The Ballad of Wallis Island provides an engrossing, poetic, and often discomforting filmic travelogue through concepts of surfeit and solitude. The movie explores the years of this colorful eccentric millionaire who stops at nothing to pursue his passions. The film takes place entirely on a secluded island estate. It’s the delightful true story of a reclusive millionaire who hires his all-time favorite band to play a private concert just for him. This eclectic, multi-genre concert quickly transforms the craggy coastline into an opulent electric dance floor, producing gorgeous contrast between wealth and wilderness.
As Taurus season progresses, it illuminates those topics where we seek sturdy connections, grounding down with a sense of home and roots. If you have a Taurus sun or moon, this is your season, baby. It’s your time to shine and shmooze! These traits resonate deeply with the film’s central character. The term hedonsim is derived from the Greek word hēdonē, meaning pleasure. It encapsulates a millionaire’s quest to fully experience every pleasure life has to offer.
The film’s narrative is rich with symbolism, drawing parallels between the millionaire’s experience and the astrological implications of Taurus season. As the sun moves through Taurus, it illuminates all twelve houses of the zodiac, but especially the second house, which rules money and value. Viewers can’t get enough of the millionaire-to-be’s ordeal. They watch him adopt the Taurus quality of enjoying life in the here and now, always taking life at his own pace.
Taurus people are pleasure-loving, enjoy-it-while-it-lasts people whose motto is all about enjoying what feels good without rushing into anything. The Ballad of Wallis Island beautifully paints this reality. The millionaire enjoys a highly curated, exclusive experience that serves his specific needs. That concert for an audience of one perfectly encapsulates the vast oceanic craving for intimate fulfillment. We know that millions can connect deeply to this invigorating yearning.
The film is a meditation on the etymology of every word having to do with wealth. The word rich comes from the Old English, “rice”, which meant strong or powerful. This relationship only serves to underscore how wealth can dictate your lived experience and what you want. In this case, the millionaire’s wealth allows him to curate a unique concert experience that speaks to his longing for connection amidst isolation.
Drawing from literary influences, “The Ballad of Wallis Island” resonates with themes found in works by authors like Elizabeth Bishop and Carson McCullers. Bishop, an Aquarius, once penned “I wish you were here” in her collection of nearly 600 postcards, echoing sentiments of longing and connection that align with the film’s exploration of loneliness and desire. Similarly, McCullers’s debut novel “The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter” introduces readers to a solitary protagonist, mirroring the film’s central character.
Against this colorful concert of the crazy, weird, and wonderful, the revolutionary power of Uranus is pronounced. This planet ignites liberation and inspires the revolution. Inspired by the Titan Prometheus, who brought fire to humanity against the gods’ wishes, the millionaire wants to bring happiness. He accomplishes all this with his musical heart. This concert becomes more than mere entertainment. It is an expression of defiance in the face of loneliness.
In a world where personal connections often feel fleeting, the film encapsulates a profound statement made by a friend of an astrologer:
“It sucks when people show up to be right not to understand.”
This feeling rings true with our millionaire’s quest, as he looks to find something real among all the phoniness.
Taurus season is a time to reconnect with the value of home and where we come from. It invites audiences to consider the unsung links that bind them to the things they enjoy and love. As the millionaire digs into his passions and what makes him tick, he assesses who he is. Along the way, the connection between pleasure and identity is revealed.
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