The myth of good
and evil is a staple in storytelling, and also in the days of cinema. The story
of a heroic individual fighting throughout the movie to defeat the dastardly villains
gives viewers a clear understanding of who to root for and who to hopefully see
their demise. From Douglas Fairbanks’ Robin Hood versus the evil Prince John to
the age of white hat-wearing cowboys chasing down the evil no good black hat-wearing
outlaws, hero versus villain is a popular theme in movies. While some movies
like King Kong and Frankenstein blur the lines of who is truly the villain and
hero, other movies draw a strong and very clear line in the sand. Fantasy films
are a genre of film that clearly establish an underdog hero rising up to defeat
the much larger evil villain. In this genre a good knight fighting an evil
wizard to save a damsel, or a hero slays a dragon in revenge. Acts of revenge
against an evil entity, or saving one in distress are common in this genre. Two
such fantasy movies that highlight the myth of good versus evil very clearly
are 1982s Conan the Barbarian and 1985s Legend.
The Arnold
Schwarzenegger lead movie Conan the
Barbarian establishes our hero early. The viewer is introduced to a young
child, who watches as his mother and father are murdered in front of him by the
evil Doom played by James Earl Jones. This establishes clearly our hatred for
Doom. The young child is sold into slavery and slowly grows into the muscle
bound hero we know as Conan the Barbarian. We follow Conan though his journey
to exact revenge against the one who took his mother and father. To establish
that time has not changed the evil within Doom, Conan is captured by Doom’s
cult and tortured. While captured, Doom compels a young woman to her death, and
also kills Conan’s companion who viewers have come to grow fond of,
reestablishing why Doom is the clear villain and why we want to see his demise. The revenge plot is a simple plot to
establish good versus evil, such as Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, where there is
tragedy in the loss of a parent and a drive for redemption. There are many
moments in Conan the Barbarian that
show the character becoming uncontrollable in his desire for revenge and he must
be pulled back from a foolish decision by his more level-headed companions.
This madness, or temporary madness, is shown in numerous examples of the
revenge plot. Like most movies with this plotline, Conan finally defeats the
evil Doom, avenging his parents, and his journey (as does the movie) comes to
an end.
While the revenge
plot is an easy way for storytellers to establish which character is good and
which is evil, one movie in particular has many subtle, and not so subtle, ways
to help the viewer decide. Ridley Scott’s Legend
is a movie of a kindhearted, good young man saving the woman he loves from the
evil Lord of Darkness. The Lord of Darkness (Tim Curry) has decided to plunge
the world into total darkness. To do this he must kill the last of the
unicorns. Since only pure good can come near the unicorns, he sends his goblin
soldiers to follow the good and innocent mortal, princess Lili.
Jack (Tom Cruise)
and Lili (Mia Sara) are two innocent, young people in love. They frolic through
sunny fields and forests. White fairies and flowers float through the air, like
constant dander. Jack shows Lili the unicorns, which she proceeds to pet.
Little did she know, the goblins have followed them and shoot a poison dart
into the unicorn while it’s distracted by Lili. While discussing marriage, Lili
playfully tosses her ring into the lake stating that she will marry the person
who finds her ring. Jack jumps into the water leaving Lili, the unicorn is
murdered by the evil goblins, and the world becomes a state of wind, and
winter. Lili is then captured by the Darkness and Jack must save her. This of
course leads to the epic battle between the good Jack and the evil, devil-horned
Lord of Darkness.
The movie uses
many ways to separate what the film deems good and evil. The lair where the
Lord of Darkness resides is full of billowing smoke, fire and decay. Food is
rotted and the primary colors are orange, red and black. Where Lily and Jack
reside is a world of sunshine, forests of tall grass and flowers. The primary
colors are whites, greens and yellows. The look of the heroes and villains are
very striking and opposites. Jack’s companions are soft, bumbling dwarfs
wearing light colors, while the Lord of Darkness’s minions are dark in color
with sharp features. Unicorns also are a symbol of good and innocence, so the
Lord of Darkness’ plan to kill the last remaining ones easily establishes his
role. Also, his name is the Lord of Darkness and he is a red, hoofed-shoed
devil with extremely large horns. This name and look are not very subtle
symbols of evil for the viewer to decipher. The ultimate visual metaphor is how
sunlight destroys the Lord of Darkness. At the end of the day, good overcomes
evil. Light overcomes dark.
 |
| Yeah, not so subtle |
The myth of good
and evil is a strong pattern for movie audiences because, while being swept
away in the fantasy of cinema, people enjoy seeing a hero overcome odds. Even
in an example of a dark revenge story such as Conan the Barbarian, a viewing audience wants to be uplifted by
good triumphing over evil. When James Earl Jones’ Doom is destroyed, the
viewing audience can rejoice knowing that there are consequences to ones
horrific actions. The underdog defeating the all-powerful villain as in Legend is another uplifting movie
viewing experience. Knowing that good always defeats evil creates a happy
ending, and the viewing audience keeps that good feeling with them when they
leave the theater. Knowing that one person can become something greater than
himself to save the day is a powerful feeling to take into ones own life.
This myth has
always resonated in my movie viewing. I personally want to know that evil never
wins. I want to know that a person can overcome great hurdles to save the day.
I want to have a hero to root for and a villain to hate, and see that they are
overcome. This is the drive that moves me through the movie with the character.
This is what leads me to get excited about the climactic showdown at the end.
At the end of the day, I want to know that there is a happy ending coming for
all of us.
Reference
Farrier, J. (2009, November 9). The Science Behind Cowboys
In Black and White Hats. Neatarama. Retrieved
from http://www.neatorama.com/2009/11/09/the-science-behind-cowboys-in-black-and-white-hats/
Internet Movie Database. (n.d). Conan the Barbarian (1982): Retrieved March 2, 2013 from the
Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082198/?ref_=sr_3
Internet Movie Database. (n.d). Legend (1985): Retrieved March 2, 2013 from the Internet Movie
Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089469/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
Internet Movie Database. (n.d). Robin Hood (1922): Retrieved March 2, 2013 from the Internet Movie
Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0013556/
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