Being There
There is something bewildering about Jerzy Kosinski’s satire about a humdrum gardener, Chance, who becomes both an elusive and distinguished member of celebrity culture – all by a misunderstanding. The only thing Chance knows well is gardening. When he discusses his work to obtain a sustainable garden, business professionals and politicians hail him for his insightful commentary on the state of American capitalism.
All of Chance’s references to his garden are literal, but everyone else sees his comments as metaphors that perfectly encapsulate the state of American capitalism. “Gardens need a lot of care,” Chance says. “But if you love your garden, you don’t mind working in it, and waiting. Then in the proper season you will surely see it flourish.”
It is an exquisite satire, although Kosinski’s novella is really a one-joke work. Chance is routinely mistaken as a profound man, with a potent, inquisitive mind who can communicate America’s ills on television. However, he is more of a symbol than a character in the short novel. Peter Sellers’ portrayal of Chance is more full and sublime, perhaps doing more acting with one knowing expression than many actors can do during an entire film.
Avoiding the farcical, frenetic comedy shtick he popularized as Inspector Clouseau, Sellers gives Chance the calm, perceptive, compassionate demeanor that adds a depth and feeling that the novella lacked. He slowly and slyly becomes the heart of the film, a pale mask that can exhibit startling humour without having to force a laugh.