'Hollywoodland' and the Saturn-Neptune opposition

Hollywoodland is the story of George Reeves, who played 'Superman' in a television series in the Fifties. After the show's cancellation, he allegedly killed himself, although there has been speculation as to whether he was murdered.

This film follows private investigator Louis Simo (Adrien Brody) as he follows various clues to find out whether Reeves (Ben Affleck) was indeed killed. Reeves' "sugar mommy" Toni Mannix (Diane Lane) -- wife of the head of MGM, Eddie Mannix (Bob Hoskins) -- was an older woman who bought him a house. After his career as 'Superman' fizzled, and as he found it difficult to break into film due to the public's association of him with the superhero, Reeves blamed Mrs. Mannix for not trying hard enough to get him acting roles through her husband, believing that she wanted to keep him down for her own selfish reasons. She countered that he just wasn't talented enough for more complex roles. Reeves eventually dumped her for a younger woman, Leonore Lemmon (Robin Tunney), who wanted to marry him under the assumption that he was loaded (he was not).

Did Lemmon kill Reeves because he was never going to marry her and she wanted his money? Did Mr. Mannix have him killed because he could see how Reeves was breaking his wife's heart (they had an open relationship)? Did Reeves kill himself because his career was in the dumps?

Saturn relates to aging, death, the "reality check," the feeling of being a failure. Neptune relates to film, fantasies, deception and the fogginess of not knowing the truth. Put these together, and you've got disillusionment, the challenge of turning one's dreams into reality (with the risk that they won't), and the difficulty discerning between the truth and fabrications.

I thought this film was really well-made, and that Adrien Brody was compelling. However, there is no happy ending. Hollywoodland is ultimately about the ways in which the Saturn principle (old age, limitations, death) imposes itself on our dreams and self-delusions (that we will always be young and beautiful, that we are more talented than we lead ourselves to believe). In this film -- in the face-off between Saturn and Neptune -- the old geezer wins.

Tags: astrology - movies - hollywoodland - george reeves - saturn - neptune