Gran Torino: Shows that sometimes the simple message is better

I’ve been debating for a while on how to approach this particular film. With all the hype with all the sci-fi superhero films with heavy CGI out now, sometimes we overlook the simpler films that are also out there. 

The ones that many not have the flashy CGI or over-stimulated action sequences with explosions galore, yet send a quiet but powerful message. No, this isn’t about “Passion of the Christ”, (I think one of our other bloggers will post on that film later on if not already) this one is about “Gran Torino” one of the 2008 films directed and started Clint Eastwood. Why this film you ask? 

The Wolf is the Lamb: Pulp Fiction's Saviour-type

"Redemption" is the grand theme of Pulp Fiction, and no discussion of Pulp Fiction's treatment of redemption (this being the 4th installment exploring the treatment) is complete without recognizing the saviour-type that Quentin Tarantino presents, who is none other than Winston Wolf.

I fully appreciate that some people might be uncomfortable with the idea of using gangster stories to portray Jesus or aspects of the salvation relationship; or, if that's not what Tarantino intended, then they might be uncomfortable with my interpreting the movie in this manner. 

I wouldn't presume to challenge you by saying "hey, what did you expect from DRD's Movie Musings? This ain't yo' mamma's prayer meeting"(although, by saying I won't say it, I just did, didn't I?) 

But, I will challenge you to read on, and then you tell us what you think.

Fallen Heros: The blurred grey line between them and the Anti-hero

Well, now that we have a good discussion in regards to the hero/anti-hero archetype, I’m curious to see if we can take this topic a bit further, and slightly darker, so to speak. Since we can agree on anti-hero types as complex characters, how would be describe a character that possessed true heroic ideals, but due to some sort of tragedy (which could be anything) slowly and inevitably become the full antagonist he/she once strived so hard to fight against. In short I present the Fallen hero.

You can't handle the truth! A Few Good Men, complexity and judgment

"You want answers?"
"I think I'm entitled."
"You want answers?"
"I want the truth!"
"You can't handle the truth!"

That great line was voted as the #29 movie quote by the American Film Institute (out of 100), and #92 of "The 100 Greatest Movie Lines" by Premiere in 2007.

A Few Good Men is loosely based on a true story. In the movie, two soldiers are charged with killing one of their bunkmates. Demi Moore, Kevin Pollack and Tom Cruise are to defend them, and it's supposed to be but a bit of paperwork to put these young men away...but something doesn't add up.

American Gangster and the devil on 116th Street

In the movie The Usual Suspects, Roger "Verbal" Kint (Kevin Spacey) answers Dave Kujon's (Chaz Palminteri) question: "Who is Keyser Soze? He is supposed to be Turkish. Some say his father was German. Nobody believed he was real. Nobody ever saw him or knew anybody that ever worked directly for him, but to hear Kobayashi tell it, anybody could have worked for Soze. You never knew. That was his power. "The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."

The Usual Suspects is a great movie, but it's a work of fiction.  American Gangster, however, is based on a true story, and not only speaks to the discussion of the devil's approach, but also reflects wonderful aspects of the salvation relationship.

Don't put me in this position, Vincent! Pulp Fiction & Redemption Accountability

Having discussed the primary Winfield/Ringo pair in the 1st installment of Pulp Fiction's redemption treatment, we now focus on the anomaly, Vincent Vega.

Vega is the only main character to die, and Tarantino is sending a message - failing to recognize the multiple opportunities for redemption, the guiding hand that made escape possible for everyone steps aside and crazy events unfold towards his demise.

Redemption & saviour types: Hollywood’s go-to sources

Hollywood is awash in studies on redemption. 

Some of the greatest movies of all time are explorations and treatments of this redemption theme, including the following popular titles which occupy high spots on the IMDb Top 250:

• The Godfather 
•  the Star Wars original trilogy (we're not going to even begin to discuss episodes 1-3 here)
•  Pulp Fiction  and, of course (wait for it…)
•  The Shawshank Redemption (and the word is baked-on into the title itself, isn't it? Nothing subtle or mysterious here at all).

Christianity is one of the primary forces that has shaped our Western society and culture, and this world religion holds redemption as a central theme. 

As such, we continue to return to its study as it is part of the foundation of our world view, even if we today are, as a society, more secular and more scientifically atheistic.

Trying hard to be the shepherd: Pulp Fiction and Redemption

I find Pulp Fiction to be a remarkable treatment of the redemption theme, using several layers to accomplish the message. We’ll explore this fascinating treatment in installments.

One of the first tools Tarantino employs is a non-chronological order to the telling of the story which I believe to be a masterful stroke.

Star Wars, Complexity and Judgment

For the first Generation X people who saw Star Wars in theatres as a kid in 1977 (like myself), our minds were simple - the bad guy was bad, the good guy was good, and "story" was basically about how the good guy would eventually beat the bad guy. In Star Wars, Darth Vader was the bad guy and wore black, pretty simple. At the end, his TIE fighter spiraled out of control and the theatres erupted with cheers - the bad guy was vanquished, victory won.

Enter The Empire Strikes Back and - hold the phone - the bad guy ain't so bad...is he? When he said those words "I am your father!", although we in the theatres gasped in unison with Luke "Noooo!", by the end of the movie - Luke outfitted with a new mechanical hand, Han Solo frozen in carbonite - it was clear there must needs be at least one more installment to complete the story even though we had indeed "searched our feelings, and knew it to be true."