Good Example Of Essay On Life Imitating Art

After watching Peking Opera Blues (1986), it can be argued that, in fact, life really can imitate art. This can be achieved by wearing masks and playing roles like on stage. However, what makes life imitating art is actually that role playing and acting according to one’s mask. The difference between living a life imitating art and just living one’s life is in fact in spontaneity of one’s actions that would not correspond to one’s mask or role playing. Regarding the role of art in the lives of three women, it can be argued that all three were heavily influenced by arts of the theatrical stage. The general’s daughter was influenced by the art of acting in her personification of a male character. She was not just playing the role of an underground insurgent; it was actually a part of her. So she was partly living her life through the art of being a different person. Theatre owner’s daughter’s life was devoted to the theatre; she was driven by dream of acting that was forbidden for women at that time. So, the art of acting affected her own self-perception and triggered her desire to rebel against the established social norms of behaviour. So, she decided to join the underground movement. The thief was influenced by their art of singing and pretending covering for her actual intentions. She played the role of a siren that could charm her audience and in a meantime do what is best for her. The art of music and song gave her power to charm people around her and provided her with means to survive. Comparing these stories with Kurosawa’s Yojimbo (1962), it can be argued that in all cases the ideals of art whether it is theatrical performance of one’s code of honour are implemented in life in order change the existing order. Just as three women decide to play different roles, so does Sanjuro, who acts as a power of justice and order in the framework of idealistic code of samurai that was no longer real for the world he live in. So, he played that role and staged events between feuding gangs like in a play in order to achieve what was right and honourable for a warrior character. Thus, it can be concluded that life can imitate art because the ideals and roles art offered are more idealistic than life itself, and through imitating art life becomes a little bit better.