Warden Samuel Norton, The Shawshank Redemption
"I believe in two things: discipline and the Bible. Here you'll receive both. Put your trust in the Lord; your ass belongs to me. Welcome to Shawshank."
Somewhat overshadowed by the larger story of Andy and Red's friendship and redemption, as well as the fury and violence of Captain Hadley, the cold menace of Warden Norton was felt everywhere within the prison walls. The audience became comfortable within the confines of Shawshank and the lives of its characters, we were immediately concerned when Norton appeared.
His puritanical vitriol and hatred of the inmates surrounding him was held fast beneath his neatly pressed shirts and suits and his polished shoes. He moved about his world with a heavy-lidded reptilian calm which made his few outbursts feel so dangerous. And yet, when he meted out his most harsh punishment to Andy, that of continued solitary confinement, his calm and emotionless order to Captain Hadley earned him a spot on the list:
"Give him another month to think about it."
Random Notes:
Encouraged with the knowledge that literary scholar Harold Bloom couldn't handle it his first few times through, I finished Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian some time ago. It was my third attempt at it, and now that I'm done, I haven't been able to shake it from my mind. It caused one nightmare and several nights of fitful sleep due to the blood and horror that accompanied the players throughout their travels. I would see Judge Holden when I closed my eyes, and it was truly unsettling.
I moved through it, and I knew that I was only fully understanding the most superficial aspects of of it. I could feel other themes, complex and dark beneath everything, but that top layer of character and violence was at times too thick to dig through. Now that I've finished, I want to read it again and look deeper...it may become an obsession.
Also, I've read that a screenplay is being bandied about for this story. That someone out there in that mystical land of Hollywood thinks Blood Meridian is something that can be translated to film is preposterous.
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Baseball season is here, and I couldn't be happier. My beloved Rockies have been ordained by many to be the favorites in the NL West, and serious contenders for another World Series appearance. I'm not sure if I should rejoice that "important" people in the world of baseball now feel the same way that we all do, or if I should be terrified that something calamitous is afoot due to the Hype Machine setting its sights on Coors Field...
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The half marathon happens in five weeks, and my training is progressing nicely in spite of a few minor injuries and illnesses. I'll be ready.
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