August 27, 2009
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thoughts
…finally watched RENT (on a borrowed DVD), found myself truly inspired by the message, the story behind it, and its creator.
So I’ve borrowed these dvd’s over the course of the past two months that I’ve slowly been getting through watching. It’s really about time they should be returned. One of them is RENT. I must admit that although I’ve been exposed to the music many times throughout my past life as a musician I’ve never actually seen the musical itself. Hence, I finally took the opportunity to watch the film version before I have to get it back.
At first, I was unsure about the film because I’ve lead a relatively privileged life. Rarely have I had to deal with any of the destitution that the protagonists experience. However, as the work progressed, I – like many – found myself inspired by the message of hope, of living in the moment, that positive outlook that exudes through the story. I saw the fundamentally human levels at which these characters reflected people around me. I was challenged to ponder my ideas of chaos and order in how we approach life.
Even more so, I was inspired by the story of Jonathan Larson, the creator of RENT. Larson nurtured and birthed his beloved musical and tragically died the moment before it – and he – attained astronomical success. He was only 35. Larson grew up in a relatively “idyllic” neighbourhood, but moved to New York to follow his craft of acting, composing, and writing where he was exposed to many of the conditions and characters that make up RENT. Labouring long years as a humble waiter at a local diner, he finally was able to gain enough momentum in the development of RENT to quit his job and follow his dreams full-time. The night before opening night, Larson passed away alone in his apartment from a previously misdiagnosed aortic aneurysm. The documentary included with the RENT DVD makes one realise how much of this one individual’s life was a true testament to the pursuit of passion, dedication to one’s dreams, and to raw creativity.
