An in depth view of Jean Claude Van Damme's portrayal of Guile in the Street Fighter movie
As far back as literature can be traced a reoccurring character type has been present. This character is the hero, a character that is faced with similar obstacles, has a similar upbringing, and similar character traits. This repetition over time has been characterized by Joseph Campbell, among others, into what is called the heroic pattern. One character in particular that exemplifies this pattern is Jean-Claude Van Damme’s character Guile in the 1994 movie Street Fighter. At first Guile may not appear to be a hero, but when his actions are compared to that of the heroic pattern, it is apparent that Guile is no less then a hero.
In order to understand why Guile may not be viewed as a hero, the plot of the movie must be considered. The movie Street Fighter was based after the video game Street Fighter II, which was a one on one fighting game. In the video game, a very loose storyline was provided to explain why the characters were fighting each other. The movie follows a very similar pattern, having many characters interacting but having most of their actions leading them into one on one fight’s with the other characters. In the movie Guile’s actions may be viewed as single minded and that defeating Bison was only the result of his orders, but there is much more to Guile then simply following command.
Like many heroes, Guile’s past is not explained, leaving much mystery to his character. In the video game, Guile is an all American character, sporting two American flag tattoos on each of his shoulders. In the movie Guile is also suppose to be the all American character, despite the fact that the actor who plays him is Jean-Claude Van Damme. Van Damme is not American, but rather Belgian, and has a very distinct accent. This may seem like an oddity for why he was chosen for the role, but many traditional heroes were of mixed blood, mostly being part mortal and part god. This mixed blood that Guile has makes him stand out above the other American soldiers in the movie and therefore unique. Guile is also portrayed in excellent physical condition and with a superior fighting skill. This uniqueness combined with physical excellence is another strong character trait of a hero.
The first stage of the heroic pattern is the call to duty. A hero is given a quest, and their future is molded based on their acceptance of the quest. In Street Fighter, the opening scene reveals that a war is going on between the Allied Nations; a unified army of many nations, versus the militia led my General M. Bison. The Allied Nations, or AN, is commanded by Colonel Guile and in the opening scene of the movie, we find that the AN has recently defeated Shadaloo City, a key city that was occupied by M. Bison’s militia. We then find that M. Bison had taken 63 civilian hostages that the AN was trying desperately to rescue. Unfortunately, the AN’s attempt to rescue the hostages was thwarted and all the rescue team was killed except one, Carlos Blanka, who was taken prisoner. Blanka was Guile’s best friend, and his capture, gives Guile his quest. Guile must save his friend, save the hostages and defeat M. Bison.
Another key characteristic of the heroic pattern is a passage into the realm of night. This usually involves a death or a journey into the underworld. In Street Fighter, Guile simulates his death and is essence takes this journey. Guile is shot twice in the stomach and pronounced dead on the scene and taken to the morgue. This however was a staged death that Guile formulated to infiltrate two spies, Ken Masters and Ryu Hoshi, into Victor Sagat’s trust circle to locate Bison’s location. Sagat was the known gun runner for Bison’s militia and Guile knew if Sagat believed Ken and Ryu killed Guile he would take them with him on his way to conduct business with Bison, the entire time with a tracking device on them. After the act, the world is under the impression that Guile is dead and the terror that Bison is brining will continue. Guile remains “dead” until Chun-Li Zang sneaks into the morgue investigating. Guile then reveals the trick to her and demands she be arrested to ensure she does not interfere with the plan.
Deciding to arrest Chun-Li forced Guile to make a tough decision. A decision to either lock up someone innocent because she too had her intent to kill Bison, or to allow her to go free and help him. This could be seen as the part of the heroic pattern where the hero is faced with temptation. Guile was tempted to abuse his power to hold a civilian for selfish and egocentric reasons. He did not want Chun-Li to succeed in defeating Bison before he was given a chance to. Guile gives into temptation and makes the comment as Chun-Li is being taken away, “this war is not about your personal vendetta…it’s about mine.”
From this point Guile must face the road of trials. Guile will need to use physical excellence as well as intellectual superiority to figure out how to make his way to Bison’s headquarters, find and rescue Blanka and the hostages, and fight Bison. Even though Guile commands the AN army, he still decides to take on his trials practically alone, only with the aid of his close allies, Cammy and T. Hawk. Guile’s plan of attack on Bison’s headquarters is to pilot a single vessel up the channel that leads to Bison’s heavily guarded base, while the entire rest of the army sneaks in from behind. In the single vessel, which happens to have the latest age stealth technology, is Guile, Cammy and T. Hawk. This sense of isolation which Guile willingly puts himself into is another trait of the hero. By taking on this task by himself, he is able to test his courage, strength and wisdom, which helps feed the egotistic state of a hero.
The boat which Guile pilots also fits into the heroic pattern. Most heroes are given weapons or talismans with magical powers to help them along their way. The boat has a technologically advanced cloaking device, and is therefore one of a kind. When the device is activated the boat becomes invisible to the eye as well as censors, making it in essence magical. This boat is also used to cross the waters to invade Bison’s lair. Crossing waters is another characteristic of a hero which Guile fulfills. The camouflage of the boat also adds to another tool that heroes commonly explore; the art of disguise. Not only is Guile using his boat as a disguise to hide his identity, but since Bison is under the impression that Guile had been killed, he uses this disguise as an element of surprise when he is revealed.
Guile also suffers punishments, like many heroes in the pattern. Most heroes loose something that is very dear to them, and they usually loose this for self-centered and proud reasons. Guile falls into this category, as when he is riling up the troops to launch the attack on Bison’s headquarters, Guile is instructed by his superiors to call off the attack. They tell him that they are willing to pay the ransom that Bison requested in return for the hostages. Guile immediately disapproves, but instead of following orders and loosing the chance to save the day, Guile instead continues to motivate the troops and turns them all against the decision to abort the mission. Guile is told that he will be relieved of his position if he does not call off the troops. Guile sacrificed his status of Colonel of the AN army, just to get a chance to fight Bison and be hailed as a hero.
After the army embarks on their mission and Guile heads toward Bison, he takes a moment to reflect on his friend Blanka. He inserts a video disk into the display in the boat and we are shown a glimpse into the friendship that Guile and Blanka shared. A sentimental friendship filled with laughter accompanied by the song playing in the background with the chorus “some things are worth fighting for.” As Guile watches, it is apparent that Guile is suffering emotionally. This reveals yet another characteristic of a hero, the duel struggle between both physical and psychological conflicts. While Guile is faced with an onslaught of physical violence, to which he overcomes without fail, he still is unable to rest until he knows his friend has been returned to safety.
After Guile arrives in his boat at the base of Bison, he is as planned undetected, and begins destroying cameras and anti-intruder weapons. Bison is eventually able to disable the cloaking device that Guile had and makes video contact with Guile. Bison gets angered when he finds out that Guile was still among the living and proceeds to try to destroy the boat. Bison is successful in destruction of the boat, but not before Guile, Cammy and T. Hawk were able to escape, which was unknown to Bison. Guile then found entry to Bison’s base through use of a cave which is where Guile was reunited with Blanka. Unfortunately Blanka had been victim to genetic mutations at the hand of Bison. Guile was distraught at the physical deformities and mental degradation that his friend had suffered and was preparing himself to put Blanka out of his misery by shooting him. Guile is stopped at the last minute by the doctor who saved Blanka from complete loss of goodness in his heart, Dr. Dhalsim. Dhalsim claims Guile has “no right” and then goes on to aid Guile in a discovery about himself. Guile learns that there is a fine line between good and evil, and that even though Blanka’s heart has been turned half black, it was the goodness in it that gave him the right to live. Guile must also make the sacrifice to let Blanka go, not as his friend, but as the being he had been turned into, he must accept that the Blanka he once knew was no longer alive. There are many aspects of the heroic pattern that are present in this interaction. Guile receives the ultimate boon, or the item to which the hero was seeking. In this case, Guile’s quest was to find Blanka, which he did. Also the element of the heroic pattern of reconciliation is present. Guile is reconciled with his lost friend, and part of Guile’s quest is completed. This also lifts the burden of the psychological unknown about whether or not Blanka was alive, and thus the healing of the hero begins.
Enraged by the fate of his friend Guile finds Bison as the AN army and Bison’s troops are fighting. With Guile face to face with Bison, each with their troops behind them, Guile instructs his troops to pull out of the base with the hostages and leave if he does not return. This one on one fight against Bison also leaves Guile isolated again. Guile wanted to face Bison in a one on one fight to the death. This action shows the duel nature of a hero, of intellect versus primal urges. Prior to this decision, Guile’s decisions were well planed out, and were executed with extreme caution. This act however, was hastily made and only feeds Guile’s desire to defeat Bison single handedly, with not too much attention given to the war or the hostages. This sudden change in the nature of the hero was brought on by anger which clouded his vision and caused him to act based on rage over wisdom.
Guile and Bison battle fiercely until Guile defeats Bison. Bison is then rejuvenated with godlike powers, as he mocks Guile “you come here prepared to fight a madman, and instead you found a god.” Guile and Bison then engage in round two of their battle to which Guile barely wins, but he does come out on top, ending Bison’s reign once and for all. This final battle is much like the final struggles of the traditional hero, where the hero takes on the role of the protector of civilization and defeats the enemy that threatens the society. Guile is protecting mankind from being enslaved by Bison in his plan for world domination and to declare himself as world ruler, molding civilization to how he sees fit. Also by Guile defeating the godlike Bison for the second time, Guile exemplifies the true potential of mankind. This superiority of human kind in one man is another quality of a hero.
On Guile’s attempt to flee the crumbling headquarters of the late M. Bison he crosses paths once again with Blanka and Dhalsim. Guile instructs Blanka that he needs to get him out of there, to which Blanka refuses to go. To comfort Guile, Dhalsim tells Guile that Blanka will not be alone, and that he will stay will Blanka in the falling building adding “I must atone for my part in this evil.” Guile responds to Dhalsim, “you said you did nothing,” to which Dhalsim states “if good men do nothing, that is evil enough.” Guile then learns another lesson at the wisdom of Dhalsim. The lessons Guile learns throughout his quest help him to discover more about himself, therefore making him wiser. The ability to learn through example and under a wise mystic is a further instance of a hero’s progression.
The base then falls as all of Guile’s men watch anxiously as Guile had not come out of the base yet. The men assume that Guile had been killed in the rubble and begin commenting on his greatness and braveness in the face of danger. As they are speaking Guile surfaces to which he is greeted cheerfully. This is the third time in Guile’s quest that his actions complete the cycle of life of a hero; that of life, death, and rebirth. Even though Guile did not actually die any of the three times, each time he was thought to be dead he was mourned by his friends. Each time Guile came back from his departed state he was celebrated by his friends, with overwhelming joy over his rebirth.
At the conclusion of Guile’s quest, he was ultimately successful, defeating his enemy, finding what he was searching for, and returning peace to the world. Guile was able to regain paradise, which was in jeopardy. This ultimate success of Guile through his intellectual cunning as well as physical prowess throughout his struggles through the heroic pattern makes him a true hero.
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