What components make a movie successful in cinema? Filmmakers have crafted a formula to successfully deliver the hero narrative. This formula consists of the hero’s journey and archetypes. Hero films typically follow a ten-step sequence to properly set up and execute the hero’s journey. These movies range from stories of transformations, searches, or a journey back home. Archetypes are used to employ character profile as well as add variety and depth to these stories. Ridley Scott directed Alien, in which Ellen Ripley embarks on a journey where she must survive an alien who is out on a murderous rampage and return back to Earth. Alien adds originality to its storyline by choosing a female lead instead of a male, but the film still incorporates the same heroic attributes that make a story successful. In this “going home journey” film, Scott is able to incorporate the hero’s journey and the official hero archetype towards the heroine Ellen Ripley. In “The Thematic Paradigm”, Robert Ray explains the principles and significance of the official hero. An official hero “embodies the best attributes of adulthood: sound reasoning and judgment, wisdom and sympathy based on experience” (452). Official heroes …show more content…
In “Creating the Myth” Linda Seger explains the ordinary world scene is where, “the hero is introduced in an ordinary surrounding, in a mundane world, doing mundane things” (336). The opening scene of the film takes the viewer on a five-minute tour of the Nostromo spacecraft. We see the nooks and crannies of the ship including the operating system, kitchen, and rooms. Even after the crew awakens, they are still shown following a normal routine. The astronauts are average people partaking in daily activities such as eating, joking, and engaging in casual conversations. In this ordinary world sequence, Ellen Ripley is unaware of the journey she is about to embark
Humanity has created this “universal story” of what a hero is, or at least the myth of it, time and again. Different tasks and encounters with a variety of villains all lead the hero to the prize, to a new life (Seger). This person deemed the hero is as ordinary as the next but what makes them different is the drastic test that they must face. Individuals admire this character because the hero stands for something, something bigger than themselves. Whether it be the compassionate act of Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games or the death of the oldest brother in Brother Bear, as an outsider, an individual sees the human side of these heroes and relates. Connor Lassiter from Unwind by Neal Shusterman is an ideal example of the myth due to the
Who is your hero? Many of us can clearly picture our idea of our personal hero in our head, but is the person you consider to be a hero really a hero by definition? In Heroism: Why Heroes are Important, Scott LaBarge, a Classics and Philosophy Professor at Santa Clara University, awakens your thoughts on the word heroism and how it has changed since its origins in ancient Greece. Throughout his essay, he goes in depth into the term ‘hero’ and compares it to society’s take on heroes today. Although LaBarge uses examples to back up his stance that “Today, it is much harder to detach the concept of heroism from morality (LaBarge. 1),” his essay contains flaws and he contradicts his own words.
Cinema has been producing the same hero narrative for centuries. Hero films follow a ten-step sequence to properly set up and execute their story. These movies range from stories of transformations, searches, or a journey back home. Archetypes help to add variety and depth to these stories. Ridley Scott directed Alien, in which Ellen Ripley embarks on a journey where she must survive an alien who is out on a murderous rampage. Alien adds originality to its storyline by choosing a female lead instead of a male, but it still incorporates the same heroic attributes that make a story successful. In this “going home journey” film, Scott is able to incorporate the hero myth and archetypes towards the official hero Ellen Ripley.
Who is a hero? In contemporary times, usage of the term has become somewhat of a cliché. Over the years, the term “hero” has become representative of a wide variety of individuals, each possessing differing traits. Some of the answers put forth by my colleagues (during our in-class discussion on heroism) as to whom they consider heroes pointed to celebrities, athletes, teachers and family members. Although the occupations differed, each of their heroes bore qualities that my classmates perceived as extraordinary, whether morally or physically. Nonetheless, Webster’s defines “hero” as “a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities.” Thus, it is worth considering that individuals become heroes relative to the situation with which they’re faced.
What makes a man a hero? Where lies the line which when crossed changes a mortal man into a legend? Is it at the altar at Canterbury? in the Minotaur’s labyrinth? or is it an age or a time? Does a man become a hero when he transforms from a boy to an adult? or when he stops being a man and becomes a martyr? Where are the heroes of 1993? In whom do the children of this age believe? Like whom do they strive to be? Kennedy, Lennon, and even Superman are dead. World leaders are mockeries of real men, more like Pilates than Thomas Mores. Pop culture’s icons change daily. It is interesting that nearly 600 years ago someone was writing about heroism in a way that can be understood today. The poet of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight tells a tale in which a man is proven to be a hero through the seemingly un-heroic decisions made in the course of numerous tests. Sir Gawain is a hero for the 21st century. He is tried and trapped, he is inundated with opportunities to fail and yet he does not lose. More importantly though, in the end he learns an essential, inescapable fact about himself and human nature.
Heroes play a critical role in society. Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth explores the archetype of a hero as well as its necessities to society. In a hero’s journey, the hero will always return changed after being away for a long time. The archetypal hero in Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game, a work of science fiction, is Ender Wiggin. Shakespeare, Lord of the Rings, by Tolkien, and Beowulf, mirrors the traits that Ender portrays in Macbeth. By displaying acts of selfishness, extreme violence, and being egotistical, a hero, no matter and previous act, society no longer considers the a hero, a hero. Through the societal damage resulting from these acts, heroes show their true worth to society.
Are heroes important? This is the question that Scott LaBarge, a philosophy professor at Santa Clara University, tackles in his article “Heroism: Why Heroes are Important.” He encourages teachers, parents, and students to realize that heroes are tremendously significant in society by using references to factual and historical details, personal association, and various examples of different types of heroes. LaBarge effectively uses the rhetorical appeals of ethos, logos, and kairos to convince his audience that heroes are important.
Joseph Campbell defines a hero as “someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself” (Moyers 1). The Hero’s Journey consists of three major parts: the separation, the initiation, and the return. Throughout a character’s journey, they must complete a physical or spiritual deed. A physical deed involves performing a daunting and courageous act that preserves the well-being of another person. A spiritual deed calls for action that improves another individual’s state of mind.
The United States of America has one of the oldest and largest (in terms of revenue) film industries. Hollywood is the main location of the United States film industry. However, four of the six largest film studios in the U.S. are owned by the companies that are located on the East Coast. Only The Walt Disney Company - which owns six other film-making companies (Walt Disney Pictures, Lucasfilm Limited, the Pixar Animation Studios, Hollywood Pictures, Touchstone Pictures and Marvel Studios) is located and fully based in Hollywood, California. Sony Pictures Entertainment also has headquarters in Culver City, California, although its parent company, the Sony Corporation, has main headquarters in Tokyo, Japan.
The movie Glory takes place during the American Civil War. One of the main characters, Shaw, was “left for dead” because his crew thought he died during battle when in reality he was just injured and could not move. Later on in the film, Shaw was promoted to Colonel and commanded the first all-black regiment. People doubted their skills on the battlefield but continued with the command anyway.
What is a hero? The defining characteristics of a hero have changed over time. We can trace heroes all the way back to Ancient Greek mythology. Today, our definition of a hero is much more lax. We use the term hero to describe everyone from civil rights leaders to Instagram-famous celebrities. A hero used to be one who had to endure painful struggle and prove himself and his beliefs to society. Is a hero equivalent to a celebrity now? A quick Google search for “American hero” will lead you to names like Muhammad Ali and Billie Jean King, ahead of any political or civil rights leaders. What does this say about our society? What qualities does a “hero” have to possess in modern America? In this essay, we will explore the timeline of the word
Lone Survivor tells us about the times of war between the NAVY seals soldiers and Talibans in Afghanistan. This movie, Lone Survivor that was released in the 2013, directed and written by Peter Berg is based on a true story. It is seen that the producer is aiming to show the viewers on how the life of the NAVY Seals soldiers during a war including all their hard sweat trainings to be a well-trained soldier. The movie has shown the viewers about the act of cruelness in humans during the times of war in order to be able to fight for victory or for their own good. This Lone Survivor movie has shown their viewers that every single human being in this world has feelings and emotion. The NAVY Seals soldiers in this movie has portrayed
Wilhelm, Jeffrey D., et al. A Brief History of Heroes. 2004. Glencoe Literature. New York: Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2009. 69-72. Print.
Hero is a word used to describe individuals who profoundly impact those around them. Usually heroic acts receive praise and become valued throughout the town, but certain individuals who possess characteristics of heroism misuse them, those are the people who prove themselves to be questionable. Though Beowulf’s heroism can be argued, Beowulf proves to be more self-gratuitous than genuine.
It is embedded in the nature of humanity to have heroes; recognized individuals who perform actions that are wished to be emulated upon by others. Although the idea of these significant role models remains fixed, the variations of heros through the centuries is irrefutable; where culture defines what characteristics they obtain. The fifth century hero (a physically strong warrior with a reputation) differs immensely from a hero found in the 1900s (a humble man or woman who sought personal achievement rather than fame) which then differs from a modern hero (one typically associated with fame). So how can a hero have a definition if their entire persona changes as culture does? Throughout the madness of ever-changing societal heroic standards, one aspect of heroism has remained constant; Every hero has been found to inspire one or more people, whether