Hey everybody,
I got to thinking about all of this Rime of the Ancient Mariner and began to make connections to modern day literatures and films that deal with the same issue of the guilt-ridden "hero" that must atone for sins and had an idea to see what you could come up with. I immediately thought of my favorite two Mel Gibson movies - "Braveheart" and "The Patriot". In both, the hero, decides to join the fight only after losing some of his loved ones - he feels the pain of those memories and wants justice, but I think it's mostly because he feels if he had acted sooner, his family would still be intact (not exactly like the mariner but along the same lines).
Can anybody think of more??? Person with the best example (closest would help and please explain) will get five extra points on his or her test.
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One movie immediately comes to mind. The Godfather part III. The don, Michael Corleonne, after losing his brothers, wife, and the respect of his son, decides to pull the family out of organized crime and into the acts of helping society. He lives with the guilt every day of driving his wife away, causing the deaths of many people, and watching his loved ones die in retaliation to actions of his own. He tells a priest in Sicily that he's afraid of going to hell, but if that's his fate then so be it. He just wants to do right with the rest of his life, hoping that'll ease the guilt of some of the uglieness he caused over time. It isn't until an assasination attempt against him goes entirely wrong and he ends up losing the one thing in the world that he loves the most, his daughter. The ultimate penance. He ends up dying alone, with nobody, because the symbolism there is that's what he felt he deserved.
ReplyDeleteOver and again in this movie, does the main character (Al Pacino is THE MAN) express his regrets for the things him and his family had done. He started out a decent person, and over time, became a man he deep down loathed. Like the Mariner, the main character asked for forgiveness from the priest in Sicily, and he got it, but that didn't take away the fact that he still owed big time.
Putting Spiderman aside for a few minutes, and looking over the movie version of The Ancient Mariner, the first movie that came to my mind, and it was skipped over in class: Pirates of The Caribbean. The first one, The Curse of The Black Pearl. And here's why;
ReplyDeleteStraight away, here is a crew that is under a curse, much the same as the Mariner. Apart from it's obviously relations, like being on a boat and the sea, the Pirates in this movie are cursed because they found a treasure chest full of gold that they proceeded to spend, not knowing that it was cursed. Being pirates, they didn't think about their actions, or give any thought to the Aztec gold, and spent it all, probably on beer and loose woman.
When they found this chest full of gold, the First Mate (Barbossa)instigated a mutiny against the Captain (Sparrow), and thus THEY were the ones that spent everything. With spending the gold, the crew were damned to live life on the open sea, on the Black Pearl, unable to eat, sleep, or drink, and ultimately, live a life of "life in death", as immortal skeletons (shown in the moonlight).
The only way for the curse to be lifted is to regain every single piece of gold back into the chest, and the blood of every single crew member of the Black Pearl, dropped onto the gold.
The twist is that one crew member, Bootstrap Bill, was tied to a cannon and thrown over board. He also sent one coin to his son.....so the pirates are seemingly damned to spend ALL eternity attempting to find this one coin and dude's blood.
Otherwise, they spend their days sailing around, and all because they didn't think about what they were doing.
Another reference, apart from a sweet song by Iron Maiden, you could also find references in characters from Batman. This one dude made a horrific decision to help criminals break into the Plant he used to work at, so he could support his pregnant wife. Though while helping the criminals, he wasn't at home to be with his wife, and she tragically dies in a household accident. He learns of this, tries to back out of the robbery, but is strong armed, then confronted by Batman. He leaps over a railing and into a vat of chemicals. These choices, un thought and ridiculous, effect him for the rest of his life, eventually turning him insane and sociopathic (this is where The Joker comes from).
You can also obtain the idea of 'stupid decisions that effect others', in movies like Evil Dead (reading from the book of the undead, unleashing zombies).
My last reference comes from one of my favorite movies, & books, A Clockwork Orange. Alex, the main character, is a rebellious, evil child. Robbing, beating, raping, and torturing people...all for the fun of it, without a thought to any else around him. Through his actions, he left a man paralyzed, 2 woman dead, and one homeless man was beaten to death. Alex is eventually caught, and then suddenly realizes what he has done to all these people. After some extreme medical treatment, he is repulsed by the things he has done....but still has that all on his mind and conscience.
You could go on and on about a reference here and there that relates to a bad life choice having a terrible effect on others around said 'bad choice maker'. My memory escapes me for now as to the movie I'm thinking of, but I may/may not re post.
better yet...read/watch Atonement
ReplyDeleteAfter thinking for a minute, "Gone with the Wind" comes to mind. The story of Scarlet O'Hara has many correlations with literature. In the case of the Ancient Mariner, it reminds me of the final scene of "Gone with the Wind" in which Scarlet speaks with her only true friend, though she doesn't realize it, Melanie. As Melanie dies, she tells Scarlet to be good to Rhett because "he loves (her) so." Scarlet is struck by her statement expecting "Mellie" to ask her to look after Bo, her son, or her husband Ashley. Scarlet finally realizes just how special of a friend Mellie has been to her for her whole life, even though Scarlet has done nothing honestly kind for her. When Scarlet leaves Mellie's bedside, she rushes to Ashley to comfort him in this troubling time. Scarlet has been in love with Ashely since she was young, although she never understood him. In his distress, Scarlet finally, finally realizes that Ashely truly loves Mellie and never really cared for her other than admiration. When Scarlet realizes this she then runs through the fog to her home to her husband Rhett. Rhett is highly upset as Scarlet is about Melanie's death. When she enters the room, he starts packing to leave. Scarlet realizes that she has really been in love with Rhett all this time, and just hasn't known it. Rhett was perfect for her, and he truly loved her despite the fact that she has swooned over the married Ashley all these years. Scarlet is distressed and throws herself at him to try to make him stay. As he grabs his bag to leave her, she chases him to the door. Their very fragile marriage is on the brink of fire after withstanding so many blows as misunderstood and misappropriated feelings, the lose of two children, and then the lose of the only "truly good woman left in the world." Scarlet sobs as Rhett steps into the fog. She calls out to him asking him what to do. He cooly replies, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a darn."
ReplyDeleteAlthough the center of the story occurs during the civil war, it is not Scarlet's role in the war at all that is the focus, but the civil war of her heart. She was young and naive and prideful, much as many of us are. She had unattainable dreams that she really didn't understand. Through numerous mistakes as well as the lose of people close to her, Scarlet finally decides to fight for what would truly make her happy. After losing her mother, her father, two children, and then finally her best friend, she realizes that Rhett is worth fighting for. She also had been married and widowed twice before, but without any real love in her life. She survived starvation, working in the fields as hard as any man, begging and pleading for money to pay the taxes on Tara, standing strong for all around her just to survive. Scarlet lost so much before she finally knew what she wanted, that it is possibly too late. The ending correlates with the Ancient Mariner as well because you are left wondering if Rhett is "gone with the wind" or if Scarlet's spirit and vivacity will win his heart back "another day."