I love revisiting old stories, old movies. More so because we are simply not the same person experiencing the story, and thus it takes on all sorts of new meanings.
As a child I loved the Sword in the Stone so much, I must have had my parents rent that film a thousand times from our local Betamax store (yes, I'm that old). As a kid, I was fascinated by the magic, by the story of a young man that came from nothing and became a king, a hero. I got all that, I saw all that, but yet I missed so much too.
The sword
There's little emphasis on the power of the sword in the stone on that film. Yes, we knew only a worthy person could lift it, but we didn't know if it did much else.
The truth is that what the sword meant is at the center of everything that happens in the story: A magical sword that guarantees victory.
For a second I want you to imagine the best metaphor for absolute power, and I take it you won't find one more effective than that.
This little fact is very important, because if someone was to one day wield said sword, it would have to be someone who would not abuse it's power, as tempting as it may be to do so.
In other words, only someone who would have enough compassion and enough wisdom to wield justice, could then be the true custodian of it.
This is precisely why Merlin tutored Arthur so much, and why he turned him into all the little animals that entertained us so much.
An animal, a lesson
In the film we don't get to learn about all the different animals that Merlin and Arthur became. But, we get a couple of really powerful lessons from those adventures.
The scary fish in the pond may have been the equivalent to a horror film to little old me, but today I get who the fish was, who it represented, and what Arthur had to learn.
The fish represented Tyranny, and of the worse kind. Arthur experienced then in his own flesh what it meant to be under the rule of the King of the moat, a tyrannical king, a lesson that surely shaped his mind forever.
But my favorite lesson, even now, is when they became squirrels. Up until then Arthur had not experienced anything remotely close to self sacrifice, to love. Not only did the girl squirrel saved young Arthur's life, it did it knowing full well that she was a hundred times weaker than her foe, driven by the love she felt for Arthur. A lesson that broke his heart, although in the movie this second part of the story is toned down.
In the end the story of King Arthur and Merin is a story about being a stoic leader, about what it takes to rule with kindness, mercy and justice.
Today however
It would seem to me like most political figures, most powerful leaders, would be kings if you will, don't know a thing about this story, and more importantly about the lessons it taught.
The few who hold the powerful swords are too enamored by their power to entertain any stoic ideals, and sadly this is very obvious for anyone who doesn't fall for the enchantment of partisan hackery.
In the US we have a two party system that is disconnected from the average Joe or Jane and it shows. Maybe they all need to watch old films too.
MenO
Betamax and VHS was Crips and Bloods back in the day. I vaguely remember sword in the stone. Didn't the wizard have a battle with a
whichwitch, where they each changed into different animals to beat each other?He won by becoming a virus and making her sick.... LOL
That was such an epic fight scene!
... starting with:
or this one:
Chaplin's film was supposed to teach the world about resisting tyranny, and the power of propaganda, and yet, here we are.