Western Africa and
more specifically Nigeria is the third largest film producing country behind
India and The United States. Despite the multi faceted obstacles of colonialism
and neocolonialism West African Cinema particularly in the nineteen seventies
became a force in the cinematic world demanding analysis. The Senegalese writer
director Ousmane Sembene is a luminary in the world of African cinema. His
fifth feature Ceddo (Senegal, 1977)
is a historical fiction/ folk tale taking place in an unspecified time but most
likely somewhere between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. In his
straight forward story Mr. Sembene is able to comment on religion, colonialism,
and gender. Despite Ceddo (Senegal,
1977) discussing many African ideas and themes these ideas and themes are not
unique to the African experience and resonate with any audience.
The echoes of culturally universal stories
and myths can be seen around the globe. Similar themes and plot elements in myths
and folk lore can be seen in peoples and cultures around the world. The hero’s
journey is a story that ancient mankind told each other even before the advent
of the written word and continues to tell in the present day. In Ceddo (Senegal, 1977) the protagonist the
Princess Dior played by Tabata Ndiaye returns to claim her birth rite and
restore order and justice to the kingdom. We see similarities with Ceddo (Senegal, 1977) in Tolkien’s third
volume of The Lord of The Rings; The Return of The King, The Lion King (1994), and the Arthurian legend to name a few. The Arthurian
legend makes a particularly interesting comparison because Arthur sitting upon
the throne and his well being is directly linked to justice and the land flourishing.
On the simplest level the hero’s
journey can be broken into three stages separation, decent or initiation, and
the return. Despite the return being the epic climax to Ceddo (Senegal, 1977) all three stages are evident in the narrative
of the film. The first stage is separation. This stage has the hero leave the
comfort and familiarity of their home and enter a strange new world. In Ceddo (Senegal, 1977) this stage is a
large portion of the narrative. The Princess Dior is kidnapped early in the
film by a warrior demanding justice from the king. This fulfils the separation stage
of the hero’s journey.
The second stage of the hero’s journey
is decent or initiation. In this part of the story the hero will gain knowledge
or ability that will aid him on his quest. It may even be an item like the Holy
Grail. The main point is that the hero now has something that they didn’t have
prior to their departure that they can use to help their community when they
inevitably return. In Ceddo (Senegal,
1977) Princess Dior doesn’t learn a specific skill nor gain special abilities.
She does not obtain a magical or enchanted item. In true The Wizard of Oz (1939) fashion the power was within Princess Dior
all along. What Princess Dior gained during her initiation was knowledge of
self. She realized that she must assert herself and she cannot wait on a man to
aid her. Her initiation is coming to the understanding that she must take her
birth right because it will not be relinquished to her willingly.
The third stage in the hero’s journey is
the return. This stage is the part of the story where the hero returns with his
newfound knowledge or ability to aid he community. An example in western cinema
of this stage is Luke Skywalker linking up with the rebels before their assault
on the Death Star and using the force during the trench run in Star Wars (1977). In Ceddo (Senegal, 1977) Princess Dior’s
return is the climax of the film. After several men die fighting over the
custody of Princess Dior and the eventual death of her captor Princess Dior
returns to her village armed with a rifle and knowledge of self. The ineptitude
of the men around her including her father the king shows Princess Dior that
her kingdom needs her. Princess Dior’s growth comes when she realizes she must
assert her will to claim her birthright and bring justice to the kingdom.
Sembene links the matriarchy with
justice in Ceddo (Senegal, 1977).
When Islam comes to the village and a patriarchal system is imposed the rule of
justice begins to break down and long held traditions are spurned. In the
narrative when Islam begins to take hold in the kingdom conspiracy grows in the
king’s court. The conspiracy and intrigue of men eventually lead to the
downfall of the king. If tradition was respected Princess Dior would know rule
but because of the patriarchal rules imposed an unscrupulous religious teacher
takes the throne. When Princess Dior returns to the village to claim her father’s
throne as her rightful seat she brings back both justice and the matriarchy to
the kingdom.
Leon’s interpersonal
relationships, ideology, and methodology can be seen in many mainstream super
hero stories. These similarities are not just coincidences but key aspects and
concepts that help create each character. One of the many concepts to be
explored is Leon’s chief antagonist shares a dynamic that is reminiscent of the
dynamic many super heroes have with their arch nemesis. If you’re using
Superman as your pre and post modern super hero sign post the modern super hero
is seventy five years old. The super hero as a concept for a protagonist is
older if you want to include Zorro, The Shadow, The Spirit, and Doc Sampson to
name a few. I will be citing super hero movie adaptations and original source
material in demonstrating the titular character in Leon: The Professional (Luc Besson, France, 1994) is a super hero. Leon: The Professional (Luc Besson,
France, 1994) is a film with two cuts one for American theatrical release and
another cut for the international release. For this critique I screened the
International release cut on DVD.
I am dreadfully worried the structure
of my essay might become a bit stale by the time my conclusion rolls around. To
prove to you Leon is indeed a super hero, I will present a specific troupe or
character trait of a modern day mainstream superhero and back it up with
examples in both major motion picture adaptations and citing the original
source material. Hopefully when I’m done beating you about the head with my
encyclopedic knowledge of movies and super heroes you will be just as convinced
as Matilda and I are that Leon is a super hero.
The hero’s antagonist is often a
mirrored reflection of him or herself. In The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008, USA) the
Joker is defined as an agent of Chaos. Batman trying to impose order and justice
on Gotham City is the antithesis of the Joker. Wolverine is a superhero who’s
constantly at war with his bestial feral side of his persona. Wolverine
embraces ideas like the Ronin to give himself a code to live by despite being a
killer. His antagonist Sabertooth is just as much a killer as Wolverine however
the key difference is Sabertooth embraces his more bestial nature and takes joy
in killing. Sabertooth is a predator who clearly sees those weaker than him as
prey. Setting him even further apart from Sabertooth Wolverine often finds
himself in a paternal role mentoring teenage girls. In X-Men comics he mentors
Kitty Pryde and Jubilee and in the cinematic adaptations produced by Fox
Wolverine is a surrogate father to Rouge. Leon’s arch villain in Leon: The Professional (Luc
Besson, France, 1994) is the corrupt DEA agent Norman Stansfield portrayed
masterfully by Gary Oldman. Leon prides himself on his professionalism. Leon
leads a Spartan lifestyle that’s very ordered and efficient. Conversely Norman
Stansfield is chaotic and larger than life. Stansfield is always seen unshaven
and unkempt.He takes joy in his work
and during the last third of the film he tells Matilda, “That's good, because I
take no pleasure in taking life if it's from a person who doesn't care about
it.” As opposed to Stansfield, Leon has a strict code that he will not kill
woman or children. Besson strongly implies Leon is a hit man because he can do
little else. Leon has poor interpersonal skills and can’t read. Leon and Norman
are so diametrically opposed that while Leon’s diet largely consists of milk,
Norman takes an unknown designer drug that causes his body and face to contort
upon initial consumption.
Leon’s lifestyle and relationships are
very similar to Gotham City’s Caped Crusader. Both Batman and Leon live Spartan
lifestyles with little personal ties. They choose to be dedicated to their work
and perfecting their craft. The Mobster Tony played by Danny Aiello fulfills
the role of Leon’s commissioner Gordon. Leon and Tony seem to have a genuine
fondness for each other yet the audience is always aware these men’s
relationship is based on mutual interest. Tony helps an ill-equipped Leon
navigate the world similar to how Jim Gordon helps insure that G.C.P.D. does
not interfere with Batman’s one man war on crime. Both Leon and Batman mentor
orphans the best way they know how. And because both men have eccentric world
views the best way they know how to mentor orphans is by teaching them their ways.
In Batman’s case he instructs Robin how to be a vigilante and in Leon’s case he
instructs Matilda in the ways of the assassin. Matilda’s background is very
similar to the Jason Todd and Carrie Kelly iterations of Robin. Both these
Robins have neglectful parents like Matilda’s and in Jason Todd’s case just
like Matilda’s his father’s connection to the criminal underworld leads to the
parent’s ultimate demise. Both Batman and Leon try to instill a code of ethics
in their young charges. Leon insists that Matilda quit smoking, cursing, and
not talk with strange boys. Not only does Matilda acquiesce but she appears to
thrive under the tutelage of a strong father figure. Carrie Kelly’s Robin was repeatedly scolded by
Bruce in Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight and threatened with being fired.
Leon often threatens to not train Matilda if she does not follow his orders.
Also, Leon instills his strict code of not killing woman and children in
Matilda.
Don’t super heroes refuse to take
lives? In the world of Saturday morning cartoons one would be hard pressed to
find a super hero who willingly took a life even if it was for the greater good
however, if you go back to the original source material once could find several
notable heroes that have taken lives and are still considered moral paragons of
virtue. Captain America is a soldier and fought in World War II so it would be
safe to assume he most certainly has taken a life. Despite Captain America
killing people he is still considered one of the “good guys”. Steve Rogers is a
soldier he kills when he must defend others.Captain America detests bullies and views sacrifice for the community a
moral imperative. Leon has a strict code he lives by and the men we see him
kill all have varying levels of despicableness. The Punisher is one of the
comic book world’s most notable anti-heroes. Similar to Batman Frank Castle
wages a one man war on crime but unlike Batman The Punisher metes out justice
from the barrel of an assault rifle. Clearly killing doesn’t prevent someone
from being a super hero. Similar to The Punisher Leon is not only capable of
dispensing violence he excels in it but just like The Punisher his violence is
reserved for those who have morally trespassed and brought pain and suffering
onto others like drug dealers and organized crime.
The super hero is an outsider and in
some cases an outlaw (or perceived to be an outlaw by the general public).
Despite his or hers outsider status the super hero still strives to help and
protect their respective communities. J. Jonah Jameson continues to slander
Spiderman in The Daily Bugle turning public opinion against the friendly
neighborhood Spiderman. Despite being an outsider and sometime outlaw Spiderman
strives to protect NYC largely due to his personal dogma, “with great power
comes great responsibility”. The X-men are often depicted as outlaws and the
mantra used to describe Marvel’s mighty mutants is, “…fighting for a world that
hates and fears them.” The X-Men don’t let hate or bigotry stop them from doing
what is right including laying their lives on the line if need be. Leon lives a
Spartan and sparse life and until he meets Matilda his best friend is a house
plant. Despite having little connection to the community Leon goes out of his
way to protect a young girl (Matilda) even though it complicate his regimented
lifestyle and chosen profession. This action early in the film gives us insight
into Leon’s personal code long before he articulates it to Matilda. Leon views
children as innocent and that they should be shielded from the seedy often
violent world of adults.
Ironically it’s Matilda not Leon who
follows the hero’s journey as outlined by Joseph Campbell in his book The
Hero with a Thousand Faces. In the traditional hero’s cycle Leon would be
the wizard who initiates Matilda into a greater world and teaches her lessons
she can bring back to aid her community. Matilda has very ordinary origins.
Many of the people closest in her life like her father and older sister pay
little attention to her. Leon empowers Matilda and makes her feel valued. One
of the scenes that is in the international release cut that was not in the U.S.
theatrical release was the Russian roulette scene. The scene has such gravitas
because this is the scene where Leon finally comes to grips with how much
Matilda means to him. Despite Leon’s life being easier and simpler without Matilda
in it he prefers having her in his life. This is when he fully commits to being
not only Matilda’s guardian but also her mentor.
Leon is a super hero. He even has a
uniform consisting of a long wool coat, sunglasses, and a knit cap he dons
before going to work. He is methodical in his preparation, he’s an outsider
with his own code and protects the weak from predators, he’s an expert in his
field, and he has an antagonist who is a distorted grotesque mirror image of
himself. During the course of his relationship with Matilda he makes sacrifices
for Matilda until he eventually commits the ultimate sacrifice for her.
According to Joseph Campbell it’s not just brave or grand gestures that define
a hero it’s those actions combined with the willingness to make sacrifice that
makes someone a hero. The last and most strong piece of evidence of Leon being
a super hero is the fact he fights for justice even when the community he
fights for may not be deserving of his sacrifice. Chris Nolan’s Batman wasn’t
the hero Gotham deserved but he was the hero Gotham needed. Leon was Matilda’s
Batman and hopefully when confronted with evil and injustice. When the weak are
being preyed upon, we will ask ourselves, W.W.B.D.?
I’ve
been hesitant to write this review since my reaction to Spy (2015) has largely been due to the overwhelmingly positive response
to this very mediocre comedy. It’s not anyone involved with this film’s fault
that currently on Rotten Tomatoes, Spy(2015) has a 92% freshness rating(that’s 4% points
shy of the Godfather Part II )or that
the Village
Voice recently published a top ten of 2015 list including Spy(2015).
Spy (2015) isn’t an awful movie and it genuinely
made me chuckle a few times. Jason Statham shines playing an over the top parody
of the uber masculine James Bond cold war era super spy. The transporter unexpectedly
delivers several timely laughs in this bland comedy.
One of
the biggest failures of this film is in its narrative. I couldn’t figure out if
Melisa McCarthy’s character was supposed to be a lovable but bumbling spy or
super spy in the making who never got her shot at the big time. The film’s
dialogue seems to points to the later while McCarthy’s slap stick comedy points
to the former. I wonder if perhaps the filmmakers thought making Ms. McCarthy’s
character an inept spy would be misogynistic. If they didn’t crowbar in the
idea of the main character being a super spy Melissa McCarthy’s character repeatedly
engaging in slap stick hijinks would make a lot more sense. Her characters repeated
gaffspoint to her being an inept covert operative but
the film’s exposition would lead us to believe otherwise.
Spy (2015) is a decent film that makes
for a fine weekend rental. I apologize if my review comes off overly negative.
Frankly this review is a victim of the overwhelmingly positive press this film
received. It’s like if you told me Point
Break (1991) is one of the best films of 1991. Point Break (1991) is a totally watchable film, I happen to enjoy
the movie very much. However, when you start rating it with the best films of
that year like Silence of the Lambs
(1991) or Terminator 2 (1991) I’m
going to have to ask you to pump the breaks and take the film down a peg or
two.
2 out 5 transporters
A few comedies that aren’t rated as fresh as Spy (2015) on rotten tomatoes
The Jerk (1979)
Bridesmaids (2011)
Animal House (1978)
Everything You Always
Wanted to Know About Sex* (1972)
