The Manichaean Concept of Dualism: Good vs. Evil in Unbreakable (2000) and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003)
The primordial battle between good and evil is commonly embedded within Hollywood film narratives. Evil and its attempt to overpower the weak or defenceless, and the good united in the fight against dark forces are just some examples of the recurring themes.
This Manichaeistic model has served as an appealing literary and cinematic narrative structure — particularly relative to the science fiction and superhero genre as well as the fantasy and horror genres.
Initially founded in third century AD, Manichaean concept of universal dualism — rooted around the notion of two opposing worlds consisting of the light and the dark — representing the ongoing conflict between good and evil, and reflecting the internal and external struggles of human existence; has since predicated the principal traits and characteristics that work to define and create meaning in the construct of a superhero.
To clarify, superheroes are commonly portrayed with attractive or appealing features such as a well-built physique and / or coloured costumes. For villains, there’s a tendency to accentuate the strange or freakish traits or characteristics.
The film Unbreakable (2000) draws particular attention to these archetypes.
Unbreakable centres around a Security Guard by the name of David Dunn (played by Bruce Willis). Dunn is the sole survivor of a horrific train crash that kills hundreds of people. This event becomes the catalyst for Dunn’s meeting with Elijah Price (played by Samuel L Jackson), a mysterious comic book exhibitor, who helps Dunn come to the realisation that he has super-human powers. Price’s obsession with Dunn leads to a thrilling revelation that would alter his life forever.
In fact, the two main characters in Unbreakable can be considered dualistic in nature. Dunn presents as a muscular Caucasian ex-college football player. Price is contrastingly thin, African American in appearance; and unlike Dunn who is immune to illness; Price has suffered many ailments throughout his lifetime. These dualistic characters are the stereotypical archetypes of what appears to be the Manichaean manifestation of the superhero and the supervillain.
Manichaean principles also highlight the associations made between light and the predications of purity, beauty, cleanliness, and usefulness, and the opposing world of darkness; which is veiled in five principles, smoke, flame, obscurity, pestilential wind, and clouds. Even to Price, Dunn is considered a superhero that embodies the materialistic representation of light, justice, good — this contrasts with Price who is seemingly the figure of darkness, destruction and evil.
These principles are strikingly represented in the epic Star Wars franchise. In the film, light and dark forces serve to clearly distinguish the good and the bad. The Jedi Knights dressed in their white cloaks holding light-coloured light sabers embody the light and purity of the good. Whereas Darth Vader and the Sith Lord — in dark or fire red costumes with red light sabers — represent the opposing world of the dark and evil force.
The idea of two opposing forces, in effect, facilitate the creation of heroines in the battle between good and evil.
However, the generalisation of moral polarities (good and bad) of adversarial nature and context has implications on its meaning. Take for example the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003) and its two central characters, Buffy (played by Sarah Michelle Geller), and Angel (played by David Boreanaz).
Created by Joss Whedon, Buffy the Vampire slayer, follows high school cheerleader, Buffy Summers, whose destiny is to become the chosen vampire and demon hunter.
Rather than concentrating on the moral polarities that are common in other film genres, we see the characters in the Buffy series somewhat embracing the critique of the Manichaean mythological model by questioning the traditional sense of good and further applying an allegorical / figurative sense to the model.
The character, Angel, is one example of this blurred distinction. Angel is a vampire with a soul — both human (good) and demonic (bad) essence lie within him. This means that either one can take over full control of his body.
Even the human characters in the show make an appearance at some point possessed by evil. Willow Rosenberg (played by Alyson Hannigan), Buffy’s sidekick and an extremely talented witch, experiments with dark magic and becomes consumed with destroying the world after suffering the tragic loss of her lover.
In Manichaean mythology, this battle to liberate the entanglement of light and darkness, or the evil from the man, derives from the doctrines that transcribe the ensuing birth of the cosmos. That is to say, the doctrine postulates that the universe and its complex systems was created as a consequence of the primordial battle (between the primordial devil and the primordial man).
Likewise, cinematic devices can also evoke a Manichaean interpretation. Frequently applied to noir films, the use of various lighting and shadowing techniques, including the chiaroscuro effect, can be effective in depicting a mood or a tone. It can, for example, suggest the presence of a good or evil force at play.
In the opening scenes of Unbreakable, we see various lighting techniques employed in this manner. The first being the very moments before the train crash — a dimly lit train carriage and close-up of Dunn — then immediately before an ellipsis, we see Dunn surrounded by a bright white light in the foreground.
The second occurs when Dunn exits the hospital without exhibiting any signs of injury. Here, a light appears glowing above him as those surrounding him are positioned in the dimly lit foyer.
There’s also a relatively evocative shot of Price and a customer in the gallery — positioned on opposite ends of the frame with a comic book artwork situated between them. The customer, characterised as an obliging father in the film, is positioned in the bright side of the room closest to the window. Price, whose rationale is rather skewed and opposes that which is good, is situated on the opposite end — a space that is dimly lit and almost shadow like.
As revealed, light has the power to form space. It is thought to be a metaphor for knowledge, it essentially illuminates, can visually depict a divine presence, and can further enhance the visual aspect of storytelling.
It’s without a doubt that cinema has consistently drawn from Manichaean realism whether by coincident or as intended. Nevertheless, what this discussion and analysis of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Unbreakable demonstrates is that the conventional superhero genre, and the horror and fantasy film genre, seem to differentiate in the representation of Manichaean views.
Historically, the superhero genre has lent more toward traditional Manichaean rationale, whereas the horror and fantasy film genre delves more into modern / contemporary ideologies.
This said, as genres tend to evolve over time, the definition and creation of meaning of the Manichaeistic model in contemporary screen and cinema will likely appear less clear cut or obscure than those defined by historical Manichaean.
Biography:
BeDuhn, J. (2000), Manichaen Body: In Discipline and Ritual, Baltimore: John Hopkins University.
Brown, B. (2013). Cinematography: Theory and Practice (2nd Ed), Massachusetts USA& Oxford UK: Focus Press.
Mayer, G. & McDonnell, B. (2007), Encyclopedia of Film Noir, Santa Barbra: ABC-CLIO.
Peters, T.D. (2012). Comic book mythology: Shyamalan’s ‘unbreakable’ and the grounding of good in evil. Law Text Culture.
Wilcox, R.V. & Lavery, D. (2000), Fighting the forces: What’s at stake in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
