Mention heroes and the mind conjures fantastic images of caped crusaders, valiant hunks and what-nots swinging into action. I decided to look up the definition of a hero and the dictionary says that it is a person who is admired by many for his/her noble qualities or courage. The truth is anyone can be a hero and even your neighbourhood policeman and fireman may have exhibited such brave deeds before.
We have all watched movies and read books where heroes are depicted as idol figures that can perform out-of-this-world feats. Usually the hero is in a dire situation to save the world and seems to be the only one the enemy fears. He/She is able to tackle armies of the foe and sometimes amazingly be able to dodge rains of bullets. Yet he/she has one weakness which is a loved one. The stereotype storyline ends with the hero getting fatally injured or sometimes even getting killed eventually, almost like telling us that the price of love is death.
Yet that is a classic story-type hero and the heroes of our lives usually takes form of simple people who help us in the course of our journeys. They can be people who stand up for what is right and justifiable but as a result get rebuked by others and possibly get into trouble with the authorities. I have a friend who straight up told me he doesn't want to be a hero. He feels that it's just not worth it to suffer for a cause and one voice alone cannot make a difference. He paints a pessimistic view that the world is already full of injustice and corruption and if you can't beat them, join them.
It reminds me of the song I Don't Want To Be A Hero by Johnny Hates Jazz:
Oh, send me off to war
With a gun in my hand
But I won't pull the trigger
Our destiny is here
'Neath the red, white and blue
So lead me to the slaughter
Now don't be afraid
Come and join the parade
For the ultimate in sacrifice
It's an old-fashioned story
Of hope and of glory
A ticket for taking a life
(Chorus)
I, I don't want to be a hero
I don't want to die for you
I don't want to be a hero
Oh send me off to war
In a far away land
I never knew existed
Subject me to the truth
To the horror and pain
Until my mind is twisted
And what if I fail
Will you put me in jail
For a murder I will not commit?
'Cos you don't understand
Till there's blood on your hands
That it's time to forget and forgive
(Chorus)
And those who return
Come back only to learn
That they're hated by those who they love
'Cos you're not satisfied
Till the thousand will die
And your anger is paint for blood
(Chorus)
3 comments:
Speaking of heroes...
Have you seen that Chinese movie 'hero'? It's only just come out in Australia (even though it was made practically 2-3 years ago in China).
The colours and cinematography are like *amazing*.
I sat there in absolute awe.
One good thing about living in Singapore is that we get movies relatively quick, especially if you are talking about Chinese shows. The masterpiece "Hero" by famed director Zhang Yimou was screened in Singapore quite some time back that i don't remember when i saw it. It was a great visual spectacle of colours.
If you love such a genre, then there are more such shows coming up for you. The most recent (about few months back) i watched the House of Flying Daggers with a French friend of mine, also by the same director.
Yes, I've heard of the house of flying daggers. apparently it's supposed to be just as good. We'll see.
As much as I loved Hero, I think one of the reasons why was because it was such a marked contrast from Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon - which did not impress me as much as it did the majority of the international community and its critics. The ending jarred me very much. I just sat there berating Jiang Zee Yee, not to mention the fact that the martial arts in CDHT with muted artistic sound effects (i.e. practical total absence) dismayed me to no end.
Anyhow, ignore me, I'm just ranting.
=D
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