The Hero with a Thousand Faces is one of the most influential mythological studies in the 20th century. Its influence has already crossed the academic field and covered many fields of popular culture, such as many popular novels and movies. "Star Wars" director George Lucas even personally invited his own author Joseph Campbell to watch his "Star Wars" series of films, Lucas regards Campbell as a teacher and enlightener.
How are mythological studies and filmmaking related? Of course there is a connection, because no matter which ancient mythology of any civilization, the "hero" is the core role. The unfolding of the myth is the journey of the hero's adventure. And the heroic adventure is even the prototype of the story in most popular culture. Whether it's the Star Wars series, the Lord of the Rings series, and countless other works of contemporary culture, at their core, they tell the story of a hero's journey. The core of this story was first systematically refined and sorted out by Joseph Campbell, which is the main content of the book "The Hero with a Thousand Faces":
Campbell was amazing, a very knowledgeable man. The basic model of the hero's journey he wrote, like a three-act play, is divided into three stages: the first stage, departure, that is, the hero's departure from the mundane world; the second stage, enlightenment, That is, the hero takes risks and grows in a supernatural world; the third stage, return, means that the hero returns to the ordinary world with the method of saving the world after completing the adventure mission, for the benefit of the public. Think about it, isn't this a routine for many of the movies we've seen?
The next three stages are:
set off
If you think back to the hero movies you've watched, a hero is an ordinary person, just like most other people, before he becomes a hero. But often an accidental event changed him and made him no longer satisfied with being an ordinary person. Of course, sometimes, this accidental event is presented in a very tragic way. For example, Batman, there is no other reason why Batman became Batman. When he was a child, he followed his parents to go to the theater. As a result, in a small alley, he met two gangsters and shot and killed his parents. And the young Batman just witnessed all this, so he was determined to fight criminals and protect the people. Another example is the character Doctor Strange in the Marvel movies. Doctor Strange was originally a surgeon. As a doctor, he is very good and has no superpowers. But what he didn't expect was that one night, when he was driving home, an accident happened on the road. The car fell off a cliff, and the person was seriously injured. Back to work on the operating table. The arrogant Doctor Strange was very frustrated, but he was not reconciled and had to find a way to recover. Later, he came to a mysterious small eastern country, Nepal, where he was exposed to the magical world, and finally became a hero by practicing magic. figure. Think about it without this accident, he will always be a doctor, not Doctor Strange. So accidents are often the first step in a hero's journey, a way for him to accept his calling.
However, to set off, accidents are not enough, he also needs to be able to cross borders. What is the border? It is the boundary between the ordinary world and the mysterious world. This boundary is hidden, or well hidden, or exists as a restricted area that is strictly forbidden to enter. The characteristic of a hero is that he has more courage than ordinary people, so he can often take this step and cross this restricted area. Just like in "Journey to the West", a group of monkeys came to Huaguo Mountain and saw the Water Curtain Cave. Other monkeys did not dare to pass through. Only one monkey passed through without saying a word. He was the later Monkey King. Sun Wukong has a story behind it. Just like Jin Yong's "Swordsman", the protagonist Linghu Chong, for various reasons, was ordered by his teacher to come to the back mountain of Huashan. He Dugu Jiujian has since become a superb master. Without this adventure, he can only be a general master, and there is no follow-up story to unfold.
Crossing borders and going to unknown worlds and territories is a very big test for heroes. In the process, they often encounter high-level help, just like Feng Qingyang is to Linghu Chong, and Master Yoda is to Skywalker. Luke, the Ancient One to Doctor Strange.
Under the guidance of experts outside the world, the hero wakes up from an ordinary character and begins a thrilling journey. This is the second stage of the hero's journey: enlightenment.
enlightenment
The Enlightenment Stage: "Once the hero crosses the line, he enters a fickle, elusive dream-like place where he must endure many tests. This is the most beloved part of mythic adventures. The descriptions produced here are miraculous The world literature of trials and torture. Before entering this zone, the hero is tacitly aided by supernatural helpers, obtaining advice, amulets, and secret means. It is also here that the hero may first discover the benevolent presence everywhere. power, which has always supported him in his superhuman progress."
As written in "Journey to the West", if you want to go to the West to obtain the scriptures, you have to go through ninety-nine-eighty-one hardships, not just a lot of roads. Otherwise, Sun Wukong would have reached the western sky with Tang Seng and Douyun, but he would not be able to get the scriptures.
In the process of a hero slowly growing into a hero, going through trials and tribulations and gradually awakening spiritually, this is the hero's road to enlightenment.
In many movies, in order to highlight the strength of a character's spiritual power, creators often make hints by weakening his body. For example, Master Yoda, he looks ugly at first glance and is not tall, but it is precisely such a character. The physical body has the most powerful force. In addition, for example, in "Kung Fu Panda", the panda hero is fat, staggering, and clumsy. How can he practice kung fu well? Sure enough, going up the mountain to practice martial arts is difficult, and it seems that it will never be possible to become a hero. Until the crisis appeared, his "force" awakened, and the quotation marks meant that his spiritual power exploded, he realized it, and finally became a panda hero.
The contrast and opposition between this spiritual force and the body is pushed to the extreme in "X-Men". Professor X is in a wheelchair. His force value is zero, but his mental strength is strong, and he possesses the ability of telepathy and mind control.
Hero enlightenment, that is, the outbreak of heroic spiritual power, the process of epiphany.
return
(To be continued)