So many negative reviews about The Brave One make it necessary for those of us who understand it and see the purpose beneath its gritty exterior to share in the hopes that others will come to understand and truly see it too.
When Erica Bain walks the city, she takes the time to observe what most don't. She sees where she is and what it all means, all meshed together with crime and business and love and affection and affliction and power and fun and beauty. She can see. Well. Or can she? After the event that lays the story's foundation, Erica has a frightening epiphany. Despite her private belief of strength and superiority compared to others, she finds that she is no safer than anyone else. But then rather than join a support group, take to the bottle, cry herself to sleep or barricade herself inside her apartment, she decides to do what few others do. She decides to fight back.
Yes, the police do excellent work, solve countless crimes and remove thousands of bad seeds from the streets. It is not enough. Americans have the right to bear arms to defend themselves. Not just against the forces of tyranny and oppression, but from the evil of the individual who threatens you from right down the street. Why wait for the bad people to make the right mistakes that would lead to their prosecution? Why not protect the sheep -driving their cars, riding the subway, walking the streets, sitting in bars and offices- before they're sheered by the wolves? Why not intervene...instead of cower and then call 911 after the damage has been done? People say that the events of The Brave One are too "coincidental" to be realistic, but that misses the intentions of the lead. Erica seeks out bad people by frequenting bad parts of town, especially at night. She knows the city and for the first time she is deliberately going to the places she has always known to avoid. In a very real sense, and minus the cape and ridiculous logo emblazoned on a rubber suit, she is a superhero. Like the operatives who protect our citizens by keeping their identities a secret, so does Erica Bain. Remember: real superheroes are the ones you don't see.
Comparisons to Death Wish, Taxi Driver and others are expected, but this film has something distinctly real and different to offer the thinking movie-goer. She is not a villain, she has no ego about her agenda, she is not cold or malicious, and she is not a sadist. She is a regular person (not an ex-cop or ex-con or ex-military) who has had enough of the vile sociopathic minority whose only aim is to terrorize, rape, rob, and murder the majority who just want to make their way peacefully in the world. Some argue that this is impossible, but that is just an echo of the fear machine propagated by the media and by the politicians whose votes are cast out of fear.
Erica sublimates her fears to carry out a mission of justice for the people of the city she loves. As well for the greater good and for humanity. Indeed, standing around in any crowded room, you would find among them the sad one, the lonely one, the frightened one, the angry one, the tired one, the sickly one, and the apathetic one. ERICA is the brave one. If you can't accept this, then ask yourself why is it that millions cheer on the antics of Batman or Spiderman? Isn't it a good thing when Jason Voorhees is chopped to pieces? How about that personal vendetta of The Bride? Sure, you may think that the killing of masses of "bad guys" is fine for a movie as long as that movie's setting is a far cry from reality. But when reality takes center stage, why are minds and stances so easily and radically changed? I'm asking YOU! Are you one of the timid masses or are you one of the sturdy few?
When Erica Bain walks the city, she takes the time to observe what most don't. She sees where she is and what it all means, all meshed together with crime and business and love and affection and affliction and power and fun and beauty. She can see. Well. Or can she? After the event that lays the story's foundation, Erica has a frightening epiphany. Despite her private belief of strength and superiority compared to others, she finds that she is no safer than anyone else. But then rather than join a support group, take to the bottle, cry herself to sleep or barricade herself inside her apartment, she decides to do what few others do. She decides to fight back.
Yes, the police do excellent work, solve countless crimes and remove thousands of bad seeds from the streets. It is not enough. Americans have the right to bear arms to defend themselves. Not just against the forces of tyranny and oppression, but from the evil of the individual who threatens you from right down the street. Why wait for the bad people to make the right mistakes that would lead to their prosecution? Why not protect the sheep -driving their cars, riding the subway, walking the streets, sitting in bars and offices- before they're sheered by the wolves? Why not intervene...instead of cower and then call 911 after the damage has been done? People say that the events of The Brave One are too "coincidental" to be realistic, but that misses the intentions of the lead. Erica seeks out bad people by frequenting bad parts of town, especially at night. She knows the city and for the first time she is deliberately going to the places she has always known to avoid. In a very real sense, and minus the cape and ridiculous logo emblazoned on a rubber suit, she is a superhero. Like the operatives who protect our citizens by keeping their identities a secret, so does Erica Bain. Remember: real superheroes are the ones you don't see.
Comparisons to Death Wish, Taxi Driver and others are expected, but this film has something distinctly real and different to offer the thinking movie-goer. She is not a villain, she has no ego about her agenda, she is not cold or malicious, and she is not a sadist. She is a regular person (not an ex-cop or ex-con or ex-military) who has had enough of the vile sociopathic minority whose only aim is to terrorize, rape, rob, and murder the majority who just want to make their way peacefully in the world. Some argue that this is impossible, but that is just an echo of the fear machine propagated by the media and by the politicians whose votes are cast out of fear.
Erica sublimates her fears to carry out a mission of justice for the people of the city she loves. As well for the greater good and for humanity. Indeed, standing around in any crowded room, you would find among them the sad one, the lonely one, the frightened one, the angry one, the tired one, the sickly one, and the apathetic one. ERICA is the brave one. If you can't accept this, then ask yourself why is it that millions cheer on the antics of Batman or Spiderman? Isn't it a good thing when Jason Voorhees is chopped to pieces? How about that personal vendetta of The Bride? Sure, you may think that the killing of masses of "bad guys" is fine for a movie as long as that movie's setting is a far cry from reality. But when reality takes center stage, why are minds and stances so easily and radically changed? I'm asking YOU! Are you one of the timid masses or are you one of the sturdy few?