RICK: Working backwards...
Resolution: The ending must be killer and reaffirm all the values that make Captain America great. On the physical plane, Red Skull must be soundly if only temporarily defeated.
As Plot Point II: Cap must regain his fighting spirit and turn the tables on the Red Skull.
Midpoint: Cap must become absolutely irrelevant and down in the dirt.
Plot Point I: Cap is found in a block of ice with the Super Soldier Serum keeping him alive.
Set-Up: Cap fights in WWII earning his reputation as a hero.
120 minutes or approx 120 pages.
Resolution: The ending must be killer and reaffirm all the values that make Captain America great. On the physical plane, Red Skull must be soundly if only temporarily defeated.
Cap tosses his shield away. It is riddled with smoking holes. He stands bloodied but confident in front of his foe the Red Skull who steadies his gun and has Cap dead to rights.As Plot Point II: Cap must regain his fighting spirit and turn the tables on the Red Skull.
"All your talk of a master race Skull and I only see cruelty and weakness."
"The dream shall be realized Captain America. I am the one true superman. My blood is superior. I alone will triumph. Soon I will command an army of super soldiers. The world will surrender to the one pure race. I will lead them."
"You are wrong Skull. There is nothing left of you but a gibbering husk, a blood junkie with delusions of power..."
Red Skull now has his gun pointed directly at Cap's head.
"You seem to miss the point. I have the gun. You have to die Say goodbye Amerikaner, goodbye to your whole pathetic way of life."
Pulls on trigger.
Midpoint: Cap must become absolutely irrelevant and down in the dirt.
Plot Point I: Cap is found in a block of ice with the Super Soldier Serum keeping him alive.
Set-Up: Cap fights in WWII earning his reputation as a hero.
**This is on a more serious note.
Not part of regular continuity.
I am sure that all of our readers are aware of the news that a special operation was conducted by American forces inside Pakistan which resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden. While all the facts are not currently known, it begs the question of whether justice has been done. Can killing one man be seen as justice when so many have lost their lives? Or is this considered some kind of revenge?
In the top portion of today's post, Ben and I consider an outline for a possible screenplay. In it we write:
Resolution: The ending must be killer and reaffirm all the values that make Captain America great. On the physical plane, Red Skull must be soundly if only temporarily defeated.In serial comics or film, keeping the bad guy handy for future installments means either sending him to prison where he makes a daring escape or killing him and revealing later that he was never really dead. It is a time worn device used in comics and movies.
In real life, put the villain on trial or put a bullet in his head as he resists capture. Are we safer as a country or world with bin Laden gone? I hope so.
What would Captain America do?
Would he refuse the mission?
Would he be the first to sign up?
Would he shoot him in the head?
What do you think? Based on the previous writings of the blog, Cap's main principles include liberty, justice and compassion. What would he do? -R
Solitary trees, if they grow at all, grow strong.
-Winston Churchill
Prepare for the unknown by studying how others in the past have coped with the unforeseeable and the unpredictable.
-George S. Patton
'What would Cap do regarding Osama bin Laden?' That's an exceedingly good question, Rick. I personally think Cap would do everything he can to avoid killing him. It fits Cap's character to believe that everyone has a right to trial and/or has an ounce of good in him/her. I could easily see him, a super human, being able to capture bin Laden regardless of guards or booby traps or cyanide pills. I could also see Hawkeye sniping bin Laden from a great distance while Cap drags him out. Hawkeye would believe that a trial would give bin Laden a world stage in which to rally anti-freedom fighters around the world. He would be allowed to twist any event into proof of America's (and liberty's) evil corruption. The entire tribunal would be labeled by some as a show trial and impossible to make unbiased. Can't please everyone all the time especially when religion and ethnicity is involved. Hawkeye (or other like-minded person) would know Cap would not kill bin Laden and Cap would be blind-sided. The sniper would say however, that sometimes violent and decisive action is necessary even though it's brutal. I don't know if Cap could forgive that person or that he could ever agree, but he would see their point.
ReplyDeleteIslamic law dictates that the body must be buried with 24 hours. It allows a sea burial if there is a risk that people will seek to exhume the body. I think the necessity to bury him at sea speaks volumes.
This is a reminder to readers regarding posting comments.
ReplyDeleteAll comments are sent to moderation and will not immediately be published here on the blog in order to screen spam, flame comments, vulgarity or other inappropriate material which really does not add to the discussion. Ben and I hope that any time delay in posting comments will not detract from the value of anyone's contribution. We always reserve the right to not post or screen any material for any reason with a goal toward preserving the discussion environment.
Thanks for reading the blog.
RICK
"What would Cap do regarding Osama bin Laden?"
ReplyDeleteThe character Ben and I have created for a possible life in film is different than the one in the comics or the new movie coming out this July. He would not rest. Ten years certainly would not have passed. Can you imagine a comic where Cap pursues Osama for ten years month after month after month. No? What about a film series with sequel after sequel and no results. Cap is highly driven.
He believes in a jury trial for the leader. It is not out of softness either. He believes in it strongly because the right to stand in front of your accusers and refute evidence against you is not a luxury of ideals but a necessity of a free society. Cap would give Osama a chance to surrender. This is what he would want first and foremost. He would have brought Hitler in for trial as well as the Red Skull.
Ben writes: "...that sometimes violent and decisive action is necessary even though it's brutal." These are not his words but those of a character. Still, what might be difficult to understand is that Cap would agree 100%. Understanding that he would be able to subdue Osama in almost every situation, the need for killing him is greatly reduced. Again, bringing him to trial would be the first priority. On the other hand, Cap also understands the nature of evil and would not hesitate to shoot him at point blank range if the situation warranted.
RICK
As a side note to this: Captain America would also have been furious and worked with every ounce of his strength to dismantle brick by brick both Gitmo and Abu Ghraib. No prisoner should ever be held without charge or tortured - even to promote intelligence gathering. The list of atrocities made against the Constitution and the freedoms of the people of the United States along with the number of soldiers killed and wounded in a misdirected war would make Cap physically sick. I could actually see him puking his guts over this.
ReplyDeleteRICK