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Mythological and Modern-Day Heroes Paper

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Mythological and Modern-Day Heroes Paper

Over the years, there have been many heroes embarking upon quests, overcoming odds that are extraordinary for the common person and triumphing over evil. Each hero has shared many of the same characteristics as other heroes before him/her. From literature there are the tales of Odysseus, Beowulf and Sherlock Holmes. From popular culture, the tales of Harry Potter and Hogwart’s Castle, Frodo and Bilbo Baggins from the shire and Korben Dallas and Leeloo from the movie “Fifth Element”. Starring Bruce Willis (Korben Dallas), Milla Jovovich (Leeloo) and Gary Oldman (Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg), the modern day hero complete with quest, lady fair and evil provides a pop culture version of the mythological hero and the mythological quest.
Korben Dallas’ Hero’s Journey starts off as a regular joe taxi driver in the year 2263. Strong, compassionate, gruff, kind, skilled, intelligent and determined, Korben is the epitome of a hero. The strength of character, will and heart are characteristics shared by all heroes. The skills Korben possesses as well as the keen intellect, seen in his witty repartee, are true standards for a hero. His Achilles’ heel is the inability to express softer emotion. His one failing is not calling his mother. Korben Dallas exemplifies a mythological hero almost solely by his Heroic personality. Throughout the movie, the charisma and manly aura Dallas possesses in great quantities is exhibited by the hero with an almost mythical quality. From the way he deals with a druggie who aims a gun at him, to the terrifying ride through the traffic and smog of 2263’s version of New York City, which Korben calmly shrugged off, to walking into a room full of henchmen, shooting the leader in the head and providing a humorous quip about negotiating, the Heroic personality is something to behold. The skill with which Dallas deals with every encounter implies an almost god-like ability. One such example is when Korben quickly looks into a room and is able to calculate how many henchmen and where they are positioned. After blindly firing, he is able to calculate the remaining amount. Andrivet (2014), “In combat, Dallas moves without any stress, like if strolling down the street, and handles his weapon with detachment - it seems he doesn’t have to look at his targets to mow them down. Only his steely gray gaze betrays his determination…Other feats include shooting the ground off all around a man lying prone - on the floor above the one where Dallas stood, while only seeing his head through a hole, and without even scratching him; or popping in and out of a doorway and shooting six opponents dead with a pistol in about half a second, while counting remaining targets and assessing the situation” (The Fifth Element - Bruce Willis - Korben Dallas).
According to IMDb (2014), “In the twenty-third century, the universe is threatened by evil. The only hope for mankind is the Fifth Element, who comes to Earth every five thousand years to protect the humans with four stones of the four elements: fire, water, Earth and air” (The Fifth Element). The purpose of the mythical quest in general was for someone to locate and combine the 4 elemental stones with the Fifth Element to defeat the Great Evil that threatens Earth. Our hero, Korben Dallas, paired with the Fifth Element named Leeloo, was chosen by General Munro, the President of the Earth and Father Vito Cornelius to travel to Fhlotson, Paradise to retrieve the stones from Diva Plavalaguna. Along the way, our hero finds himself allied with Ruby Rhod to complete his journey. Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg is the main bad guy who works in conjunction with, or rather for, the Great Evil. Mangalores, a savage and scattered warrior race, are hired by Zorg to steal the stones to prevent the destruction of the Great Evil. As per any quest, the hero suffers greatly, almost loses his love, surmounts considerable odds and yet is able to triumph with the power of love and defeats the Great Evil. From a taxi driver to the saver of the Earth while ignoring his mother, Korben Dallas is the personification of the modern day hero. Being provided a quest to save the Earth from the Great Evil, god-like abilities and winning the girl are just a few reasons this hero is almost mythological.

References
Andrivet, S. A. (2014). Write Ups. Retrieved from http://www.writeups.org/fiche.php?id=678
IMDb. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119116/?ref_=ttqt_qt_tt

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