Gore Vidal's 'The Judgment of Paris' Reminds Us What's Real in Life

A First Edition, First Printing of Gore Vidal's 1952 Novel, The Judgment of Paris.

The Judgment of Paris is a Sophisticated Re-Telling of an Old Myth

"As he looked at her by firelight, saw her smile, the silver mirror dissolved before his eyes, dispelling its ungrieved ghosts like smoke upon the night, and beyond her in the dark, a promise at the present's farthest edge, a dreaming figure stirred and opened her golden eyes." - Excerpt from Gore Vidal's The Judgment of Paris

"The choice between Knowledge and Power is false; they are the same. But when compared with Love (the third choice) something curious happens: they glint off of one another to actually reveal themselves all as part of choice four: Time. And we are sailing upon it." - A very smart Berliner

I recently moved back to Toronto following a short Pandemic induced exile in Saskatchewan. While in Saskatchewan, on a whim one day I decided to order a copy of The Judgment of Paris by Gore Vidal from ABE Books. Since books are now a buyer's market, I was able to get my hands on a First Edition, First Printing of the Novel, which pleased me immensely since it's one of my favourite reads.

The Judgment of Paris was first published in 1952, and it remains one of my all time favourites for many reasons. Gore Vidal, the Author, was an Aristocrat, prolific writer, and a member of the American political class during his time. He famously published one of the earliest Novels to feature a Transsexual Protagonist, Myra Breckinridge, in 1968. That year Vidal also, famously, debated William F. Buckley on live television during the Democratic and Republican conventions. These debates would shape the future of television news coverage in the United States.

Although Vidal's writing covered a wide variety of topics and themes, The Judgment has long been a favourite of mine because it is one of his warmest books.

The Novel is based upon the Myth of Paris and the Golden Apple. According to legend, The Judgment of Paris was a contest between three beautiful Goddesses - Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena, for the prize of a Golden Apple addressed to, "the Fairest."

Philip Warren, the book's Protagonist, takes the place of the Golden Apple here. He is 27-years-old, a recent Law School graduate, and a Veteran of the U.S. Military. It is implied that he served during the Second World War. Warren is unambiguously heterosexual, though he receives no shortage of propositions from gay men during the book's course of events.

Most importantly, for the plot's sake, Philip is someone who has yet to make up his mind as to what he will accomplish in life; what he stands for.

At evenly spaced intervals Philip is introduced to the three Goddesses. Power is represented by Regina Durham, the wife of a powerful American Politician. Her aim is to convince Philip to return to America where he can begin a brilliant political career.

Knowledge is represented by the independently wealthy Sophia Oliver, an intellectual who Philip meets while in Egypt. Her goal is to steer Philip into a life of study and contemplation.

Anna Morris, the wife of a wealthy Industrialist, represents Love. Philip's eventual choice will both define him and shape his future.

As he develops the main plot, Vidal takes the reader on a number of highly entertaining detours. We are introduced to Lord Glenellen, a British peer with more money than ideas. He gets his best moments in the Novel when introducing Philip to the Baths of Nero in Rome. As things progress Lord Glenellen jumps from one political ideology to another. He is last seen working as a key player for the Augustans, a cult in Paris, France, devoted to the worship of a Hermaphrodite. In other words, the worship of a False God.

His female counterpart Zoe Helotius is a wealthy widow whose life is a never ending circuit of official receptions and other functions. She takes pleasure in growing her Rolodex and 'collecting' other wealthy and influential people by inviting them to one of her many Villas. Miss Helotius is also played for laughs by Vidal. A variation on the worship of False Gods.

Other bit players in The Judgment of Paris are more sympathetic. Particularly the character of Jim, a blond American in Paris who makes his living as an Escort. Vidal sketches Jim's downfall to an Opium addiction with some of the most beautiful, heartbreaking prose I've read in a long time:

"How do you feel?" asked Philip, curiously. "Like I'm dreaming... a little like a dream of flying." "Better than love?" "Wouldn't you rather fly than make love?" "Any day."

There are several other supporting characters in the Novel who are as interesting as the Protagonist in their own right. Such as Mr. Willys, a morbidly obese man with a wish to die, and Fay Peabody, an acclaimed Detective Fiction Author visiting Cairo to research her next book.

The supporting cast and their side adventures really help with the Novel's pacing. The Judgment of Paris builds up to the choice Philip must make. Vidal expertly uses the technique of foreshadowing here. If you pay close attention, you know early on what our Hero's choice will be when the moment comes.

And what a moment. The climax occurs on a barge during a party hosted by Zoe Helotius. It's neatly contained in the Novel's 13th Chapter. Like all of the book, the conclusion is superbly written. And very moving, from an emotional standpoint.

If you have space in your bookshelf for one more Pandemic read, I highly recommend Gore Vidal's The Judgment of Paris.

A Few Good Men - The State, Secrecy, and One Man's Quest to Do the Right Thing

The Lives of Others is a Subtle, Sincere Drama About Life Behind The Wall

Captain Gerd Wiesler (Ulrich Mühe) observes Stage Actress Christa-Maria Sieland (Martina Gedeck) from afar in a depressing DDR-era watering hole somewhere in East Berlin.

I recently finished re-watching the excellent 2006 Thriller Das Leben der Anderen for a second time. The award winning film, both written and directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, both pulls at the Heart, while at the same time being a cautionary tale about the dangers of Dictatorship - in any form.

The movie is set in East Berlin during November 1984. During that time Die Deutsche Demokratische Republik (German Democratic Republic) would still be around for another few years. In service of high minded ideals Neighbor spied on Neighbor, and children turned in their parents. Nobody felt safe to voice their true opinions lest the Ministry for State Security, known colloquially as the Stasi, come calling. An Eye was always watching, and an Ear always listening.

Berlin itself was the central point for Cold War tensions between Russia and the United States. Rather than fight a war of mutually assured destruction, the two enemy powers fought proxy wars, used propaganda, and of course eyes on the ground in the form of Spies.

The DDR's spying on its' own citizens concerns the plot of Das Leben der Anderen. Successful Playwright Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch) and his Actress girlfriend Christa-Maria Sieland (Martina Gedeck) become the Stasi's targets, subject to a wiretapped apartment and 24/7 surveillance. Minister of Culture Bruno Hempf (Thomas Thieme) wants Koch imprisoned so he can have Christa-Maria to himself.

Of course, even in the DDR one couldn't be imprisoned without cause. Enter Captain Gerd Wiesler (Ulrich Mühe) and his team of spooks. With piercing German eyes and a Poker-face demeanor, Wiesler is introduced to us as a bloodless enforcer of the State's will. In an opening scene he is shown in flashback interrogating a man to the point of exhaustion and tears in order to extract the information he wants. This interrogation is then used to teach a class of Stasi Officers to be the finer points of how to extract a confession. 

Once Captain Wiesler and his team successfully plant listening devices throughout Georg Dreyman's apartment, he takes position in the Attic above, listening in on the lives of others.

There are several scenes throughout the film that pointedly touch on the choice Captain Wiesler must make. Is he truly acting as the Communist Party's 'Sword and Shield' by doing the bidding of Minister Bruno Hempf - a man with less than honorable motives?

Perhaps most striking for me is the scene pictured at the beginning of this entry. Captain Wiesler has finished his shift and gone to a depressing East German watering hole to drink Vodka. By chance, Christa-Maria enters the bar, her eyes hidden by large, dark sunglasses. She orders a Cognac. Wiesler knows she is wrestling with a tough decision.

Does she continue an affair with Minister Bruno Hempf, a man she finds repulsive, to save her (and Georg's) careers? Or does she return to Georg secure in the belief that she is a formidable Artist in her own right - with or without the State's support?

After approaching Christa-Maria and breaking the Ice, she lets her guard down with Wiesler. She asks him, "(would someone) sell herself for her Art?" Wiesler responds: "Sich für Kunst verkaufen? Das wäre ein schlecht Verkauf. Du bist ein sehr großer Künstlerin." (Sell yourself for Art? That would be a bad deal. You are already a great Artist).

Captain Wiesler's intervention helps Christa-Maria make a decision. A decision that is not without consequences.

And what of Captain Wiesler himself?

We are afforded glimpses into his private life a couple times during Das Leben der Anderen's 137 minute running time. Coming home, alone, he makes some horrible looking Rice dish with Ketchup squeezed from a Toothpaste tube. He then proceeds to eat his dinner, alone, while watching a DDR approved News program.

In one scene Wiesler hires a Prostitute. His hunger for basic human contact is obvious; it's a very hard scene to watch. Of course he receives some of that contact - but only as much as he paid for. As she leaves, the Prostitute's parting line is: "Book me for longer next time. Bye." The robotic, by-the-book Stasi man Captain Wiesler is not; he's as Human as the rest of us.

The movie's plot builds to a choice. Will Captain Wiesler find a way to imprison Georg Dreyman - thus furthering his own career and that of his immediate superior? Or is he motivated by a more human impulse to protect Dreyman from the State?

I highly recommend Das Leben der Anderen. It has so much to say about love, human nature, and the tough choices we all face in life. If you have someone special in your life, don't watch this movie alone.

Equals is a Touching, Artfully Directed Love Story

In cool blues and greys, Drake Doremus's new film encourages you to, "Find Your Equal."

The tagline for Director Drake Doremus's new movie Equals challenges viewers to, "Find Your Equal." The script, written by Doremus and Nathan Parker (Moon) tells the tale of a future 'utopia' where physical contact and intimacy are forbidden. It stars Nicholas Hoult as Silas and Kristen Stewart as Nia, graphic designers affected by Switched On Syndrome (S.O.S.).

Nathan Parker knows a thing or two about writing stories set in cold, futuristic environments where the protagonists struggle with alienation and isolation. He co-wrote the script for 2009's Moon with Dunan Jones; another futuristic movie about a lonely miner extracting natural resources from the lunar surface.

Equals colour palette is all cool blues and greys. Meant to reflect the emotional distance and isolation enforced by this future world's Collective. From the background given it would seem that humanity nearly destroyed itself some years earlier. Survivors pegged human emotions as one of the prime culprits and sought to genetically eliminate them.

Silas and Nia work in the same office creating graphics and spoken word descriptions, respectively, for television programming. Silas works in the company's Speculative Non-Fiction department. In this world Silas, Nia and their co-workers wake up alone, take the subway to work alone - eyes focused on giant monitors - and spend most of their work days essentially alone tapping on enormous touchscreens.

Sustained eye contact is avoided and physical contact forbidden. As we learn in a public service announcement less than 10 minutes into the movie, some members of the Collective suffer from S.O.S. which is divided into 4 stages. Essentially their emotions are taking hold.

Equals is pointed social commentary that sticks it to corporate mandated conformity and a smartphone obsessed world.

After several lingering glances and much mutual pouty-lipped staring, Silas and Nia fall in love with each other. Silas has been diagnosed with Stage 1 S.O.S. and is soon ostracized by co-workers who give him his own mug and seat themselves far away at lunch. Just in case S.O.S. is contagious.

Nia is a Hider, someone who knows she has the condition and does not want to be diagnosed and labelled.

When Silas and Nia share the screen, the movie's colour palette warms up so they appear as actual flesh and blood humans to us. The contrast between people who can love and those who are loveless is obvious.

In one memorable scene Silas and his boss Leonard (David Selby) exchange words late at night after everyone else has gone home. Leonard is worried that Silas is developing a crush on Nia. As they talk Leonard's half of the screen remains icy blue and grey while Silas's outline is illuminated with colours that remind me of sunrise.

I love Equals because it affirms the power of touch, and of intimacy as being key to growing and fulfilling our potential. There are comparisons to be made between Equals and Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

First proposed in 1943, Maslow's Hierarchy is often represented graphically by a pyramid. According to the theory, human beings must have their deficiency or 'd needs' met before they can progress further. The most basic needs Maslow listed are: Physiological, Safety, and Love/Belonging.

Love and Belonging are about an individual's ability to be accepted as part of a group. If we don't fulfill our needs at this level, we risk being felled by depression and anxiety. Interestingly, in Equals there is overlap in the symptoms of anxiety & depression and the Collective's so-called Switched On Syndrome.

Our smart, attractive protagonists soon realize the Collective is trying (and failing) to suppress basic human needs.

At one point in the film, members of the Collective gather in a large atrium to view a spaceship launch on yet another giant screen. As children Collective members are told the answers to humanity's problems lie in the stars.

They might.

Or they may be just a kiss away to quote the Rolling Stones Gimme' Shelter.

Montreal and the Maple Spring: Enter Joy

Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, spokesperson for the student group CLASSE, along with other student leaders, speaks with media after negotiations with Quebec's provincial government collapse

On June 18 I'm moving to Montreal. This move has been a year in the making for me, and I couldn't be happier with my timing on this one. I don't usually blow my own horn in this space, but Montreal is a city close to my heart as those who've read my previous posts may have (correctly) guessed. 

I couldn't have picked a better time to be there. 






Montreal has been the site of protests for the past several months as a segment of Quebec's student population strikes. This in response to Premier Jean Charest's move to raise tuition fees. Quebec has the lowest tuition rates in all of Canada. Even with the government's imposed hike they would remain the lowest in Canada.

There have been massive marches in downtown Montreal with thousands participating. Since the Charest government enacted a law that requires protesters to inform police of their intended route or face fines (among other provisions) the students have been joined by union leaders and others, both young and old. Concordia University's student television channel has been carrying many of the marches live (if you're not able to take part)

I should state here that I don't agree with the student's demands. I think it's reasonable for the government to expect those who use a service to pay for it, but at the same time I'm deeply impressed by them. They're standing up for what they believe in, a mark of honour and integrity.

Unlike Toronto where we suffer in silence for the TTC, inadequate infrastructure and a Mayor poorly equipped to handle the job, in Quebec they're getting angry. They're not just talking or writing the classic angry 'Canadian poison pen 'Letter to the Editor' either. They're taking their anger to the wet, cold pavement. Vive le Québec! Vive les étudiants sexy! A bas le gouvernement!

It hasn't been all lighthearted protest though. In early May four smoke bombs shut down Montreal's subway system during morning rush hour. One of the student groups, which media describe as the most 'militant', Coalition large de l’Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante (CLASSE), refused to outright condemn the subway bombings, angering Charest and many Montrealers. 

“They are unable to condemn these acts,” Charest said. “When you intimidate people and put Molotov cocktails in front of MNA offices, and turn offices upside down, that is unacceptable… If we don’t put our fist down on the table and refuse to accept these things right now, then when do you do it?”

CLASSE has been spoken for by the charismatic, sexy Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois. The 21-year-old history student is in a tough position. The Liberal government is angry with him, and members of the student movement who feel CLASSE isn't radical enough have been splintering off.

Helping Nadeau-Dubois is the fact that it's not just a tuition fight anymore. Some in the movement have called it a 'printemps erable', or 'maple spring', a deliberate echo of the Arab Spring that has rocked the Middle East. Many protesters have expressed their disgust with Charest's government, saying it has lost legitimacy.

Beyond that there's the excitement of waking up and taking control of the agenda. For once the majority is standing up to the powerful minority.

Perhaps Nadeau-Dubois had it right when he told The Globe and Mail, "“It’s time for a larger, more profound, and yes, more radical reflection on the direction Quebec has taken in recent years.”

Whether the students get what they're looking for or not, it's going to be one hell of a summer in La Belle Province. I couldn't be happier that I have the chance to be part of their printemps erable.