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There's an
old joke in Hollywood that says some film directors are nothing more than
traffic cops. But this year, there's one Traffic director
who may just put the cuffs on a fellow named Oscar.
In times
past, the Hollywood spotlight shone only on its big stars. Everyone knew
who Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy were, but few people, if any, knew the
names of any of the creative people behind the camera. But in today's
media-fascinated world, fame now belongs not just to stars like Julia
Roberts, Michael
Douglas and Sylvester
Stallone. Directors and producers like Steven Spielberg, Oliver
Stone and Ridley Scott are also getting their share of public attention.
Steven Soderbergh,
the director of Erin Brockovich and Traffic,
is the latest to join this list of prominent film makers. Soderbergh has
been nominated for the best director Oscar and best director Golden Globe
for both films. At the Golden Globes, he lost to Ang Lee, who won for
the magnificent Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. What does
astrology say about Soderbergh’s chances for picking up an Oscar?
Capricorns
Hate Phonies
 Soderbergh
was born January 14, 1963 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He is a Capricorn.
This is the sign known for ambition and integrity. A person with the
Sun in Capricorn usually has a strong drive to succeed. But that success is
usually won by lots of hard work and effort, not by getting a lucky break.
Capricorn integrity is demonstrated by an unswerving devotion to the truth.
Capricorn writer J.D. Salinger, for example, wrote Catcher in the
Rye, whose protagonist Holden Caulfield spends much of the book
despising "phonies."
This trait
comes through strongly in the themes Soderbergh tends to work with in
his films. His first hit, Sex, Lies and Videotape, was a
serious attempt to probe beneath the false exterior layers of human relationships
in order to get at the truth of what really occurs between people. His
Capricorn tendency to view life in a realistic way was evident even at
the age of fifteen, when he made his first short film, a story about a
janitor.
Soderbergh's
film The Limey is another example of Capricorn archetypes
at work. Terrence Stamp plays an old British gangster, a truly tough customer
who comes up against a crew of Hollywood bad guys who just think they're
tough. The contrast between the real and the phony is the source of much
of the enjoyment the film provides. Similarly, Erin Brockovich
tells the story of one person's dedication to exposing the levels of hypocrisy
and greed of corporate environmental polluters.
Soderbergh
also has the Moon, his emotional self, in fastidious, service-oriented
Virgo, adding even more of the work ethic to his personality. So while
his Capricorn Sun has the drive to succeed, he is not afraid to put muscle
and sweat behind his ambition. The Virgo side of his character is also
probably why he prefers to work on "smaller" films, rather than
big budget extravaganzas, like Gladiator. Virgo likes detail
and subtlety.
A
Film Maker with a Message
Soderbergh’s
chart contains an interesting formation—a t-square formed by philosophical
Jupiter opposing (180 degrees) powerful Pluto, both in square (90 degrees)
to value-oriented Venus. The Jupiter-Pluto opposition denotes an individual
with strong opinions, a crusader perhaps, who may seek to impose his view
on others. Soderbergh is a director who wants to make sure we get the
message.
In Soderbergh's
case, the opposition is softened by its outlet to Venus, the planet of
tact, charm and diplomacy. Venus also finds expression through the arts.
Make no mistake about it, Soderbergh is serious about filmmaking. He has
said he's "been trying to carve out half in, half out of the mainstream
ideas for genre films made with some amount of care and intelligence and
humor." He may concede to popular tastes and current trends in order
to keep his career alive, but his ultimate purpose is to make us confront
the truth about ourselves and our world.
Nowhere is
this purpose more prevalent than in the current box office hit Traffic,
which depicts the futility and frustration experienced by dedicated law
enforcement agents waging the war on drugs. The film details the vast
levels of corruption that exist in government and business which make
winning the drug war next to impossible.
And
the Winner Is…
When the
Oscar statues are handed out on March 25, what are Soderbergh's chances
of winning best director? He faces stiff competition, most likely from
Ang Lee for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Ridley Scott
for Gladiator.
Looking at
the planetary lineup for Oscar night, we see a New Moon in Aries in a
favorable 120-degree trine aspect to Soderbergh's Venus, good for his
self-worth, and for raising his value in the eyes of everyone connected
with movies.
Neptune will
be transiting conjunct his Mercury, planet of communication, and Saturn,
planet of rules and structure, in Aquarius. Neptune is all about making
movies, and also ties into the drug theme of Traffic. Soderbergh
may experience the cloud-nine, dream-come-true feeling Neptune is so well
known for on Oscar night.
Transiting
Jupiter in Gemini will oppose his Venus in Sagittarius, another possible
indication of success and reward, since Jupiter tends to make everything
it touches bigger, and Venus is associated with value.
Finally,
transiting Mercury will be exactly conjunct the director's Jupiter in
Pisces, which indicates notification (Mercury) of success (Jupiter). To
me this means that whoever opens the envelope that night will read what's
written inside and announce, "And the winner for best director is
Steven Soderbergh."
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