Don't be Oblivious: The Obvious Myth in Oblivion

[This post has spoilers.

Really quickly, where did Spring go? We've started the Summer Blockbuster season, and I havn't posted in over a month! Mostly because there wasn't much interesting going on. Besides the ends of several comedy TV series... ]

Okay, who though Oblivion (Universal Pictures, 2013) was going to be another weird Tom Cruise movie? I certainly did. Cruise is generally not an actor I follow, because I associate him with the 80s and 90s (and Scientology). Really that's not fair. His career doesn't have the normal dips and turns as other action movie stars; he's consistently made three star and above quality films since the start of his career, and the only year 21st century he didn't have a movie coming out was 2009, which is kind of excusable since he had two movies come out in 2008.

When I heard Oblivion was "actually really good," I was skeptical. Through a coin-toss I saw it instead of The Place Behind the Pines. Good choice. It contains a lot of New American Mythology themes and motifs. The following is a quick rundown of these. I thought the plot was fairly obvious, but if you're wanting to keep the movie's plot twists a surprise, don't continue to read, particularly the ones marked with ***. They're all kind of spoilers though.

Basically, I've highlighted how Oblivion uses the motifs in New American Mythology. The terms are not literal representations, but act more as metaphors. Brush up on the terminology by clicking on "Lexicon" above. Use this post as a way to better understand the Myth, and how it influences our culture.

Astronaut - Jack Harper, the main character, lives in isolation with his work and love partner, Victoria. He repairs drones which guard saltwater collectors. The saltwater will be converted into energy for humanity's exodus to Titan. Jack uses his high and low-tech know how to keep the drones running and protect the human race. ***We find out Jack Harper was actually an astronaut in his previous life. He and a crew were going to Titan to assess if human could live there; when their mission changes he chooses to pursue the danger alone (with Victoria) rather then put the rest of his crew in danger. Jack's final sacrifice at the movie's end, solidifies his mythological Astronaut status.

Cowboy - Jack acts directly against his orders multiple times, mostly on gut reactions. His collection of various human objects connects him to his true human self. His "lonesome" rides in the helicopter and fondness for his motorcycle are not unlike a man in the desert on a horse. 

***Zombie - Jack's previous incarnations followed orders, blindly killing off most of humanity. It sounds like they traveled in hordes, acting senselessly en mass. Victoria remains a Zombie, blindly following her programing to her demise, despite the evidence in front of her. Also, Jack dies and 'comes back to life' through Tech 52 in order to live happily ever after.

Illumination!

 

Black - Of course Morgan Freeman plays the Black god (of war)! In this narrative, Malcolm Beech leads humanity's last stand. Not only does he come up with the strategy for taking down TET, he's the one who sees Jack as the key to their salvation and shows him the Road to self-discovery. ***His death marks the end of the war, a passing of an era. With his and Jack's death, the world can be reborn.

Girl - Victoria tries to break away from the 'system' that holds her, but in the end she cannot side with Jack. She finds the small plant he gives her abhorrent, because it may ruin their chances of going to Titan with the rest of humanity. Really, it shows her lack of humanity and her assimilation into the TET's false reality.

Amazon - Julia, a 'Russian' cosmonaut, is only an Amazon when compared to Victoria. Overall she's a weak female character, but does hold important knowledge that allows Jack to free his mind, proving herself not to be a threat to Jack and superior to Victoria.

Scavs in the concept art from the unpublished (non-existent) graphic novel Oblivion was based on.
Illustration by  Andrée Wallin

 

Aliens - The Scav are Jack's main threat. They attack the drones, but without any real purpose. Victoria ponders why they would try to destroy the drones, why they would send an off-world signal, and why they are there at all. They are irrational, threatening creatures. (Or are they...?)

The West - Jack's excursions in the the wastelands gives him the freedom to explore the world around him without the rules of the Sky Tower. He can fix drones with gum, pick up curious objects, and wear a Yankee cap, all of which don't follow protocol. The potential run into the dangerous Scavs doesn't deter him from the potential of finding something new. Additionally, his (Rocky Mountain) retreat is an eden free from TET's (society's) prying eyes.

***Space - TET, which exists in space, is Jack and Victoria's source of information, their salvation (to Titan), their creation (via cloning), and their destruction (drones). On the flip side of the coin, Jack must enter TET's realm in order to save humanity, recreate himself, and destroy the threat.

***The City - TET supposedly holds most of the human race, waiting on a few techs to return before blasting off into Space. However, it turns out to be the lack of humanity rather than its salvation. TET programs Jack and Victoria to despise the past human life. Victoria especially follows TET's orders, fearing she'll lose her spot to Titan while not realizing she's lost her humanity.

Nostalgia - Jack's fascination with artifacts and history goes beyond topical interest. He collects small items and arranges them lovingly in his cottage. They remind him of the past glory of humanity, whereas Victoria sees them as radioactive remenants of war.

***The Road - After meeting Morgan Freeman's character, Jack must take a journey of self discovery. He starts out on a bike and drives to the Empire State building, where he finds his other half. He then returns to the Sky Tower, where he must destroy his past beliefs/self. Then, he goes through an hazardous journey across the radiation zone and meets his true self. This journey gives him the strength and conviction to save humanity.
 
 ***The Tower - 1) TET, a tower in the sky, supposedly awaits to deliver humanity to Titan and save all of mankind. However, we find out that it's not the salvation of mankind, but its destruction. This technological entity that Jack and Victoria believe holds the entire world has destroyed it. 2) The Empire State Building holds the key to Jack's humanity; his memories of the tower remain, and it's where his memories return to him. Before his memories return, the tower signifies the destruction of his past, and (literally) signals for its return. 3) The Sky-Tower (home-base) protects Jack and Victoria from Scavs and radiation. It's how they can live in such a hostile environment. However it also shelters them from the truth, preventing Victoria particularly from reconnecting to her original self.

At the Tower, all is made clear.

 There you go folks. Now stop saying I'm making this shit up! The terms may be outlandish, but sometimes we only notice the extremes.

Comment below!

The President is a Black man

God is a Well-Spoken Black Man

Bruce Almighty (Universal Pictures, 2003)

The title of this post shouldn't surprise anyone. We've seen, or rather, heard Morgan Freeman impart information that only a omnipresent, omniscient being could know. In March of the Penguins (Bonne Pioche, 2005) he revealed how penguins survive Antarctica's extreme climate with faithful love. He showed us what it means to live (and love) even when the end is near in The Bucket List (Warner Bros., 2007).   In Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy (Warner Bros. Pictures, 2005, 2008, 2012), Freeman played a man who had all the tools, was smart enough to repair them, and who knew right from wrong. Even in Wanted (Universal Pictures, 2008) he represented Weaver, the one who chose the hits, who knew who had to die and who to live.

Morgan Freeman's voice-over in the Visa Olympic 'Go World' campaign, well, it's as if God is telling us to cheer for our athletes because He hears us and helps them achieve [our] goals. The 'Go World' tag even shows that God isn't biased. And uses Visa. 

Aptly named Freeman isn't the only Well-Spoken Black Man who gets to channel the voice of God. The 'Token Black' in movies and television has become the voice of reality/reason/truth. Let's look at some of our favorite television shows:

The Office: We have Stanley and Daryl. 

Stanley he doesn't engage in (many) of The Office's shenanigans, he just wants to get through his day and get out. He calls people (mostly Michael Scott) out on BS, doesn't put any pretenses up, AND wants to be a lonely Astronaut.

Darryl, entered The Office from the warehouse (the Other). As such, other characters (Andy) approach him as if he has some sort of 'Street Smarts' and often ask him for advice. Darryl is aware of his power and his freedom to make his own way through the office and keeps a cool, humble head. 

American Idol and other variety-competition shows:

What have Randy Jackson, Ceelo Green, and Nick Cannon got in common? They've appeared as the fair and balanced voice of Reasson. People tend to see the Black as unbiased and objective who rely on their knowledge/experience to make fair judgement rather than personal taste or preferences (opposed to 'mean' Simon Cowell, or 'nice' Sharon Osborn). The variety-competion shows don't limit Blacks to hosting and juding however. Arguably, their Black contestants are the most popular. Remember the dancer tWtich from So You Think You Can Dance (2008)? Or this year's Joshua Ledet on American Idol? They didn't win, but I believe they were the most admired individuals because they relied on their talents rather than mere sex appeal or general acceptance.

Joshua Ledet on American Idol (Fox, 2012)
Singin' with God in his Soul

Is that the key? Does our society see Black as individuals who can only advance with God-given extraordinary talents? A friend of mine explained to me that the only perceived way 'out' for a African-American man was through sports or other 'entertainment' media (aka talent). Don't believe me? Take a look at NBC's portrayal of one of our Olympians:

African Americans as God's chosen race counters historic records, but it makes sense if we look at today's facts. 79% of the African American population identify themselves as religious as compared to 56% of the general population. As a religious community, African Americans have added much to American culture, namely the long lineage of Gospel Music that African slaves brought to America and adapted to Christianity. Martin Luther King Jr., in-arguably the greatest American figure in the latter half of the 20th century, lead the Civil Right Movement with his preaching skills (and strong, resonant voice).

Of course, America now has an African American President, who ran under the campaign of 'Hope' and 'Change'. Presumably, Americans voted for this great man because they had faith in his talents to advance American in the 21st Century. We believed in Him. Barack Obama campaigned the same year Bruce Almighty came out. We can't really discern the movie first helped Americans see Black as the keeper of knowledge, or if it only happened after voters elected Obama into the Oval Office, but I propose the two were related.

What we do see in recent years is more African Americans portraying characters who protect and/or posses some sort of secret knowledge- whether that be technical skills, moral high ground, or outright intelligence. Although this does not mean representations of African-Americans in the media accurately reflect demographics, nor are all representations Black (i.e. Tracy Morgan's character in 30Rock). It does reflect a change in America's mind-set, one that acknowledges the African American community as valuable to America's well being.

Poster for Book of Eli movie

Other 'Black:'

• Eli in Book of Eli (Alcon Entertainment, 2010): Do I need to explain this one? 
• Nick Fury in The Avengers (Marvel Studios, 2012): Up until 2002 this character was white. 
• Perry White in Man of Steel (Warner Bros. Pictures, 2013): Again, traditionally white character. He's the Editor-in-Chief at the Daily Planet.
• Heimdall in Thor (Marvel Studios, 2011): The gatekeeper who sees both the Earthly and Asgard Realms
• Storm in X2, and X-Men: The Last Stand, (Twentieth Century Fox Film, 2003, 2006): She becomes the school's leader (keeper) after Xavier's death. 
• Troy Barnes in Community (NBC, 2009 - 2012): He has magical skills to fix A/C and Plumbing!
• Agent J in Men In Black (Amblin Entertainment, 1997, 2002, 2012): He has the street-skills to save the world! 
• Morpheus in The Matrix (Warner Bros, 1999, 2003): The guy searching for 'The One' to liberate the people. 
• Mufasa in The Lion King (Disney, 1994): "Remember who you are..."

In Association with 'Black'

• Oprah in Life (Discovery Channel, 2010)
• Maids in The Help (Dreamworks SKG, 2011)
• Shirley Bennet in Community (NBC, 2009 -2012)

Have more? Do you dispute my claims? Comment below.