Monday, May 10, 2004

Social commentary and the underlying themes of Rad

To simply say that Rad was a gnarly bmx classic from 1986, would be true, but it would also be putting too little stock into what this movie really has to offer. Cru Jones' portrayal of a small town bmx'er, is as spiritually uplifting as it is poignant and cutting-edge. His journey to the top of Hell Track pits him against his fellow working men (riders and actual co-workers/associates), corporate slaves, and then at the top of the chain, Duke Best (the President of Mongoose Bikes), Bart Taylor (the number one rider), and the twins of the Mongoose racing team, Rod and Rex Reynolds.

This movie is the modern-day equivalent of a parable and should be looked at in much the same way. You may read articles from time to time, and learn about the evils of oil, politics, big business, media, and civil rights, but what can you do? You can look at Cru Jones. There are two characters in this movie that give us a clear idea of how we can affect positive change. They are Cru Jones (obviously) and Burton Timmer.

George Bush Jr. is running our country into the ground and stamping on our faces (civil rights) with his big "dumb" boot (to borrow/butcher a previously used quote). To answer what you can do, all you have to do is look at the movie Rad. What did Cru Jones do when Duke Best tried to buy him into "playing along?" He said, "You and I, we don't think the same," and he slammed the car door and left. Like Cru, we have to realize what we want in life, and refuse to play along. It's called Hell Track for a good reason. Life is not easy. However, through diligence towards ourselves and our goals, and an uncompromising commitment towards realizing them, we can not only compete in life, but we can achieve victory in Hell Track.

This same attitude is portrayed in Burton Timmer, although realized only after seeing the beast from the inside for what it was. I would imagine Donald Rumsfeld may feel the same way, although, it remains to be seen if he will capitulate to power, or if he will realize what a fuck he's been and do something about it. Burton Timmer is the equivalent of Paul in the New Testament of the Bible. Once named Saul and given to power and sin, the Lord temporarily blinded him with the truth about his life and changed his name to Paul. He gave up his evil ways to serve a higher purpose. Whether the Bible is to believed or not, it is never too late to change who you are, and the moral implications of a righteous existence benefit those leading it, far more than the ones they affect through life. Still, once we have realized our own Cru potential and risen through Hell Track, in all good faith we must help others who are trying to do the same... we must embrace our own inner Burton Timmer.

Like Cru, we must keep our minds on track towards what we hope to accomplish. We can not let associates' doubts cloud our purpose. We can't let the small stuff weigh us down, because there are much larger issues at hand here.

It is quite obvious that this movie as a parable was obviously inspired by the hand of a higher power. It was not stolen, like fire from the Gods, it was given to us and provided a suitable name to attract the attention of those worthy of it's wisdom. It is quite apparent that the implications of this film are far-reaching, so with regards to brevity, I will summarize, briefly, how this applies to all facets of life:

Love: Wait to go ass-sliding with someone special. You will find someone perfect for you by simply being perfectly you.

Work: "Alright dudes, let's rock this sucker!" Have fun and choose something you like doing. Enjoy time with your coworkers, and always work to be your best, "but, when I do, I'll make it 7:10."

War: "Hey, forget that, what was with that terrorist act back there?" Cru correctly holds those accountable for their actions, and tries to talk through it. Notice how he does not bomb his little sister, restrict her access to food, or shoot her friends because of her actions at school.

Friends: "Would you be my friend?" Everybody needs friends, and so does Cru.

Community: "...and he's such a nice boy." Help the community, and they'll help you.

The Law: "It's Sergeant Smith, and he wants to play!" Cru respects the law, but don't let the man bring you down when you're having harmless fun. Deep down, they'll know you're good kids... and when in doubt, pedal your ass off.

The list can go on and on.