are fans boycotting the movie? (major spoilers)
POSTED BY: XanderHarris
UPDATED: Thursday, October 20, 2005 16:27
VIEWED: 20975
PAGE 4 of 9
Hey Soupcatcher!
No, of course you're right about fighting. I only used Boromir as an example of a death of a beloved character that was tremendously meaningful and thoroughly integrated into the narrative; one that my girlfriend would watch any time you asked, while she is reluctant to see Serenity again. I'm sure (or at least hope, my faith in Joss being just a teensy bit shaken) that when we get our trilogy, Joss will integrate Wash's death into the tapestry of subsequent events the way Boromir's was by the way it haunted Aragorn and with the meeting of Boromir's brother and such.
Not to put too fine a point on things here, but if an actual Reaver had crashed through the windshield and sunk his claws into Wash forcing the stunned crew into action, the death would have seemed less random. On a narrative level I wouldn't be wondering what even happened. As it was, it was a kind of a Deus Ex Machina minus the Deus. I would go so far as to say that Joss intended to grind exactly the existential axe that many here have been proclaiming--"Death is terrible and sudden and comes out of nowhere!" I dare say that he wants us to see the death as senseless as part of an angry point he's making about existence.
Remember his lyrical commentary on Objects in Space? I remember being a little surprised at how arid and cerebral his own vision of that lush and emotional story was. But that's the great thing about great art; the artist is just another viewer with an opinion, but the art transends all our reduction. By killing the Spiritual Father and destroying the Good Marriage he's gone a long way toward making over the Firefly universe into one that's more consistent with his existential pessimism.
HKCavalier
Hey, hey, hey, don't be mean. We don't have to be mean, because, remember, no matter where you go, there you are.
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O.K.
This is for all of those who told me that in order to appreciate "everything that happened" I need to see it again.
Congratulations! You talked me into it.
But first, I plan to watch the entire DVD set again.
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Forget it, it seems already taken care of.
---
"Oh, I was born, a six-gun in my hand. Behind a gun I'll make my final stand."
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I believe that some might in fact be boycotting the movie. Some have posted as much here & on other boards that they were "throwing away their DVDs", "telling everyone they know not to see the movie", blasting it on message boards, etc, etc.
I can understand people being upset. I can understand & respect people being hurt & angry over the loss of two of the characters, but I can not understand doing deliberate harm to the future of the story by doing all they can to insure it fails because things did not go as they hoped they might.
Now before anyone goes grabbing a rope & looking for a tree let me say that I can fully understand being upset, mad even, but not to the extent some are taking it. Seems to me that the BDM separated the faithful browncoats from the fair weather fans. Don't mean that to sound like a put down, but I call 'em like I see 'em.
Mal is my favorite character, followed closely by Jayne. I would hate to see either leave the ship or be killed off, but if they were I would still be there. I would still watch, spend my money on merchandise, etc. I am a browncoat to the core. A fan of the entire story, not just one part of it. I may associate more with one character, but I care about them all. If Joss found it necessary to further the story to kill off Mal then I would be upset, but I would move on w/ the story.
Those that are claiming they are walking away because Wash or Book died remind me of kids on the playground; when things don't go their way the take their ball & go home. Please note I did not call anyone a child, only remarked that some of the behavior I have seen exhibited reminds me of childlike behavior.
Just my piece. Hope no one takes offense.
__________________________________________
"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."
Richmond, VA & surrounding area Firefly Fans:
http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/richmondbrowncoats/
http://www.richmondbrowncoats.org
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i'm actually enjoying the debates among us browncoats triggered by the death of wash/major characters/whatnot.
can you just feel the love?
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Quote:
Originally posted by Thanatus:
can we just discuss this movie and work through some possible improvements so that maybe Joss/Universal can get some feedback on what works/what doesn't? Maybe we can have a positive impact on this franchise again. BTW...Active boycotting and/or not even giving Serenity a chance? Lame. Pure and simple.
If Joss had been allowed to continue creating 'Firefly' he would have killed off characters,
it is what he does. He finds it meaningful.
He has never listened to 'feedback' before
(and believe me you couldn't BELIEVE the nashing of teeth that occured around so many things he did on Buffy or Angel)
there is no reason to believe he would now....
But MOST people here don't agree that it would be necessary anyway.
Most people here love the film.
You want a show of hands? Frankly I think it is about a thousand to one....
maybe I'm wrong, maybe one in a hundred.
But whatever it is, whining about it isn't going to change anyone else's opinion.
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I think you all miss some points:
1) Wash died. Suddenly you have to wonder - will he kill someone else off next?
2) Then they're fighting reavers, and they're doomed and taking casualties. How much more scary is it now that you know Joss means business?
3) Will Zoe be pregnant in the sequel? That would be fun. It would be especially interesting if River slowly replaces Zoe on some missions because Zoe's in the family way. Actually, I just want to see River develop a rapport with someone on the crew other than Kaylee. (I like Kaylee, but she's nice to everyone.)
-Jeff
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Ok, I feel like I may be taking my virtual life in my own hands by posting.
First, I am not a long standing Firefly fan. I am sorry about that but I'd never heard of Firefly until about 1 year ago. I missed it on fox, much to my disappointment. I heard about it through my connectionwith Farscape (I won't detail the connection. Suffice it to say that Farscape fans are diligently watching to see what happens to Serenity.) As a result, I gave you my support and saw the film.
From an outsider's point of view the movie worked well for me, not only giving me a great time but infusing me with a desire to see the context of the movie. I now have the DVDs and wil be watching them this weekend.
Couple of thoughts, again from an outsider's POV:
"Book" died and so pushed Mal into action, creating the motivation to take the crew into danger for revenge. Wise move or not-doesn't matter. It was the motivational catalyst and forwarded the plot. Note that it FORWARDED the plot, i.e we are still in a story that will have (hopefully) a happy ending.
Wash died. Why?
Up until that point, the movie was a story and progressed like all stories. At that point something happened. His death was senseless, random, unexpected and did not forward any plot device that I could see. But it did create a HUGE amount of tension. HE JUST KILLED A KEY MAIN CHARACTER!!!! What the H**L?! Jeez, are ANY of them going to get out of this?!
...and all of a sudden this became more than just a story, it became like life.
The death was random, like death in real life - a 9 year old little girl run over on the sidewalk by a van full of drunken partyers. (this happened 10 years ago in my home town) Three men, Manson like, broke into a mobile home out in the country, made a mother and her four children lie face down on the floor and then proceed to shotgun the whole family to death. Need I go on? Probably not.
Wash died...and the movie became more than a story....
I am looking forward to meeting and getting to know both Book and Wash in the DVDs.
PS I will probably go see S again this weekend. I want it to succeed, now for its own merits, not just because it may help Farscape.
Apidude
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Quote:I seriously want to know why Book's death was not sufficient for this?
Originally posted by jaif:
I think you all miss some points:
1) Wash died. Suddenly you have to wonder - will he kill someone else off next?
Quote:I don't rely upon the bare facts of the narrative for my emotional engagement. I rely on the believibility of the performances and writing for that.
2) Then they're fighting reavers, and they're doomed and taking casualties. How much more scary is it now that you know Joss means business?
Quote:Loads. Gina's got a pretty rough road ahead, playing a woman who lost the love of her life and has to raise their child alone, keeping it real without overwhelming the rest of the plot.
3) Will Zoe be pregnant in the sequel? That would be fun.
HKCavalier
Hey, hey, hey, don't be mean. We don't have to be mean, because, remember, no matter where you go, there you are.
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