Over the past few days I have seen almost all of the Up series. (Thank you Netflix.)The series of documentary films chronicles the lives of a group of English people. A new installment is filmed every seven years. In the first film, from 1964, we meet 7 year old little kids. The most recent one was completed a couple of years ago, when they were 49.
Seeing all the films over a short period of time is really interesting, but also kind of scary. England was, and is, a socially segregated society with a rigid class structure. It's easy to see which ones of the 7-year-olds are working class kids, and which ones are upper class kids. And the same differences are there at 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, and 49 too.
Some of the people are easy to like. You feel for them as kids, and you see the same pain, or struggle, or heart, in the grown ups they become. Or, you hear the little kid formulate an idea, and then you see the 28-year-old act on it.
In some ways their personalities seem stable, in other cases they go through changes. One spoiled little rich girl turns into a fascinating compassionate woman.
I can see parts of myself here and there, and parts of my friends. I think of the people I have known since they were children, and I realize that they too are much the same now, as they were then.
Anyway. Look for it.
6 comments:
Jag säger som du, tack för Netflix. Jag hyrde och såg den här serien tidigare i år och kan bara instämma i det du skriver (bra serie!). Extra speciellt kändes det att kunna se delarna (som ju börjar redan på 60-talet) direkt efter varann. Jag blev väldigt berörd av den här serien och det triggade igång en massa funderingar. Som du säger, vissa personer, personligheter och öden berörde mer (vissa mindre). Jag vet inte varför, men på samma gång som jag blev positiv och glad av serien så blev jag också lite nedstämd. Så mycket drömmar och så mycket energi och så mycket "det här vill jag" och sen kanske det blir nåt helt annat....
Håller för övrigt med dig att klassamhället blir väldigt uppenbart i filmen. Intressant film i alla fall! Skriver inget mer detaljerat om de olika personerna ifall nån som läser här kommer hyra filmerna.
It's always so fascinating to watch stuff like that. What I love about America, is that one can choose to figure out how to earn lots of money and/or do fancy lifestyle things, or not. I've never found fuzzy warmth in following elite protocol, but I don't mind being considered eccentric. I guess that leaves my options open. :o) But honestly, I find the deepest meaning in living simply...the peasant life!
Isle, it's difficult for me to NOT see class differences in the US also. At times I have taught both at a private university and a state one, at the same time. I'd literally drive 20 minutes down the road and be in a another world. The differences in attitude, equipment, outlook, level of preparedness, and the support staff, are overwhelming. At the same time, I think maybe people here think about themselves and social class differently compared to Europeans. Maybe I am just too European to fully get it.
Anne, jag blev så glad att du sett filmerna att jag mailade direkt!
Tack för mailet, läste det just! Återkommer lite senare med mail om vad jag tyckte...
It's definitely obvious to see where there's money and what's being done with it. But it seems the average American doesn't really care so much about the super wealthy (except maybe for novelty/entertainment value) because the super wealthy are not the norm and American's don't have royalty to contend with. Now if someone is lusting after that lifestyle...those experiences...I say go for it...create it for yourself and your future generations. But I grew up in the rural world, amongst my extended immigrant family (and made my own choices that took me far beyond that). But still, I prefer the peasant life any day over the other stuff! I truly don't get the desire to live upper/elite class. Or is there something about that life I'm supposed to want...??!! :o)
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