Hi love this... . how true... .
Just now seeing Cold Mountain even though I read the book eons ago... . and watching Nicole Kidman comment on her role as Ada... . and how Ruby and Ada are such a good team... . and her thoughts about *adversity,* and you sit there and know she had so much heartache with her marriage with Tom Cruise (not really concerned about blame, just know they obviously didn't work) and she said that when you get through adversity, whatever it might be, whatever kind of issues, you will be stronger just because you came through it.
Also watched the end of 12 Years a Slave... . and how Solomon for some reason apologized to his family as he was reunited with them - even though he was drugged and kidnapped as a free man and SOLD into slavery - and the beatings - the tears running down his face with "Master" Epps being such a brutal vicious human being, not just a slave owner (that will always indicate a brutality for me, no matter the "system" or the way it "was" but a horror of a man, driven by a woman so blinded by jealousy and hate for Patsey that she stood and watched Patsey literally torn to ribbons at her husband's hands for... . getting a piece of soap from a neighboring "mistress." She would not allow Patsey a bar of soap.
I found myself holding my breath during the tearing of Patsey's flesh... . I couldn't breathe... . I couldn't cry. I remember a leather belt of my father's being used on me, not by him, but by my mother and curled down into a fetal ball on the floor and even then she wouldn't stop.
If you cried out, cried at all, "I'll give you something to cry about."
To a 2nd grader :'(
A skinny little girl.
For whatever reason... . I do not know how you can treat a child in such a way... . nor a woman you consider your property, as in this film, as usually if you went too far and killed her with your abuse... . you lost your "investment." :'(
As Patsey said up into Master Epps' face, "I *WILL* be clean, " when she was trying to explain why she was briefly gone on the Sabbath of all days... . to get some soap.
We will be clean.
Her compassionate loving fellow slaves attempting to salve and treat her back and its wounds... . oh god... .
Adversity - funny how an actress portraying a privileged elegant society young lady from the deep South, beloved by her pastor father, and this young ebony princess of a slave, who has spoken about finding peace with her dark complexion, asking all young women to be kind to themselves, I think so much of both actresses - they have so much in common.
How do they live to see the sun rise the next day? what do they say to themselves, just like we have to, in order to see it through?
Transcendence. What a lovely word. Even the way it looks on the page.
"We can transcend any experience." hear hear