"How noiseless is thought...it will not rule over, but in all heads, and with
solitary combinations of ideas, as with magic formulas bend the world to its will." ~T. Carlyle.
How easily one can be seduced into one's lies. Whether it be love, friendship, espionage, personal gain, manipulation, protection; Everybody lies to"bend the world to its will."
No matter what, some secrecy and deception envelop in our relationships. An oblique arabesque of lies, stemming from "white," to the serious deceptions that often makes it impossible for us to trust another person again.
We also hold different people to different standards to
these surreptitious acts of shadowy deceits.
People we hold close as partners, best friends, friends, coworkers shatter our trust, (or vice-versa) and suddenly transformed into perfect strangers.
Truth be told, their are many layers of being human. There is the self image;
and the image the world perceives. The masks, we wear to hide or protect ourselves from being hurt; or the masks, we wear to project an image we would like the world to see.
Which brings me to the movie, "Pack of Lies" starring Ellen Burstyn & Teri
Garr. Based on the true story of an ordinary family who fell suddenly into a world of espionage, pain, affliction and finally, bitter betrayal.
All this suffering because of their "close" friendship, (mind you) with the people across the street.
This all takes place, a suburb in London, England., at the home of Bob & Barbara Jackson, & their daughter Julie.
Ellen B., portrays Barbara Jackson, a stiff , shy housewife who enjoys her "Tea" with her neighbor Helen Schaefer, (Teri Garr).
Helen, an attractive blond (in this version), full of pep, very outgoing is always trying to liven up her good friend Barbara. They are very close and the friendship seems very authentic. The couples are so close that the Jacksons daughter refers the Schaefers as "Auntie Helen & Uncle Peter."
And so these close friends are torn apart when British Intelligence invades their lives. They ask the Jacksons if they would allow their home to become a surveillance post. In doing so Barbara is shocked, discovering that her closest friend--her "BFF" is working for the KGB as a spy.
Barbara is truly shattered--as the friendship meant a great deal to her as she said, "My god--I loved her!!!" Eventually it becomes too stressful for Barbara especially when agent Stewart (British Intelligence) are closing in on the Schaefers getting ready to arrest them.
Disillusioned with grief and anger as she watches them being arrested Barbara remarks: "Let's face it--I've betrayed Helen just as much as she's betrayed me!"
Barbara goes on saying to Stewart: "You know what I wish...I wish you would have NEVER come here! I wish you have NEVER stepped foot in this house!"
"Helen may have lied to us, but YOU--you've gone one better. You made us lie! We've even lied to our daughter!!! "
Julie thought that Stewart and his agents were watching someone else from their house.
I also believed Helen felt the same. While in custody Julie went to visit her "Auntie Helen." Julie wanting to understand, AND if their friendship was unique. Helen told her that it was and that she missed her very much. In all honesty I believe, Helen was speaking from her heart.
Helen & Peter were able to separate the close friendship they had with the Jacksons from the espionage. As traitors, and their act of treason, their path of betrayal was with the U.S. & Britain; not their camaraderie with Barbara, Bob & Julie...that was real.
Nevertheless, Helen told Julie, "The possibility that your mother could KNIFE ME IN THE BACK never really occurred to me." "She really had me fooled..." "I'll never forgive her for that--never."
A few weeks after that Barbara died of a heart attack. She told her daughter that she thought of Helen every night before she went to sleep. EVERY NIGHT, mind you...until she died.
~To err is human,
And so it is.
~LJS
**10 of Swords: Sudden endings--Misfortune--extreme pain & suffering--Betrayal
** In real life the Jacksons were Bill, Ruth & Gay Search.
**The Schaefers, Morris & Lona Cohen who were arrested & charged with espionage in 1961
