The Hero's Journey in Film: the Boondock Saints

Did you know that every hero that has ever existed has followed the Hero's Journey in some way? The Hero's Journey is a path that consists of separate steps that every hero engages in. It has 3 main parts-the "Departure," the "Initiation," and the "Return"-which are broken down into smaller sub-parts. In ancient mythology, Atalanta is a young lady who as a baby, was left on a mountaintop to die. She then was raised by a she-bear and grew into a young lady who became daring and quick. However, the story of Atalanta only partially follows the hero's journey.

Watching a film, one can easily recognize plot, theme, characterization, etc., but not many realize what basic principle lies behind nearly every story conceived: the hero’s journey. This concept allows for a comprehensive, logical flow throughout a movie. Once the hero’s journey is thoroughly understood, anyone can pick out the elements in nearly every piece. The hero’s journey follows a simple outline. First the hero in question must have a disadvantaged childhood. Next the hero will find a mentor who wisely lays out his/her prophecy. Third the hero will go on a journey, either literal or figurative, to find him/herself. On this journey the hero will be discouraged and nearly quit his/her quest. Finally, the

The stories of heroes have been at the axis of nearly all cultures throughout history. Each different type of religion or culture has their own heroes or legends, each one of them having their differences to go along with the beliefs at hand. On the other hand, each and every hero also has their similarities, which therefore makes them the hero. The setting, events, and characters in each and every story may change, but the characteristics of the hero remain basically the same. Each person is usually made into a hero in a somewhat similar fashion. For example, many heroes begin as imperfect characters, and then begin some sort of quest which leads to them becoming a leader of what they are doing, and then the character goes through a

In the late 1940’s a man named Joseph Campbell shared his Mythic principal with the world. He explains that there is a three-stage formula that he calls a Hero Journey which is the structure of every story. Though most stories are completely different on the outside, the stories are almost structured around these three stages. Stage 1 is the hero leaves the everyday world and enters another world. While Stage 2 the hero is challenged by opposing forces and must pass a series a test throughout the movie. That will then determine who will be victorious, either the hero or the opposing forces. Stage 3 is tied into Stage 2 because if the hero is victorious, they will return to the ordinary world with a gift for the world.

It describes the typical adventure of the archetype known as The Hero, the person who goes out and achieves great deeds on behalf of the group, tribe, or civilization.” The 12 stages of this are ‘the ordinary world’, ‘the call to adventure’, ‘refusal of the call’, ‘meeting with the mentor’, ‘crossing the threshold’, ‘tests, allies and enemies’, ‘approach’, ‘the ordeal’, ‘the reward’, ‘the road back’, ‘the resurrection’ and finally ‘return with the

In the movie the killing started out with just Connor and Murphy, but their best friend Rocco begged to be apart of the Boston action. From the beginning, Paul Smeckler was trying to figure out who was committing all the murders in Boston. Until he found Rocco’s finger at a crime scene, and had come to a conclusion that he knew who the Saints were. Confused as to why they were committing these crimes, Smeckler went to a church and talked to a priest, where he realized that the saints were only killing to make the city pure. Always able to circumvent every crime, the three of them (Rocco, Connor, and Murphy) were handcuffed to chairs, where one of Guiseppe Yakavetta’s (the man they have been after the whole movie) workers shot and killed Rocco. Connor and Murphy were filled with rage and anger, but it was necessary to have a proper goodbye. Joining in on the family prayer an unfamiliar face popped in the room who ended up to be their father Il Duce; who joins the both of them in killing Guiseppe in the courtroom at the end of the movie.

Taking the time to pick apart the hero’s actions and thoughts can make the journey much more interesting and easier to understand. By understanding the basic characteristics and the stages of the hero’s journey we can not only understand the story more but we can also understand ourselves more. We can learn new ways to relate to heroes and our peers we did not know of before. In conclusion, the hero’s journey is a great way to learn a new lesson or two, learn more about yourself, and be entertained at the same

The hero cycle follows a character's stages of renewal and repeats every time a challenge materializes. The phases of the hero cycle enhance the morals of Edmond Dantès, Odysseus and Thor. They all kickoff their story in good hands, only to be shoved into an unexpected adventure. They travel and gain friends whose purpose is to steer them toward their goals. They all have major setbacks that they have to learn to shift and control to resume their thrones and authorities.

The theme of hero's journey can be seen in each of the novels I read in various different ways. Each book had their own kind of theme that portrays the theme of hero in a way that connects to the message of each novel. Through their journeys, they learn from obstacles that they have faced them which then leads to show the theme of hero.

In the beginning stages of the hero’s journey, we tend to see the main character/hero in their “ordinary world”, so to speak. The older stories will most likely have more typical and obvious characters, plot, and setting as they display elements of the classic version of the monomyth. In modern film specifically, the writers and directors will most likely bend and shape the hero’s journey to fit whatever the audience wants and will relate to. For example, in the

When talking about a true American crime story, one can start and end the discussion with one of the most powerful and influential true stories ever told: GoodFellas. Based on the incredible true story, the film follows the rise and fall of Lucchese crime family associates Henry Hill and his friends throughout the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 1980s. Originally written as the non-fiction novel “Wise Guys” by Nicholas Pileggi, the story takes you deep into the world of arguably the most notorious crime posse America has ever known: the Italian Mafia. It is viewed by scores of critics and moviegoers alike as one of the greatest crime/drama movies ever filmed – so needless to say, with such a

The Gambino crime family was considered to be the fiercest Italian Mafia ever. Carlo Gambino was determined to become the Boss of Bosses. It did not take long for Gambino to accomplish his lifelong dream. His determination was proven when his former bosses, if he was asked to kill than he would do it without hesitation. This was just the beginning of his control in the Mafia.

The Hero’s journey, or in its more correct terminology the Monomyth is an object from the area of comparative mythology. Its definition in the most basic of forms, it is a pattern or outline that is used in storytelling, usually the myth. This pattern is found in many famous pieces from all around the world. In the book The Hero with a Thousand Faces from 1949 by author Joseph Campbell, this pattern is described in detail. Campbell describes that numerous myths from different times and areas of the world seem to share an identical structure in their storytelling. He summarized this with a well-known quote found at the intro of his book:

hero's journey is not solely “applicable to fiction but also to the journeys that everyone goes

The Hero Cycle ties together all heros. It is a literary concept that illustrates the same pattern that almost all heros, from Beowulf to Harry Potter, follow. This cycle also connects genres, no matter how different, together in its most basic form. Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Mystery, etc. However, the genre most associated to the Hero Cycle is fantasy, partly due to the Hero Cycles’ origins coming from fairy tale and old myths/epics of ancient days. Even modern fantasy has its stake on the Cycle itself. To share an example, one connected to the founding literary works of modern fantasy, is the Tale of Beren and Luthien.