Riewer--Patriot Games and The Devil's Own

Both 1992’s Patriot Games and 1997’s The Devil’s Own star Harrison Ford and feature the stories of the Irish Republican Army, or IRA. In both films, Ford stars as the protagonist, while the antagonist of both is starkly different. Patriot Games stars Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan, a man who, while on vacation with his family in London, must take on his former role as CIA agent and stop an assassination attempt on a royal official. The antagonist of Patriot Games, Sean Miller (Sean Bean), is portrayed as an evil and bloodthirsty man, merely seeking revenge. Alternately, the antagonist of The Devil’s Own, presents a different case, and is portrayed by Brad Pitt as a sympathetic character trying to bring justice to different problems he has experienced. This film costars Ford as New York policeman Tom O’Meara, who houses who he believes is an Irish immigrant in need of a place to live.

The following image, taken from Patriot Games, shows Sean Miller, and does little to increase any sympathy that the audience might have had for him.

The color values of this image, with every character dressed in black, suggest a serious situation. Further, the three hats on the law officials’ heads versus the lack of hat on Miller’s head make him stand out in a negative. With his hands behind his back and his light hair standing out against the police and guards, his character becomes increasingly unsympathetic. Miller is also the dominant of this scene, suggesting his importance. The scowling look on his face indicates that he is a bad person or a villain in the film. The character proxemics, finally, suggest a stark difference between Miller and the other three men. He is facing the camera with his back to the others, while the other three are facing each other. All of the qualities of this image suggest that Miller is an unsympathetic antagonist.

The following image, taken from The Devil’s Own, portrays Frankie (Pitt) with Tom O’Meara and others, posing as friends in an intimate setting.

The character proxemics are intimate, suggesting that Frankie is someone who can be trusted, since the antagonist (someone with whom the audience can relate) seems to trust this person. The color values are neutral to bright, suggesting that this is a happy and fun occasion, filled with love and trust. Later in the film, this is destroyed. Finally, the lighting key is bright, and there is light directly behind the three characters, casting them in an almost holy light. This suggests that these three are to be trusted without a doubt.

Both of these films tell the stories of the IRA, but the antagonist in both is portrayed in completely different ways.

Riewer -- Presumed Innocent

Directed by Alan Pakula and starring Harrison Ford as Rust Sabich, Presumed Innocent is a 1990 film adaptation of a best-selling novel. Sabich's character allowed Ford to step away from his usual role of the hero in an action-packed film and step into the role maintaining a more dark and mysterious nature. The term "presumed innocent" refers to the legal statute that a person is innocent until proven guilty of a crime. This film tests the boundaries of this, with Sabich being tested and tricked several times by the people around him, trying to frame his guilt of a murder he did not commit. Pfeiffer said of the film, "[it is] a story about the justice system and the irony of a man of presumably high morality being victimized by the very system he has served so diligently for so many years" (p. 184). Because the truth of his innocence is not revealed until later in the film, there are several times where Sabich's innocence is undermined, or victimized, by other characters.

Rusty's innocence is undermined when prosecutor Tommy Molto (Joe Grifasi) accuses him of the crime in his office, infuriating Rusty. This sways audiences back in the direction of not believing Rusty's innocence because his outburst is reminiscent of someone guilty trying to cover up for a crime. In retrospect, the outburst was likely a cause of Rusty's frustration in his coworkers' lack of faith in him.

The character proxemics of the scene also do not help prove Rusty's innocence. Rusty's pointing finger and their personal proximity indicates that he is angry and defensive. The tight framing of the scene indicate high tension between the two characters, perhaps because one or both of them are trying to cover something up. Finally, the the straight on camera proxemics indicate that these two characters would be equals, but Rusty's dominant stance overrides this and shows that he is the more superior of the two, perhaps because he is keeping a secret.

Rusty's innocence is again undermined when Detective Lipranzer (John Spencer) reveals that he has kept the glass that should have been put into evidence. This glass could have exonerated or convicted Rusty, and the fact that it was hidden makes audiences believe that it would have been the latter option.

The most striking event where Rusty's innocence is undermined is at the end of the film when Rusty's wife, Barbara (Bonnie Bedelia), finally reveals that she was actually the one to murder Carolyn. She let Rusty go through the proceedings of the courtroom, watched others betray him, and continued to keep her mouth shut while she kept this secret. Although she does come clean to Rusty at the end of the film, her keeping her mouth shut for so long and not going to proper authorities was the worst victimization of Rusty's innocence throughout the film.

Riewer--Mosquito Coast

Mosquito Coast is a film starring Harrison Ford as Allie Fox, a man whose disgust with American culture and consumerism leads him and his family into seclusion in a village in Panama. His character grows from semi-paranoid American to full out fanatic, nearly ruining the lives of his family and essentially killing himself. As Pfeiffer points out, Allie is a "monster, a clown, a fool, a genius" (p. 157). His transition can be clearly marked by events in all three acts of the movie, eventually culminating in his downfall.

Allie's fanaticism is seen briefly at the very beginning of the film. Most consumers who are in need of a product would simply go buy whatever the store had in stock. Allie, however, found out that the item he was going to purchase was made in Japan, and he went ballistic. Allie then refused to buy the product, yelled at the storeowner, and stormed off, causing quite a scene over something that would not matter to most people. This scene is only preview into the extremely short circuit controlling Allie's fragile mind. His fanaticism continues and grows exponentially throughout the film and eventually causes his death.

The second act shows again the fanatic that Allie has become in several ways. One key moment that shows this is when Allie chooses to lock the men staying at their camp inside the ice machine, which would freeze them to death. Allie's plan goes awry, however, when the men wake up, realize they are locked inside of this machine, and begin shooting it in order to try and escape. Mirroring the original "Fat Man" and "Little Boy" bombs that were dropped in Japan at the end of World War II, the ice machine explodes into a fire storm, killing the men inside. His fanaticism is shown because he not only tried to kill these innocent men, but did so in a way that forced them to explode the entire machine in a fit of panic. Allie's episode continues through the rest of the film, with the next (but certainly not last) act of fanaticism being his lying to his family about the United States burning in a nuclear war.

The third act shows the unfortunate completion of Allie's transition into fanaticism and his subsequent and untimely death. One instance where his fanaticism is shown is when his family wakes up to find him not in the bed. It is soon revealed that Allie has woken up, doused the church in gasoline, and lit fire to it. This endangers many lives, and in a fit of rage, Reverend Spellgood guns down Allie, who suffers a fatal gun wound. Although Allie's fanaticism was more severe toward the end of the film and his life, it was certainly seen as soon as the audience was introduced to Allie.

Riewer : Witness

The beginning of Witness, starring Harrison Ford as John Book, explores the rural life of the Pennsylvania Dutch and gives viewers a preview of the journey that Witness will take. John Book is portrayed as a “by-the-book” cop who will resort to violence in order to maintain the law. He even criticizes his adult sister for what he considers her provocativeness in front of her boys. A violent, inside crime then leads Book to the life of the Amish in a small Pennsylvania town, where he begins to experience several changes within his character. Pfeiffer explains that "what makes Witness unique is its painstaking and loving depiction of life among the Amish" (151). This uniqueness is shadowed by the changes that Book makes in himself throughout the film. 

John Book, prior to experiencing life with the Amish, didn’t exactly possess a great sense of community; he mainly spent his time alone or with his police partner. Alternately, a main component of Amish life is a sense of community. The people of this community look out for each other, making sure that their beliefs are grounded throughout the things that they do. In doing this, the Amish have created a sense of community that makes each person a member of a special family. Whereas Book had previously not experienced anything like this, living among this group allowed him to gain the knowledge and practice that it takes to live in a village like this. This was shown when Book, at the end of act 2 and into act 3, worked with Eli to fix and rebuild the bird house that he had knocked over when arriving at the farm,

Book, throughout the film, also transforms what he thinks about love. He criticizes his sister for the men she is involved with, but Book later falls for Rachel emotionally and then kisses her. This causes tension in the household because their starkly different beliefs would mean that Rachel would have to leave the Amish community or Book would have to join it in order for them to be together. Prior to living with the Amish, Book would not have considered kissing a widowed woman with such a different lifestyle than his, but experiencing that community altered his viewpoint. 

Another way in which Book changes throughout the film is his respect for the Amish community and religion in general. When he first was on the farm, he was reluctant to even put on the clothes of the Amish. However, he eventually started participating in daily activities, such as waking up to milk the cows and going into town with Eli and the others. 

One way that Book does not change while living on the farm is his propensity toward violence. As a cop, Book is trained in violence and taught to punish the bad guy. While the Amish do not practice this, Book still maintains this about himself. This is proven when he goes to town with Eli and can not control his temper, and ends up punching the town person and breaking his nose. Living with the Amish greatly impacted Book throughout Witness, in both good and bad ways. 

Riewer--Blade Runner Comparison

The original 1982 version of Blade Runner called the US theatrical release was not what director Ridley Scott had intended for his eventual cult film. Certain aspects of the 1982 American release displeased Scott as well as the film’s star, Harrison Ford, and these qualities were removed from the film for Scott’s 1991 rerelease, entitled The Director’s Cut. The Ridley Scott-approved Director’s Cut included neither the 13 explanatory voice-overs from the 1982 release nor the “happy ending” of the 1982 release, showing Deckerd and Rachael in a lush, green landscape riding off into eternal happiness. The 1991 version added, however, a dream sequence in which Deckerd sees a unicorn riding through a forest. The aforementioned differences do change the overall message of the film, and the 1991 version is the way Scott intended the meaning of the film to be portrayed. 

The removal of the 13 explanatory voice-overs gives more ambiguity to Deckerd’s character. The voice-overs imply that he is self-aware and therefore likely can not be a replicant. Scott, later, discredited this by stating that Deckerd is in fact a replicant. Ford, who played Deckerd in the film, apparently recorded the voice-overs badly on purpose, in hopes that they would be removed from the film. They were included, and Ford later said of the film, “I was desperately unhappy with it. I was compelled by contract to record five or six different versions of the narration [...] The final version was something that I was completely unhappy with” (Pfeiffer 119). The dissatisfaction with these voice-overs was likely a reason that Scott felt he had to change the film in his 1991 Director’s Cut.

The removal of the 1982 “happy ending” alters the meaning of the film through both Deckerd and Rachael’s characters. The 1982 film shows the two of them clearly riding off into eternal happiness, presumably on an off-world colony with lush forests. Additionally, his voice-over in that scene states that Rachael does not have a limit to her life as an android, implying that she could potentially live forever with Deckerd. The removal of this scene, however, leaves viewers guessing what will happen with these star-crossed lovers, whose relationship (in the 1991 version) is contingent on Rachael’s limited lifespan.

The unicorn dream sequence added in the 1991 version suggests that Deckerd is a replicant, but still leaves the decision up to the viewer. This dream is a foreshadow of the end of the film when Gaff leaves the unicorn origami on the floor for Deckerd. The fact that Gaff knew to make an origami unicorn suggests that he had some sort of access to Deckerd’s dreams or memories, and this implies that Deckerd is in fact a replicant. 

The 1991 version, in my opinion, is far more effective because it leaves the decision of Deckerd’s identity up to the viewer. Finally, it is the intended version by the director, and the  better version in Ford’s opinion. 

Riewer--Androids

Philip K Dick's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? focuses mainly on the theme of possessing empathy, or having the ability to show empathy. Rick Deckerd is a trained bounty hunter, whose job focuses solely on "retiring" androids from Earth. This job requires Deckerd to at least be able to manage his empathy in the proper way, as it can become difficult for some to see androids as simply something that can be retired. Michael Heileman presents an interesting analysis of Dick's novel with many interesting and valid points. However, there are a few areas with which I have to disagree based on my interpretation of the novel as well as its film adaptation.

Heileman points out in his article that androids, specifically the Nexus-6 Replicants produced by the Rosen Corporation, are incapable of experiencing empathy, or "emotionally decrepit." He explains in his analysis that "Androids are in other words treated like a piece of property no better than the slaves once brought up from Africa to serve the same purpose in the white man's lands" (Heilemann 10). This of course is not entirely untrue. They are indeed treated like slaves, and in some cases are required to perform sexual intercourse with their masters. However, several of these androids exhibit qualities which show that they do in fact express emotions. While these androids were produced for use as slaves on colonies off of Earth, several of them were able to escape back to earth, killing their masters or hurting others in the process. This desire to free themselves of this inherent slavery and escape back to earth juxtaposes with Heilemann's assertion that all of these creatures are emotionally decrepit.

Another instance which juxtaposes with Heilemann's assertion has to do with the animals in the book. After World War Terminus, almost all animals on earth became extinct or very, very endangered and humans began producing electric animals in order to replace the real thing. These electric animals must be cared for in the same way that any real animal would have to be cared for, or else they will become ill and must be taken care of at a veterinarian or else become too ill and die. This fact alone contradicts what Heilemann claims as fact, saying that the androids are only on earth to serve a purpose for the man in charge of it. However, because these animals in fact do produce emotion, even if it is in terms of someone else (the animal's owner), it is far too presumptuous for Heilemann to make this claim without a shadow of a doubt.

Heilemann offers a rich and interesting of both Philip K. Dick's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and Ridley Scott's Blade Runner. However, as with all analysis, there are some points to be disputed in Heilemann's assertions.

Riewer: Last Crusade Make Up Blog

Throughout the final film in the Indiana Jones trilogy, The Last Crusade, the journey towards atonement with the father is a main theme. Indy and his father, Henry Sr., have an estranged relationship that is exemplified throughout this film and eventually mended. This is shown in several scenes throughout the film. 

The opening scene of The Last Crusade shows Indy trying to steal a cross from a group of thugs who want it for the money. Indy, on the other hand, wants to have it so that it can be put into a museum, where he feels it truly belongs. In his excitement upon getting away from the thugs, Indy first runs home to his father to show him his prize, but Henry, preoccupied by his study of the Holy Grail, completely ignores Indy. This is the theme of their relationship throughout Indy’s young life, as is proven by their relationship later in the film. This estrangement that is seen in this scene is what Indy and Henry, Sr. must overcome in order to achieve atonement with the father.

Later in the film, the journey toward the atonement with the father is shown when Indy is asked by Henry, Sr.’s colleague to go find a missing man, and Indy refuses. However, once he learns that the missing person is his father, Indy agrees to go on the dangerous search for his missing father. This proves that although Indy and his father have had a rough relationship throughout their lives, there is still hope and Indy is willing to do whatever it takes to make things work. In addition, this scene shows Indy, for the first time, going after something that is not monetary. He is not going in search of his father for the glory, he is doing it out of love. As Pfeiffer explains, “The device of introducing [Indiana’s] father played by Sean Connery was a stroke of genius” (Pfeiffer 175). What he is likely referring to is this new side of Indy that audiences are able to see; a softer side that is not solely driven by fame, fortune, and glory. 

The final scenes of the film show Indy and his father completing their journey to atonement with the father. First, Indy must traverse dangerous obstacles in order to attain the grail, as he and his father are being held against their will. Although Indy can not hear what his father is saying, it is implied that they have some sort of connection that helps Indy figure out the hard clues in the search for the grail. When Indy does finally take hold of the grail, he uses it to heal his father’s fatal wound, further exemplifying the process of their healing relationship. Later, the roles switch and Henry, Sr. must save Indy’s life. Indy, trying to finalize their healed relationship, makes an attempt to reach and grab for the grail but Henry, Sr. tells him to “let it go.” This assertion by Henry, Sr. shows Indy that their relationship is more important to him than the Holy Grail, and this completes their journey toward atonement with the father. 

Riewer: Raiders of the Lost Ark

The Knight's journey is one that we have not seen before the Indiana Jones trilogy. It is a complex adventure taken on by strong willed men with something important to prove. Indiana Jones' character progresses throughout the first and second movies of the trilogy. In Temple of Doom, he is a very selfish "knight" who only really cares about retrieving the prize, or the stone, for the glory and money that accompanies it. This makes him a mercenary knight, which he remains for the majority of that film. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, however, his characters transforms from the mercenary knight during the beginning half of the film, to the indentured knight we see toward the end of the film.

The opening scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark shows Indy's role as a mercenary knight. He is self-driven to go and find the golden idol and bring it back to his museum or students. However, he loses that battle when Belloq shows up and steals it from him. Indiana's role as a mercenary knight continues throughout the first half of the film. Even when he is asked by the government agency to go find the Ark of the Covenant, although he agrees to go, he is doing it for selfish reasons. He wants to find the Ark so that he can study it and use it in his museum. Harrison Ford once said of his character, "He's kind of a swashbuckling hero type, but he has human frailties, fears, and money problems, and therefore is more down to earth. He does brave things, but I wouldn't describe him as a hero" (Pfeiffer 115). All of these characteristics mentioned by Ford describe Indy's role as the knight; first the mercenary and eventually the indentured. 

Indy's transition from a mercenary knight into an indentured knight comes when he must choose to blow up the Ark of the Covenant, likely killing Marian, or once again letting Belloq take his prize. He chooses the latter, allowing himself to become the slave of the British government, who are the ones funding his adventure. Now as an indentured knight, he must carry out the task of saving the Ark of the Covenant for his rulers, the British government. In addition, he must save himself as well as Marian, while taking down Belloq and the Nazis who are interested in stealing the Ark of the Covenant for their evil purposes.

At the time that these movies came out, America was working to ensure its spot as the strongest nation of the developed world after their loss in Vietnam. So, while Indy's journey seems to have ended with the saving of the Ark of the Covenant, it actually must continue because it was not put in a museum to preserve its incredible power, as Indy wishes that it would. One must then assume that his knight's journey will continue to completion with the third film, as Luke's did in the Star Wars trilogy.

Riewer: Han and Luke as heroes

The Star Wars trilogy has typically defined Luke to be the hero in popular culture. However, knowing the difference between the civic hero and the contemplative hero brings Han into the lime light of the hero as well. Luke, throughout the trilogy, plays the role of the contemplative hero, while Han plays the role of the civic hero. Both are imperative to this trilogy. Luke, as the contemplative hero, uses his isolation from Tooitine and the rest of the galaxy when he goes to Dagobah to inherit the strength of the Force to be used along his hero's journey. Han, on the other hand, is imbedded in the community, as the civic hero always is.

Luke's journey follows Campbell's outline very closely. His call to adventure comes when Obi-Wan tells Luke that he must learn the ways of the Force and accompany him to save the Rebellion. This is when his role as the contemplative hero is first revealed, since the Force is not something that anyone else can attain. As Pfeiffer explains, "A key element to the story has Luke under the spiritual guidance of Ben Kenobi" (Pfeiffer 108). With Obi-Wan's help, the Force plays the role of the "spiritual strength" mentioned in the article. The Belly of the Whale, in Luke's journey, comes when he is on Dagobah training. As Campbell's article outlines, he is "swallowed into the unknown," leaving his friends without fair warning. He also, when fighting who he thinks is Darth Vader, kills "himself," only to be born again as a Jedi Knight who has conquered the Force.  At the end of Return of the Jedi, Luke experiences Atonement with the Father along Campbell's hero's journey. As Campbell explains, Luke must have faith that Vader is merciful, which he does when he waits patiently for Vader to return to the Force and give up the evilness of the Dark Side. He also gains assurance from the "helpful female figure" here when Vader brings up Leia, Luke's sister, as his companion and partner.

Han's journey also follows Campbell's outline, but he plays the role of the civic hero instead. His role is imperative to the trilogy because his character is more relatable to the other characters, he is down to earth, and places more emphasis on recognizing the value of the community. While Luke must learn the special "Force" that will ultimately destroy the Dark Side, Han must stay grounded and fight the physical battle against the Stormtroopers and other soldiers for the Empire's battle. Even though he plays an important role in the first film, his Call to Adventure comes in Empire Strikes Back when Luke leaves for Dagobah and Han must lead the Rebel army to defeat the Empire. His Belly of the Whale scene is literal in that Han, Leia, C-3PO and Chewbacca are stuck in the mouth of the giant monster, which they must quickly and cunningly escape. Finally, the Woman as the Temptress in Han's journey is Leia, who "represents the hero's total mastery of life." In fact, Han's role in the Rebel fight likely would have ended at the beginning of Empire, had Leia not convinced him to stay.

While Han and Luke take two different heroes journeys, both the roles of the contemplative hero and the civic hero are imperative for this trilogy, and Luke and Han fully encapsulate these, allowing the Rebel army to defeat the Empire.

Riewer: The Dark Side

When Luke needs to train to become a Jedi Knight, he goes to train under the Jedi Master Yoda, who lays out many different trials for Luke to overcome. One of these in particular represents Luke's temptation to join the Dark Side. Yoda sets up a simulation for Luke in which he is battling with Darth Vader using light sabers. Luke puts up an excellent fight and is even able to cut off Vader's head, claiming victory. However, when Luke pulls off Vader's mask, he sees his own face looking back at him. Luke is struck with the realization that joining the Dark Side is a scary and very real possibility, and the temptation to join is shown here. However, he resists and is "reborn" again to be able to train for the Force.

Luke is tempted by the Dark Side once again in Return of the Jedi when he is faced with the Emperor and Darth Vader aboard the Empire's space station. For a moment, it seems that his only two options are to die himself, or to kill the Emperor and Vader, effectively succumbing to the Dark Side. Both of these options, as Luke quickly realizes will have detrimental results for the Rebel Alliance, and the temptation here become very real. This even seems to audiences like it may be the easier option for Luke. As Pfeiffer points out, "the story begins with the rebel forces fighting a losing battle against the overwhelming armies of the Empire" (Pfeiffer 108). However, he is able to resist the Dark Side by a strange twist of events in which Darth Vader shows his own struggle with the Dark Side.

When Darth Vader has to watch his son being killed by the Emperor's electrical charge, he shows his ultimate struggle with the Dark Side. He comes into conflict with the Dark Side that he has believed in for so many years because Luke represents his only hope to be able to leave the Dark Side and rejoin the Force. When Vader sees his son being killed along with his hopes of ever rejoining the Force, he succumbs to the power of the Force, saving his son and killing the Emperor.

While the Dark Side has attractions that the Force seemingly can not offer, both Luke and Vader must use their internal Force to overcome it and help the Rebel Alliance. 

Riewer--A New Hope

Star Wars: A New Hope; Atonement with the Father

George Lucas set out during the 70s to create an epic science fiction film in which a hero can complete, or at least start to complete, the hero's journey. In the case of Star Wars: A New Hope, Lucas chose to play out the hero's journey in three separate people. As Pfeiffer explains, "Lucas[...]settled on three main heroes: Luke Skywalker, [...] Han Solo, [...] and Princess Leia," (Pfeiffer 68). While the film does indeed play almost perfectly along with Campbell's hero's journey, one scene in particular is more striking than the rest along this journey; Atonement with the Father.

Luke's Atonement with the Father occurs when Luke turns off his computer while trying to destroy the Empire in his fighter plane. Luke, who is a descendant of the Force, is able to, as Campbell explains, abandon the self-generated double monster. For Luke, this is his need to use the computer to aim his laser missile and his fear of failing. Fortunately, he is able to realize the power of the Force and use it to his advantage. Obi-Wan calls out to Luke to trust the Force and relinquish control. This perfectly coincides with Campbell's idea that "one must have faith that the father is merciful, and then a reliance on that mercy" (Campbell 130). In doing this, Luke is able to use the Force and Obi-Wan's support to aim his laser perfectly and defeat the Empire in the fight for the Rebel forces.

Campbell goes on to explain that the hero may then derive hope and assurance from the helpful female figure. Upon his landing back at the Rebel base, Princess Leia runs to him to congratulate him on the victory.

In this same scene, Han Solo also goes through a sort of Atonement with the Father insofar that he abandons his own self-generated double monster that the whole mission was a suicide mission. In abandoning this belief, he perfectly abandons his ego, as Campbell says he will. He embraces a different power of how to succeed and is ultimately able to help Luke destroy the Empire and accomplish the Rebel victory. Like Luke, Han Solo has a new found faith that helps him achieve this victory.

Lucas takes an interesting approach to the hero's journey when he elects three different characters to complete it in three different ways. They each follow Campbell's hero's journey almost perfectly, and for Han Solo and Luke, they were able to complete the Atonement with the Father stage at nearly the same time. While the rest of their journeys play out on separate paths, this culmination at the final scenes of the film sets A New Hope apart from other films by creating two protagonists for audiences to support and cheer for.