Isn't this the theme of every movie? Somewhere in every movie there is a hint, or maybe not a hint but a cry, or maybe it's blatant and begs for soulution (intentionally put) that 'things be better'?
If an asteroid is heading directly towards us, that would be blatant. When a child drowns on a beach and is picked up by a soldier, that is a cry, and when it is up to the viewer, watching the unfolding of events where the writer is leaving it up to them to form their own opinion 'cuz there ain't no defined ending, that's a hint.
Bottom line, something's wrong, somebody please fix it.
Enter the hero. He or she might not know that something is wrong, at first, but it becomes apparent that wrong will call for right and voila, they're right there, inside the situation, to affect change. Or is it to 'effect' change?
Doesn't matter. Either way change for the better happens. It might not be the drastic change that many in the audience are secretly rooting for but however the drama plays out there's Feel Good at the end.
Usually, that's the case.
But didja ever see a movie that ended on a Feel Bad note, where the bad guys prevailed? Not so warm and fuzzy, right? Those kind don't call for sequels 'cuz people want things to be better. Not many will line up to buy tickets to see 'Worse Than Before'!
Welcome to Wolf’s Lair
Verne Ho- Unsplash.com
Saw an interesting segment during an episode of 'Mysteries Of The Abandoned' on the Sci-Fi channel last night. Deep in the forests of Poland, in one particular area, are widely spaced and ultra-thick (7 meter) multi-level concrete bunkers. These were the designated command posts/bomb shelters for the staff that was directing operations on the Eastern Front for the German army during World War II. The Allies couldn't bomb these things to oblivion even if they tried, and they were hard to spot anyway, due to their being camouflaged, that camouflage being adjusted according to the seasons.
The mindset of evil lay in these bunkers.
Universal Exit Sign
Steinar Engeland- Unsplash.com
This complex of bunkers was the size of a small town. Wooden housing structures were there as well during the war but have since disappeared, either from being scavenged for building supplies, their returning back to the elements, or from being razed by the Soviets.
The minds that built these bunkers were preparing for a long stay and expected 'victory' over all that was good. They did not envision a happy ending coming for the majority of the human race, and fortunately for us, their dark ambitions were neutralized.
Seeing these relics of a villainous past undergoing neglect and erosion served as a reminder that deep in the heart and soul of nearly every human being on earth exists the desire for things to improve. We didn’t in those times want to devolve into the unimaginable 'society' that the people in those bunkers wanted to bring about, and we certainly don't want it now.
Let those bunkers continue to decay there, in that silent Polish forest, covered with moss, hollow and empty, until they return to dust and are forgotten, which they were, until the Sci-Fi channel and I briefly resurrected them. Not to shed light on them, but to offer us a passing glimpse upon the horror that once was.
We can be better. We have to, and we will, because the drive to be better is what drives us. Okay, a lot of our 'betterment' is initially selfish and personal, 'tis true, but through bettering ourselves first we find that eventually we satisfy that call. So what's next? A greater degree of satisfaction and fulfillment can only be found by answering a different call, the call of our soul. We are called to extend betterment out beyond our personal sphere because boundaries, in soul terms, don't actually exist.
Don't believe in that? Then just ask any hero why they bother doing any 'saving the world' stuff.
They'll tell you they do it because it 's the better way. They instinctively know that it’s the right thing to do.
Every time.