The Enemy

Almost every story has two persons or groups that are enemies. And every story tells us something about how to treat our enemies, or perhaps how to handle or take care of them. I could not get Hairspray out of my mind when thinking about my social issue. I could see in my mind many other movie endings with a similar ‘ha, in your face.’ Just the other night I watched What a Girl Wants and was haunted by the main characters line ‘you are the evil step sister and let me clue you in, I win.’ I could already anticipate the ‘ha’ ending.

It is true that we must conquer our enemies or we will be subject to their desires, which are almost always to harm us or hinder us. But how to conquer them is done in different ways in different narratives.

I remember watching Beauty and the Beast for the second time and enjoying rooting for the heroes, Bell and the Beast. But, Gaston, who’s really only sin is been force fully flirtatious and jealous, and well he is as arrogant as a person can be, is killed. I understand that the Beast did not mean to kill him, but the people telling the story did. That seems to be the easiest way to get rid of your problem, kill it, in this case a person. One fantastically deep line comes from The Lord of the Rings when Gandalf says that “There are those who die but deserve life, and some who live but deserve to die, can you give that too them.” Death means that your enemy will never come back, which is a nice resolution for a good guy. But death is no trivial matter?

An alternative to killing our enemies is to give them what they deserve. In Hair Spray we sent home the bratty girl with her mom’s seared hair. In The Emperor’s New Groove we make Yzma become part of the squirrel talking patrol. In Casper we grin as the party crashers get scared stupid. We love we the bad guy falls in poop or ends up with a horrible job. We get cynical gratification watching them suffer. But that is what we think they deserve.

At last there may yet be a better way to handle a villain. Let us consider what an the Grand Master said about enemies.

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you: . . .

For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? . . .

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.             (1)

Being perfect is a tall order and we truly do get so much satisfaction with humiliating and destroying our enemies. Is it even possible? Here are some examples were one does extend a forgiving and welcoming hand to an enemy. In The Grinch Who Stole Christmas the little who girl only have love an trust for the Grinch, and it changes his whole heart. Even the Mayor is eventually consoled by the Grinch with a meaningful smile, a handshake, and the words “cheer up buddy its Christmas.”

Another practically perfect film, Wreak-It-Ralph, is the home to the lovable Vanellope, who is harassed mercilessly by the other racers until the end. But when the tables turn Vanellope does not behead them, although she jokes, and maybe even feels like it, she befriends them. By so doing she gets to watch as her new friends change their hearts.

Now it is true that in The Grinch the Mayor partly gets what he deserves, and in Wreak-It-Ralph we destroy by virtually death the main villain. So what is the balance? And is it even possible to befriend your enemy.

Warm Bodies for me becomes the ultimate example. Some can be loved back, others are as R putts it “too far gone” He even says I wish, I wish, we could have loved them back, but there is nothing we could do. Still, R’s heart is in the right place and longs for reconciliation.

Our job is to pay attention to what happens to enemies in films and learn from it, and pay attention to what happens to enemies in real life and change it. In the words of Abraham Lincoln "Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends." (2) Here is a shorter trailer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rxPOPMxDwA
1-Holy Bible (King James Version)
2-Abraham Lincoln