I am a huge movie fan, so it should be no surprise that I try to get to the theater as often as possible. When a new comic book movie releases, that drive to grab some popcorn and a giant diet Coke, find my favorite seat (front row in the stadium section so I can put my feet up on the bar), and settle in for two hours of cinematic goodness is uncontrollable. That's how I found myself in the 12:10 showing of "The Losers" Friday afternoon. Sure, I was ditching out on work, but I had to see that movie.
Turned out to be a rather formulaic, root for the underdog against the overwhelming forces of evil, type of movie. A small group of people face terrible odds and almost certain death in order to right an injustice. Fun to watch but not at all original. As a matter of fact, that plot device may be the second most used in the history of film. (the first being the unlikely couple who find true love) It got me wondering why we are so attracted to this concept. Why are we such fans of the underdog?
I think its because, at a core level, we realize that we are all victims as well. We live in a world that is not what it is supposed to be. Our safety is threatened at all times. We are oppressed by an enemy that can seem all powerful and indefeatable. Were we really created to suffer like we do, to live in fear of pain and death? Is it our destiny to be losers? It can feel like it at times. I think we root for the losers because, in some strange way, we are rooting for ourselves.
The underdog plot also tend to include anther movie staple, the deus ex machina, latin for "god from the machine". This refers to the previously unknown ability, object, or persons who appear in the story to save the day and advance the plot just when things seemed the most hopeless. This is often lamented by critics as a cheap save and hackneyed writing, and that may be a fair assessment when applied to film. But what about real life?
The truth is, we are victims, inheritors of the choices of our originating parents. We are forced to contend with an overpowering nature that desires rebellion and which leads to the wickedness that is so widespread throughout our world. Make no mistake, we are the losers in this scenario and unless God steps in to fix the mechanics of our world, we are truly hopeless. Thankfully, God loves pulling off the save, though for Him it is never cheap. He is willing to help us overcome, to conquer, to win despite the odds. Just like in the movies. So maybe we root for the losers because we understand that they don't have to stay that way, that there is hope in the Deus ex machina, that they can win in the end. And that makes for a great story.
Not to say that The Losers is a BAD movie. It isn't, not really. It's just a mediocre and predictable one. There was not a single moment in the entire film where I could not tell what would happen next.
Posted by: The Losers | May 13, 2010 at 12:17 AM