by G. Jack Urso
There are some
memories from our childhood that linger faded and fragmented in our subconscious.
One such memory of mine is the one-time broadcast of the film The Lathe of Heaven that aired
nationally on PBS stations Wednesday, January 9, 1980, featuring Bruce Davison
as the protagonist George Orr, Kevin Conway as the antagonist Dr. William
Haber, and Margaret Avery as Orr’s lawyer and love interest Heather LeLache. The
film is available above from the Aeolus 13 Umbra YouTube channel.
.jpg) |
| First edition. |
The Lathe of Heaven, a 1971 novel by Ursula
K. Le Guin and winner of the Nebula Award (1971) and the Hugo Award (1972), is
ostensibly about a man whose dreams can change reality, but it really deals with
the conflict between the Eastern and Western philosophical outlooks. The book title is a reference to the human mind, which, like a lathe, carves a
design — one out of wood, the other out of reality.
In 1980 I was
fifteen years old, and I admit the material was above my head at the time;
however, the imagery of the film and basic concept — that we create our own
realities – remained with me a long time after I forgot the title of film. It
was within the folds of a sci-fi film catalog that I rediscovered it, and a
lost part of my youth.
As opposed to
today’s special effects driven sci-fi, The
Lathe of Heaven is representative of pre-Star Wars sci-fi that was more intellectual and contemplative in
nature. It blends social commentary and philosophy built on a basic conflict of
characters with opposing outlooks on life.
The novel was
released in the early 1970s when a whole generation of young people embraced
the alternate outlook on life Eastern philosophies provided. Indeed, the image
of a long-haired hippie sitting in the lotus position and chanting ancient
Asian proverbs became so common in our culture it has since become a
stereotype.
The title of the
novel is taken from a mistranslated passage attributed to Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi),
a Chinese philosopher circa the fourth century BCE, from Book XXIII, paragraph
7. It appears in Chapter 3 of the novel as an epigraph:
To let understanding stop at what cannot be
understood is a high attainment. Those who cannot do it will be destroyed on
the lathe of heaven.
The passage is
mistranslated because China did not have lathes at the time Chuang Tzu was
alive, as Le Guin herself concedes in an interview with Bill Moyers that accompanied the DVD release
of the 1980 film version (see below). Nevertheless, it remains a
compelling thought in that it asserts that there are limits to our reality that
cannot be surpassed, and wisdom comes with that realization.
From the Aeolus 13 Umbra YouTube channel.
In the novel,
protagonist George Orr has the power to dream new realities into being. It is a
power he fears, for in every new reality he dreams up George finds himself as
much a pawn as anyone else. He seeks help from Dr. Haber, who manipulates
George into dreaming up solutions to the world’s problems, such as
overpopulation, global conflicts, and racial prejudice, as well as riches and
fame for the good doctor.
The solutions,
however, are imperfect for they are drawn from deep inside George Orr’s
subconscious – his fears and nightmares. The cure for overpopulation is a
global pandemic that wipes out six billion humans. The answer to global
conflicts is to unite the world against a common enemy, which manifests itself
as a classic alien invasion. The solution to racial prejudice is simple –
everyone’s skins turn gray.
George Orr
personifies the Eastern philosophical outlook while Dr. Haber represents the
Western perspective. The conflict between these two opposing forces is explored
in the following passage from the 1980 film adaptation:
Dr. Haber: You have a great gift George. Together, we can
learn to use it.
George Orr: You can’t use my dreams to change things.
Haven’t you learned that yet?
Dr. Haber: Isn’t that the purpose of man on Earth? To
act? To change things? To run things? To build a better world?
George Orr: No.
Dr. Haber: What then?
George Orr: I don’t know . . . I don’t know. Things don’t
have purposes. I don’t know if life has a purpose. I can’t say that it matters.
It is. We are. I want to stop.
Dr. Haber: George, I know that I can learn to harness
your power, but you must give me time.
George Orr: It’s no use. We haven’t got the right.
Dr. Haber: We have a duty! Why do you resist? Why do you
fear your own power?
George Orr: Because it doesn’t work! You change one thing
and everything changes! The plague didn’t solve anything. We’re closer to war
now than we ever have been. I can’t let
you use me anymore.
Dr. Haber: George . . . you need me George, you know
that. Without me, you’re out of control.
Many who read
the book see it as a statement against the Western philosophical outlook, and
to a great extent it is; however, I believe a deeper theme in the novel, and in
the 1980 film adaption, is that there needs to be balance between the two
philosophies. The Western mind provides us with the vision to exceed our grasp
while the Eastern mind cautions us when our grasp exceeds our vision — as in
the aforementioned quote by Chuang Tzu.
 |
| 2000 DVD cover. |
Prior to the
2000 DVD/VHS release, The Lathe of Heaven
had not been released on video nor had it been rebroadcast on television since
that January day in 1980. The film is a look into a period of time in science
fiction and in our culture — when thoughts were deep, and the sci-fi even
deeper.
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Great article here. I, like the writer here was captivated by this movie. When first broadcast I was a mere 24 yrs. old. I was lucky enough to have, and still have the VHS Tape I recorded that night. Watch it every so often and didn't have to wait for the DVD all those years. I showed it to my sons but only recommend it to a very few special people I know will appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteIt's not for everyone, but that's too bad for them! Your sons are lucky to have been exposed to it and the concepts in the film!
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