AUM NAMAH SHIVAYA
The overlooked epic-scale film The Fall Of The Roman Empire, from 1964, poses what for Hollywood’s principal persuaders then and now is an unusual and inimical theme: The Family of Nations. The same theme carries the often-overlooked El Cid, from 1961. Both films are produced by Samuel Bronston, both star Sophia Loren, and both are shot in Spain, where Bronston accepted film-making opportunities afforded by official hospitality and access to the Spanish Army for extras. Much of the film Patton was filmed in Spain, using the same extras and even some of their tanks. At his request, Bronston’s remains rest at the town near Madrid where he built large studios for film-making.
More common for Hollywood persuaders, when contemplating world affairs, is the theme of one-world authority, one government over all. The film Cleopatra builds on this theme as do most other Hollywood extravaganzas of the 1950s and 1960s, even Ben Hur. Articulation of this theme in recent years has effloresced among academic and political as well as infotainment operators. We hear it in these phrases:
political correctness,
rules-based international order,
rules-based global system,
social stability,
social credit,
core interests,
international community,
government by experts,
the expertise of government,
universal submission to Sharia Law,
global economic integration,
global economic union,
global economic cooperation,
global communication network, and of course,
global governance.
These locutions are variations of one and the same theme: one authority as one government ruling the entire distribution of humankind. This theme is an heteronomic (Socialist) eruction.
Give it credit for thinking big, or thinking it big. Actually, it is small thinking, very, very small thinking. The theme essays to compress the extravagant wealth of human genius into the febrile visions of a cabal of misanthropes. Big this is not. Stupid it is really. Yet, this theme dances unapologetically through tyrants’ locutions of their visions of conditions for the rest of us: always rosy forecast, always bleak result.
The Fall Of The Roman Empire, like El Cid before it and Lost Horizon — a Ross Hunter film; he also made Thoroughly Modern Millie — after, ran against the then-and-still dominating Hollywood theme of world unity through the totalism of global governance. Those three films spoke the American language of E Pluribus Unum: we find unity in the divine core of the blessed extravagance of our differences. This is what Smith calls the invisible hand and what Tillich calls a cultural preference for theonomy — calm delight in acceptance of all through faith in God — as against merely secular excitements towards either heteronomy — grim stuffing of all into a few pre-prepared roles (Socialism) — or autonomy — hysterical screaming that nothing is anything (Socialism).
All three films, El Cid, The Fall Of The Roman Empire, and Lost Horizon, were disliked and disparaged by the worshipful company of fish mongers critics. None attracted high income at theaters. Yet, all are or have been available on DVD in director’s cut version or close to it. Neither is unknown or forgotten.
The Family of Nations, Brothers and Sisters, is our future and our peace. This is God our Father’s will, not the will of tyrannical visionaries. An allegiance alliance of Three Brothers is especially conducive to the strength and wealth of nations, our first-line protectors in this breathing world.
Βασιλεία του Θεού