SerenityMovie.net

[efc]

Why Wash? The movie is about Mal.

Mal tries to use River. Mal tries to kill River. Mal adopts River.

Zoe is Mal's conscience. Zoe helps Mal realize what he has done. A conscience can't leave or take its own course, in the end it has to follow, and follow she does.

Book and Wash, in their own ways, are foils for Mal. He learns from them. He is done with them. They die.

Let's take this in order.

Mal tries to use River. Mal's not the nicest guy, but he sees the opportunity and he goes for it. River has become an opportunity, a "seer" who can make the job possible. He will protect her because of her value, but she has to "pay her way". River likes being useful, she goes along, she does more than make the job possible, she also makes escape and life possible.

Mal tries to kill River. Foreshadowed when Mal kicks the afraid man off the mule (or whatever that was), Mal leaves little room for uncertainty or dissent. Simon dissents. Mal drives Simon away. Really, Mal drives River away. When River gets truly dangerous, when he sees her for the first time ("I've never seen that girl before"), he tries to kill her. She stops him, Simon stops her. Given a second chance, a chance to think with his conscience, Mal reconsiders and the adoption begins.

Mal adopts River. He brings her back to Serenity, an act he can't explain at first, though he does glance at his conscience (Zoe) in a rare moment of wordlessness. When Simon is down (but not out) Mal later asks "Where's River?" And the story ends with Mal clearly engaged with River, talking of love and family. Talking to his daughter, to someone he can no longer kick off the mule.

Why does Mal change? Why does he grow? He listens along the way to Zoe.

Zoe is Mal's conscience. She is the only one inside his armor, the only one who knows his whole self, the only one who can push back at his excuses. She does so after his first truly shocking act: after he denies a chance for life to the afraid man. Was this right? His conscience is nagging him.

Zoe helps Mal realize what he has done. She is the one who cries out on Haven, "call the others, call everyone who has helped us or harbored us, tell them to get away now!" The anguish in her voice is the anguish of conscience that Mal cannot voice in his erie calm conversation with the operative. Was this right? Is this his fault? Will he ever be sure? He feels the pain she voices. He didn't heed the cry before, but he begins to heed it now. He will care again. Mal rises, the Mal at war that Inara has never seen begins to emerge again.

A conscience can't leave or take its own course, in the end it has to follow, and follow she does. Zoe follows Mal even when he does not hear her. She is a voice in his head, and so cannot leave that space in his head. Wash was right, wasn't he, to wonder who's husband she really was? Mal can't help but hear Zoe since she is on the inside, but he chooses his own course. How many of us hear our conscience but don't heed it? But our conscience always travels with us nonetheless.

Book and Wash, in their own ways, are foils for Mal. Book represents Mal's lost faith. We know this from the kiss of the cross in our first glimpse of him in Firefly, but even without that we know this because Mal is bored of Book's preaching. He is bored because he could do it himself, once upon a time. Wash represents Mal's lost joy in life, his ability to doubt, to follow, to love. Zoe is married to Wash in part to make sure that part of him never is out of sight completely. Wash brings joy to Mal's life ("oh god oh god we're all going to die!") and allows Mal to express his love and nurturing vicariously. He does not have to love because there is enough love in Wash to fill a hundred lost Mals.

He learns from them. Book helps Mal believe again, not in God writ large perhaps, but in doing right and not just running. Book, who knows enough to run himself, stands still, dies the honorable death, all the while saying to Mal: listen to others, there is a mission that didn't die in Serenity Valley, there is something to believe in. Wash helps Mal experience the love he cannot express for Inara. What better model for a relationship of creative tension than Zoe and Wash? They listen in, and along with Kaylee, nudge him toward opening his heart.

He is done with them. Mal actually grows through the movie. He hears Book, he accepts the lesson, Book's job is done. When Mal leads the crew to Miranda the beacon is marked by the very cross that hung on Mal's neck long ago, a symbol not much seen since. He has come home to believing that he has a mission. Wash has never been happier than as a leaf in the wind with his wife at his side. He glows with his zest for the moment and for life. He gives Mal, sitting next to him, a final object lesson. And he gives Zoe a chance to remind Mal, once more, of the deep and dire cost of his choices.

They die.

Is Mal ready to die for his choices, yes. But Mal is also ready to take his joy in life, or some of it anyway, back. He is ready to smile with Inara, to talk of love with River, to take a hand in piloting his ship, his family again.

(edited 051001 mule for goat)

[White Knight]

This is different. I saw someone posting in the spoiler section and expected a rant on how crap the movie was and why you're an idiot for paying to see it. This was a nice change.
You are, of course, completly right in my opinion. Nice work.
_________________

[jeremy]

Well put!! I too am tiring of all the backlash agains Wash's death. Thank you for putting it in perspective.
_________________
Keep Flyin!
Check out our Firefly fan documentary Done the Impossible
Join us for Browncoat Cruise 2007

[riddller]

I would have to first say that this movie was AWESOME.. loved every minute except for Wash's death.. It seemed so pointless, no real need or reason for it. Wash IMHO, was a much needed comic relief in tense moments.. and the original cast was a perfectly rounded group.

I just think it was a serious loss.. I mean I miss Book too, however he was more an informative/confidant to Mal than part crew.. So he served his noble purpose.

This by all means hasn't shut me off about the series/movie and will see it a few more times in the theatre. Though, I find myself hoping that Joss will pull out some of that Buffy Resurection mojo for Wash.. although I think its a pipe dream.

-Riddler
_________________
-Riddler

[SerenelyWyrd]

That was a really good review. Thank you. I think I agree with at least most of it.

I'm just curious--is there any special name for that format? I mean, what you've chosen to do is treat all of the characters that aren't Mal as though they were reflections of Mal's character. It strikes me that there might be a special name for this sort of story/character analysis. TIA.
_________________
--
Furry cows moo and decompress.

[hessma]

I'm not sure there's a specific name for it, but the kind of analysis this post is doing would probably be called "neo-psychoanalytic object relations theory" if it were done in an academic context. So you could probably look for film criticism that uses that theorizing! I agree that this review has helped me see things I wouldn't otherwise have noticed in the film (which I loved -- both the analysis, and the film itself!)

[Shatterer]

efc,

Well written and an enjoyable read.

[Bountyhunter]

This is about Mal's journey to find Serenity.

[Eric]

[Eric]

I had heard before seeing the movie that there was at least one death. I'd assumed it needed to be River for the following reason: in a 'verse that is for the most part grounded in reality and simple problems, she serves as a deus ex machina.

Indeed, didn't most of you think when she went out to battle the Reavers solos that she would win? I did. And I'll admit it was cool, and I went "all right!" when they had the reveal with the doors opening - Buffy in Space!. And an aside for long-time Whedon-watchers: think Earshot (Buffy, season 3)

But what about the next time? Will there be any drama if River can always pull you out of a problem? Not that I don't like River - I love *all* the characters - it's just thinking of where Joss goes from here.

take care,

[Cynewulf the Saxon]

[Eric]

LOL! Mal as Hamlet - I guess he is melancholy-ish like. But come on - Polonius's death is necessary for the Laertes vs. Hamlet showdown. OK, I certainly don't want a Zoe/Mal fight.

And to be critical about my own point re TV series, I didn't find as much in the Angel series, but I blame that on a lack of Joss. - and remember that I'm was comparing it to the other dreck being aired. But if you can't find drama and values in having to choose twixt your suddenly re-found love of your life and the world ending, what merit is there in two guys fighting for revenge for their respective father's deaths.

But my point re Wash was more that the decision to off 'im exists in the real world of actors and roles rather than just in writing, and that perhaps the pressures of whether or not Alan Tudyk would be continuing to be available might have come into the decision to kill the character. And if it had existed solely in writing, but also because of trying to involve a movie audience, that in killing off a character was meant to make you dread what might happen to the others during the Reaver shootout. Rather than the literary reason of Mal having made that part of his journey and not needing the character around for that reason. I do think that a possible addition to that argument is that Kaylee can serve the same purpose as Wash in Mal's journey.

Lastly, you're right re deus ex machina. I'd forgotten the "hitherto unseen" part of that mechanism. It's been 35 years since I had a literature course. Is there a correct name for "the ability to resolve any corner you've been written into." ?

Sincerely,
Eric - "I'd better get back to work, also in Mt. View"

enjoy,

[Cynewulf the Saxon]

Heheh, wait till you my Mal as Orlando analysis.

35 years since you had a lit class? We must have gone to different high schools together. Mountain View? Maybe I'll see you at St. Stephen's Green some Thursday evening.

I actually agree with you about TV series point, including the "Angel" observation. I'll take your word about them being "better" than the rest of the shows because I don't watch TV (other than as a monitor for DVDs).

You could be absolutely right about Alan having too many other committments and needing to be written out. And yes, it could be a decision made solely for the movie, as it make this the best movie you can because this may be the only shot you get at revisiting the 'Verse, or take a gamble to win more in the future (in other words, make a safe Star Trek movie to please the fans and not the box office, or take a chance, make a sacrifice, in hopes to make more than one).

I disagree about Kaylee and Wash serving the same purpose. Kaylee is the "heart" of Serenity, and the heart of the crew. Wash is more like an appendige. You can amputate a hand and live. You can't as easily amputate a heart and get away with it (I suppose I could bring up an allusion to Merchant of Venice at this point, but I won't. Oh, wait, I just did.

Interesting conversation so far.
_________________
--------------------------------
Official forum Purplebelly
--------------------------------
Wyrd oft nereth unfaegne eorl, thonne his ellen deah.

[ewe2]

I'm glad someone took up this theme, my second run with the movie made me think how enigmatic Mal was up to this point, he has always been the central mystery of the series. A mystery solved? Yes and no.

From this perspective you have to wonder when Zoe is going to give up watching Mal's back. She has been pessimist to his optimist, frequently pointing out what Mal misses. Losing Wash might make her think about what she wants for a change. For now she stays, but I'm guessing she'll get given a choice. I think she has more freedom than the others to decide.

I always wanted to know about Mal's previous experience with Reavers and I still feel weird about that line in the movie "Mal, you're no Reaver". Maybe not, but has he come close to it? Is it possible for Reavers (now we know their origin) to infect others?

Just a thought or two. I might have to watch the movie again, there's more questions than answers in it.

[Haunt]

[Robert W. Franson]

Excellent analysis with many good points.

I don't agree however that the movie is 'about Mal'. Serenity is more centered and concentrated around Mal and River than is Firefly, but it still feels to me very much of an ensemble cast.

And that is why Wash's loss (as of Inara and Shepherd leaving earlier) affects us so strongly. Important people can die; this is not a Disney toon.

Yet we may not have seen the last of them, and hope at least for sequels with flashbacks. Remember that Serenity's opening with River and Simon is a flashback/recording. In "Out of Gas" flashbacks are used to fine storytelling effect.
_________________
Robert W. Franson
Troynovant