Ender's Game

A lot of science fiction has been written in the last 100 years. Also a lot of science fiction has been made into movies and television. The original sins perhaps are Asimov's Foundation Series in books, and Star Trek on television. There is an episode of Star Trek, first aired sometime in the late 1960s, in which James T. Kirk, alias Jim, is tried by a military court for dereliction of duty. Now Star Trek series on television had many new and remarkable science things. However what it really talked about was leadership. Jim's showed leadership of a commander amidst lots of unknown and previously unseen problems, not to mention a mountain of data which was often contradictory. Jim is the quintessential leader among men. The essence of a good leader, as depicted, is to assess the risk and make a decision. In this particular episode of Star Trek, Jim's lieutenant Spock (the one with the funny ears) vouches for the countless times in which Jim has led from the front, been decisive and saved the ship and in turn the federation (human race). Now, the folks who created Star Trek of course had a first hand view of the World War II and so they inherently understood leadership in the direst of times, when even survival is at stake. That is of course hard to say in the modern times. However, I recently saw a film which went back to this original definition of leadership in the science fiction realm. Ender's Game is a year 2013 film based on an older short fiction story first written in 1977 and then later in 1985 as a book. What is perhaps the shrewd post modernistic charm of the story is that Andrew Wiggin, alias "Ender", the military commander and master strategist, is a young boy of about 12 years age.

Wikipedia Link - Ender's Game
IMDB Link - Ender's Game

What Ender ultimately achieves is that he becomes a leader amongst his peer children. He outshines them during basic and advanced training. He also starts to anticipate the future and makes course corrections accordingly. The basic premise is really very simple. Modern warfare, as we know and have learnt since the Iraq war of 1991, is won by geeks in front of computers. A good warrior is effective at strategy. She uses the resources offered by modern science to win against the enemy. Technology, weapons and minions are ultimately pawns for winning the grand objective (the War) Ender is not only the best player of his generation but, through war games and strategy lessons, he is learned military strategist. With his youth he does not have any inhibitions or guilt or indecisiveness. Perhaps like the alien enemy, the Formics, he takes violent action first and then thinks of the consequences later. Film is phenomenally written. Very well executed.

More on Foundation Series
If you have kids they should read these books. Nothing fires your imagination more as a 12 year old!

The Object of Beauty

What defines a good film? 

My definition is a story and experience which resonates so with feelings of one's heart that one keeps awake late after midnight thinking about it. When a motion picture, in all its soliloquy experience, brings tears to one's eyes and stirs one's heart then, in my definition, it has become a film worth writing about. The best experiences are those where a film jolts you and stimulates emotions which are a polar opposite from ones inventory of feelings of that particular day, week or month. John Malkovich and Andy McDowell star as the Bartholomeo couple in the 1990 film called The Object of Beauty. They are a unmarried cohabiting pair who are in love and live recklessly in a London Hotel. Andy has an valuable bronze statue by Henry Moore. The statue is less than 6 inches (a tiny one) but it is only of one of nine ever made. Andy received the statue from her separated husband as a gift. When the Bartholomeos get the statue appraised at a pawn shop they are told it is worth 25,000 pounds. To cover their increasingly debt ridden situation they plan, albeit without seriousness, to hide the statue and file an insurance claim. However in a twist the statue is actually stolen from their hotel room. 

The hotel had recently hired Julie, a young deaf and dumb immigrant woman, as a housekeeper. Julie is obviously poor and has a brother, Steve, who is a disaffected youth dependent  on his sister. One day when Julie is cleaning the room she notices the statue from the corner of her eye.

I think the film truly came alive from the experience Julie has with the statue. With apparently little to no formal education, and without any acquired appreciation for works of art Julie (a mute) falls in love with the little Henry Moore statue at a first glance. She subsequently steals it and keeps it hiding from her troublemaker brother. The statue keeps her awake at night and she is obviously very very happy to acquire it. And all of this is without her being aware of its monetary or artistic value. Towards the end when asked why she stole it, she confesses that "it (the statue) spoke to me". When the Bartholomeos file a claim, a hotel investigator shows up at Julie's house. Steve discovers the statue and tries to sell it. With no basis of comparison Steve's contact agent dealing in stolen goods think that the statue is worthless. When Julie discovers the status is not in her possession she completely loses herself. In a fit of sadness and urgency she searches her house, even breaking her other things in the this effort. Steve confesses that he stole the statue and the two of them go the junkyard where he lost it. When Julie finds the statue she breaks down crying while holding it in her hands. At the the end the Bartholomeos get back their statue and Julie does not have the go to jail. She does, however, lose her job at the hotel.

At the beginning I did not pay any attention to the name of the film. Instead of naming the film as "An Object of Beauty", the filmmakers named it as "The Object of Beauty". And that truly does makes sense once you see the film. 

Remarkable. Very well done.

                                                                The Object of Beauty

Two Mules for Sister Sara

Being a sucker that I am for Western genre American films I hit upon Two Mules for Sister Sara. All I knew when I started watching was the movie had Clint Eastwood. Well lo and behold we are faced with a stark naked woman trying to protect herself from three banditos. 

Confession - I am at 11 minutes 30 seconds from the beginning of the film

What do I notice - Shirley McLaine has mascara, false eyelashes and plenty of foundation. Now that, of course, is not surprising. What is surprising is that in the film she is playing the role of a nun in a 17th or 18th century American West. Boy do I love Westerns or what? The casting team could have easily picked a nobody for the role. But they picked the Shirley McLaine. They cast her as a nun getting raped by a couple of thugs in 18th century barren American countryside. Quite an irony, huh.

Love it, love it, love it.

Image courtesy - Nothing is Written

Its good to be back.

'Writers Block' and something 'tru'-ly brilliant

What was the name of the film again? The one that I have been so impressed with lately? The one with Jim Carrey in it > about whom a film reviewer from NY times wrote – who conveys an edge of secret fury. Yes now I remember the name of the film. It is ‘The Truman Show’.

It’s been a few days since I watched the actual film and, unsurprisingly, at this time I am unable to recall names of characters or the entire plot in great detail. But that’s not everything, is it? More importantly I have been mulling over the story and its events in my head. Each and every time I am convinced the film is brilliant, almost surreal. Take for example the time when Truman’s dad drowns in the film. Truman had been adopted by the corporation which produces the show. However his dad had been allowed to stay with him and raise him as a little boy. And then the storywriters decide to put a twist in the plot. They create a storm when the father and son are out fishing. Truman’s dad urges the young Truman that they turn back and head towards the shore lest they are trapped in a storm. However the young Truman wants to go further in the ocean. And then when the seas turn really wild, Truman’s dad is shown to drown in waves.  This scares the hell out of Truman, and from this point on he is just too afraid to go over water (even across a bridge). Now I don’t a lot about psychology but this seems to be so distinctly Freudian. The events from Truman’s childhood continue to have an effect on all his adult life even when he is more than thirty years old. And it takes a lot of courage and almost a superhuman effort (in Truman’s context) to be able to overcome those fears. Isn’t this so true about all of us? So often are we not held back from venturing into uncharted waters because our mothers told us not to do something or because we have had an unpleasant childhood incident whose memory continues to haunt us? If Christof, the producer of the show is indeed a representative of the Supreme Being in our lives then the chains that have been put around us are also like Truman’s hydrophobia. Further when Truman tries to break free he is tested to the limits of his endurance (when his boat runs into rough seas). Only when Truman finally defies Christof and challenges him outright does the test finally end and the seas are calmed. The crowning moment for me comes when one of the crew members with Christof yells – “Where did he (Truman) learn to sail, he is an insurance salesman?” Similar to Truman so often we are typecast into being what we do to earn a living. Salesmen sell, programmers program, and postmen deliver mail. The profession becomes you. And you become the profession. Economics drives this and will continue to drive it. However in each one of us there are talents which are hidden and come out if and when we are suitably challenged. The key is to overcome that fear. Defy that authority (or the voice in your head which is yelling ‘don’t do it’) and just go for it.

Ok, back to the film. Another scene which was fantastic for me is when Truman decides to run off from it all and heads out of town with his wife in the car besides him. Almost immediately the traffic is jammed on the freeway and the car is hardly moving at all. Truman’s wife makes him change his mind and only moments later when Truman circles around and returns to the road all the traffic is all gone. Fantastically this all seems to be so true in real life as well. As soon as you decide to do something chances are a several hundred if not several thousand people will also begin to do the same thing. You’ve decided to visit Miami. Go ahead – chances are there will be traffic on the way to the airport. The airport will be packed and all the hotels in Miami will be near full. Change your mind and see what happens!

All in all The Truman Show is a lot of head games (it plays with your head, that is). Brilliantly, if not a little surprisingly, at times it appears that even Jim Carrey’s acting is almost making fun of the film itself and the idea behind it all(“The” + “True” + “Man” + “Show” run by “Christ” + “of”?). The final lesson being that no one can really solve the ultimate riddle there is – also a chest pin button caption in the film– What are we doing here? All we can do is play the part with panache, a whole lot of sense of humor and a great big ‘ole pinch of salt.

The Truman Show

NY Times Review from 1998

Love, Liza

Philip Seymour Hoffman is not someone I would normally think of as a depressed person. He is perhaps best known for his goofy, funny and over-the-top roles in several films during the 90's and 00's. With this image in mind I was kind of surprised to see him as a suicidal, depressed man in 'Love, Liza'.

Love Liza begins with Hoffman as Wilson returning to his home after attending his wife's funeral. The viewer can only guess that something tragic has happened here. The film has long spells when there are no dialogues, only a sense of despair, gloom and failure which hangs about the house and everything Wilson does. Eventually Wilson steps out of the house and goes to work. We come to know that he is a computer graphic designer of some sort. This is when a reporter calls Wilson at his desk and after a quick, insincere condolence asks him whether the paper should report his wife's demise as a death or suicide. And this is the crux of the film. Wilson's wife has committed suicide, and in a rather violent manner. A car in Wilson's garage has a blocked exhaust pipe so appaently Wilson's wife choked herself to death.

The film progresses with Wilson's attempts to come to terms with his wife's death. One can guess that everything in the house reminds Wilson of her and the life they shared until she was  suddenly gone. Wilson cannot bring himself to sleep in the bedroom and so he sprawls near a wall in what looks like the living room. One night he needs a pillow and he picks one up from the bedroom. And that is when he discovers a letter from his dead wife. The letter is addressed simply  as 'Wilson'. This is the tipping point for Wilson. He is utterly devastated and hysterical. To ease his sufferring he tries to get high by sniffing gasoline. He cannot bring himself to open up the letter and at the same time he just cannot forget it either.

In the final minutes of the film, when Wilson finally opens up the letter it reads something lilke -

"I probably left a big mess, didn't I? I need you to carry me in your heart. Find another.
Love,
Liza".

Love Liza

A California lake and 'An Unfinished Life'

I am writing this from near the Clear Lake in Lake County, California. This part of the world is worth visiting - Clear Lake is a large and quiet mountain lake surrounded by a hilly countryside full of wineyards. This area is north of east of Sonoma county and north of Napa (the well known California wine region). The sunset and sunrise views on the lake alone are worth a thousand bucks.

'An Unfinished Life' is a film about American country life and the associated values. Country life here implies life in the countryside, or rural living , even though that may be a misnomer as rural living in the US is far different than most other places in the world. The cast includes the ever so great Morgan Freeman, an aging Robert Redford, and Jennifer Lopez in a surprisingly unconventional role. I think I read that the director of the film is european - nevertheless the story, cinematography and overall direction blend with each other nicely and give the viewer a good overall package.
For me the most important thread which brings the film together is the value system espoused - it is mostly the same kind of values that you will see in typical Western film. A friend of mine who is an ex-US army man once said something like caring for your friends, hurting your enemy (in another context). I think this applies well to the film. Two examples - the first is the relationship between Einar (Redford) and Mitch (Freeman), which shows the best of what friendship is all about. Mitch has been mauled by a bear and needs constant care and medication.  I'll spare you the details of the plot but some of Mitch's request seem downright ridiculous on the surface (although they have a deeper meaning and it comes out nicely in the film). Even if Einar's first response to them is caustic he gives each request time and thought and eventually completes them. Second, the manner in which the Wyoming town people stick together to help each other talks about that value system. Ultimately even Einar helps Jean (Lopez), his dead son's wife even though he first holds her responsible for his death. Of course sarcasm, good old ribbing and verbal fights are common but when it counts they protect their own.
I would recommend An Unfinished Life to anyone who has not seen it (except those who are not too fond of country life & values and for that matter Western films!).

The Lawless Frontier

The Lawless Frontier is the oldest film I have seen. It was made in 1935 (or 1934 as per IMDb). It is black and white and stars John Wayne, who of course is very young in the film and still has all of his Western cred for which he is well known. In 1935 the United States was (as I understand) just beginning to come out of The Great Depression. And of course the infamous Hitler ruled Germany - am I mistaken or the villain in The Lawless Frontier has a curious resemblence to the Fuhrer (especially the moustache)? The film has some terrific horse chase scenes - caused me to wonder whether those horses were fed well in those days when people were anaemic or were they merely whipped harder for the scenes in the film?! The lead actress Sheila Terry wears pants throughout The Lawless Frontier. And she rides a horse too (or rather several horses). The first woman to fly around the world, Amelia Earhart, used to wear pants. I know that because I once saw several of her photographs at an exhibition in Queens, NY. I hope women wearing pants did not draw as much attention as Amelia seems to draw here!

But I digress.

I am impressed by The Lawless Frontier. For a film that runs just 49 minutes (I hope they had made that standard), the script has surprising twists. Also surprising are the numerous sub-genres - there is drama, suspense, action as well as good 'ol Western theaterics.

I visited the hypothetical State of Jefferson today. The towns of Grenanda, Yreka and Hombrook in Northern California and Ashland in Oregon, and the region around river Klamathon might as well have been straight out of The Lawless Frontier. For miles there is only untouched land, beautiful mountains, valleys and forests. Now I cannot but wonder how crossing all that land must have felt like on a horse or on foot, when the first mass migrants arrived in this region, a mere 110 years before The Lawless Frontier was made.

Mount Shasta
Today evening the mountain had a cloud cover just like this one - A volcano with a halo of its own!

An old idea

There is something about the 1992 film Unforgiven that I keep coming back to it and yet I am unable to understand what it is in its entirety. It is not the sense of revenge that one might think inspires William Munny's actions towards the end of the film. I think revenge, justice, bravery are only superficial here - even if one is to look at it through the lens of the Western genre. It is something more primordial, something preceding cowboys, sheriffs or the nascent towns of the West. There is an absoluteness of an idea that the character Munny represents. It will be easy to dismiss the idea as simply stubbornness, or borderline madness, or even playing God or Satan or both (especially in the last scene when  he rides away from the town of Big Whiskey on the rainy night). But that simply would be a superficial attempt to understand that idea. Yes, there are aspects of each of those traits in the character and the film. However, to understand this idea one has to go back in human history when right or wrong and the sense of social justice and who carries out that justice (cops and judges and society) was only in its infancy. William Munny is an assassin. He doesn't like killing people (his past murders still haunt him) and he openly confesses that he needed to be heavily drunk to get in that state of being an assassin (he also thinks alcohol and cruelty are vice). Sure presumed injustice was one trigger to get in that state. However as he tells sheriff Little - "deserve has got nothing to do with it", he clearly doesn't do it only for a 'just' outcome. Presumably there are other ways to get justice. William Munny's view of the world is not that it is unjust or wicked or needs to be corrected. I think what he thinks is that the world is uncurable, and damned. And that makes it just like him. For ten years he tried living away from everyone, and yet the world found him and made him realize who he was. The analogy is clear here - the world of women and men will never be cured of what it is. And that is the idea.

Science Fiction Films

I still remember the very first time I saw the 1979 film Alien. I was  a teenager and the lead actress, Sigourney Weaver, the film's story, and its cinematography all just blew me away. Now after having read some science fiction books (Odyssey, Asimov's Foundation trilogy, et al), and more recently, having seen more science fiction films (Matrix trilogy, Abyss, Contact, etc), I still believe that there are only a few things (read one) which can take you on a joyride as good as a well written science fiction story.

I just finished watching the 2010 film Predators. If you remember the first Predator film was released way back in 1987. Even if you are not a Schwarzenegger fan you'll have to admit that the storyline and execution were something really special for that period. I like the fact that over time the Predator sequels have preserved the original properties of the beast/alien. The Predator's protective suit and its physical appearance have remained largely unchanged. This of course gives the alien character a life of its own.

After a long drive today I fixed myself a drink and started watching Predators. I had low expectations for a sequel but I was not disappointed at all. So here is my advise - if you liked the original Predator or for that matter if you play any of first person shooter games on your XBox or PS3, pick up the film DVD and see it. Just stock up on that one thing that is absolutely necessary for both making and appreciating a good science fiction story. Imagination.

The Necklace and other stories

I first read Guy De Maupassant in junior high school (I can't remember what grade). The story was called 'The Necklace'. I never forgot the author or the story. It is a true masterpiece and for a short story covers a very broad range of human behaviors. Guy's stories in the collection that I am currently reading have perhaps less of an element of surprise than The Necklace. Also, they are of a very different style than Saki's stories, in which you can almost always expect a twist at the end.

To me Guy De Maupassant's stories like 'Boule de Suif' and 'Two Friends' are an intellectual challenge to the prevalent norms of the age in which they were written. These tales cover ideas like society's bigotry in defining virtue, and the injustice of war, respectively. Best of all they insinuate one to think and decide for oneself. Truly outstanding literature.

Inside the head of an artist...

Isn't it the ultimate form of principal agent relationship, when you can actualize all your overt & covert desires through an artist? Being John Malkovich is a great film.


PS: If you are wondering what the heck is a principal agent relationship, see the Wikipedia page here.

The Wildfords In India

I paid $32 at a local bookstore for a book in hardcover, which is titled "The Wildfords in India". The first page mentions that the book is published "By the author of 'Poke and her sisters', 'Michael Graham', etc." I have not researched the actual publish date, but in all likeliness this particular edition was published in the late 19th century. An inscription on the second page says - "Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1872..". In addition, on the backpage, I found a handwritten note in what looks like writing in a Lucida Console font! The note is dated 'Aug 27th, 1884 Thursday'. This book's author has preferred to remain anonymous.

Why did I buy this book? The writer of the book traveled to India sometime in the late 19th century. Now I know that this was not that far back in history, but neverthless the book paints a poignant picture of what an American lady working with a church saw in the East of the 19th century. And that is a very interesting perspective for someone like me who has travelled the other way in the 21st century. This mingling of people, across continental boundaries and cultures, and their subsequent surprise and delight at what they see on the other side, would forever remain a very interesting topic of discussion - both in writing and in conversations.

The Conquest Of Happiness by Bertrand Russell

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)

[Image courtesy University of Louisiana College of Liberal Arts]

I continue to be amazed by Bertrand Russell's writings. Here is how he analyzes unhappiness and boredom in human life -

"A rich man may, and often does, feel that all is vanity, but if he should happen to lose his money, he would feel that his next meal was by no means vanity. The feeling is one born of a too easy satisfaction of natural needs. The human animal, like others, is adapted to a certain amount of struggle for life, and when by means of great wealth homo sapiens can gratify all his whims without effort, the mere absence of effort from his life removes an essential ingredient of happiness..".

I picked up this book on a recent trip to my favorite used book store in downtown Mountainview. The book is signed by one Lauren in the year 1979. It is a Liveright Paperbound Edition, dated from 1971. Not only the content but the physical book itself is a historical delicacy for me. The preface features a poem/quote by American poet Walt Whitman. Read it here. Absolutely delighful!

The English Patient

Kristin Scott Thomas and Ralph Fiennes on the Miramax DVD cover

I first watched this film in 1997, when I was still in high school. I thought it was a remarkable tale but the plot was a bit 'mature' for me. I re-watched this film today. I must write that I am moved. The excellent story has been remarkably well told.

Director Anthony Minghella's project showcases an incredibly beautiful, complex cinematography and a transcendental soundtrack. While Ralph Fiennes is at his usual best (think Schindler's List, The Constant Gardener), and Juliet Binoche received the well-deserved Best Supporting Actress Oscar, for me Kristin Scott Thomas is the spark that set this film alive. In the role of Katharine, Kristin is stark femininity entwined with a wild, adventurous spirit and an emotional persona. Just as Katharine creates cavemen paintings on blank canvases, Kristin has inked the character from scratch. Whether as a beautiful outsider to the Egyptian desert, as a cultured woman of the army society, or as a passionate lover, Kristin adds life to the very narrative. Again, this is very parallel to how her character adds life to Almasy's (Ralph's) existence.

If you've not seen this film you really are missing something. Take my advice - set aside 3 hours and delight yourself.

The English Patient

How To Have 700 Friends And Still Be Alone

An interesting observation in the New York Times Magazine. Read it here.

Quite an irony, huh?

Yi Yi

Yi Yi

I just finished watching my first Taiwanese film - Edward Yang's Yi Yi. To say it was brilliant would be an understatement. I feel that only a few number of filmmakers would attempt a serious project of such depth in scope, characters and plots. And only once in decades can one of them execute it with this mastery.

The idea behind the cover photo is deftly explained in the story. The boy Yang Yang (Jonathan Chang) explains that we only see half of the world because the other half eyes are unable to see. With his camera he tries to capture the hidden half for the people he meets. The boy is thus the director/writer Edward Yang's representative in the film. Lives and relationships, both business and personal, are wonderfully explored in this film through some very well defined characters, ranging in age from a newborn child to a dying old woman.

My moment of Zen - The piano score (Kaili Peng) on the DVD menu is simply marvelous.

The Twilight Samurai

The Twilight Samurai

The Twilight Samurai is Yoji Yomada's first Samurai film. The film is set in north east Japan's Unasaka clan in the late nineteenth century. Hiroyuki Sanada plays Seibei Iguchi, a 50-koku Samurai. I believe koku is a unit of land and thus a direct representation of the societal status of a Samurai. Iguchi is thus a low ranking Samurai who really aspires for a peaceful existence as a farmer. After his wife's death he has to take care of his two young daughters. His old mother is senile and thus unable to help with household work. Further entwined with this plot is the story of Tomoe, a girl who had been Iguchi's childhood friend. She is divorced from her violent, drunkard husband. Even though he is attracted to her, Iguchi at first refuses a proposed marriage with Tomoe.
The tale takes a turn when the clan leader dies and Iguchi is called upon to kill a dissenter within the ranks. We now slowly learn that Iguchi had been an accomplished fighter in his day. Even though he is fighting with a short sword he matches well with his practiced opponent.

One particular scene that stands out to me is when Iguchi's elder daughter asks him - "Father if I learn to do needlework someday I can make kimonos. But what good will book learning ever do me?" Iguchi replies -"Well, it probably won't ever be as useful as needlework. But you know book learning gives you the power to think. However the world might change, if you have the power to think you'll always survive somehow."

Miyamoto Musashi aka Samurai I

Note: I like to think of this blog as my own thoughts on these films; I try not to read any published reviews on these films before I write here.

Hiroshi Inagaki's Miyamoto Musashi (aka Samurai I) is the first film in the so-called Samurai trilogy, based on the 17th century Japanese warrior Musashi. The film is available on Criterion Collection DVD set. Last month I watched the final film in the trilogy and it raised this question in my mind. Samurai I follows the same theme in that it traces the beginnings of this samurai fighter to answer the question I had earlier.

I found one particular part of the plot, the capture of Takezo (Miyamoto) by priest Takuan, to be the most interesting. Takezo is hung from a tree for many days as a punishment for being a menace to society. Otsu, a kind village girl, and also Miyamoto's beloved, helps him escape from this punishment. Later priest Takuan again captures Miyamoto, this time in a jail-like room, where only books are his companion. Very subtly the film gives us an interesting view on how this fighter really learns. We are shown Takezo's good qualities - a trustworthy friend and brave soldier. But it is also shown that simply these are not enough to excel in the code of samurai conduct. Takezo has acted irrationally many times to the point of killing people simply for having a different opinion than himself. Now he is terribly punished for these crimes. This to me is the essential 'rite of passage' which the film depicts beautifully. It is the manner in which this man is simply stripped of all his dignity, made to realize his place in the world among fellow men, and also his insignificance in front of God. Musashi Miyamoto passes this test in over three years. The result is a samurai warrior with a a far tougher mind and a skilled, disciplined body.

I hope to watch Samurai II soon (and expect some action in it).

Samurai I - Musashi Miyamoto

On Winning - NBA Commercial

Surviving In The Wild

Discovery Channel's program Man Vs Wild is a useful collection of such survival skills which just might get you through in case you are ever stranded in a remote and seemingly uninhabitable wilderness like the Zambian bush in Africa or remote Siberia. What are the chances of that happening, you ask? Very less. Of course in 1972 some passengers of the Uruguayan Air Flight 571 had to face a somewhat similar battle when their plane crashed in the Andes, and they lived in the wild for over two months.

This particular production's survivor, his name is Bear Grylls, displays and describes various unpleasant acts like how to find and eat protein-rich larvae, how to catch and cook a frog, how to barbecue leftover carcass, among others. There is a lot of useful information too - for example how to decide which rock is worth climbing if you ever need to get out of a canyon which has a good chance of flash floods, how to decide where to stand if you suddenly come across a pack of wild African elephants and how to filter muddy stream water using wood charcoal to make it drinkable.

Here is a link to Discovery's Man Vs Wild fan site.

Here is the link to the Wikipedia story of Uruguayan Flight 571. In order to spice up your interest just a bit - the wiki article also mentions that some of the survivors resorted to cannibalism in order to save themselves. And that is the definition of a Human Being - social, yet so very animal.

On a related note there is an interesting story of the young man, only 20 something years old, who left his home, survived in the wild and ultimately met his death in the Alaskan wild. Sean Penn's film, Into The Wild, is based upon that story. I did not get a chance to see the film but I did hear Pearl Jam's OST on it; for me Hard Sun was the most notable track.