Darkon
Lightning Bolt!!
Release: (2006)
Runtime: 93 Minutes
Starring: A bunch of people that role play in a realm called Darkon
Is there a difference between the success you seek in the business world and success in the imaginary kingdom of Darkon? Is there a difference between striving to be VP of Marketing or King of Laconia? What value does money have except what we as a group agree to give it? We’ve all heard enough of that Ron Paul nonsense propaganda valuable information to know that money is worth nothing and could collapse at any point. So if I agree that this fake gold coin is worth something and the people I associate with do to, what about that is not real.
Admittedly the place where they fight is not a battle ground. They do not actually have any land, use real weapons or die in character, but the interaction between the role players of Darkon is just as real as most of what we all do. The people of this movie, though tending to be socially awkward, are normal people that want some adventure. There is nothing wrong with that. If people can make friends, build confidence and have fun, let them dress up.
So for those of you who don’t know what this movie is about, it is a documentary I saw on SnagFilms about a group of people on the east coast that get together on weekends when its warm enough and live out the biggest game of Dungeons and Dragons I have ever heard about. They do all of the typical stuff; spell casting, dressing up, yelling things that out of context sound ridiculous and more. There is a beautiful logic to it however and they have it all worked out. They know what type of armor they have on and how many hits from each weapon until they are dead. It is a combination of acting and sports that most of us leave behind as children.
Why?
What is it about being an adult that is so attractive? What about a 9-5 life and prison of responsibility is it that gets everyone so motivated to get into it? The lure of success and power? The stuff money can buy? The freedom to give control of your life to whichever company you please? This documentary shows us a life of fantasy but at the same time asks us what is different about our own life. How can we make fun of people that enjoy what they do when our own value is placed on something equally as coated in lies.
There is of course one problem of a fantasy world that comes into play as it grows. The same problem that pollutes our earth, got into Darkon and I’m sure it is present in many fake on-line worlds as well. This problem is that whenever there are a lot of people working for something, there must be a way to organize it, and whenever there is organization, there is a way to rank people, which opens the door for pride, greed and jealousy. It saddened me to watch the progression of the real people of Darkon as the world they once used for escape took on the same characteristics they were trying to escape. So the question I am left with is not what is the nature of reality, but what is the nature of men and women that leads us to corrupt it.
Accessibility: 6
Technique: 7
Thought Provoking: 9
Originality: 6
Entertainment: 8
Want to know more about the director, check out this article at Behance
