CAST AWAY

 

Three Stars - Enlightening

 

 

       Insulated by modern life, it is easy for an affluent person to avoid the necessary journey into the deeper places of the soul.  But when circumstances strip us of our illusion of control and we are confronted with our temporal and spiritual vulnerability, it is then that the soul begins its eternal quest.

       Full of the symbolism and wisdom of ancient truths, Robert Zemeckis’ “Cast Away” is a penetrating study of our human situation.

       The central characters of the film are two persons whose lives are “cast  away” when Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) is marooned on a deserted South Pacific island. 

       Although he doesn’t yet realize the depth of his connection to Kelly Frears (Helen Hunt) when his plane crashes and he alone survives, Chuck comes to realize his soul has mated to her.  At the same time back home in Memphis, Kelly experiences the same loss of self following his disappearance.

       This is the first of the ancient truths.  Though many of us take our relationships for granted as though they are replaceable or unnecessary, the Biblical adage that “it is not good for man to be alone” is usually realized only after love is lost.  Cast away by either circumstances beyond our control or by the willful abandonment of the beloved, the soul goes through a treacherous journey to be reconnected in love again.

       In Chuck’s experience, this journey lasts over four years in which his isolation takes him into the caves of his own despair and eventually to the sails of his dreams and hopes.

       Having been a FedEx executive who lived his life by the clock, Chuck realizes that time is not under his control any more than the circumstances of his existence.  This awareness forces him to face the self-imposed limitations of his life.

       Though the film leaves us clouded in mystery at many levels and is itself a journey that requires the viewer’s introspective involvement, the presence in the film of the image of angel’s wings is a repeated message of hope affirming the promise of new life.

       A third symbol is the presence of a fantasy companion in the form of a volleyball Chuck finds in one of the FedEx boxes.

       Having cut his hand, and then grabbing the volleyball, Chuck’s blood stain left on the ball an image of a strangely compelling face.  With slight modifications of his own, Chuck uses his own blood to not only create, but also to bond with this new companion.  “Wilson” becomes the companion which helps Chuck stay sane while walking the edge of insanity.

       As in all relationships, the edge we walk in keeping our own sense of self while exploring the depth of our need for the other spans a precipice full of unexpected comforts and threats.

       The final symbol within the film is the return of Chuck to his soul mate only to find that Kelly has “moved on” and married someone else.

       Though most of us will not experience the literal moment of becoming an island castaway, being “cast away”  is a common reality of modern relationships.  If in those moments we learn to embrace the journey, we may find the destination taking us to the Creator of our souls.

 

 

(538 words)

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