Lessons from a 1958 movie: What does our anger prove? Where does it get us?

The needless carnage and despair caused by the latest mass shooting got me thinking about the classic, star-studded Western, The Big Country. It got mixed reviews when first released in 1958, but won a couple Academy Awards. In one scene, Gregory Peck seeks out Charlton Heston, who has been goading him into publicly proving his manhood. Peck invites him to pick a spot on the sprawling ranch where they can duke it out. As the two go at it, fists flying, the camera pulls back to showcase the vastness of, well, The Big Country, and reveal the ant-like smallness and insignificance of the two combatants. The pair battle to exhaustion and ultimately, a draw. At the end, with both bruised and battered, huffing and puffing, Peck looks at Heston and says: “So, what did that prove?”

Whether director William Wyler intended it or not, I see that scene as a metaphor for not only how angry and divided we are today, but how senseless and foolish (and of course dangerous) this division and anger is – especially considering we are but ants on this planet and in this universe, each of us given only so much time to enjoy and experience this unique, beautiful, stunning, awesome Earth. And we squander it, for what? Power? Superiority? Money? Success (whatever that is)?

Here’s some news: The planet doesn’t care. Mother Nature doesn’t care. The universe doesn’t care. They do what they do, while we duke it out in the unimaginable vastness of it all, believing that by commanding, demanding, controlling, conniving, oppressing, cheating, lusting for wealth and power by any means, that we will have more and matter more. In the hating and the killing and the gaining and the wanting and the greed and lust for winning, we are blind to the fact that everything we have craved is a manmade façade. In the process, we have arrogantly and sadly disregarded and disrespected the uniqueness of this place in space and the amazing miracle that is each one of us.  We have irrationally let fear override friendship.

Sooner than later, I hope that we will come to our collective senses and realize that the bitter, jealousy-fueled, crazed quest to lord over one another is exhausting, fruitless, and most importantly, temporary. Perhaps one day we’ll wake up and ask ourselves: “So, what did that prove?” and realize the answer is, "Nothing." 

Scott Benarde is a resident of West Palm Beach.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Movie, The Big Country, reminds us that our battles benefit us little.