THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS IN „THE BIG LEBOWSKI“

 

It is never wrong to do an in-depth text even on a very minor or far-fetched issue of this great movie. Even if it is about the fact that when the Dude pulls out the album by „Autobahn“ from Maude Lebowski’s record box the one behind it is Patti Smith’s „Easter“. Well, that is probably too little to make a text stand on its own, but yeah, whatever. In the parlance of our times. On the other hand there is no bigger issue than god and the rules and guidelines he has given us for our existence on earth and what we make of it. And what is there more basic in this respect than the seven cardinal sins? So, let’s get down to the real nitty-gritty and sucker it up, because in true genius style the seven deadly sins are in fact represented in the movie „The Big Lebowski“ in the divine duality, at least. Following in short, well ordered paragraphs, the seven deadly sins and their representatives in the movie. In praise of the ten year anniversary of the release of this wonderful movie!

 

+ Pride

Mr. Lebowski

Towards the end of the movie Maude Lebowski, the artist daughter, says: „My fathers vice is vanity.“ Which is not only a fine alliterated wordplay, but as an explanation we will take Saint Augustines declaration that vanity is a form of pride.

Jesus Quintana

Just look at him in his purple overall and socks, if this guy is not in love with himself, I don’t know either. But, well, a pervert. And a sports man, as should be pointed out, because the dual pairs of represented vices are quite opposite in this great movie.

 

+ Greed

Mr. Lebowski

He needs money. Mainly to fill is other sin as mentioned above. After all, he is the man with the plan. And only people who have targets need plans. And targets are usually connected with goals and ends. And those are another word for greed. And if I am not mistaken, he gets away with it, or doesn’t he?

Walter Sobchak

Why be satisfied with a hundred grand if you can take the whole million? Just like the other Lebowski Walter is a plan man. Though his plans rarely work out in the planned way. There, again the duality of cardinal sins embodied very clearly.

 

+ Envy

Walter Sobchak

It is hard to see at first, but suddenly it becomes clear: Walter Sobchak is envious of many people. His comrades in Vietnam, who had the decency to die in a heroic way (in his view), millionaires with trophy whives who owe all money over town and big thinkers who said or wrote clever things or invented an ideology. That and rage (see below) make for a dangerous pair.

Jackie Treehorn.

A rare case of male penis envy, actually.

 

+ Gluttony

Theodore Donald „Donny“ Kerabatsos

There is not much that we learn about Donny in this movie. Actually, only that he is bowling and that he has a weak heart. But whenever he comes up in the movie he is either eating or drinking. Unless he is bowling, but the act of bowling is an analogy for praying, so we can argue with confidence that Donny is the dualist representative of the vice of gluttony. Being a skinny guy makes him an even more impressive impersonification.

Brandt

I do believe that the other character in the movie personifying the vice of gluttony is Brandt, the Big Lebowskis tail dog aka secretary aka the one who is not allowed to watch. I have no definite reason for this aside that Brandt would otherwise be missing dearly in this list and that I have a gut feeling (no pun intended...) about this.

 

+ Lust

Bunny Lebowski

She is born with a defect that makes her seek lust in a manner that is beyond the regular, recreational experience of regular people (because it is a myth that regular people don’t have good sex), which is called satyriasis and makes her have sex without enjoying it. Oh, no! Oh, yes. The rest is just a matter of Logjammin’.

Jesus Quintana

Whereas Bunny is the representation of straight but too much sexuality, Jesus is the one for weird and twisted approach towards sexuality. A convicted pedophile for showing his penis to an eight year old and otherwise sexually bonded to his bowling ball his every move spells sex in large letters. So this should read SEX. Sorry. And remember, nobody fucks with the Jesus.

+ Sloth

The Dude

Who else, really? As the narrator aka The Stranger says, the Dude is a lazy guy, maybe the laziest guy in the whole L.A. County, which makes him top runner worldwide on top. He also likes to chill in his bath tub listening to the song of the whales or lying on his carpet (if he has one to lie on) listening to baseball games’ sounds.

Gary the Bartender

Okay, so that is only a minor role but it is vital to The Dude, you only see him from behind and he rarely uses more words than necessary. And though able to mix a fine White Russian he is still only the Bartender in a bowling alley with 40+ years. If that doesn’t account for Sloth, what will?

  

+ Wrath

Walter Subchak

He has been to Vietnam, it is true, and that changes a man, but warning Smokey that he is entering a world of pain just because he had his foot a little over the line, is pure rage.

The Nihilists

Ulli aka Karl, Kieffer and the third one don’t believe in anything because they are Nihilists, yet they think that life owes them something which they didn’t find in America but are willing to grab it with violence. Visually they are also represented as some kind of apocalyptic vengeators, though only some are fearful of them because they are mostly talk and little action. Oh yeah, and they have a fixation with Johnsons.

 

 

  

„The Big Lebowski“ is a movie touching on various religious issues during its running time.E.g. Walter Sobchak is a catholic turned jew, which is basically taking the evolution of religions backwards – and then talking in terms of evolution about religions is a very drastic step in itself, if you think about it, though not without ironic undertones. The Dude himself in more than one way is very much like a prophet, just look at the clothes his wearing. Finally, remember, „The Dude abides“ – and that might be a word of wisdom and warning to all of you.

 

Georg Cracked, August 2008