"Noh" Vendetta

An interesting and quirky article in The Chronicle of Higher Education discussed the etymology of the common American slang “guy.” The author attests that the origin of the word dates back to the infamous Gunpowder Treason of November 5th, 1600. Guy Fawkes, one of the historical conspirators in the plot was recently recalled to the modern dialogue in the blockbuster hit “V for Vendetta” – a dystopian tale of some future time when the United Kingdom has fallen under hegemonic totalitarian authority of a single man and his ministers in public and police services. I had a sincere appreciation for this amazing film not only because the story plays to my old sentiments for conspiracy but because it was the only silver-screen adaptation of traditional Japanese Noh theater that I have ever seen in Western cinema.

In a Noh play, (to grossly over-simplify! – I myself only know what I have learned through conversations during martial arts training.) the practitioner wears a mask for the entirety of the drama which plays out on a stage lit only by natural and very few, very deliberate points of artificial light. The art of the medium is in portraying a range of emotions and personalities with a single facial expression – that of the mask (a tribute to the cultural esteem for efficiency and the pursuit of perfection.) Masks also represent different archetypal characters of Japanese folk-lore (ghosts, old women, and the like). Some practitioners (certain male characters and master-level practitioners) play out their role without the mask to hide any breaks in their precise focus. The production may last for as long as an entire day with but a few breaks to lighten the mood and the actor capable of holding such sharp focus for that time is attributed with almost superhuman – if not outright paranormal – powers. If you find this quaint and parochial, try holding a single facial expression for even five minutes – not scratching allowed! (Michael – you probably know more about this than I!)

In the film, the protagonist wears a Guy Fawkes mask not to obscure his identity but as a symbol of his message...(the cinematography is amazing! - "Mr. Anderson"). Some members of The Occupy Movement have recently attempted to co-opt this intersection of revolutionary history and pop-culture to further entrench the movement in the cultural memory of the nation.

These members, to follow the discussion of the author, may very well be trying to immortalize the dialect (and, thereby the ideology) of the movement in the national discourse. There is one problem I see with this. The Occupy movement is fractured and non-cohesive. One chapter of the movement may have a completely different understanding of why they are all there than the next. For this reason, while perhaps some themes from the rhetoric are more general to the movement, the actual ideology of the movement is difficult to define authoritatively. Without this definition, creating a culturally (more-or-less) universal meaning of the movement, and thereby, assigning a value to this symbolism (a theme from the movie from which this imagery is taken) is unlikely and any value assigned to this imagery will simply fade with the next big thing. This is the power of symbols and the conflict of resisting authority – authority creates cohesion, cohesion leads to solidarity, solidarity provides the vessel for constructing meaning and, thereby, assigning value and empowering a symbol to be the vehicle of ideology. Without some central locus of control (something anathema to, it seems, some elements and chapters of the Occupy Movement) lasting change cannot gain sufficient weight to be anchored in the culture. It's like my dad always tell me: "If you don't stand for something you'll fall for anything!" (originally by Malcolm X, 1925-1965). This is why the Founding Fathers, I believe, saw government as an evil – yes – but a necessary one.