The lone killer walked into a small town. Due to the oppression of evil forces, the people in the small town have a difficult life. The killer becomes the savior and takes action to eradicate the evil forces. With the respect and gratitude of the people in the town, the killer left the town and embarked on a lonely and long journey again...
Whether it is a Japanese warrior film in the East or an American western film in the West, they are very good at using similar stories to praise some characters with simple ethics. The "simple ethics" has nothing to do with public morals or laws and regulations, because the protagonist of the story is often independent and not bound by secular terms, and his daily behavior walks on the edge of the law or even directly crosses the boundary. The criterion of their rules of conduct needs to be modified with "simplicity". "Simple" has two meanings. On the one hand, this kind of charismatic character does not abide by many ethical codes, and the story will be developed around two or three of them in general works; on the other hand, the code is concise and easy to understand and implement, unlike the legal provisions, which is not as confusing and playful. Words or logic games.
Simple morality is a narrative trick. Concise guidelines are conducive to quickly shaping the image of the character. For example, if a professional assassin does not kill women and children, then this person may have inner tenderness; if a Jiangyang thieves swears not to betray his companions, then this person is called a thief; if a lone samurai adhering to the grace must be repaid, then this People are undoubtedly righteous. The protagonists' abide by a few rules is in sharp contrast to their ignorance of most rules, and has a more dramatic effect.
At the same time, the sci-fi movie series "Star Wars", which is heavily influenced by samurai movies and western movies, launched the TV series "The Mandalorian" in 2019. The work has a strong reputation. In addition to being well received in overseas markets, it has also attracted many non-Star Wars fans to follow the show in the country where Star Wars has limited influence.
"The Mandalorian", the protagonist of "The Mandalorian", is a typical figure dominated by simple ethics. The story of "The Mandalorian" also unfolds around the interpretation of the "Mandalorian" ethics.
Charming bounty hunter
Mandalore is the name of a fictional planet in "Star Wars". The locals are known for their martial arts and fearlessness, and they pay attention to gaining honor in upright battles. In addition to the natives of the planet Mandalorian, those who identify with the Mandalorian spirit and act in accordance with the Mandalorian culture are also called Mandalorians.
The Mandalorian first appeared in 1980's Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back. Mandalorian bounty hunter Boba Fett is impressive. Although he doesn't have many lines, every sentence is enough to reflect his cruelty and ruthlessness. In particular, his daring to challenge the classic Star Wars villain Darth Vader is enough to show that this is a cruel character that cannot be underestimated. Although in "Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi", he was defeated by the protagonists and fell into the belly of a monster as big as a bottomless pit, but he has always been popular among Star Wars fans, so that later Star Wars novels, The Star Wars comics made him "resurrected" and his image continued to be plumped.
At the beginning of the 21st century, "Father of Star Wars" George Lucas filmed the "Star Wars Prequel" trilogy, giving the Mandalorian more legendary color. "Star Wars 2: Attack of the Clones" tells the birth source of the classic Star Wars villain, the Empire Stormtrooper: The Galactic Republic uses the genes of Mandalorian bounty hunter Jango Fett to create a huge army of clones. The Republic was later usurped by the Sith and transformed into an empire, and the clone army was also transformed into an imperial stormtrooper. To the surprise of the Star Wars fans who walked into the theater at that time, Boba also appeared in "Star Wars 2" as a child-although Boba is also a clone of Jango, he is commensurate with Jango and his son.
Judging from the movie, the ethics of Fett and his son is "loyal to the customer." Using Jango's genes to build an army of clones was actually a conspiracy of the Sith, and Jango eventually died under the sword of the Jedi for helping the Sith. Boba was commissioned by the gang boss Hutt Jabba to capture the smuggler Han Solo. When Solo's friends went to the gang’s lair to rescue, Boba, who had already been "boosted", continued to help Jabba.
In other Star Wars novels and comics derived from movies, the ethical principles implemented by Fett and his sons, especially Boba, have a more "human nature" flavor. Boba once refused Jabba's "reward" Princess Leia, who failed to rescue Solo, and showed his principle of not loving women. He also refused alcohol, drugs, and other substances that could harm the body's functions, showing strong self-discipline. Boba and the bounty hunter Tenga are always at odds. Once he was seriously injured and met each other in the desert. Although the other party was reluctant to save him and even wanted to take the opportunity to kill him, Boba took the initiative to follow Tengah. Reconciliation, this is the principle of clear grievances at play.
The character of Boba, the bounty hunter, influenced the orientation of the Mandalorian in the creation of Star Wars in the future. From the faction point of view, the Mandalorians are “both right and evil”, joining the decent or villain camp according to creative needs, and sometimes even a third party that balances the positive and the negative. However, no matter which side they play for, the vast majority of Mandalorians abide by the creeds of the Mandalorian culture.
"It's this way"
The artistic creation of Star Wars ushered in a turning point in 2012. Lucas sold Lucasfilm to Disney, and Disney became the "new owner" of Star Wars copyright. Disney decided to plan the new story of the Star Wars universe based on the six films and an animated TV series that have been produced, including the production of a new trilogy movie "Post Star Wars". In this way, the stories of the previous novels and comics are "obsolete", and Boba's experience and Mandalorian culture must also be redrawn.
The first live-action Star Wars TV series "The Mandalorian" has undertaken this important task.
Fans who are familiar with samurai movies can tell at a glance that "The Mandalorian" draws on the classic "Wolf with Belt" from the 70s. "Wolf with a Sword" was originally a comic, telling the story of a samurai who was killed by the traitor Yanagyu, his family broke his wife and died, and finally he took his son to worship Dagoro and wandered around the world, while working as a professional assassin, while looking for opportunities for revenge.
"The Mandalorian" tells the story of a bounty hunter "The Mandalorian" who wandered the galaxy under the nickname, and received a mission to capture a certain target for the empire. Later he discovered that the target was a child with a very rare race and superpowers, and the empire was going to use the baby to do evil experiments. The "Mandalorian" decided to protect the child from the hands of the empire, and vowed to return him to the "Jedi" who understands how the Force (the superpower understood by the "Mandalorian") is used, but has been disintegrated for decades. "organization. Similar to Baiyidao, the "Mandalorian" not only has to fight against the people who are fighting for the child, but also play a role similar to the father, and take care of the child in the process of finding clues to the Jedi.
The cold blood of the killer and the frankness of the child, the collision of the two contrasting elements is a big selling point of "The Mandalorian", and the "father-son interaction" is often talked about by the audience. However, the main rendering of "The Mandalorian" is still the delightful enmity at the edge of the galaxy. A group of characters wandering between black and white, because of the agreement or conflict of ideas, all kinds of sparks have collided.
The most critical concept is the Mandalorian culture. Its creed is summarized by the characters in the play: "This is the Way" (This is the Way).
"Mandalorian" embarks on the road of escorting children, is to practice the Mandalorian way. According to the tradition of the tribe where the "Mandalorians" belong, children are "outcasts" found by the "Mandalorians", and the "Mandalorians" bear the responsibility of taking care of their children's growth. Because the child's force is so powerful that it exceeds the scope of the "Mandalorian" to understand and train, the specific task of the "Mandalorian" becomes to return the child to the Jedi. Even if the Jedi were enemies of the Mandalorians in the past, the "Mandalorians" still have to return their children because "this is the way."
The line "It is this way" first appeared in the third episode of the first season of the series. The "Mandalorian" clashed with a tribal companion. When the tribal leader explained why the tribe wanted to hide its tracks, he said "this is the way" for the first time. At the end of the episode, the "Mandalorian" was besieged by a group of bounty hunters when they snatched their children from the empire. In order to help the "Mandalorians", the other Mandalorians did not hesitate to end their concealment and join the battle group at critical moments. Among them, the comrades who had disputed with the "Mandalorian" used heavy firepower to cover the "Mandalorian" to leave. The two greeted each other "just this way." It can be seen that the loyalty and support between tribal companions is a principle with high priority in "this way".
The Mandalorian Way also includes keeping promises. In the second episode of the second season, "The Mandalorian" promised to escort a woman to the planet Trask in exchange for information about the whereabouts of other Mandalorians. The escort was very dangerous. The "Mandalorian" spacecraft crashed into the snowy planet, and was further destroyed by local spider monsters. But the "Mandalorian" still managed to repair the spacecraft to at least fly it, stumbling and stumbling to send the customer to the destination.
The specific principles of various Mandalorian Ways are refined into the four words "it is this way". The simpler it is, the more powerful it is. This condensed sentence spreads rapidly with the ups and downs of the story and becomes the new classic Star Wars line, which is very much on par with "May the Force be with you" (May the Force be with you).
Mythology and Deification
"It is this way" is essentially a set of simple ethical standards, reflecting the virtues of loyalty, righteousness, courage, and faith. Other characters in "The Mandalorian" also reflect similar moral arcs.
For example, Griff, the leader of the Bounty Hunter Guild, was saved by the child with the healing power of the original force and turned from the opponent of the "Mandalorian" to a helper in return for his life-saving grace. However, after the reclusive Ugnaut Kuyle made friends with the "Mandalorian", he joined the "Mandalorian" camp, and finally protected his children and sacrificed their lives. This role can be called a pure "chivalrous man".
Chivalrous Legends have a market both in the East and the West. As far as the field of film is concerned, Westerns appeared earlier. The legendary film critic André Bazin once described, "Westerns are the only type of film that appeared at the same time as movies." The genre of "film" extols the Western-style rash heroes. Bazin said, "The deep reality of Western films is a myth." "God" is not without shortcomings, but can show divinity at the limit. In 1939 "Guanshan Feidu", gamblers showed the gentleman character of maintaining the dignity of women before the end of their lives, alcoholic doctors maintained strict professional ethics to save new lives, and the protagonist of prison escape was the representative of filial piety and righteousness.
The Japanese draw on their own Bushido culture and produced "Samurai Movies" that reflect how the samurai behaves in the ethics of keeping loyalty and promise. The director of "Flying Guanshan", John Ford, had a great influence on the Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. Akira Kurosawa later became a great master. His "Seven Samurai" in 1954 realized the feedback of the creation of samurai films to western films-the story of seven chivalrous men who helped the villagers fight against robbers. "Seven Dragons" moved back.
"Star Wars", which Lucas personally created with painstaking effort, is a fusion of western and samurai films. The Jedi uses lightsabers as weapons, which obviously pays tribute to the appearance of the Japanese samurai. In 1977, the first Star Wars movie "New Hope" (later named "Star Wars 4: New Hope"), the young hero saving the princess was inspired by Akira Kurosawa's "Warring States Heroes". Tatooine, the first planet that appeared in "New Hope", was a desert planet, transplanting the desolate and desolate style of Western films. Among them, the pub where the three religions and the nine generations gather is full of western stories of "cowboys walked into the bar".
But Lucas really absorbed the nutrients of westerns and samurai films, which is reflected in the choice of the characters' ideas. In the "Star Wars" trilogy, the rogue hero Solo and the villain Darth Vader who turned back the last prodigal son are the most representative. Solo's professional ethics are not very good. As a smuggler, he dared to throw away the goods of the proprietor. However, after being born and dying with Luke, Soro put aside his past troubles and slipped away, and saved Luke in the Death Star battle at the end of "New Hope". Vader was once a Jedi to maintain the peace of the galaxy, and later became an imperial minion. With blood on his hands, he met his son at the last moment and died with the emperor. The two main characters full of flaws have achieved salvation by completing ethical choices.
Plain-Fancy-Plain
However, later Star Wars film and television works no longer laid out this straightforward ethical trade-off. The first is the "Star Wars Prequel" trilogy at the beginning of the 21st century. Lucas aims to trace how Vader fell from a hero to a villain. The theme is naturally not the brilliance of ethics, but the collapse of ethics. Then there is a huge controversy in the trilogy of "Post Star Wars" invested by Disney. One of the problems lies in the fact that the heroic characters in the original story led a nearly "wasteful" life in the post story period, which is equivalent to denying the original intention of the "god creation" of the original story and denying the fact that these characters are promoting the simple ethics. Under the selection.
The general director of "The Mandalorian" is Jon Feiru. In 2007, "Iron Man" directed by him saved Marvel Comics and created one of the most popular movie series in history-the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "Iron Man" brought a cynical superhero to the screen and achieved an unexpected success. Since then, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been extremely fancy, attracting countless gold with the combination of dazzling scenes with male and beautiful women. Marvel’s parent company is also Disney, so when some of the popular vehicles, weapons and scenes appeared in "Post Star Wars", some fans thought that Star Wars was intentionally or unintentionally mixed with a "Marvel flavor".
However, as the founder of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Fei Ruo chose restraint when he was in charge of The Mandalorian. A classic breath from "Star Wars True Story" came over. The source of the classics is still the word "simple". "The Mandalorian" has a huge investment, and the visual effects are full of the texture of a high-budget movie. However, the planets presented in the series are mostly barren, and there is not much Marvel-style high saturation and colorful colors.
This is exactly the same as the Star Wars movies of the 80s. Although "Star Wars" is a miracle of movie special effects at the time, the movie scene is actually very simple. The vast desert, the sky full of ice and snow, the lush forest... The specific and continuous natural landscape constitutes the main body of the scene, instead of using digital technology to create a galaxy metropolis with a trillion population, or having a style like the later prequel movie. Artistic planets of different land and underwater worlds.
More importantly, "The Mandalorian" has returned to the simplicity of style. The story of "Star Wars" is simple, and the character image is very straightforward. A simple Maotou boy joined a group of revolutionaries with a pure anti-oppressive concept, and then defeated the powerful enemy in a simple way.
The "Mandalorian" is also such a simple person. He was rescued by the Mandalorian after his parents were killed and he has since become a practitioner of Mandalorian Way. "It is this way" is not a catch phrase for him, but a compass—maybe the only one—in the path of life. Other roles also have their own "Tao". Most of these characters have their own small abacus, so there is a conflict of interest. But in the end, certain concepts that are higher than the pursuit of secular interests and certain concepts that make them find their own value of "human beings" prompt them to abandon conflict and fight together.
In the scene, "The Mandalorian" pays tribute to the western film; in the big story frame, "The Mandalorian" pays tribute to the samurai film. The imprints of the two genre films that influenced the birth of Star Wars were once again engraved on a brand new original Star Wars TV series. However, the most substantial tribute to The Mandalorian is the simple value aesthetics in the two types of films. The "Mandalorian" and his companions used the courage and courage of the people in the rivers and lakes to fight against the evil spirits, leaving behind an epic legend.
(Originally published in the last issue of "Nan Feng Chuang" in 2020, this article is the unedited version)
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