lokey
2005-05-23 22:09:44 UTC
Compare and contrast:
I caught a bit of SW:AotC on TV last night. [Haven't seen the Sith yet] and
it got me to thinking of these two characters.
Both are science fictional characters - with a heavy dose of fantasy, or at
least mysticism - with more than passing similarities to religious prophets,
Christ, Mohammed, Moses, Krishna, whomever. Both are identified as 'chosen
one's whom the other characters of good and evil hope to manipulate to their
own gain. They both exist in a universe of technology and the mystic powers.
Paul is cast as a mostly pure good character who through the course of the
story does develop some darker traits. One of his lieutenants notes that
Paul seems less concerned about his men rather than the equipment than his
father did. But still he is in the main a good protagonist.
His death - or is he really dead? - is shown as an act of martyrdom. The
Duniverse that plays out [I gave up after... Heretics of Dune, I think it
was] cast him - as far as they were consistent and my memory accurate - more
ambiguously.
Anakin, thanks to the un-chronological nature of the movies, we start out
knowing as a pure evil antagonist. But through the next two movies
[ESB,RotJ] shows at least slivers of humanity but still in need of being
defeated.
Jumping back to the prequels we see how Anakin comes to be Vader cast in a
somewhat sympathetic light. The razor sharp moral universe of black and
white of the first movie [ANH] has been chipped away.
Although he is sympathetic Anakin's path is to the dark side of the force
while Paul - his moral warts notwithstanding - takes the path into the
light of good.
Paul the Archangel?
Anakin the Fallen Angel?
Paul with Crys-knife vs. Anakin with Light sabre?
--
'To you I'm an atheist.
To god I'm a member
of the loyal opposition.' -woody allen
I caught a bit of SW:AotC on TV last night. [Haven't seen the Sith yet] and
it got me to thinking of these two characters.
Both are science fictional characters - with a heavy dose of fantasy, or at
least mysticism - with more than passing similarities to religious prophets,
Christ, Mohammed, Moses, Krishna, whomever. Both are identified as 'chosen
one's whom the other characters of good and evil hope to manipulate to their
own gain. They both exist in a universe of technology and the mystic powers.
Paul is cast as a mostly pure good character who through the course of the
story does develop some darker traits. One of his lieutenants notes that
Paul seems less concerned about his men rather than the equipment than his
father did. But still he is in the main a good protagonist.
His death - or is he really dead? - is shown as an act of martyrdom. The
Duniverse that plays out [I gave up after... Heretics of Dune, I think it
was] cast him - as far as they were consistent and my memory accurate - more
ambiguously.
Anakin, thanks to the un-chronological nature of the movies, we start out
knowing as a pure evil antagonist. But through the next two movies
[ESB,RotJ] shows at least slivers of humanity but still in need of being
defeated.
Jumping back to the prequels we see how Anakin comes to be Vader cast in a
somewhat sympathetic light. The razor sharp moral universe of black and
white of the first movie [ANH] has been chipped away.
Although he is sympathetic Anakin's path is to the dark side of the force
while Paul - his moral warts notwithstanding - takes the path into the
light of good.
Paul the Archangel?
Anakin the Fallen Angel?
Paul with Crys-knife vs. Anakin with Light sabre?
--
'To you I'm an atheist.
To god I'm a member
of the loyal opposition.' -woody allen