| Subject: Oh, SO ready... |
Author:
Kiersten
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Date Posted: 22:52:36 10/08/05 Sat
In reply to:
Jess
's message, "Okay, Kiersten, are you ready?" on 19:06:46 10/07/05 Fri
Okay, first let me address the two things you wrote before:
1) Not being a science fiction fan probably doesn't make a difference. I'm not a huge sci-fi fan either. I mean, yeah, I like Star Wars (the originals, thanks), but hard core sci-fi is not for me. So that probably didn't matter in things you might have missed. I will say, though, that if you were familiar with the show, Firefly, there are a few little things you would've understood on a different level. But nothing earth-shattering. So you're in good shape.
2) I am so sorry. Wow. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your friends.
Okay. Movie.
First, superficial question. Did you like it? Did you? Did you? Huh? Huh? I hope so. Although if you didn't, I forgive you. Not everyone is as big of a nerd as I am.
Second superficial question. Good looking men, no? :)
All right, deeper stuff. I like Mr. Universe. He's such a modern-day hacker character. I know what you mean about media today, who knows what is true and all that, but I see Mr. Universe as kind of cutting through that. He has that whole speech with Mal and the crew when they first contact him, something about how there is no news, just what goes through the wires. And then there's the parliamentary "puppet theater." Mr. Universe sees the media much like you've described, and then he gets to the heart of it. Like he says, "You can't stop the signal." Because you're right, the media absolutely wants to control people, just like in 1984.
One thing you may not have noticed (took me a repeat viewing to see it) is when they are in the bar (the first time River starts beating everyone up), and the news is on. The news reporter is talking about the people who locked themselves in a bank vault when they were attacked by Reavers. Then he says, "The Alliance has never confirmed the existence of Reavers." They're always worried about image, about getting people to think how they want them to think. Like the young River says at the beginning, "We're in their heads, in their homes, we tell them what to think...we meddle."
So you're absolutely right, getting the truth of that message out there is what saved everyone. (Well, almost everyone. But that's a different discussion.) It got all the voices (or at least a chunk of them) out of River's head, and caused the Operative to call off the kill order on the rest of the crew. Freedom of the press to the millionth power, kind of. But that freedom isn't really what the Operative wanted to keep quiet. He didn't know what he was keeping quiet. He was just keeping something quiet. Once he saw that truth broadcast, he knew it had to go out. It profoundly changed him. He had this incredibly strong belief that what he was doing was right, because the media had been distorted for him, too--or at least kept from him. Once he became aware, his whole belief structure crumbled around him.
I love the character of the Operative. He is one of the best movie villains I've seen in a long time. I love his speech where he's talking to Mal about the perfect world the Alliance is trying to create and he says, "I don't belong there any more than you do. I'm a monster. What I do is evil, I have no illusions about that. But it must be done." He knows he's evil. And yet he's so thoroughly convinced that this is a necessary evil--almost like being evil is the right thing to do. Not a big black and white villain. I love the speech he gives earlier, something like, "You're not the plucky hero, this isn't an evil Empire, and you're not going to save the world." Describes every other black and white--pure good, pure evil--plot out there. Serenity is not that. From the villain to the good guys, no one is black and white. These characters are not caricatures. I love that.
Oh gosh, I could go on and on. (Obviously.) But I'll stop this post about Mr. Universe/the media/the Operative. And we'll go from here. Another thing I like about this movie--a ton of issues to discuss. :)
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