Man on Fire (some thoughts about Anima and Animus)
Jan 1, 2016 11:25:32 GMT -5 by Heron
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Post by Heron on Jan 1, 2016 11:25:32 GMT -5
I didn't want to dirt up the threads, but I also didn't know exactly where to post this thread, which is more a thought-reply on the subject, but after reading what was wrote about the animus and the anima by Auburn and Alerith there was one single movie that popped up in my head, that seemed to match with both anima projection into a female character and animus projection into a male character, even if the movie itself is more based on the male character perspective.
This movie is from 2004. It's a long time I haven't seen it , I think I saw it with my family first in dvd around one year after the cinematic release. I was probably a bit too young for this movie, in fact I passed most of the time with my face turned back from the screen 
but somehow it remained with me for all this time. In my family we all used to listen to the soundtrack in rotation for years and years. It's an incredibly dense and intense film, there is lot of violence but also lots of emotionality, and in a certain sense, deep complexity that is not easy to find in a movie that was probably thought to be something more akin to an old-style action flick for adults (the movie seems to be actually full of symbolism, prevalently christian, so I would think that there was lots of work in it).
The movie is set in Mexico City. An entrepreneur, Samuel Ramos, has a nine years old daughter, Pita (interpreted by Dakota Fanning). For complications due to his job and his wife's, he can't keep his daughter around and also can't bring her into places (she follows swimming and piano lessons, and also has to go to school). But the biggest problem is, that being a person of high profile, he and his family are easily subject of the city's organized criminality. For this reason, he searches for an excellent bodyguard that can keep an eye on her and also follow all the other mansions.
He then refers to a security association. The owner of this association has a friend, our main character John Creasy (interpreted by Denzel Washington). He worked for the C.I.A. as a counterinsurgency agent, and is now a mercenary. For his experience and professionalism, he could have an high key job, but he suffers from extreme guilt, alcoholism, and depression, and even tries to suicide at one point in the beginning of the film. He is an incredibly religious man, in one scene of the movie is even able to pick up a quote from the bible, being able to tell book and verse of it, but he refers of himself as a "lost sheep." He is an extremely isolated man, wounded and closed to everything, and only has a friend, the owner of the security association, that helps him out from his situation, offering him to become Pita's bodyguard. He is hesitant, initially (translating from the italian version: "A bodyguard becomes a friend, has to converse all the time, I'm not good at it"), but in the end accepts.
After their first meeting, Pita, holding her teddy bear tells to the mother "he also seems like a bear. A big sad bear." She is immediately attached to him, and gives her peluche a new name after her new bodyguard.
When John starts to watch over Pita, his closure has the best. She tries from the very first moment to create a bond with him, but he doesn't want to talk, and doesn't like Pita's questions, getting really restless. "I'm not payed to become your friend, I'm payed to protect you. So, stop with questions now."
She gets really disappointed, and changes seat in the car to stay away from him.
The mother goes to meet him in his room, to talk a little. He repeats to her that he doesn't want to be a friend to her daughter, he's only payed to watch over her, and suggest to hire another bodyguard. The mother of Pita, Lisa, has a feel for him since the very first moment (she trusts him at sight), and replies "I think you're going to be good at watching her", and tells him that the next time she's going with them.
Now there is an interesting part in the movie. When they first meet, Pita tells him that in his room there will be a stereo. She asks him if he listens to music, and he replies "I don't know." Waiting for her during her class, he buys a CD, and his choice falls onto a female singer, which now under this perspective becomes curious, it seems that the movie is implying that he needs a female figure or to cultivate his feminine side and heal it. He plays this song while he has an alcoholic crysis.
I thought it was interesting to show this movie, as it seemed to follow almost perfectly the animus and anima representation and identification at the same time, even if as I said, the movie is more centered to his personal quest.
Man on Fire
but somehow it remained with me for all this time. In my family we all used to listen to the soundtrack in rotation for years and years. It's an incredibly dense and intense film, there is lot of violence but also lots of emotionality, and in a certain sense, deep complexity that is not easy to find in a movie that was probably thought to be something more akin to an old-style action flick for adults (the movie seems to be actually full of symbolism, prevalently christian, so I would think that there was lots of work in it). The movie is set in Mexico City. An entrepreneur, Samuel Ramos, has a nine years old daughter, Pita (interpreted by Dakota Fanning). For complications due to his job and his wife's, he can't keep his daughter around and also can't bring her into places (she follows swimming and piano lessons, and also has to go to school). But the biggest problem is, that being a person of high profile, he and his family are easily subject of the city's organized criminality. For this reason, he searches for an excellent bodyguard that can keep an eye on her and also follow all the other mansions.
He then refers to a security association. The owner of this association has a friend, our main character John Creasy (interpreted by Denzel Washington). He worked for the C.I.A. as a counterinsurgency agent, and is now a mercenary. For his experience and professionalism, he could have an high key job, but he suffers from extreme guilt, alcoholism, and depression, and even tries to suicide at one point in the beginning of the film. He is an incredibly religious man, in one scene of the movie is even able to pick up a quote from the bible, being able to tell book and verse of it, but he refers of himself as a "lost sheep." He is an extremely isolated man, wounded and closed to everything, and only has a friend, the owner of the security association, that helps him out from his situation, offering him to become Pita's bodyguard. He is hesitant, initially (translating from the italian version: "A bodyguard becomes a friend, has to converse all the time, I'm not good at it"), but in the end accepts.
After their first meeting, Pita, holding her teddy bear tells to the mother "he also seems like a bear. A big sad bear." She is immediately attached to him, and gives her peluche a new name after her new bodyguard.
When John starts to watch over Pita, his closure has the best. She tries from the very first moment to create a bond with him, but he doesn't want to talk, and doesn't like Pita's questions, getting really restless. "I'm not payed to become your friend, I'm payed to protect you. So, stop with questions now."
She gets really disappointed, and changes seat in the car to stay away from him.
The mother goes to meet him in his room, to talk a little. He repeats to her that he doesn't want to be a friend to her daughter, he's only payed to watch over her, and suggest to hire another bodyguard. The mother of Pita, Lisa, has a feel for him since the very first moment (she trusts him at sight), and replies "I think you're going to be good at watching her", and tells him that the next time she's going with them.
Now there is an interesting part in the movie. When they first meet, Pita tells him that in his room there will be a stereo. She asks him if he listens to music, and he replies "I don't know." Waiting for her during her class, he buys a CD, and his choice falls onto a female singer, which now under this perspective becomes curious, it seems that the movie is implying that he needs a female figure or to cultivate his feminine side and heal it. He plays this song while he has an alcoholic crysis.
In this attack of depression, he tries to shoot himself, but the bullet doesn't go. He keeps the bullet as a relic, a sign that he has an opportunity to redeem himself and start a new life.
From this moment on, he tries to open himself to her. He becomes her mentor, giving her suggestions and tricks about many things of life. He is Pita's source of wisdom and knowledge, and encourages her in her insecurities. He becomes like a new father figure to her (it is clear that she has no connection to her actual father, he tends to give her things than furnishing her with a strong relationship). He teaches her to swim better, and helps her with homework. He finally starts smiling again, as Pita notes to him. They start becoming playful and nurture a deep friendship.
He gets in touch with his child inside, represented by Pita, an innocent and fragile girl, and she gets a guide for life, a source of maturity and masculine nurture (it seems that she actually has a crush for him).
But, at one point of the movie...
From this moment on, he tries to open himself to her. He becomes her mentor, giving her suggestions and tricks about many things of life. He is Pita's source of wisdom and knowledge, and encourages her in her insecurities. He becomes like a new father figure to her (it is clear that she has no connection to her actual father, he tends to give her things than furnishing her with a strong relationship). He teaches her to swim better, and helps her with homework. He finally starts smiling again, as Pita notes to him. They start becoming playful and nurture a deep friendship.
He gets in touch with his child inside, represented by Pita, an innocent and fragile girl, and she gets a guide for life, a source of maturity and masculine nurture (it seems that she actually has a crush for him).
But, at one point of the movie...
She is kidnapped.
I don't want to ruin the movie, but he decides to dedicate all himself, doing everything to save what now has become her source of meaning, of purpose in life.
I don't want to ruin the movie, but he decides to dedicate all himself, doing everything to save what now has become her source of meaning, of purpose in life.
I thought it was interesting to show this movie, as it seemed to follow almost perfectly the animus and anima representation and identification at the same time, even if as I said, the movie is more centered to his personal quest.