0. Precursor Analysis – General Comments and Background

  • Serenity is based on the series, Firefly which aired on Fox for only 11 out of 14 episodes in 2002, before it was cancelled
  • However, when it went on DVD, it became a sci-fi classic with huge following
    • Interesting aside: Followers call themselves Browncoats and you’ll hear that term in the movie
  • Movie was made 3 years later
  • Joss Whedon the creator of the series and director of the movie definitely has his work cut out for him in paying homage to the series and its fans while not losing brand new audience
  • Whedon was known for being the creator of Buffy, Angel and other sci-fi works
    • His latest work include Cabin in the Woods and the Avengers
    • He’s known for his snappy dialogue and I think, his amazing character development work
  • In this movie
    • Dialogue is an essential part, even more so as the characters build on each other and Mal, the main protagonist is very defined by his relationships with others
    • Lighting, colour and soundtrack are also major tools used in this film
      • The soundtrack often reflects the emotional and physical state of the crew, and the combination of guitars and fiddle is very folky and is suitable for a wild wild west backdrop
    • Lots of foreshadowing is used, especially through one of the characters, River, as a psychic and as someone with the source of information that increases in accessibility over time
  • Serenity the movie is named after Serenity, the main ship in the movie: a firefly class ship (named for the glowing result of the main thrusters in the back)
    • The theme of Serenity and home also defines Mal as a character as you’ll see throughout the film
  • Mal as a character
    • This is a quote found on site that analyzed the Avengers that basically sums Mal up 1 :
      • Whedon favors the cowboy archetype: a figure who is outside of society in some way, but has a sense of honor that draws he/she into the fray to defend its people.
    • Actor Nathan Fillion shares his view on Mal’s motivations in the Firefly Companion that was published by Whedon.2 Mal has lost so much that each character in the crew he has gathered on Serenity represents an aspect of himself he no longer has. “In Wash, he has a lust for life and a sense of humor he’s lost. In Jayne, he has selfishness. In Book, he has spirituality. In Kaylee, he has innocence. Everybody represents a facet of himself that he has lost and that’s why he keeps them close and safe, and yet at arm’s length
      • I’ll be trying my best to highlight how the movie consistently portrays this throughout.
  • The Posters
    • In both River is prominent with Mal being the second, linking those two characters in a way the other characters are not linked
      • Just to keep in mind how River supports Mal’s character growth and how the themes are carried by the two of them mostly
      • Will try to not get into River who is the other character that really owns the theme

 

  1. http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Avengers-Joss-Whedon-Best-Effort-Yet-30762.html
  2. Whedon, Firefly Companion, Volume 1, 26