The Lost series is based on an uncharted island. To me, the 'island' is the
main character in the series. It exists in multiple level of meanings and
allusions. The island itself is an experimental ground where scientific and
metaphysical elements clash. The human characters are just pawn in this
experiment. The story takes us back to the days of Abel and Cain and the
Original sin. There were rules on that that should not have been breached.
Rules which were rooted in the concepts of good and evil. The creator created
the beings with these traits.
The island was lost to the whole world until the crash of the Oceanic
flight. When the island was discovered, the passengers in the flight were lost
from the face of this earth ( at least it seemed like that). The characters are
all from diverse backgrounds and most of them had a strong sense of the past.
When they are lost they seem to rediscover their own self which had been lost
in the hustle and bustle of life.There is Sayid who was a republican guard who
was faced with the challenge of interrogating his girlfriend. Then there is my
favourite Jack, the doctor who was taking his father for a burial. Locke is the
teacher who worships the island the moment 'his feet touched the ground'. The
leading female character is Kate who is a convict running away from Law. Locke
and Kate are ones who wants to stay because the a normal and ordinary life is
lost for them in the (real) world. My second favourite character is Hurley, the
meat ball who specialises in bear hug.
Lost is all about the sense of 'letting go'. Nobody owns anything in this
world. I maybe a proud owner of something but the ownership has its limit. Ben,
Locke and the 'Others' wanted to stay in the island. They are in a state of
escapism bordering on possessiveness. Lost also shows that possessiveness leads
to kind of aimlessness. You possess something and that thing possess you. The
series moves through different dimensions. It starts off as a common experience
of being lost in the island which have read and seen in both literary and
cinematic represenatations like Robinson Crusoe, The Lord of the Flies,
Castaway and even in Life of Pi. The new arrivals on the island are plagued by
a sense of bewilderment of the space and strangeness about the mysterious
characters around them. They all got connected in the stage where they were
trying to salavge what is left of the Oceanic flight. The slow motion montage
is quite emotional and creates a sense of bonding between the viewers and the
characters. They are aware of the dangers that are present in the island and
also of the eeriness of some of the characters. The moment they decide to face
the dangers the series moves on to the next stage. Here are similarities:
I notice: that the hills
which the eyes make flat as wall, welded
together, open as ai move
to let me through; become
endless as priaries; that the trees
grow spindly, have their roots
often in swamps; that this is a poor country;
that a cliff is not known
as rough except by hand, and is
therefore inaccessible. Mostly
that travek is not the easy going
from point to point, a dotted
line on a map, location
plotted on a square surface
but that i move surrounded by a tangle
of branches, a net of air and alterante
light and dark, at all times;
that there are no destinations
apart from this
(Margaret Atwood - Journey to the Interior)
The journey into the interior of the island is both physical and
psychological. Jacks confronts his father, Kate reflects on her law breaking
past. Charlie sees himself performing with his brother in their rock band.
Locke is fearless one and enjoying his much anticipated adventure in the
outback. They explore the island and discover the third element in the story -
the science behind the existence of the island.
From this point the series takes the viewer for a roller coaster ride. There
are references to folklore, myths and legends. The story moves forward in time
but the characters are struck in a time trap. Every time the wheel turns the
story and its landscape change. Characters are introduced and re-introduced.
Story and the characters moves around the world keeping the umbilical chord
with the island intact.
At the end it all boils down to the fact that good will always prevail over
the bad. Personally i felt the ending to be a bit confusing. It was as if the
white light clouded my vision. The church scene gave the series an unwanted
religious tone. Some of the answers were received but others still remained a
mystery. It took one year for me to watch the whole series which comprised of 6
seasons. There were instances where I had watched a whole season ( 6 DVD's)
within a duration of two to three days. This is the first time that i had spent
time watching a TV series. The mysterious plot was the reason why i got hooked
into Lost. I was lost sometimes but the quick 8 minutes recaps brought me back.
My tryst with lost was personally rewarding and it was one of the few instances
in life where I felt satisfied and happy.
