since I watched it on my 21st birthday, in fact I made a vow to watch it every year on that ever since. How could I on a day where I felt alone and helpless pass up on the opportunity to watch something that I recognise inside and out. And so I settled down to watch the film in the company of students, teachers and an adventurous couple. When the film finished I could sense that the crowd didn’t enjoy the film. By translating the subtitles I could feel that some of the action was lost in translation. How can one not like the comparison between jesus and serpico? Or that the character showed intellectual growth yet remained steadfast in his belief that it was better to not go on the take like the other NYPD. Even when given the opportunity to have his money taken by a partner to make im seem as if he was on the take as well he didn’t use it. Serpico doesn’t just stand out in the sense that someone almost made the ultimate sacrifice to stand up in what they believe in but also his reward in intellectual growth increased his paranoia. Maybe it is just the way I am currently thinking but I seem to be identifying with characters that suffer in emotional relationships due to their belief patterns. By going against the grain these folk suffer the shame of not being accepted by the ones that they love.
Such moral complexities are very reassuring in times of loneliness.