To be turned into corruption

I’m a big fan of movie director Peter Weir and I’m a big fan of his 2003 movie Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (and I’m not just saying that so Russell Crowe doesn’t lash out at me on Twitter).

In the movie, there’s a scene of burials at sea where a standard prayer for the times is used. It features the words, “We therefore commit his body to the deep, to be turned into corruption.” These days, we think of corruption as being about perfidious politicians, crooked cops, bent businessmen. But another definition is that used in the prayer: the process by which dead organic matter separates into simpler substances.

But how to illustrate that? A photo of a compost bin is an obvious option, but I don’t currently have one. Then I saw this scene when I went down to Kiholo last week and thought it fit the bill. An array of downed coconuts, palm fronds, and other organic matter, which in due course will break down and return to the earth.

Posted in response to Becky’s January Squares challenge theme of ‘Up.’ See more responses here.

22 thoughts on “To be turned into corruption”

  1. naturebackin

    Great photo to illustrate the concept. Rather tangentially it reminds me of Bogor the lone woodsman-poet (in the cartoon strip ‘Bogor’) applying his ear to the forest floor. I think he was asked by a passing hedgehog what he was listening to. ‘Decomposition’ pronounced a rather rapt Bogor.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Graham Post author

      I’d been looking for a way to use the phrase so I was happy to find this scene. As for Russell Crowe, I’ve like several of the movies I’ve seen him in, but I guess he does have a bit of a reputation for being tetchy! (Please don’t hurt me Russell.)

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Graham Post author

      I had it in mind once I saw corruption on my list of up words. Just a matter of finding the right scene. This is the good kind of corruption!

      Like

    1. Graham Post author

      I remember you reading the whole series. I’m not sure I ever finished it, though I really enjoyed them. The movie is something of a regular watch with us and several phrases have entered our everyday vocabulary!

      Like

Comments are closed.