HopkinsCinemAddicts

The Superhero and the Super Hero: The Development and Legacy

*I thought for my last blog I would do something a bit more fun. It’s a little different but I hope you all still enjoy it. *

As a little kid I would always dress up for Halloween. My dad would pick me up and throw me into the air and I could pretend I was flying. I would spend hours in the backyard fighting invisible enemies, kicking and punching the air, pretending like bad guys were at my mercy. I was the protector of justice, the keeper of all that was good. Superheroes, to me, were the combination of all positive qualities people all mushed together and multiplied a hundredfold. Their moral aptitude, courageous spirit, and unbelievable strength kept me entertained under the blankets with a flashlight reading comic books for hours after bedtime.

An artists rendition of many classic superheroes and villans.

Some had superpowers, burdened by the responsibility of being great. For example in the 2004 animated feature film The Incredibles, directed by Brad Bird, each character has a certain superpower. Mr. Incredible has the gift of super strength, lifting cars and bench-pressing trains. His son, on the other hand, has the gift super speed; the ability to run so fast he doesn't break the surface of the water as he jets across. Superpowers aren’t necessary, however. Take, for example, the 2005 live action film, Batman Begins directed by Christopher Nolan. Nolan portrays the superhero as realistically as possible; the character of Bruce Wayne, a billionaire industrialist, having no outstanding powers other than his fervent determination and sharp intelligence. Whether a serious dramatic portrayal or an animated spoof, a Superhero represents the archetypal being; a societal desire to strive for the unreachable: peak physicality and mental prowess, highest regard for values and morals, and immortality in the face of uncertainty and fear, all attributes transcending the limits of human ability.

Adversity, a common theme throughout superhero cinema, is mainly used as a catalyst for greatness; pressure on a character to have them rise to the occasion. In Batman Begins, for example, Bruce Wayne witnesses his parents murder and struggles internally with vengeance against the perpetrator. “My anger outweighs my grief” he states as he plans to kill his parents murderer, clear that he is not fighting against injustice but for retribution. His struggle with this uniquely human characteristic creates him as a distinct mortal character, a trait that causes him to be relatable and dimensional. On the other hand, The Incredibles, an homage to classic superhero cinema, instead shows adversity through the downfall of the great superhero time or "The Golden Days". Like pressure on a coal to make a diamond, adversity on the hero forces them to develop, in this case, by forcing them to settle down and create a family, the greatest strength that one has throughout life.

Strength, for the hero, comes both physically and mentally. Mr. Incredible and his family have certain powers that transcend human capabilities while Bruce Wayne, although having no natural extraordinary ability, continually trains to be in peak physical shape. Mentally, each superhero must be sharp and able to use the surroundings to their advantage. For what Batman, a human and mortal, lacks in superpowers he more than makes up for in intelligence. He knows he can only become so physically adept and must use his brain (and endless money) to design equipment to transform himself into a superhuman.

Being mentally adept is only half the battle, however. Each must also street savvy and resourceful. The downfall for most super villains is their inability to think outside their " Master-plan". Syndrome, the main nemesis in The Incredibles, did not account for the fact that the robot he built could learn so well that he would become unable to control it. The Incredible family, however, uses their combined strength as well as their surroundings (ex. flinging the manhole cover at the root robot to disable it) to their advantage. Bruce Wayne, after learning of his mentor’s plans to destroy Gotham City (his hometown) uses his environment to destroy the training facility and keep the plan from being executed.

 

"No matter how many times you save the world, it always manages to get back in jeopardy again.” - Mr. Incredible

This classic superhero code is to protect and aid those in need.  "I seek the means to fight injustice, to turn fear onto those who prey on the fearful", Bruce Wayne states proving that stalwart morals and a powerfully strong code of values is paramount. Even 15 years after society shunned them, Mr. Incredible and his super pal “Fro-Zone” still perform weekly super deeds such as saving innocent civilians from burning buildings. The morals do not only extend superficially as well, the topic of lethal force inherently opposed. Batman's one principle throughout Batman Begins is a strong conviction against lethal violence. The Incredibles show this mercy too when Mr. Incredible refuses to kill Mirage, Syndromes assistant. Heroes cannot only use brute force to defeat their enemies or they themselves would be as problematic as the enemies.

All too often fear equals mortality.  For superheroes, however, they must be impervious to fear and thus invulnerable. "No matter how many times you save the world, it always manages to get back in jeopardy again,” Mr. Incredible explains. Every time the hero gets hit, they get right back up, always choosing to face fear head on. Much of what we fear comes from our own mortality. Why does a gun command so much fear? We all fear death. Humans are mortal. Superheroes, on the other hand, and their continued timeless existence, even through the greatest of adversity, teach us that we don't need to be afraid. Bruce's father explains the truth, "You know why they attacked you, don't you? They were afraid of you...All creatures feel fear.” The entire point of superheroes is to instill a passion to do what's right and to support the belief that anything is possible. The ability to overcome fear and do what is right is pivotal. Mr. Incredible feared losing his family, in the end. Batman, himself, creates his entire persona out of his greatest fear, the bat. Without fear, Batman is immortal." As a man, I'm flesh and blood. I can be ignored. I can be destroyed. But as a symbol...As a symbol I can be incorruptible. I can be everlasting"

Superheroes are ideals, artwork carved from fantasy; an idolization of the unattainable. Their purpose though is not to create faux heroes in real life but instead instill the belief that anything is possible if you always fight for good. They are role models that always have (and always will have), in the face of fear and adversity, conquered their foes. Everyone faces struggles and difficult times. It is how you react to those struggles into that adversity that makes you a hero. "Not every superhero needs powers you know.”

 

Much thanks to Creative Commons and the public domain images used. Creative Commons in no way endoreses any opinions expressed in this blog. Any opinions, views, or ideas are soley of the poster.

Different Strokes: Friendship and Emotion in Action Flicks

        There are times I go to see a film for the craft; the artistry of the director, the once-in-a-lifetime performances, or the technically beautiful design. I must admit though, these are sometimes overshadowed by the times where I get a gallon of over-priced soda and a kiddie-pool sized tub of popcorn and turn my mind off for two hours. In these rare instances and being the manly man that I am, I enjoy the heart pounding, adrenaline pumping, and testosterone filled action films. You know, the ones where the good guy really never gets knocked down and even if he does, he gets up only to beat the bejesus out of someone? A bunch of blockbusters focus on explosions, car chases, and overall excitement while plot takes a back seat (I am talking to you Michael Bay).  That isn’t to say they are not still enjoyable but this intensely Hollywood notion is, thankfully, broken with a few films that are able to intertwine an entertaining storyline broken up with intense action scenes. The most important part of a believable and involving storyline that truly has the audience invested is developed between characters, specifically for our purposes the relationships between the protagonists in two of the best action flicks; Die Hard and Lethal Weapon.

Above: Fiery explosions...the cornerstone of Hollywood action movies

        No one would argue that Lethal Weapon, a film about the pairing of an older “on-the-verge-of-retirement” officer, Murtaugh, and a homicidal, suicidal, plays-by-no-ones-rules cop, Riggs, is a “buddy cop” film. If anything, Lethal Weapon, defines the genre. To say then that the relationship between the two protagonists is anything but critical would be untrue. Throughout the film, the arguable “main” plot revolves around Riggs and Murtaugh being forced to work together to solve a drug smuggling case. The actual case though takes a back seat to the connection the film creates between the two protagonists and thus the affinity we, as the audience, feel toward them. At first glance both are very different people; very different cops. Murtaugh has “been on the force twenty years and not a scratch or a scar” while Riggs is a loose cannon, constantly disregarding rules and putting himself in harms way to get quick results. For example, during his introduction scene, Riggs is held hostage after a failed drug bust and tries distract the perpetrator by pleading to be shot. Each cop though compliments each other in skill and smarts. What Riggs lacks in structure and sensibility, Murtaugh makes up for in sage advice and clever planning. Murtaugh, on the other hand, doesn’t take necessary risks and thus doesn’t see results. 

            Die Hard is not necessarily a “buddy cop” film but to say the relationship between John McClane and Sgt. Al Powell is not touching and important would also be false. Powell, a pudgy desk jockey, is every bit different than the hard-boiled and barrel chested loose-cannon McClane. Throughout the film, their relationship parallels a distinct brotherhood between all cops. Powell immediately recognizes McClane as a brother in blue and thus an unwavering trust is created. The natural affinity they have for each other in the beginning contrasts Murtaugh and Riggs in Lethal Weapon yet both show the common cop mentality throughout.

Above: The same type six shooter as Murtaugh carries.

            The best scenes, interestingly enough, are not the fights or explosions (however much I love them) but the quiet remarks between characters. These are the scenes where the audience becomes most involved and most likely to have a strong reaction. For Lethal Weapon, a vastly important and powerful scene shows Murtaugh and Riggs after a family dinner. Riggs, after some playful banter, indirectly reveals his longing for a family like Murtaugh’s. “I [kill] real good you know…only thing I was good at.” Riggs explains. His skill in this overwhelmingly destructive force cripples Riggs emotionally and he longs for the constructive nature of family. His skill and gall as a cop, however, comes from his lack of dependence on or from others such as a family. A family, or dependence from a partner, might bring Riggs’ skill down since he will not being able to only think of himself anymore. On the other hand, when presented with a surrogate family of Murtaughs, Riggs shows more courage and fervor in protecting them and fighting for vengeance when one gets hurt. Riggs shows his emotional scars however the structure that Murtaugh is able to provide professionally and personally completely changes Riggs’ outlook on life and the beat.

           Die Hard ‘s most involving scenes are also the, by industry standards, “slowest”. Toward the end, McClane is battered, shot, and profusely bleeding. McClane asks Powell why he gave up the patrol for the desk and Powell explains that as a rookie, he accidentally mistook a teenager with a toy as a gunman and shot him. “They can teach you everything…except how to live with a mistake.” Powell explains paralleling McClane’s personal life, whose wife left him after he failed to support her during a large career promotion. McClanes most profoundly emotional moment is when he pleads to Powell to find his wife and tell her he was sorry. The entire plot revolves around McClane trying to single-handedly bring down a hostage situation from inside the building. It is clear from the beginning that he is not doing this for himself; the option to escape being available many times. Instead, McClane is trying to keep his estranged wife safe, his way of showing true devotion to her. These incredible lengths, however, are not nearly as emotional or reaction invoking as the quiet scene where McClane, realizing his slim chance of survival, tries to make final amends to his wife through Powell. “She heard me say, ‘I love you’ a thousand times, she never heard me say ‘I’m Sorry’”.

            Action films are intensely emotional. Most try to pander toward the little pyromaniac kid inside of us showing off intense explosions and shallow characters. A few, however, make us believe in the world on-screen since the emotions captured are so closely relatable to the emotions we feel in life. That, really, is what film is all about: the ablility to take a media that couples a few of our senses and thoroughly tricking us into believing we are actually there. How would you react given that situation? What would you feel? For these two wonderfully emotional and heart pumping action films we see those emotions blatantly in the character development and relationships between the “good guys”.  

Much thanks to Creative Commons and the public domain images used. Creative Commons in no way endoreses any opinions expressed in this blog. Any opinions, views, or ideas are soley of the poster. 

Elephant Memory: The Effect and the Affected of High School

 

    Time. It’s a concept that we don’t truly understand. Time is fickle. It always seems to drag out when you want it to move faster and speed up when you want to stop and savor moments. Time is always against us. We never have enough time to do everything we want to yet we always have all the time to waste.  Elephant directed by Gus Van Sant uses time and the actions taken in a specific period of time, to outline characters in one of the most important, and possibly detrimental times, in our lives, adolescence and high school. Elephant looks at this “time” (quotations for the multiple definitions previous) from many angles, through differet characters lives revolving around a school shooting tragedy; the victims, bystanders, and shooters. This film though is not about mourning or asking why the tragedy took place. Instead it examines the psyche of the high school student, the challenges they are put through, the effect of high school, and how that affects the adolescent mind. Throughout the film we are forced to see glimpses of ourselves during that time in our lives. It’s easy to say, “Oh, well that never happened to me!” and brush it aside. Sure, the tragedy most likely didn’t happen to you, but Elephant is much more than that. It addresses who we all are, who we all were, and who, we all hope, we can be in the future.

"Lose not yourself in a far off time, seize the moment that is thine." -Friedrich Schiller

 

            The high school seems perfectly stereotypical at first glance. You have the popular jock with a beautiful girlfriend, the artsy and awkward photographer, the kid with the awful parents, the girl with her head in the clouds, etc. With a closer look though you see each character with their certain traits, certain characteristics that we as viewers pick up on and relate to. As the film progresses, the different psyches of each character become dimensional and real emotion is conveyed. We all in high school put on masks, the personas that we believed would fit nicely into the jigsaw of the skewed microcosm of society known as high school. The ones who didn’t, or the ones who couldn’t, were outcast, subjected to the torments of those whose masks were strongest and sometimes whose inner turmoil was greatest, needing the ego boost they received from putting other people down seen through the popular girls and guys and how they treat others as well as one another inside their clique.

What is most interesting about this school shooting film is its relationship to the actual shooters. As the film begins and we are first introduced to the shooters, they are portrayed as any other student, nearly invisible in the film paralleling their invisibility in their high school. As the film progresses, however, we start to see more deeply into their lives and try to better understand the motives and operations that lead to the shooting. Van Sant touches on a few key themes of media and ease of accessibility of guns. Eric, one of the shooters, plays video games that sole purpose is to shoot and kill one virtual man after another while Alex looks at guns online. They also both watch a documentary on Hitler, mesmerized, almost studying, his rise to power. As they watch the documentary, a delivery truck pulls up and brings with it one of the guns used in the massacre. It was as easy as placing an order online with a fake name and a credit card for these boys to receive all that was necessary to bring revenge to their school. The shooters, even though developed as deeper characters (one loving piano, while the other always having witty retorts) are portrayed a vengeful and bloodthirsty. One of the most shocking lines that parallels the actual Columbine school shooting was when Eric goes over the massacre plan with Alex. “Most importantly, Have fun!” was his final line before they suited up for the massacre. These boys had been pushed so far by the other students it had drove their adolescent minds to unthinkable acts of violence directed at all peers, not singling out their previous attackers. Van Sant comments on the instability of adolescents and the effect the twisted society of high school can affect their minds.

The Columbine High School Memorial

Van Sant uses many non-professional actors in Elephant to the best effect. Each character, even though outwardly stereotypical becomes much more dimensional with each actor’s portrayal. Much of the film is based on character interactions and the high school mentality. Each character is pushed from outside forces, whether bullies (Eric and the spit wads tossed at him), family hardships (John and his drunken father), or societal restrictions (the GSA and their discussion), and each character is seen dealing with those problems in the context of the few minutes before the shooting. Van Sant shows that each has their own hardships, even the popular girl and her believed pregnancy, and each have their own way of dealing with it. The film suggests that at such a fragile time in a developing mind, the pressure that cooks students in high school seems to be counter productive in creation of well-adjusted successful adults.

Van Sant and Elephant outline many political and social factors on the institution of high school and the affect it has on adolescents. Much of the time spent for a majority of student’s deals not with academia but with the pressures of social and societal life. At that time we all try to find out who we are. Elephant though comments on the inaction we as a society have taken to look at the physiological torture some students are put through on a daily basis as a result of others in high school. I hope that any readers can take from this blog not only the analysis of this film but a larger lesson that we all need to learn and teach, as best as we can, to the next generation of the golden rule: treat others the way you want to be treated. Only through universal respect can we truly succeed as a society.

 

All images used are licenced free of charge from Creative Commons. Thank you to Flikr users David Friedel and Katerha for thier images. The users do not, however, endorse any opinions in the blog.