English
Towards the end of the anti romantic comedy 500 Days of Summer (2009) by Marc Webb, Tom the protagonist of the story played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt holds a chaotic speech at the advertising company that he works for which specialized in greeting cards for all occasions right before he quits. In this speech he declares that he is incapable of writing something for a Valentine’s Day card because he doesn’t believe in love anymore.
The reason for this defection is the discovery of the huge lie behind this concept, heavily imposed by movies, books and songs forming this belief of true love, a love whose kindness lasts a lifetime based on the existence of the perfect partner for every individual. To find this person is the key to happiness. When Tom thinks to realize that this idea is false he feels like a kid who just discovered Santa doesn’t exist.
However, this illusion is falsely blamed on these movies, books and songs. In reality this idea has its eccentric Greek origin in the mouth of Aristophanes in the Symposium by Plato. Zeus punished the initial androgynous by parting them with his flash leaving us all doomed to walk the earth looking for the other half that we are missing. Although this myth has not completely diminished in our minds it is far from being an essential element in the western idea of love. Which is probably to be found in Love in the Western World by Denis de Rougemont, in Tristan und Isolde and the provencal poetry of the 12th century in general that not only links love and passion to death and obstacles but also follows a golden rule of short-lived love by Midi, declaring that love and matrimony are incompatible.
The talent and personality of Eleanor of Aquitaine and her daughter Marie Countess of Champagne promoted an idea that differed from everything before, parallel to the spreading of the Maria cult, women were given the role of the submissive. A relationship between lover cavalier and the lady was determined as adultery by her master. From then of all great western love stories from Tristan and Isolde to The English Patient are stories about adultery and/or end in death. Tom should have listened to the songs a little more carefully.
This is probable the root of dissatisfaction regarding love in the West. It continues to educate us in the idea of monogamy and matrimony in one way or the other while our imagination is constantly fed by a painful myth of an absolutely captivating love.
Paul Oilzum
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