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Fantasy Genre Analysis

Fantasy films have seen massive commercial and critical success in recent years, due to series such as Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. The movie from this genre that I will be focusing on is Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, the first film from one of my favorite fantasy franchises. The movie follows eccentric pirate Jack Sparrow as he fights alongside blacksmith Will Turner in order to rescue Elizabeth Swann, who has been kidnapped by the cursed crew of the Black Pearl. The Curse of the Black Pearl falls into the subgenre of sword and sorcery fantasy, which often contains sword-wielding heroes who embark on action-packed adventures. Stories of this category tend to focus on personal conflicts instead of issues on a worldwide scale.

The main rule that defines the fantasy genre is, of course, that the story must contain fictional themes, most often magical or supernatural elements. The Curse of the Black Pearl fulfills this requirement by focusing on the curse that the pirate crew of the Black Pearl incurred when they stole gold pieces from Isla de Muerta. They became undead men, who appear as skeletons in the moonlight and regular men in the daylight. Due to the curse, they cannot feel any sensations ranging from pain to hunger. The crew’s goal is to lift the curse by returning all of the gold pieces along with the blood of the owner of each piece. Another aspect of fantasy films is that they take place in expansive and fantastical worlds that often contain detailed lore. The Pirates of the Caribbean series takes place in a unique universe that is expanded upon with each movie. The characters themselves have complex backgrounds and stories that are often intertwined with one other. Perhaps the most common rule of fantasy however, is that the story should follow the template of the hero’s journey. The hero’s journey is a literary pattern popularized by Joseph Campbell, and describes the narrative of hero myths. Most great and compelling stories follow the hero’s journey, and The Curse of the Black Pearl is no exception. Will Turner’s call to adventure comes when he learns that Elizabeth Swann has been captured, and Jack Sparrow’s call to adventure is the arrival of his former ship, the Black Pearl. Jack initially refuses the call when Will tries to coerce him into helping him find Elizabeth, and he only accepts once he learns that Will is the son of “Bootstrap Bill”, the only pirate who opposed the mutiny against Jack. The two of them gather allies in the form of a new crew and sail off to Isla de Muerta. They cross the threshold from the known to the unknown world once they arrive on the island and set off to confront the pirates. The trials and obstacles they undergo are shown through the many fight scenes between Jack and Will’s crew and Barbossa’s undead men. Once they have completed their quest by saving Elizabeth, breaking the curse, and defeating Barbossa’s crew, the three of them return back home across the threshold. They bring with them new knowledge and positions bestowed upon them. Will has come to terms with the fact that he is the son of a pirate as well as gaining Elizabeth’s hand in marriage, and Jack becomes captain of the Black Pearl once again.

The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise contains one of the most famous and successful depictions of pirates. The pirates in the movies are portrayed in a stereotypical manner as plundering swashbucklers whose favorite items include rum and gold. The plot appears to be set in medieval/archaic times which fulfills another common pattern of the fantasy genre. Another fantasy trope that is present in The Curse of the Black Pearl is how the “average��� hero eventually learns that there is more to his character than he realized. There are two protagonists, or heroes, in the movie: Jack Sparrow and Will Turner. Will is introduced as an ordinary man who has a strong sense of justice and righteousness, leading him to harbor a hatred for pirates and outlaws. As the movie goes on however, he discovers that he is in fact the son of a pirate, and that his blood is the final piece required for breaking the curse. Overall The Curse of the Black Pearl contains common themes and messages found in many fantasy stories, such as the strength of values like love and friendship. Will and Elizabeth’s love eventually bring them together and help them survive deadly obstacles, while Jack finally finds a new crew of pirates whom he can trust. Another main theme of the movie is the issue of morality and what justifies one’s actions. Every character in the movie is seen doing both good and evil things, although they are all done in order to reach their individual goals. The battle between the forces of good and evil is shown through the conflict between Norrington, Jack, Will, and Elizabeth vs. Barbossa and his men. Even though Barbossa is portrayed as cruel and heartless, in the end he is only doing what he needs to in order to become alive again. His actions are justified in his perspective since he only wants to be free from the miserable curse and will do whatever it takes. Pirates of the Caribbean has become a wildly popular and successful franchise that is still producing sequels to this day. Although the quality of the movies has seen a steady deterioration since the first one, as is often the case with many series where directors try to exploit their success for as much profit as they can, the franchise remains culturally and socially significant.

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A Psychoanalytical Approach to “Shutter Island”

Shutter Island is a 2010 psychological thriller directed by Martin Scorsese, based on Dennis Lehane’s novel by the same name. Set in 1954 in Boston, the movie opens with U.S. Marshal Edward “Teddy” Daniels and his new partner Chuck Aule arriving by ship on Shutter Island. They are there to investigate the disappearance of a patient from Ashecliffe Hospital, an asylum for the criminally insane. The patient is a woman named Rachel Solando who was incarcerated for drowning her children. During the investigation, Teddy notices suspicious and conflicting behavior from the staff and other patients. He also experiences frequent migraines and vivid nightmares of his wife Dolores Chanal who was killed in a fire set by an arsonist named Andrew Laeddis. Teddy later confesses to Chuck that his ulterior motive for taking the case was to locate Laeddis whom he believes is somewhere on the island. Teddy becomes increasingly paranoid, eventually breaking into a lighthouse where he believes patients are being lobotomized. Inside however, he discovers the truth that he is in fact Andrew Laeddis, the hospital’s most dangerous patient who was incarcerated for murdering his wife after she drowned their children.

Shutter Island is a movie that toys with the psychological state of both its viewers and its main character. As the final plot twist is revealed, all of the puzzle pieces that were subtly shown throughout the movie finally fall into place. We find out that the all of the events during the movie were an elaborate simulation designed to bring Teddy back to reality. At the beginning, he readily assumes his role as a marshal given his previous background as one. We can see that he is already in a questionable mental state, as his seasickness could also be the result of administered medication. The patient that he is investigating, Rachel Solando, turns out to be an anagram of his wife’s name, Dolores Chanal. Rachel had supposedly drowned her children and then pretended that they had never died, which is exactly what Dolores had done. However, Teddy retains no memory of these events, and views Rachel’s actions with fear and disgust. This mirrors his own initial reaction to his wife’s crime, which led to his subsequent murder of her. He has continuous migraines which are revealed to be from medication withdrawal, as well as hallucinations. He dreams of his wife dying in a fire set by Andrew Laeddis, when in reality it is he who murdered her. Unable to come to terms with his own actions, Teddy created another personality who is innocent and blames Laeddis as the culprit who he believes to be a separate person. He believes that he is going to hunt down Laeddis to make him pay for his crimes. This is a projection of his own remorse for his actions, and shows that he subconsciously desires punishment for his deeds. Teddy also experiences visions of his involvement in the Dachau liberation reprisals, and all of the corpses of the people he was unable to rescue. He also keeps seeing a bloody little girl who questions Teddy as to why he did not save her and he responds that he did not get there in time. These images stem from his repressed guilt for not being able to save his children and not getting psychiatric help for his wife to prevent her eventual breakdown. 

The side effects of his medication, or lack thereof, could also be what are causing his heightened state of paranoia. He views everyone’s actions with suspicion, and Dr. Naehring comments on his remarkable defense mechanisms. The two have a verbal battle, and Teddy takes offense when Naehring calls him a man of violence. Naehring quickly corrects himself by saying he does not mean that he is a violent man, but rather one who has witnessed violence and does not shy away from it when necessary. Naehring is subtly hinting at Teddy’s gruesome past, however he still does not realize it and quickly brushes it off. Eventually Teddy’s mental state deteriorates to the point that he begins to hallucinate events that do not actually happen, such as Chuck falling off a cliff and a woman in a cave who claims to be the real Rachel Solando. Teddy starts a conversation with the woman in the cave who is a figment of his imagination, and she tells him that he is caught up in a conspiracy theory. The hospital’s attempts at instilling paranoia in him through dubious orchestrated events have proved effective enough for Teddy to begin doubting himself. The climax of the movie arrives when Teddy breaks into the lighthouse where he believes patients are being lobotomized. Inside, Dr. Cawley attempts to break the truth to Teddy who vehemently denies it. Teddy, or Laeddis, is said to be labeled as the hospital’s most dangerous patient. This is most likely due to his extensive training and background as a U.S. Marshal which allows him to quickly and effectively incapacitate others during his violent outbursts. Teddy eventually admits the existence of his crime, and the fact that he had created an imaginary world in his mind in order to run away from his guilt. The doctors seem satisfied, hoping that this time Teddy will manage to stay sane.

The following day however, Teddy is seen conversing with Chuck (who turns out to be a doctor) and acting as if he is still investigating the case. Chuck signals to the other doctors to take Teddy to be lobotomized, having concluded that once again the treatment was not effective. However, before he is taken away, Teddy asks Chuck the pivotal question of the movie: “Is it better to live as a monster or to die a good man?” This indicates Teddy is actually still sane, but cannot cope with his actions in the end. Therefore, he is indirectly committing suicide because he cannot continue living with the knowledge of what he has done.

Overall, Shutter Island is a movie that challenges the concept of what sanity truly means. Who is to judge whether a person is insane or not, if they truly believe that they are the sane one? The movie presents a contrast between traditional and progressive psychological treatment methods. Although the hospital treats its patients rather inhumanely and uses archaic methods like lobotomization, we also see a more innovative and compassionate treatment through the form of an elaborate personalized roleplay. Each generation always believes that their methods are the best and most suitable, however there are always advances to be made.

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“In Another Life”

In a distant galaxy Looking very much like our own Is where my perfect self lives And calls Los Angeles her home

In this world she will have done Everything she dreamed of No fears to hold her back Or any seraphim above

Could stop her from believing That her dreams are hers to take A life of art and music Is the one she will have paved

She rolls over in the morning And faces the one she loves She looks out of the window To see the endless sky above

Back on my planet I look up at night Hoping to see her if I look hard enough Because an eternity is simply too short To live all of the lives that I’ve dreamed of

So I’ll wish her all the best May her life only get better Let her know that she is loved And maybe one day I can join her

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“Made in America”

I knew a girl once Young, sweet, and naive Never got to meet her  But the story is the same

I asked her to show me her heart So she stuck out her tongue and it was painted Red, white, and blue Dripping with stars she’d die to touch In love with somewhere she’d only read about and seen on TV But in reality the taste isn’t so sweet And if I could reach through this screen I’d shake her and beg her not to

It’s summer now and she asks me If the sky really does light up at night Colors set ablaze to rain down upon upturned faces I tell her that we share the same sky and beauty isn’t hard to find She smiles but I can tell that she wants more And I know it gets hard sometimes Living for the night and the light that means a new world Where she can forget about the one she’s in And there’s only so much I can do To ease a yearning heart

She tells me she’s been saving up to meet me I tell her “stick with what you know and love it while you can because in the end I’m just cold on your fingertips and a face you can’t touch” But I guess she didn’t listen Because one morning everything went dark

It was a cold and quiet day When my little patriot girl flew away

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“I Am What I Fear”

It’s morning again, so I guess I survived Not much to do but turn away from the light If I don’t think about it then it won’t be real Reality has long since lost its appeal

But there’s the old familiar sting Cut myself on her, bleed over him Try to find meaning in a handful of words But as usual, nothing can ever be learned

It all seems so easy from their point of view Sometimes I wish I could be born brand new A chance to start over and fix myself To take back opportunities I’ve put on the shelf

Too anxious to live, too scared to die The world’s a stage and I’m terrified Life spins on a dime and I’m landing face down We swim out so far just to lose sight and drown

And when it’s all over; what’s done is done I’ve thrown myself away and then some And I’m just beginning to mend But wait, they’re wrong; it never ends

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“Silent Movie”

a cloud passes overhead, obscuring the sun for an indeterminate moment, the world is plunged into darkness colors fade, sounds mute, and i lose sight of your face i am left alone; a solitary singularity amidst an abyssal infinity the feeling is indescribable; the lack of air is a vacuum not unlike that of the cosmic depths frigidity permeates my bones, freezing my blood and stopping my thoughts before i can speak i can barely move, trapped in sluggish languor a fly caught in bitter molasses i feel completely numb, yet at the same time pain radiates throughout my body, converging at my heart until my veins are threatening to burst days, months pass when i feel i can take no more, a ray of light shines through life rushes back in to fill the indomitable void and the world is taken off pause i gasp for air like a dying man and turn towards your smiling silhouette blissfully unaware of the events that have transpired you’ve never seen me you never cared just when i think i’ve met your eyes

another cloud passes by

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Crutch

Crutches can come in many forms, both physically and mentally. There is the traditional crutch that one uses to aid in movement after the suffering of an injury that limits mobility. Crutches like these are helpful tools that benefit us in the long run and help us heal and improve ourselves. I believe that not all crutches are beneficial, however. A crutch is usually defined as an object that offers support and reassurance. However this security may be falsely perceived, or completely superficial. In the age of modern technology, there are countless people who use social media as a crutch for their emotional issues. Feeling a deep-seated loneliness, or perhaps the social burden of interaction, one may feel the need to surround himself or herself with peers at all time. Of course, this is not always physically possible, and that is where social media comes in. With the help of messaging apps, communication with any person is available at your fingertips at any time. While this may seem like a wonderful innovation on the surface, it can perpetuate harmful behaviors and addictions.

Nowadays, instead of experiencing life in the moment and all of the struggles and hardships that come with it, many of us are too quick to turn to our electronic devices for comfort. We never want to get lost in loneliness, therefore we cling onto our phones like lifesavers in order to keep us paddling just above the waters of reality. Solitude doesn’t necessarily lead to loneliness, rather it can be an opportunity for self-reflection and development of character.

Also, social media too often exacerbates our insecurities. Facebook is the dominant platform for keeping up with what your friends and acquaintances are up to on a daily basis. However, what others post to Facebook is a heavily filtered and idealized version of their actual lives. No one wants others to see their imperfections and shortcomings, and therefore they only promote the highlights to the world. Often while scrolling through our feed we do not realize this, and therefore we experience feelings of inadequacy and inferiority when in reality we are no different from each other.

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Chaos

Apep, also known as Apophis, is an ancient Egyptian deity who takes the form of a giant serpent. In Egyptian mythology, he represents chaos and is the opponent of Ra, the god of light. Ra is a defender of Ma’at, which is the Egyptian concept of light, order, justice, peace, and various other righteous principles. Every day he pulls the sun across the sky in his chariot in order to bring daylight to the world. Apep, the embodiment of all evil and chaos, lurks beneath the horizon waiting to strike at Ra and bring eternal darkness to the world. Every night, Ra must defeat Apep in a vicious battle. It is said that the end of the world is the day that Apep becomes strong enough to overcome Ra and swallow the entire earth. Priests and other religious figures often conduct rituals and burn effigies of Apep in order to aid Ra and ward off bad luck.

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Unity

“United we stand, divided we fall.” There is strength in numbers, and the different parts of a whole cannot function on their own. A world divided by conflict and strife is one that can never advance nor flourish. War and hardship ravages many countries today, and oftentimes it seems as though our world is stuck in a perpetual state of chaos. However, every 2 years an international event is held that allows countries to set aside their differences and unite in order to compete for the sake of sportsmanship and patriotism. The Olympics are a monumental spectacle that brings together nations from all over the world, and this year’s Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea was no exception. Each country’s team consists of athletes who have trained extremely hard for many years in order to make their country proud in this event.

Another defining point of this Olympics is the fact that North and South Korea will march alongside each other during the ceremonies. These two countries have been divided and in conflict with each other for a long time, however they were able to compete in harmony during the games.

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Demons and Daydreams

Lucid dreaming sounds like a dream come true, literally. It is a phenomenon where people are aware that they are dreaming and are capable of controlling the things they experience and see within their dreams. In a lucid dream one might be able to fly, seduce their love interest, buy expensive things, travel the world, and live out their wildest fantasies. As you can imagine, lucid dreaming is a fascinating and sought-after ability. Some may unwittingly stumble upon it while sleeping, while others actively seek out methods to induce it. One who has mastered this skill would be able to craft elaborate worlds in their dreams and enact impossible events. While there are many people who find sleep to be a form of escapism from reality, lucid dreamers take this a step further.

Dreams are interesting occurrences. They are images that our consciousness stitches together and presents to us while we are sleeping as an alternate reality. While dreams can hold amazing sights and experiences, they can also bring terrible ones as well. I suffer from sleep paralysis which is a condition where one sometimes wakes to find their body completely immobilized while their mind is still aware. During this time, the person may experience visual and auditory hallucinations. This sensation coupled with the paralysis will often induce extreme fear and panic. In my case, I often experience it while trying to fall asleep. I will be lying in bed when suddenly I feel a heavy pressure on my chest restricting my breath as well as complete muscle weakness. It feels as though my body is shutting down, and since I am unable to move a single muscle I cannot raise my voice or alert anyone to my condition. All I can do is lie in the dark and try to fight my closing eyelids because I am terrified of what would happen if I let my mind and body succumb to the paralysis. I find that the paralysis episodes occur more often when I am feeling extremely stressed about things such as school. It is a horrible experience, and I can only be glad that I am fortunate enough not to have sinister hallucinations of demonic beings approaching me as I know many who suffer from sleep paralysis do experience.

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Desperate Times, Desperate Measures

“There is no such thing as a free lunch.” The oldest form of economy is trading, and it is a given principle that you cannot acquire something of value without giving up something of equal or greater value. But when a person is in desperate need, they may try to bypass this step by begging for, borrowing, or stealing their object of interest. Beggars are all too common, as we can see from the desolate faces of the homeless holding up their signs everyday out on the streets. They are the least fortunate, having nothing left of value to exchange for the basic resources that they require. And so they are forced to seek help from those around them, hoping that a passing stranger will be kind enough to provide them with enough money for their next meal. Then there are those who see themselves as above this undignified act, and abandon their morals and ethics in favor of stealing. Stealing is often a high risk and high reward game, where if they are not caught, thieves can make off with unsuspecting victims’ possessions without having earned a single cent of what they stole. As opposed to begging however, the exchange of goods in this situation is involuntary and illegal. To steal, one has to be both desperate and dishonorable. The most virtuous out of these three options is borrowing. Borrowing is the temporary exchange of an object with the promise to return it to its owner once the borrower has fulfilled their use. Borrowing is a balanced act that displays goodwill and trust, and does not deprive one party of their possessions without equal compensation.

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To Eat or Not to Eat

Food sustains our lives and gives us the energy to do everyday actions. In this day and age, if you are privileged enough, you can have access to every kind of food imaginable. Yet there are some who choose to restrict what they eat, whether it be as a diet or a lifestyle. Most common are vegetarians, who abstain from eating meat for moral and ethical reasons. There are those who take it further, such as vegans who avoid all animal products and pescetarians who will eat fish and seafood but not other types of meat. There are also fad diets that people often partake in for a period of time, but then end up giving up. These include the Paleo diet, where participants will only consume foods that our ancestors consumed during the Paleolithic era, claiming that this way of eating is the purest and most nutritional. However, the human digestive system has evolved greatly since that time period, and undertaking this diet can often result in more harm than good. 

By far the most harmful diet that I have come across is Breatharianism. Practitioners of this lifestyle believe that food, and in some cases water, is not necessary for survival. Instead, they claim to be able to survive solely on sunlight and “cosmic energy”. However, this diet has never been proven to be legitimate. It should be common sense that the human body requires food and water to develop and thrive, and nutritional science has proven that extended periods of fasting will lead to starvation, dehydration, and eventually death. Breatharians claim to have transcended such processes, and declare themselves to be immune to these side effects. Medical studies and documentaries have monitored certain cases of Breatharianism however, and in each case the subject has displayed rapid weight loss, physical damage, and some have even died. Despite this, there are gurus and self-proclaimed spiritual masters who propagate the belief of Breatharianism for their own benefit, as they can charge money to spread their knowledge to their followers. These advocates have consistently been proven to be frauds however, and are a testament to the gullibility of mankind.

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“Broken”

It left a scar almost half an inch wide Running down my body along my left side I didn’t really notice it at first Until it started stinging in the ocean water; I looked down, it was bleeding too much Didn’t tell you about it though I was never one to let my emotions show I sat in the sand because the sun gave me headaches, eyes closed Trying not to think about it Back in the room, was it over, is this it? Kick the pieces of the coat hanger under the bed The shirt was ruined, it went in the wash Got ready to go, a quick change of clothes Keep it together for friends, for family, for us Put on a smile, just for a while But it hurt more than the words and the looks, and it wouldn’t go away And it’s really all I can remember from that day It’s been three years, but scars don’t heal And I still feel the pain every once in a while As I turn over in an empty bed

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“Savior”

Do you believe in miracles? Not the kinds that live in the pages of a bible Nor any elaborate schemes of divinity But the simple truth that the thought of you wakes me in the morning On a day I would have otherwise missed And makes me realize there’s something out there worth living for after all

It is the immutable fact that the words you speak Are the rhythm that keeps my heart beating Rousing me from a nightmare I never thought I would never escape

They tell me I owe my life to many things The will of God, my parents’ hands, my own predestined fate But I know these things to not be true For when they all failed me in the end You were the one who lifted my broken body And breathed strength back into my bones

Do you believe that a soul can be saved From a fate they chose themselves? Do you believe that a person can be liberated From a grave they laid in themselves? Do you believe that the sun rises in the morning, And that the moon pushes the tides and pulls at the heartstrings Of those lonely enough to let their gazes become trapped in the night?

They say seeing is believing And I knew this in my soul When with my very own eyes I beheld yours

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“Seahaven”

Kissed by the sea on a cold winter morning As the ice is still breaking In small, distant ponds

As I stood in the water Ankles frozen and burning I thought Where would the waves go If the moonlight was gone

And I was able to see the world In the light of a sunrise With my heart unclouded And the veil pulled from my eyes

I would take a moment to breathe in Clear my mind of thoughtless worries Clasp my hands in silent prayer Let my soul flow where the water takes me And hope I am cleansed into someone better

In this moment I am at the zenith of peace A triumphant explorer having conquered the peak Of my mountainous struggles and burdens And now I reap the rewards With a steady heartbeat

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“Trials and Tribulations”

I walk an endless line of limits Where two things meet yet cease to exist Where dreams fade into sharp reality And send us reeling into the abyss

My bones are aching from this madness My mind has long since snapped and frayed This harrowing journey has killed my soul But I still have debts left to be paid

On a scorching night I asked you If my life was worth your own You replied and shook your head “You still have sins for which to atone”

My fellow friends, my fallen comrades I left you scattered in my wake I have won my battles yet lost the war To see there is nothing left to take

A lost cause, a waste of space I go by many names But there is one that truly fits “The fading ember of a dying flame”

But I will walk this earth until the end God forbid that I may die For I still have places left to go And demons left to fight

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“Twilight Thoughts”

The colors of the sky paint my life in such beautiful ways But I can’t help but notice they’re not there on the loneliest days When I sit and I stare and I wait for something to happen But nothing seems to matter, and no one seems to listen I try to move on but it weighs down on my mind And when I think I’m good as new it will catch me by surprise How fragile I have made myself, how uncertain life as well I find beauty in all the simple things but joy in nothing else The rain falls down on me with all its calm and lightness But in that same rain all I see is cold and bitter sickness The sea breaks by my home in such strong and graceful ways But I can feel it wearing down my soul with every passing day They say some things are never meant to be, no matter what you try Well I will try and try I say, until the day I die To make sense of what life has given me, my so-called would-be “fate” And try to find some light in it before it is too late