My Thoughts on 'Wonder Woman' (the movie): Hero Journeys

(Original piece written on June 17, 2017)

My thoughts on the movie Wonder Woman starring Gal Gadot.

My daughter and I went to see Wonder Woman today June 17th (2017) as a Father's Day weekend daddy-daughter date. We both agreed that it was an awesome film.

Some of my reasons: First of all, almost all the elements of the hero's journey (Joseph Campbell, Diane Pearson) could be observed clearly in the film. Particularly poignant for me was the farewell scene between Diana's mother and her when she leaves the island. Diana is convinced that she has a mission to fulfill. Her mother holds her back out of fear for Diana's safety and that she may never come back. Despite that, the lure of the hero's journey eventually makes Diana leave her mother and her island. 

On that occasion, her mother says, 
"You have been my greatest love. Today you become my greatest sorrow. Be careful, Diana. They do not deserve you."

Of course, along the journey Diana grows and matures in stages from a very naïve girl to a more mature superhero who now knows what one can and ought to do, what the limitations are and what the most important things in life are.

I was particularly impressed at the anthropology that was expressed here and there in the movie particularly by WW and was clearly seen in the contrast between Ares, the god of war, and Diana. Ares's view of humankind was very negative: humans are just so messed up because they are filled with hate and rancor that they would just ultimately destroy themselves by mutual fighting and war.

As she matured, Diana, on the other hand, comes to know both the lights and shadows present in humans: Yes, there are lots of shadows in humans - hate, war, mutual destruction, etc. 

However,  there are also lights - that is, humans have the touching and powerful capabilities for self-transcendence and love as well. This Diana experienced through her relationship with Steve in the movie and how he sacrificed himself to save others. That was, therefore,  the basis for her to commit herself to continue to help human beings to choose love, to choose the light (and not darkness) in order to save themselves and make this world a better place.

In this way, Diana redefines the role of the superhero: The superhero isn't really the one who saves humanity. The superhero is just there to help others choose the right path - the path of love, because humans have that innate capacity already present in themselves (Imago Dei, the Buddha nature)! And so, in the end, it is humans themselves who can save themselves by choosing the right path.

My Thoughts on ‘Solo – A Star Wars Story' - Imago Dei Allusion?

My daughter and I watched this movie recently before Father's Day. I think a daddy-daughter Father's Day date is fast becoming a tradition (I'm delighted!). We watched Wonder Woman last year, as my journal says. 

Good background story. It didn't impress me as "super awesome" though.

Things that stood out for me:

** Qira is the only one that knows who Han really is - that he is, deep within himself, a good guy. This ties in with the character of Padme knowing that "there is still good in him (in Anakin after he turns into Darth Vadar).”

Isn't that the Buddha-nature or the Imago Dei (Image of God in Gen 1:27)? "Buddha-nature", "Imago Dei" --- those are examples of religious jargon (language) that religions have used in history to convey a deep truth that, for example, Solo: A Star Wars Story conveys in more simple, easier-to-understand (for this generation) language. In the words of Qira

"I might be the only person who knows who you really are" (despite Han proclaiming that he's a "bad outlaw"). And then, as I remember, she whispers to someone later, "He's a good guy."

** We finally see how Han wins the Millennium Falcon from Lando Calrissan

** We finally know the origins of the deep friendship between Chewbacca and Han

Things that intrigued me:

What's with Darth Maul's reappearance?

What happens to Qira after?

Restoring Balance in Our Souls As Portrayed in 'Birth of the Dragon'

A while ago, I saw a Bruce Lee movie entitled Birth of the Dragon. It told the story of an encounter of the pre-fame Bruce Lee with a Shaolin monk named Wong Jack Man...  The movie portrayed this encounter between the two kung-fu masters as full of mutual animosity in the beginning. However, it eventually resulted in Bruce Lee learning valuable lessons that he put into practice in his life and teaching soon after his showdown with the Shaolin monk.

Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birth_of_the_Dragon

What struck me particularly was the character of Wong Jack Man. Earlier in the story, he severely injured a Tai Chi master in a supposedly no-contact martial arts encounter and he attributed that to his ego. After this, he went to San Francisco in order to wash dishes and, in so doing, "restore the balance in his soul."

The message of the movie spoke powerfully to me, particularly because when I saw it, I still feeling burned out after a tough and very hectic school year 2017-18.

‘Restoring balance in one’s soul’ seems like a very Eastern (as opposed to ‘Western’) concept. It is commonly expressed by the yin and yang (陰陽). This is arguably the way by which the East expresses what “wholeness” or “fullness” is all about. It’s curiously different from the way Christianity (or the West) has traditionally expressed “wholeness” as seen in the concepts of “Salvation” and “Redemption.”

Intriguingly, “restoring the balance” seems to be a dominant theme in popular culture. For instance, one of my favorite animated series, the Nickelodeon series Avatar as well as The Legend of Korra also deal with this theme in a major way. There, we learn that the avatar’s primary mission is “to restore balance” to the whole world. However, we also see the avatars having to restore balance first and foremost in their own souls before they can restore the balance in the world at large.

Star Wars also speaks of “restoring balance in the force” between the dark and light sides. Hence, the “chosen one” (presumed to Anakin Skywalker) is the one who will bring balance to the force.

“Restoring our interior balance” is not only an important theme in popular culture. In fact, religious and spiritual masters through the ages have affirmed that it is an important component of spirituality. So, what exactly is “restoring the balance” and how does one go about restoring the balance in one’s soul? This is a burning question that must be answered by each and every one of us.