Sacrifice

"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Or the one." - Spock, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

While I may be quoting Star Trek, I am actually going to talk about Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. However, before I get into the decision to start with that quote, I will tell you that the movie is visually and technically spectacular. There was enough screen time from minor characters that they were noticed, but not overdone or left out and the lightheartedness was appropriate throughout the first three quarters of the film and thankfully avoided in the last quarter for obvious reasons. Yes, a lot of the book was left out of the film, but I do not think that the lost scenes or dialogue were necessary.

In a book, exposition and explanation are used over several pages to say something that could be done on film in a matter of moments. Scenes were added, deleted and changed, but these scenes did not ruin the overall storytelling nor did it allow the core plot of the story to fall apart.

In essence, Half Blood Prince - like the previous movies - deals with Harry's understanding of the sacrifices that were made for him and because of him. I think that Harry finally comes to terms with the true meaning of sacrifice. He knew his mother died for him, causing Voldemort to be defeated the first time. He knew that Cedric Diggory died for him in an attempt to save his life in the graveyard. And when Dumbledore allowed himself to be killed by Snape (something that the reader learns in the final book had been planned for some time), Harry finally understood that he needed to survive in order to stop Voldemort.

This sacrifice is akin to Obi-Wan Kenobi allowing Darth Vader to kill him so Luke Skywalker could gain the confidence to use the Force. It is also not unlike Gandalf the Grey sacrificing himself to the Balrog in order to allow the Fellowship to escape. And, of course, it is like Spock sacrificing himself to save the crew of the USS Enterprise in Star Trek II (Wow. Three Sci-Fi / Fantasy references in one paragraph. Proud to be a geek.).

I think that Harry started to realize his mother's sacrifice in HBP when he is speaking with Professor Slughorn. Slughorn had been fond of Lily and Harry had figured that out. He begged Slughorn for the real memory to honor Lily's memory, so that her sacrifice would not have been in vain. Eventually, Slughorn conceded and gave Harry what he needed to know.

People make sacrifices every day. Some on a much grander scale than others and some that are simple and mundane. Either way, let us remember that they are all sacrifices and should never be taken in vain.

Hypocritical Cynic

You might ask yourself, what exactly is that? Well, I feel that I'm a cynic because I think that the media is oversaturating the public with information and coverage of Michael Jackson. I'm not saying that it's a terrible thing, but isn't there other news happening in the world? I mean, Kim Jung Il was firing nuclear missiles and the news doesn't care? I know they care, but it seems that now nothing else matters.

And now comes the hypocritical part.....I'm actually watching (well, listening) to the coverage live on CNN.com. I'm just like all the other people around the world that are curious about the coverage and everything that will be happening during the procession from Forest Lawn to the Staples Center and what will happen during the service itself.

Again, I'm not saying it's a bad thing that there is all of this coverage, but some people have been saying that this could be the most watched event in history - even more people watching than the inauguration of Barack Obama...in January! So, now, just six months later, we are having yet another event that will be more watched? Is that entirely possible?

There have been several events of this nature, but none as embedded as this. One of the largest events in the past was the funeral for John F. Kennedy. Yes, it was on television, but definitely not being shown live around the world. After that was the death of Elvis Presley. The coverage of his death and funeral was similar to Michael's, but again, not to the extent as to what is going on today.

Because of the social media craze that is around the world in this day and age, information spreads almost instantly. This instant information has made it much easier for people to get the facts (and unfortunately, the rumors) as quickly as you can imagine. I was reading that a lot of different streams are offering live video of the event. Everyone from Hulu, MySpace and CNN. MySpace? Really? Do people really run to MySpace for news and information? Who knew.

Lastly, despite my cynicism, I have to admit that Michael Jackson did something that only a few artists have ever done. People like Michealangelo with the Sistine Chapel, The Beatles, Elvis Presley and many other artists and entertainers that leave and indelibe mark on the world. Michael Jackson left his mark with his music. He was an amazing performer and songwriter and he deserves the honors that everyone offers.