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Good
morning <$firstname$>,
'Long
ago, in the faraway land of ancient Greece, there was a
golden age of powerful gods and extraordinary heroes. And
the greatest and strongest of all these heroes was the mighty
Hercules. But what is the measure of a true hero? Ah, that
is what our story is... '
Fables are fashionable, no doubt about it. On film, the
world in the 21st century is saved by super-heroes a few
times a day because they have either futuristic technology
or astonishing powers.
For
me, however, Disney's 'Hercules' is the best movie in this
genre ever made : it is their only film based on Greek mythology
- these timeless tales about a world of complex interrelations
between gods and humans explored the mysteries of life on
earth, conveying important lessons to struggling mortals.
The
conduct of the royal society on Mount Olympus in those days
seems to have been as fallible as today's jet set and in
the absence of TV, the stories about their lives and adventures,
weaknesses and misdemeanours in ancient Greece apparently
were the talk of the town.
As
an animated movie first released in 1997, the ancient characters
in Walt Disney's 'Hercules' speak a very modern language
- Charlton Heston (Narrator), Rip Torn (Zeus, leader of
the gods), James Woods (Hades, ruler of the underworld)
and Danny DeVito (Phil the Satyr) amongst others have given
their voices to a fast-paced, wildly funny and very entertaining
film for kids and adults alike.
What
is often overlooked though is that the story of Hercules
is also a brilliant parable about the human cycle of life
on earth - for me, that is he most interesting aspect of
the movie. It all starts at the party on Mount Olympus,
where right of admission is reserved for Gods, to celebrate
the birth of Hercules, son of Zeus and Hera. The host welcomes
a new guest :
"Hades,
you finally made it. How are things in the underworld?"
"Well, they're just fine. You know, a little dark,
a little gloomy. And, as always, hey, full of dead people.
What are you gonna do?"
The
evil Hades plans to overthrow Zeus as chief of the gods
in what he calls a 'hostile takeover bid', however, and
shortly after the party sends his helpers Pain and Panic
to abduct Hercules down to Earth because the Fates predict
that he might thwart the coup in 18 years time.
Although
pain and fear are still the most effective allies of dark
forces today, good help was difficult to find even in those
days, and Pain and Panic don't quite manage to infuse the
magic potion into Hercules that would make him forget his
divine origin.
As
a result, Hercules retains super-human strength for his
spell on earth - but that doesn't make him very popular
: as an impetuous teenager, he breaks whatever he touches
and he isn't allowed anywhere near the local pottery store.
'Jerkules' is his nickname at that time and he yearns
to be normal, like everyone else.
He
just wants to fit in somehow and know where he belongs,
setting the scene for the archetypal hero's quest - this
is beautifully highlighted in his captivating song 'Go
the Distance' : 'I will find my way, I can go the distance;
I'll be there some day if I can be strong; I know every
mile will be worth my while.'
So
when he leaves the home of his foster parents to find his
place in the world, his first stop is at the temple of Zeus,
a quiet place for reflection, to ask for guidance. There
he learns that he has a famous father - and Zeus tells him
that he has to prove himself a true hero on earth to restore
his status as a god.
How
do you become a true hero?
You learn from an expert.
On
Zeus' advice, and with the help of Pegasus the flying horse,
Hercules seeks out Philictetus, the trainer of heroes. Phil
is disillusioned because previous clients like Perseus and
Achilles couldn't go the full distance, but he takes Hercules
on and shows him all the tricks of the hero-trade. Both
make mistakes and get hurt a few times in the process, of
course - you teach what you need to learn, and the lines
between teacher and student get blurred after a while.
Along
the way Hercules also has to rescue Megara, a damsel in
distress, and they fall in love - he doesn't know that she
has sold her soul to Hades, however, and is committed to
help him rearrange the cosmos to take over Mount Olympus.
Despite their efforts to get Hercules out of the way before
he spoils the loot, he becomes a famous superstar 'From
Zero to Hero' in the big city with his own merchandised
brand on consumer goods, all the royalties that go with
it, and the high life that everyone envies.
But
being rich and famous, strong and powerful is not being
a true hero, Zeus tells him at another visit to the temple
- before Hercules can rejoin the gods he must still do something
that he has to discover for himself, something that he can
only find by looking inside.
Hades
in the meantime is furious and very frustrated with his
lack of progress until he finds the only weakness Hercules
has - his love for Meg. Hercules eventually agrees to give
up his enormous strength for 24 hours to win back Meg's
freedom from the clutches of Hades - who immediately launches
his attack on the world by unleashing the Titans.
But
Meg, Pegasus and Phil are not giving up on Hercules' shattered
dreams and help him in his darkest hour. Together with the
gods on Mount Olympus, they defeat Hades and his Titans
and liberate planet Earth from the underworld's tyranny
and oppression - but not without casualties : Meg is dying!
In a desperate attempt to change the course of events, Hercules
rushes to see Hades and strikes a deal with him : 'Take
me in Meg's place'. He dives after Meg into the River
of Death, selflessly offering his life in return for hers,
but the Fates cannot cut his thread so that they both emerge
alive - the underworld has no power over gods!
Meg
and the mighty Hercules are whisked off to Mount Olympus
- now he can return home to be reunited with his family.
The overjoyed Zeus explains : 'A true hero isn't measured
by the size of his strength - but by the strength of his
heart!'
This
is the moment Hercules has always dreamed of, but he realizes
that a life without love, even an immortal life, would be
empty - and chooses to stay on earth with Meg and his friends
: 'I finally know where I belong.'
I
just love it!
What
if we all remembered that we are powerful beyond measure
and have a connection to our divine origin with unlimited
support?
What
if we knew that we are always exactly where we belong, wherever
we are and whatever we do?
Until
next time, all the best from :
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