NIGHT CIRCUS / TIME BANDITS

                             
                                                  THE TAIL OF SPIRITUAL EDUCATION


Erin Morgenstein's novel is very imaginative, magical, and dark.  There were many themes about making choices and following dreams.  The Night Circus is unusual because it never begins its performances before sundown.  The circus seems magical, but serves a darker purpose.  It is the battle between two illusionists bound to each other in a life altering game.  The circus is the setting for a contest between two illusionists, Marco and Celia.

At first, neither character knows who their opponent will be or exactly what the challenge is going to be.  The extreme competition results in some sinister events.  As Marco and Celia get to know each other, a magical love  connection happens.  They feel conflicting responsibilities to themselves and the circus.  The consequences of the game becomes clearer with death.  Their spiritual and moral issues become challenged.  They must decide whether to pursue their love for each other without destroying themselves or the circus.

The circus represents the stage for the battle of imagination and will.  Celia and Marco are in love which seems to be a real love.  The game has to continue and play out with its fate.  Its is important for the game to continue until one of the participants is dead.  Tsakiko, a magician, agrees to help Marco and Celia stop the contest, and proclaim a winner.  Celia realizes the plan and rushes to save Marco.  By doing this, Celia sacrifices herself for love and they both become spirits bound to the circus.  The circus begins to fall apart after their deaths, but Celia and Marco spiritually are tied to the circus and bring back the spirit of the circus.  The couple are now ghosts who haunt the circus together forever.

Movie:  TIME BANDITS

This movie is a fantasy which addresses the theme of ordered society and how it functions.  Kevin is a young boy fascinated with history.  His parents are materialistic and too busy to pay attention to him.  This creates a sad situation.  The solution for escaping this situation for Kevin is through his imagination.  As his journey begins, he encounters a set of time bandits dwarves who have stolen a map belonging to the Supreme Being.  Their intention is to rob history from its greatest treasures.  Kevin experiences evil and danger as he meets legend through different periods of time.  The entire imagination journey is observed by the magical powers of a sorcerer who wanted to put the map to a test.  This is an example of how free will is the reason why evil still exists.  At the end of the movie, Kevin wakes up to find his house on fire and that he was rescued by a firefighter who looks like one of his history legends.  Kevin tries again to explain things to his parents and again they ignore him.  As he watches, his parents are blown up and he is left by himself to face life all alone.  This movie showed both factual and mythological aspects of history.