Film essay
Choose any film that follows either the hero’s or heroine’s journey story pattern to some degree (some films use a combination of both). In your essay, explain how the film’s hero or heroine navigates at least three of the specific stages in this journey. Feel free to use first person and include a personal reaction to the film as well as you see relevant.
There are 10 sages explained in the attached PowerPoint. Choose any three stages and navigate them with the film you choose.
https://screencraft.org/2017/06/18/how-screenwriters-can-embrace-the-heroines-journey/
The Heroine’s Journey
1. Separation from the feminine
2. Identification with the masculine
3. Road of Trials
4. Boon of success
5. Awakening to feelings of spiritual aridity
6. Initiation and descent to the realm of the goddess
7. Urge to reconnect with the feminine
8. Healing the mother/daughter split
9. Healing the wounded masculine
10. Sacred marriage
The Heroine’s Journey
The journey inward
Self discovery
Focus upon emotional transformation
Finding balance in an unbalanced society
The first six stages are led with the mind (intellectual journey)
The last four stages are led with the heart/soul
1. Separation
Daughter sees her mother as vulnerable, self loathing or powerless
Cultural distortions of female body cause a disconnect
Daughter separates herself from perceived negativity
She is cutting off key parts of herself which will need to be resolved later in the journey (loss of integrity or balance)
2. Identification with the masculine
Connection with father figure and outward forms of power
Masculine role seems heroic and free
Father affirms a young girl’s sense of self
3. Road of trials
The journey towards adulthood and overcoming many myths:
Dependency
Inferiority
Contentment through the affirmation of others
4. Boon of success
Focus on product instead of process.
Struggle to achieve which can become an addiction.
One is never satisfied
5. Awakening
Spiritual aridity
Feeling out of synch with one’s self.
The river of creativity has dried up
Painful stage that causes one to transform.
Beginning to look “down and in” rather than “up and out”
6. Initiation and Descent
Moving into a different state of being.
Feeling of sadness, undirected.
This descent has a task to recover the discarded parts of one’s self that were originally lost.
Often looked at as depression but this descent is necessary as a “call of the soul”.
Creating oneself anew and undertaking these challenges.
7. Urge to reconnect with the feminine
Listening to one’s intuition.
Returning to the sense of self that was there before a focus on achievement.
8. Healing the mother/daughter split
Looking at one’s ability to express feelings.
Grief comes from a recognition of the loss.
Accepting who the mother was and identifying with her place in her time.
Sense of compassion.
A need to learn about “being” instead of “doing”.
9. Healing the wounded masculine
Identifying what denies your limits.
What is the driver in oneself that causes loss?
Then…
Find the positive aspects of masculine nature (protecting oneself, taking action, developing an internal man with heart, developing compassion for oneself).
Growing an internal, supportive father.
Developing a benevolent, loving aspect of one’s masculinity.
10. Sacred marriage
Integration of masculine and feminine.
Finding balance between masculine and feminine.
Integrating all aspects of one’s nature.
Film Response Essay Guidelines, Olivier, HUMA 1301
Due Date: Nov. 9
Word count: a minimum of 500 words
Format: MLA
Instructions: Choose any film that follows either the hero’s or heroine’s journey story pattern to some degree (some films use a combination of both). In your essay, explain how the film’s hero or heroine navigates at least three of the specific stages in this journey. Feel free to use first person and include a personal reaction to the film as well as you see relevant.
Suggested Hero’s Journey Films:
· The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
· Big Fish
· The Way, Way Back
· The Matrix
· Alice in Wonderland
· The Life of Pi
· Almost any Marvel superhero movie!
Suggested Heroine’s Journey Films:
· Beasts of the Southern Wild
· The Hunger Games (Katniss goes on both a hero’s and a heroine’s journey)
· Pan’s Labyrinth
· Gravity
· Maleficent
· Beauty and the Beast
· Wonder Woman