FREE ESSAY ON HERO IN MYTH AND FILM

HERO IN MYTH AND FILM

Hero in america
 ...and he saved the day, got his girl and everyone lived happily ever after. Sweet,
short, cut and dry, that was the typical ending of our childhood books and early movies.
There was the perfect hero and the bad villain. That was in the pre-modern era, now our
hero isn't always perfect and has his flaws. The hero in today's movies needs these flaws
and needs to travel through a combination of paths to become a hero. In order to sell
movies which decide who a hero is in today's society. A hero in today's society needs to
admit that he needs help and isn't superman, he needs to have problems and prove that he
doesn't belong up on a pedestal where his image is totally unattainable, third he needs
to travel one of the paths of a hero according to Seger. Bruce Willis plays the character
John McClain in the trilogy Die Hard, he is a good example of a hero in America today. 
In the third movie, McClain takes on a partner to help him fight a mad bomber. This is
different from the movies from the past, James Bond or John Wayne never needed help. The
partner he picks is a inner city black man, in the fifties this never would have
happened. The fact that he picks a black man incorporates some multicultural aspects into
the movie. The fact that he picks a partner shows some post modern aspects of Hollywood.
Both of these facts help sell movies and help define a hero in America today. 
Another aspect that makes McClain a post modern hero in America is the fact that he to
has problems, James Bond was never like this, he always had a woman by his side, or
falling at his feet. People held this man in high esteem, because he was perfect. However
in real life blond bimbos at your feet don't happen all the time. Post modern heroes have
problems McClain even though he is out saving lives and helping people his wife wants a
divorce. People can relate better to John McClain because we all have problems besides
the bad guys. The hero today isn't so perfect and people are able to relate to him more
easily. 
The travel of a hero from an average guy to a hero via the myths defined by Seger is also
another determining factor in what a hero is today. McClain travels through the
combination myth. He was an average cop when thrown into all this chaos and makes the
commitment to doing something about it endangering his life. He also travels through the
healing myth when he is fighting in the first movie his relationship with his wife is on
the rocks but he realizes during his fighting how much he really needs and loves his
wife. In the end his relationship is strengthened and the healing journey is over. 
Through the ages a hero is defined by someone who people admire and want to be more like.
The hero in ancient Greek times was Hercules and then in came Beowulf and then King
Arthur and so on. A hero doesn't' necessarily have to be real but some one that people
can strive to be more like, and when those situations arise (not usually as big as in
Hollywood) they will know how to act. The heroes of Hollywood are not as good as role
models as those of the past, but they still follow the same guide lines as them. They
have comforted to what sells in order to make movies and as you see everywhere negative
sells.
Bibliography
Gouma-Peterson, Thalia. "Modern Dilemma Tales; Faith Ringgold's Story Quilts" in Faith
Ringgold, A 25 Year Survey. Hempstead, New York: The Museum, 1990. Essay from exhibition
catalogue with description of "Who's Afraid of Aunt Jemima?" 
Guerrero, Ed. Framing Blackness, The African-American Image in Film. Philadelphia: Temple
University Press, 1993. History of black image in American film. 
Hardy, James Earl. Spike Lee, Filmmaker. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1996.
Written for the adolescent reader, the book describes the life and work of the African
American filmmaker. It includes photographs, further reading and a brief summary of
African American filmmaking.