Intermediaries in Film, Politics and Religion

As we approach Christmas, it is timely to consider that one of the most important characteristics of heroes is that they are usually intermediaries.

Lincoln, with his all-encompassing mission of bringing two battling regions and two races together into a single union is clearly an intermediary. Oscar Schindler, who was one of the rare members of his tribe to develop sufficient compassion to save the lives of those he could from the other side. T.E. Lawrence, repeatedly went between not only two great tribes, the British and the Arabs, but also went between the tribes of Arabs themselves, inspiring them (unsuccessfully) to have a vision of their own potential as a single entity. Gandhi went between the British who controlled his country and the great mass of impotent citizens who needed someone to lead them. Pi Patel in Life of Pi learns how to cross between the human world he is at first trapped in to the animal world and ultimately into a spirit world. Read more