SHARPSHOOTER'S BLOG
Dissonant Trend
Friday, October 21, 2005 5:59 AM
We've seen it. We waited months and it came. It caused some strife for a moment, with schedules and money problems. But in the end, classes skipped, jobs called into, and pockets picked empty, we were all there, dressed for the part. We were ready.-History-
I found myself in anticipation of something Joss didn't want to give me. I'm tired of Anakin falling to the Dark Side. I'm tired of Trinity dying just moments before Neo follows. I'm tired of the ambiguous endings. I'm tired of dead heroes.
I've been sloughing through this trendy artform since the last episode of Cowboy Bebop. And yes, i'll admit that was one of the greatest shows i've ever formed an opinion for. And no, i'm not a fan of cesorship. And no, i don't think the world is less than atrocious.
But i'm tired of the storybook temples built to the suffering protagonist.
That's what was on my mind when i went into a dim theater with hopes of seeing Wash crack me up, Jayne act stupid in ways that allowed Wash to crack me up, and Captain Mal do the right thing, even when he had no reason to believe it was ever going to pay off.
I went in expecting Serenity Pt. 3 and 4. What I got was a darkened look at a world I've been wanting to love. Now it seems like another jot on the notepad for Hollywood. "But in real life, mr. Sharp, the goodguys don't always win."
I know. Believe me. I get it.
So stop singing it.
-Hubris-
This is simple. I'm a purist, an Idealist, and a Dreamer. It's a rough combo in this day and age. Sure, we've known Anakin was Darth almost as long as we've know Frodo wouldn't be able to stay in the Shire. But those moments were back of our head as we watched the Death Star blow up. As we watched Smaug fall into the Lake.
Somewhere out there, some guy wrote the ballad of Beowulf. Somebody started it. And we've been segregating our opinions ever since. We've been slowly dividing into the Hopeful Happy Endings and the Realistic Adult Dramas.
And here's what's worse: We're usually the opposite in life. I will readily admit, when I go into the maelstrom of suffering that this life throws at me, i'm not squeezing the Lemonade. I'm shoving the lemons down the throats of any bloke willing to test me. I end up a jerk, by circumstance, and i hide behind the decisions I make with the thoughts that I had no choice.
I guess what i'm saying is that in my own life, as pithy as it really is, i'm just like Mal. I shove the guy off the Mule and spare him one round to the chest in hopes of paying him my only bit of kindness from a parched heart.
The Heart feeds on hope.
And I didn't see Hope in Serenity. I saw a crew of hopless and stubborn souls that did out of a lack of choice.
-Humility-
Maybe I'm reading into this too much. Maybe i'm just not down with the trend for reasons more predictable than I'd like. As i wrot in the last entry: Serenity is the Best movie i've ever not liked. What I mean is simple: I have no argument about the writing. It's by far some of the best storytelling and movie-making I've seen in my life. It's a great film. It's just not what I wanted.
Because I wanted a victory without the counter-weight of loss. I wanted to see something that might inspire me to stirve for the goal, instead of gritting my teeth and moving the only direction left...Forward.
I expected a lot out of this movie. I wanted something that left me as happy as i did when Transporter 2 rolled it's credits, only without making me feel like a moron for watching it.
I wanted something Joss didn't want to give me. I wanted Captain Mal to save Inara like a princess in a faery story. I wanted to see Jayne decide to leave the money for the crew. I wanted to see Book take down the Operative because he used to be an agent, too, only he lived, and that makes him better because he's a survivor...
I wanted every last candy coated, re-hashed and predictable hollywood moment. Because I knew Joss could give it to me in a way that would merit my praise. And even if the critics damned
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