The second time I experienced a “disfunctional story” was watching The Hurt Locker. The film came highly recommended from a number of my guy friends, so I rented it while my wife was out of town (aka bachelor night.) The Hurt Locker chronicles the last month or so of Bravo Company, an army unit tasked with disarming bombs and IEDs in Iraq. I always enjoy films that are war related, but that’s a different topic for a different day.
What’s interesting about this observation is that I didn’t miss anything. I watched it start to finish, but I realized something maybe a day or two later. Something was missing. Although the film was done well visually and the action was intense when SFC James would walk out into an urban combat zone and start fiddling with kill-you-and-your-friends-in-an-instant explosives, I left the viewing experience satisfied with the production value but feeling a near complete disregard for the story. In short, I didn’t care much for James, Sanborn, or Eldridge.
How can you go through an entire story and not care about the main characters? Simple: you don’t know their story.
Where The Hurt Locker failed was in telling the audience more of the main characters stories. Without them, they were merely players on a stage (a very intriguing and engaging stage at that.) But until one engages in a character’s story, it’s difficult to appreciate them. It’s difficult to feel their pain. It’s difficult to understand the weight of their passions and triumphs. It’s near impossible to care deeply about them.
What can I learn as far as the larger story goes?
- Without knowing the main characters’ own stories the whole of the story is not as interesting
- Observing a person in real life from a “point-in-time” perspective can only tell me so much about who they are
- I cannot really love someone I don’t know- I can care about him from a humanity standpoint, “my fellow man” kind of love, but without knowing him in a deeper way we merely share the same space. There is a deeper love/caring for a person that requires a deeper level of intimacy.
- When you don’t truly no someone, it’s really easy to make assumptions about where they’ve been, why they are who they are today, and where they’re going to end up, all based on said assumptions.
Anyone have any other observations from The Hurt Locker or other films you’ve watched that left you feeling like you only saw part of the story?
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So I am going to ramble for a minute….
I have a hard time making connections sometimes. That back story is almost imperative for me to form a relationship. However if the back story isn’t offered up it is hard for me to put my first foot out there and find it out too.
I often find myself hanging back and if I am honest here being judgmental of things instead of finding out the story behind the people.
As a Christian I am supposed to love my fellow people regardless of where they have come from, gone, going or our connection or non-connection. Why is that so difficult?
Not sure if it relates at all but it was well written Will and this is where my thought process took it.
Sorry for the book.
Comment by Shay B April 13, 2010 @ 9:37 amNo worries on the “book” – it’s nothing compared to my often convoluted thoughts rambled on into overkill!
As GI Joe would say, “Knowing is half the battle.” Knowing that you may need to “work” on making connections prior to knowing the back story I think is evidence of Holy Spirit conviction and sanctification.
In my own life, I hope that, regardless of someone’s own story, my initial reaction is with eyes like Jesus. If a relationship can be born of the first reaction, then the rest tends to reveal itself over time.
As an aside, one thing about Jesus that rocked was his ability (probably that whole God and man thing) to speak to someone he had never before met and immediately speak to their wound or need or glory. He already knew their entire story. Wish I had that gift!
Comment by William Good April 13, 2010 @ 10:37 pm