Posted by
Sam Heath on Friday, February 23, 2007 7:38:43 PM
“Rescue the damsel in distress, kill the bad guy, save the world.” It’s the fulfilling of boyhood dreams, and makes “The Mummy” with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz one of my favorite movies. But it’s the reaction by the British aviator to Rick telling him he probably won’t live through it “By Jove, do you really think so?” that makes the case for the romance of it all; “Captain Winston Havlock at your service!” And by golly, what red-blooded real man could possibly refuse such a worthy challenge!
Captain Havlock spoke for most of us who are the real romantics. Having been cheated of going down in flaming glory along with most of his friends during the Great War here was the answer to his prayers, “Rescue the damsel in distress, kill the bad guy, save the world.” And best of all, he was assured he probably wouldn’t live through it! “By Jove, do you really think so?”
There is no doubt in my mind the script writers knew all about Tom Sawyer’s romantic thoughts of rescuing Becky Thatcher. Any boy worth his salt is going to dream of rescuing damsels in distress. But it must be done in the face of threats by evil-doers or other dangers, there has to be the real threat to your own life in the process of rescuing the damsel in distress to make it worthy of your efforts; only real derring-do in the face of tremendous odds will thoroughly win the heart of that damsel and the applause of all around. My hero! Ah, those words and the adoration shining from a pure and true beautiful girl’s eyes, these are worth risking your life for. And if you have been cautioned you probably won’t live through the anticipated rescue; why, it would be meaningless otherwise.
Ok, so The Mummy is a really funny movie; and I love all the supernatural elements brought into play, the themes of ancient Egypt with all the curses and artifacts that allow you to enjoy the characters and dialogue throughout. But the really serious part is the kind of romanticism Captain Havlock portrays. Now seriously, did he really miss not having gone down in flaming glory with his friends, did he truly relish the thought he might not live through the challenge presented him? Well, the chance to rescue a damsel, kill the bad guy, and save the world is certainly enough to inspire any man that considers himself to be a real man.
The really funny parts of the movie aside, Captain Havlock is not actually a parody of romantic courage; there are many like him who sincerely wish they had gone down in flaming glory rather than continue a life without meaning and die a meaningless death. True enough, but if you have stood at Arlington Cemetery, awed by the sea of grave markers stretching to the horizon, or seen that Vietnam Memorial Wall with its thousands of names inscribed you cannot help wondering where the romance is? There are some names that stand out, some with a claim to a meaningful death, a romantic death, made meaningful and romantic by some singular act of heroism. But for the greater part, who but loved ones left behind even recall the faces of so many thousands of the dead?
Stories of knights in shining armor rescuing damsels in distress are a real part of childhood for both boys and girls. While easily dismissed as fantasy, such fantasies are not easily forsaken in adulthood; there are always those like Winston Havlock in whose breasts the fires of romance continue burning brightly. I recall a florist, a very lovely lady, once telling me “It’s men like you that keep me in business.” But a cautionary word to you ladies; it takes much more than sex to inspire the real romantics, to keep them buying the flowers. There are many “damsels in distress” today, but where are the boys dreaming of rescuing them? I think it’s a tragedy for America so many boys and girls today have no idea what I’m talking about; and not a few adults.