Hero Cinema Harbinger Of Hero Archetype?

[TheNomad]

Hello, I am doing research and writing about the Hero genre in film and even popular culture which ushered in the Millennial generation of the 21st Century.

I cannot recall if discussion of Jung's Collective Unconscious is found in the Generations book or The 4th Turning or if I heard the authors speak about it in their talks/lectures.  It simply means the manifestation of the archetype is something which exists outside of our timespace.  It is universal.  No matter what happened, there would be the idea of or need for these cycles and archetypes among modern man. 

In the middle of a Nomad cycle, there appear films sagas: Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, even Star Wars prequels: in the years just before and just after the Crisis period beginning in 2001.  These Heroic films deal with complex OR very simple Hero archetypes who are somehow chosen by an unknown Force to fulfill a destiny.  It seems like there is a calling of the archetype that builds into fruition and along with the growth and development of the archetype; possibly bringing it to pass even?  Who knows what forces are working in the unknown? 

Through the beginnings of Crisis, we see what began very humbly with the Marvel Cinematic franchise.  A shared world of Superheroes and Supervillains of all kinds, battling every problem imaginable by uniting disparate forces from various walks to come together and WIN.  Is it any wonder these films hold such fascination?  A full decade later, Marvel Cinema is still at the very top of Hollywood; no one is tired.  These Heroes are now more specific.  We can see ourselves in them.  They are no longer in a computer Matrix or Galaxy Far away.  

These will eventually die out.  However, while struck in the right chord with historical sways, the theme can strike hard and go long periods without fatigue or rest.  The Hero archetype is just now coming to mid-life, they are gaining some power over their surroundings, and we expect them to save us.  That's what they are supposed to do.  We have been primed for this message.  The Heroes themselves have been primed for this message.  The Force guides all?

If anyone is studying the Jungian connection with S&H, or like the Hero archetype or Marvel (lol) respond

[pbrower2a]

I used to hold the genre in disdain because of paper-thin plots, bad writing, and cardboard acting. It is not that we haven't had super-heroes and super-villains in the past:



But even this was cheesy.

OK, there has been the Star Wars franchise, but it had no super-power other than "The Force" that was difficult to master and usable on both sides of a struggle. But cleverness beats arrogance and ruthlessness. But let us remember that the first of the Superman films involving the late Christopher Reeve and the now-late Margot Kidder (it is all downward with that series) succeeded to the extent that "Superman" showed his humanity.

Put substance into the plot, commit some first-rate talent to the writing, and establish characters with some human quality and you have Doctor Strange or Black Panther. When you can pay attention to something other than the special effects you have something special.

[TheNomad]

(05-25-2018, 06:54 AM)pbrower2a Wrote: I used to hold the genre in disdain because of paper-thin plots, bad writing, and cardboard acting. It is not that we haven't had super-heroes and super-villains in the past:



But even this was cheesy.

OK, there has been the Star Wars franchise, but it had no super-power other than "The Force" that was difficult to master and usable on both sides of a struggle. But cleverness beats arrogance and ruthlessness. But let us remember that the first of the Superman films involving the late Christopher Reeve and the now-late Margot Kidder (it is all downward with that series) succeeded to the extent that "Superman" showed his humanity.

Put substance into the plot, commit some first-rate talent to the writing, and establish characters with some human quality and you have Doctor Strange.    When you can pay attention to something other than the special effects you have something special.

Oh!  I have never seen FAVORITES.  How cool.  Well, in my head it works fine lol.  We had the huge origin of Hero narrative back in the time when Heroes were being born last time.  Only, it was in paper form now on the big screen.  Captain America punching Adolph Hitler was revolutionary.  Kids were being naturally stimulated to choose a side and fight for something in a National capacity (mirrored in the troops which fought in Iraq and Afghanistan and the supporting theaters after 911).  I brought this up just for that purpose!  Young people read about Captain America and Superman prior to/during the WWII event, primed.  Young people received a re-editing and more grandiose version of the Hero archetype with the resurrection of Superman (Reeves) and Batman (Keaton) in the 80s but it was premature.  Only when we move to the late 90s the Hero Quest is fully arrived and updated with Tolkien's saga and a totally appropriate 90s original Hero narrative of The Matrix films..... accompanied by tried and true sagas containing strong Hero archetype in the Star Wars prequels.  There are others I choose not to name because there are many.

I'm speaking now to the Collective Unconscious almost in that the rise of the archetype is preceded by or shepherded into being by such myths re-shaped and modernized for the time.  Star Wars is not original.  It has flashy lights and things moving through telekinesis but isn't it the same as King Arthur or whatever?  It's the same story.  Neo in the Matrix is "the chosen one" to fulfill a destiny only he can fulfill.  These people are ascending to some form greater than ourselves to solve problems we cannot solve, to fix things broken we thought were lost, we are ordinary while they are extraordinary.  The story was told around the fire, then written down, then re-told through art, then in books, then in comics, on TV and to the silver screen and into home theater and pretty soon the SYMBA myth is something ALL CHILDREN RECEIVE at the earliest of age through their parents sitting them down in the living room in front of a TV.  It becomes the common glue of our civilization also.

So, the Hero archetype has been building and manifesting until there is a film saga breaking ALL records, the last Avengers movie will probably earn the highest grossing film ever.  EVER.  For the last 20 years, we have been seeing a strong Hero archetype developing, evolving, bringing to life the same stories told during the previous saeculum archetype!  During the Crisis, that is when the Hero appears.  It is no mistake in my viewpoint the Hero began to strongly arrive just previous to the turn of the century.  No one at that time knew what was coming.  It seems like the Collective Unconscious brings these cyclical concepts into being.  I wonder if not for the strong Hero imagery combined with VERY strong Nationalistic "propaganda" (cmon we have to call it what it is people had flags 3ft above their car driving around town and on the sides of their homes, could that happen now??? NO), would any of those people actually have chosen to fight those wars?  


Then, the Hero archetype is not just about WAR, we have now THE STRONGEST manifestation of the Hero!  People cannot get enough.

Black Panther, Infinity War, DEADPOOL!  All of these in 2018, the biggest selling movies of the year so far and probably will be through the year and beyond.  How is DEADPOOL - an R-rated movie produced ultimately by Disney (that is unfathomable itself) AND ANT-MAN(!) how are these films breaking all records?  Because they are occurring in a time when the Hero is needed and necessary.  So, the archetype is still manifesting because THE HERO IS NOT FINISHED.  There is still work to be done.  These people are supposed to arrive with a large suppository to channel the sludge away.  Filthy work.  But it will happen.

Based partly on this, I cannot envision more aftermath from this Crisis.  It is now time NOT for these people to go to war.  That already happened.  It is now time for them to pick up the tools and start fixing things.  It's time for the High.  Personally, I see it in the attitudes of the general populace.  The authors S&H are always saying to look for specific events which cause a national mood swing.  Based on that alone, I cannot at all see Millennial and Artist people go into the buzzsaw of some foreign war OR domestic attack.  Not because there may not be dark entities starting wars (because I believe that is how most if not all military conflicts start anyway) but because they and the general CONSENSUS would say "no.  no uh uh, we have a lot of shit to fix here, we cannot go focusing on some field some place in Asia trying to get our bomb off".  It just would not be allowed or entertained. 

If you or anyone can imagine a circumstance where rump goes on camera in the oval to announce that Franistan has been developing advanced weaponry to attack The Golum Region of a neighboring ally, please describe it.  But nobody would be having any parts of that.

The Hero archetype fully manifested in the highest form is NOW.  It has been running for about the last 2 decades. 

The cycle is complete (~Lord Vader breathes~)