FLAB Screening of Hellboy

            Today we had the FLAB screening of the film Hellboy with Sharon. It was a unique experience to gather together as film students and sit down to enjoy a film as a group. Sharon spent some time in the beginning of the forum to explain ideas revolving around the film, including its content in relation to contemporary issues, as well as aesthetic principles that she enjoys. A large focus that she presented regarding Hellboy in its contextual aspects, was its thematic element of the need for something inherently evil to battle another evil. She also spoke about cinematic elements she enjoyed, and told us to pay attention to specific scenes from the movie. Overall it was a good introduction to looking at the film with a new eye—or rather, through a new lens.

          

           At the core of Sharon's “Hellboy: an inside look” was the film's thematic presentation of a devil-like creature to help us fight for the greater good. She related this to our recent involvement in the war with the middle east, in the aspect that we started to do bad things. These bad things—essentially off shore illegal activities—were, in a sense, to fight against a greater “bad.” We were trying to combat against this great evil, and the only way we could retaliate was with evil. The film portrayed this issue since Hellboy was the essential hero of the film, who although from hell, was fighting to protect us here on earth against darker evils. This film doesn't condone this action, it simply provides a medium to express the issue.

           Aspects that related to her discussion were also seen in the film's plot. In the opening scenes, the Nazis—possibly one of the biggest evils the world has witnessed—are trying to open a portal to wreck havoc on earth. This is happening during the war, and just as they are in the attempt, the 'good guys' jump in and kill them; committing an evil action, to stop a greater evil from happening. Its also important to notice the focus on ignoring the evil actions of us as a people. The film touched on this element with a constant theme of how secretive their band of super heroes were. No one knew of their existence, and they were hidden from the world. Its as if this plot point is to say, here we have this evil part in ourselves, that gets the job done when we need it to, but then we have to shut it away for fear of being discovered.

        Sharon also pointed out her enjoyment of the film based on cinematic qualities. Briefly she explained the beauty of cinematography throughout a specific, funeral scene. It was during this scene, the one that she says is the most beautiful presentation caught on film, that she realized Guillermo was a cinematic genius.