Look at the face. The mirror does not lie. What does a weathered face reveal or conceal? Wrinkles, scars and character. Soul striations. Anna Magnani once told a makeup artist not to cover up her facial lines because she had earned everyone of them. A tough ferocious woman, Anna. “The Rose Tattoo” was written with her in mind. The force of character. Marilyn Monroe: “I want to grow old without facelifts. They take the life out of a face, the character. I want to be loyal to the face that I’ve made”. Put on a happy face for the camera. Slap on a yellow smiley face. Have a nice day. Someone once asked an 80 year old Carl Jung an abstract question about the shadow. He responded by pointing to his own cheek and said “It is right here”. Mirror mirror on the wall. We do not study faces very long. We are always looking for words to issue from the mouth. There are no words for somethings seen or unseen. We become “dissatisfied with language if one is able to observe the actual individuality of the emotion”. Our face before we were born. The Greeks wore a persona during their tragedies and comedies. We act differently when we put on a mask. Carnaval masking. It is all there in the face. Or is it? Facial recognition. We are re-cognized by an automated device. At face value. The device validates our facial identity to let us in. Or to keep us out. FaceTime. FaceBook. We need more intuitive perceptive sense to see what the face is conveying. A baby’s face changes week to week. Clues to character. She/he looks like your side of the family. Shakespeare: “For by his face straight shall you know his heart.” To lose face. Expressions of the face. Facing old age. A naked face is a subject of long contemplation. A naked old body not so much. Even the young want to change their faces. The nose especially. The visage of mystery. Soul present as image in all its vulnerability. Black and white close up photographs of faces that have experienced pain and suffering and joy. In Jewish tradition the face of God cannot be see except by Moses or only indirectly. An old Rabbinical tale tells us that we cannot see the face of God nowadays because we do not bow low enough. Wilde: “Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask (not a mirror) and he will tell the truth.” The Man In The moon. Face to Face. Face it. Volt Face. Let’s Face The Music And Dance.
This is such an interesting essay. 🔥 Thank you!