The hero
of a story must reach into the reader's heart and soul, making he/her believe
in that character's reality, must make them want to cheer them on, must ache
when they hurt, cringe when they are embarrassed, fear when they are
threatened, and cry if they die. But what makes a hero? How do we as writer's
reach that conclusion? How do we perceive the essence that will bring about the
desired results and have a man say, oh yeah, I'd following him and face the
hordes of hell, or a woman yearn to be safe in his arms. We obsess over finding
just the right blend of traits and we believe we have touched on one in
particular. Russell Crowe… Best Actor. Works for me. Gladiator… Best Film… a
study in heroes. Their hero-dom arose from their leadership qualities.
I’d like
to exam Russell Crowe in Gladiator and specifically only the first five minutes
of the movie. In my view it was these five minutes that set this movie and this
character out to be something special. He breathed humanity into the armor clad
Maximus. A time when his struggle through life was far from what we’d think
humane yet he was strong as well as compassionate.
I saw a
portrait of passion coupled with honor. Maximus was magnanimous. Your first
vision of him shows an unkempt bearded clear-eyed man. Set poised in the snow
flurries of a winter day focused on the moment. Unaffected by the climate. His
proud walk amidst his troops reflected an honest connection. His version of
high fives, fist to fist, depicted a sharing of strength and a man willing to
touch his charges. A man not at arms length but approachable. It was obvious he
stood shoulder to shoulder with them during battles. It was the image of a
man’s man. A man who’d take the back of his brother-in-arms. Additionally,
qualities of one whom was a leader. Not an order giver… but a man in the
trenches and showing the way.
He
described his army as “…lean and hungry.” Simplistic yet speaks volumes. Their
physical shape. Fat free… Un-contented. Focused on a goal. Everything an
athlete wishes to be prior to any contest. Everything any businessperson wishes
to be prior to any deal. These three words connected to the deep-seated
competitor found in most.
When
Maximus’ second in command reacted to the Horde’s refusal to surrender with,
“They don’t know when they are conquered,” Maximus stoically replied, “Would
you… would I?” He honored his foe… his second in command… and himself with
respecting the never quit… never give in… never say die attitude. Tenacity
toward attaining a goal is a powerful belief, which is held high in the view of
most.
His
personal preparation for the moment of truth, the battle, was that he stooped,
took dirt into his hands and rubs them with it. This unpretentious moment of
focus showed a simple man. The dirt absorbing the sweat of his hands, hands
that would be his tools in the fight. An act of readiness, a point of
demarcation, the line between General and Warrior was seen in this private
moment.
His look
at his dog, a powerful dog, which showed a man who was complex enough to have
such a loyal cur. Historically, an image of a dog as a man’s friend helps show
a character deep, confident and human.
Maximus’
salutation to his second in command was “Strength and honor.” Pure genius.
Strength…force… power… might… energy… intensity… vigor… brawn… virility.
Honor…integrity… honesty… morality… regard… dignity… rectitude. A balance
between power and integrity.
Maximus’
final order was “At my signal… unleash Hell!” If you never fought you might not
understand. If we fight we must fight to win. I believe this. If we choose to
do something, do it as well as we can. Half-fast is half-assed. I respect the
pureness of this attitude because it respects the mission of the moment.
A leader
emerged before my eyes. Maximus joined his cavalry, the force with which he
would be riding into battle. It was at this point in time he showed himself to
be a man of vision. Explore the quote, “Imagine where you will be and it will
be so…” Visionaries can make great leaders. Their visions capture their
followers. But a visionary without substance, i.e., an idea man, does not a
leader make. A vision coupled with a willingness to do what’s imagined is the
purest form of leadership.
The five
minutes ends with this statement by Maximus, “What we do in life echoes in
eternity.” The essence of the dream/desire that we want to make a difference on
time. We matter. Not just our time but all time. We want to be remembered. We
want a legacy. We understand we’re fragile creatures whose fate in life is that
we die. So between birth and death what we do must matter. If we can’t buy into
to that then we question our purpose to exist at all. We sense our soul will
have a life-after thought that is intangible but that tangible life-after is
reflected in the monuments we build to ourselves, and these are usually in the
forms of accomplishments, people that we have truly affected and our children.
Maximus
rises out of these five minutes as a man’s man leader, an unpretentious visionary
with a grasp of the magnitude of the moment, a man with an eye on the goal and
a passion to do what is essential to achieve it. Powerful stuff.
This is a
great man’s flick. However, this was not a chick flick but Maximus is also the
personification of a woman's hero.
I share
this because it helps define the rare qualities of a real man with character
and strength and when we word picture heroes we have to start with an essence.
I wrote this many years ago and maybe out-dated but the concept of hero is
never.
So why
share the aforementioned point of view? As caretakers of the genesis of the
characters in our stories, we hold a responsibility to every reader to grabble
with imagery and respect the iconic ideals, such as heroism.
In
closing, we try to take these and similar traits into the embodiment of our
heroes. Though they may be uniquely different in personality, they have that
similar underlying core of values, strength, and determination. The sort of man
that will cut himself fairly badly but will finish what he is doing before
tending to that wound. The sort of man who a woman will feel safe with even
when she feels quite capable of protecting herself. The sort of man who will
climb into your world, and will stay a part of it, forever.
At least
that is what we hope to bring to our heroes. If you read our stories, you'll
have to let us know if you agree.
We'd love to hear from anyone interested in what we do. Anyone who writes us at writingteamcw@yahoo.com (Write - Blog Dawn - in subject line) and leaves an s-mail address, we will send you a free ebook (choose erotic or romantic thriller) and add you to any future mailings.
Angelica Hart and Zi ~ Vixen Bright and Zachary Zane
www.champagnebooks.com - www.carnalpassions.com - angelicahartandzi.com
No comments:
Post a Comment