What is the main theme of Serenity? by PerfectShow

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What is the main theme of Serenity?

POSTED BY: PERFECTSHOW
UPDATED: Monday, July 3, 2006 16:09
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Sunday, July 2, 2006 5:32 PM

There are many answers to this question. Some of them are what I like to call 'easy' answers. Answers like 'The movie is about freedom' or 'The movie is about believing in something'. I however, am not content with easy answers. Finding the 'true' meaning of a movie is difficult. First of all, how can one decide which meaning is true? Is the true meaning what Joss put into it? Is it what the majority of fans get out of the movie? Is there anything else other than the obvious, that whatever impressions I get when I watch the movie are the only impressions I can get from it?

For a long time after I watched the movie I believed the meaning of it could be summed up in one sentence. You can't make people better. This is what the Alliance tried to do on Miranda, and is why Mal leads his crew to get the truth out to the rest of the 'verse. First I must have considered the notion of making people better. Is it wrong, or right? For example, when giving money to a poor person, you are effectively 'making them better' or at least in the view of a cash driven world. What positives will come of this act of genorosity? The poor person could buy food, medicine, or even use it to help someone else. What negatives could come of this act? He might be robbed, use the money to buy drugs, or perhaps get angry that he did not recieve more.
In a situation like this, it of course depends on the person. When aid is given and recieved properly, nothing bad comes of it. Right? Maybe. If no one gives the poor person anything, will he starve? Will he steal or get a job, or simply give up? Whatever he does to survive, it will most likely make him stronger. Maybe after years of poverty he will gain enough strength to try and make his life better, because no one is doing it for him.

I'm getting a bit off topic here. Is making someone better right or wrong? It can't be answered in black and white. When forcing your views on someone, views you think are right, is wrong. I believe that democracy is the only way to go. But do I have a right to enforce it upon other people? Of course not. This is what is happening in Iraq. Why should my country tell these people what to do? Even if democracy is a saviour, we have no right to wage wars to spread it.

So, is 'You can't make people better' the main theme of the movie, or not? It certainly seems like you can do a lot of social commentary on it, such as I just did.

Or maybe Serenity is just a kick-ass movie with great acting and action.

Or maybe I'm just a dumb-ass...:(

"A year from now...ten...they'll swing back around to the believe that they can make people...better. So no more running. I aim to misbehave."

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Sunday, July 2, 2006 5:47 PM

NANITE1018

In your signature you messed up. It's "A year from now, ten, they'll swing back to the belief that you can make people... better. And i do not hold to that. So no more running. I aim to misbehave.

As to the question i think it is about many things. Part is about what are the moral implications of trying to make people better. Some others are the power of belief, of absolute faith and the good and bad things about it.

Obviously the first of those is evident, easy to see. But the second is more subtle. Look at the Operative. He is devout in his belief that his evil acts are justified by his faith in a better world and that what is best for the Alliance is best thing to further that goal. But that obviously leads him to do evil things. Now what about Mal? What happens when he becomes devout in his belief that the 'verse must know what happened on Miranda, no matter what the consequences. Well, obviously the 'verse learns about it and everything. And the Alliance is weakened. But Wash is killed because Mal insisted on doing this. Because of belief. All of the Reavers and the Alliance and the Operative all die because of belief. And Mr. Universe is also killed by belief. So i guess in reality, Mal's belief that the universe should know kills only Wash, and causes a lot of good. The Operative's belief kills thousands. So i guess the point of the story in that sense is that belief can be both good and evil.

What does everyone else think?

I aim to misbehave.

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Sunday, July 2, 2006 6:06 PM

RMMC

There's also the theme that Zoe lined out at the begining. A hero is someone who gets other people killed.

Mal, the hero to our eyes, in his prusuit gets a number of people killed for what he's believing. it's not just Wash...it's Book, the Sanchez brothers and all the other folks that the Operative wiped out once he knew what ship River was on. Mal, by standing up to the Operative, is the catalyst for the Operative to kill the above mentioned folks. They die as a result of Mal doing what he felt was right.

Conversely, the Operative is a hero in the eyes of the Alliance and other law-abiding folks. His belief that he's doing what is right, causes the deaths of folks in the bar when River is triggered and a number of his troops when faced with the Reaver fleet. Its his belief that he's doing the right thing that causes these deaths for either non-combatants or his comrads.

So, we've got the whole what is a hero and is the price paid worth their heroics?

Next?

******
RMMC

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Sunday, July 2, 2006 6:06 PM

PERFECTSHOW

Damnation! I misquoted. Sorry about that. I could have sworn that's what Mal said.
The movie could very well be about belief being both good and bad. Hadn't thought of that, but then again I don't think of a lot of stuff.

"Come a day there won't be room for naughty men like us to slip about at all." This quote is right, I know it!

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Sunday, July 2, 2006 6:18 PM

PERFECTSHOW

Another theme of the movie is perhaps just how far someone is willing to go, and the consequences of doing what is 'right'. Certainly in this movie a hero is someone who gets other people killed. Mal certainly did the right thing, but can he rightly be called a hero? Sacrifcing others is what the Operative did, something he did for the 'greater good'. Mal also sacrificed much for what he thought was right. In this way they are similiar. What each of them did resulted in many being killed, and Mal's actions led to the death of a lot of people in the Alliance fleet, most of them soliders doing their duty. Mal clearly knew the Reaver's would be able to destroy much of the fleet. So he believed that those deaths were necessary. Then again, Mal also refers the Reavers as being innocent victims. Aha...two fleets off innocent people, fighting because of the actions of Mal and the Operative. Makes you think? I hope so.

"Come a day there won't be room for naughty men like us to slip about at all"

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Sunday, July 2, 2006 6:38 PM

REDLAVA

I think the theme is pretty much what Book said to Mal. "It doesn't matter what you believe in, just believe it."

Mal and the crew believed that telling the verse about the atrocities on Miranda was right. And the Operative believed that stopping Mal and getting Alliance property back(ie. River)by any means necessary was right. And also to a slightly lesser extent, Jayne's belief in turning Simon and River into the authorities was the smart thing to do. And the crews belief in Mal's leadership and guidance to see them through to the end.

If I had to sum the movie up in a few words I would say "belief in a cause that you feel is just."

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Sunday, July 2, 2006 6:53 PM

NANITE1018

I hadn't thought of the whole "a hero is someone who gets other people killed" thing. But that works too.

But i still think the movie's basic message (other than telling the story) is that belief can be both good and bad and it all depends on what you believe.

Everything boils down to belief and how far you are willing to go for a belief. The heroics thing, the belief thing, obviously, even the whole "is it right to make people better" thing. It all comes down to how far one is willing to go for a belief that one thinks is just.

I aim to misbehave.

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Sunday, July 2, 2006 8:10 PM

AGATSU

Quote:
Originally posted by nanite1018:
In your signature you messed up. It's "A year from now, ten, they'll swing back to the belief that you can make people... better. And i do not hold to that. So no more running. I aim to misbehave.

As to the question i think it is about many things. Part is about what are the moral implications of trying to make people better. Some others are the power of belief, of absolute faith and the good and bad things about it.

Obviously the first of those is evident, easy to see. But the second is more subtle. Look at the Operative. He is devout in his belief that his evil acts are justified by his faith in a better world and that what is best for the Alliance is best thing to further that goal. But that obviously leads him to do evil things. Now what about Mal? What happens when he becomes devout in his belief that the 'verse must know what happened on Miranda, no matter what the consequences. Well, obviously the 'verse learns about it and everything. And the Alliance is weakened. But Wash is killed because Mal insisted on doing this. Because of belief. All of the Reavers and the Alliance and the Operative all die because of belief. And Mr. Universe is also killed by belief. So i guess in reality, Mal's belief that the universe should know kills only Wash, and causes a lot of good. The Operative's belief kills thousands. So i guess the point of the story in that sense is that belief can be both good and evil.

What does everyone else think?

I aim to misbehave.

But isn't Mal just trying to run away and AVOID death until they get to Haven (where he wants to HIDE), and the death of all those people is the thing that makes him wanna go to Miranda to try and get to the bottom of things and get out unharmed (crew included, of course). It's only AFTER he knows what happened on Miranda that his "belief" kicks in, and then some. So that would make Wash the only victim of his belief. The other deaths are victims of the Op's belief.

I think the main theme would be that no matter how tough the times, all you gotta do is surround yourself with good people, and keep flying.
It's not much, but it's enough.

The Serenity Summer Campaign is on, baby - prepare to kick some serious pigu!
http://www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=19&t=21775#326341
September 30th is Serenity 'Versary! Be there or be a purple-belted poop-head. (<- not the official slogan.)
I'm so into Firefly, my butt glows in the dark.

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Sunday, July 2, 2006 8:31 PM

NANITE1018

Yes they would be, kind of. Sorry i didn't make that clearer.

As to the main theme, i really think it is open to interpretation. I say how far people are willing to go for a belief, and everyone else will say either something similar or something different. That's what's great about being Browncoats, we're all Independent.

I aim to misbehave.

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Monday, July 3, 2006 12:08 PM

ZZETTA13

Just offhand. Don't believe everything big brother tells you seems to ring pretty loud in the FF/S message.

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Monday, July 3, 2006 3:36 PM

CYBERSNARK

It's Love.

Love is much more dangerous than madness.

Love makes all things possible.

Love keeps things in the air when they oughtta fall down. Tells you they're hurtin' 'fore they keen. Takes you home.

That's what you need to believe in.

"We say atoms are bound by weak attractors.
Why not admit the truth: The universe is held together by Love." --Michio Von Kerr, Wayist Physicist, CY 9942

(As for making people better, I'd agree that forcing improvement on people is a bad thing. What you have to do is make people want to be better. It's the kind of change that can only possibly come from inside.)

-----
We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

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Monday, July 3, 2006 4:07 PM

ONEMANSHORT

Quote:
Originally posted by Cybersnark:
It's Love.

Love is much more dangerous than madness.

Love makes all things possible.

Love keeps things in the air when they oughtta fall down. Tells you they're hurtin' 'fore they keen. Takes you home.

That's what you need to believe in.

"We say atoms are bound by weak attractors.
Why not admit the truth: The universe is held together by Love." --Michio Von Kerr, Wayist Physicist, CY 9942

I agree with this meaning of the movie the most. The movie is about what we love and the consequences of love. Instead of thinking of everything as a belief I prefer to think of it as love. For example, the operative's love for trying to make the world better, lead to the world becoming worse. But on the other hand, Simon's love for River is what allowed her to be rescued from the Alliance. I think the beginning of the movie, when the Operative points out the expression on Simon's face as he rescues River really says it all. If I had to sum it all up in one sentence I would say that "Love is what drives people." It gets to complicated if you get more specific than that.

MAL: Oh, I'm gonna go to the Special Hell.

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Monday, July 3, 2006 4:09 PM

ONEMANSHORT

Ah, my post came out stupid, my response looks like it's in the quote!

Mal: Oh, I'm gonna go to the Special Hell.

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