Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
In a previous post,
I talked about using pilots as spirit characters. 'Sky Captain' Joe
Sullivan is yet another example. In fact, all the characters in this
film are in roles that fit their character types.
This film also includes a very limited use of the body character. She only shows up when 'muscle' is needed to break into the antagonist's lair.
Franky gets very little screen time, but the time she has is all about military might. She is the commander of a floating outpost providing squadrons of fighting vessels that ultimately allow Sky Captain to break into the island fortress of the antagonist, 'Totenkopf.' Military leaders are often depicted as body characters.
Franky was also the object of an affair Joe had at some point in the past. This affair, which Joe denies through most of the movie, happened while he was dating a reporter named Polly Perkins.
Polly is a reporter, a classic role for a mind character. She meets a contact in a movie theater who is obviously fears for his life. Polly shows no compassion and demands answers for her questions. When she exits the theater, the city is under attack, but she takes the time to call her editor from a pay phone to tell him what her contact said and what was happening as the monster robots were marching through the city.
When she meets up with Joe, she has her contact's briefcase and reads through all the notes, filling Joe in on all the details. She also 'knows' that Joe had an affair and repeatedly tries to get him to confess.
Polly's motivation throughout the story is 'the story,' gathering facts so she can write the ultimate 'scoop.'
Joe really doesn't care about Polly's story. His motivation is seen when his best friend is kidnapped by Totenkopf's soldiers. When he meets allies in Tibet and later, when he meets Franky, he asks for their help to save his friend.
Saving Polly also becomes a part of his motivation. Polly constantly puts herself in harm's way trying to get new information or a perfect picture, and Joe inevitably has to take rash action to save her. He tries to save her feelings by lying about his affair with Franky, but when she confesses to sabotaging his plane, all bets are off and he finally confesses.
While he may have had an affair in the past, his heart truly belongs to Polly. His plane's tail number is h11od, which is a vertical reflection of 'polly.'
When the climactic confrontation comes, Joe doesn't hesitate to act, even though he believes he won't survive. Self sacrifice is a common characteristic of a spirit character, and when push comes to shove, Joe is ready to die in order to save his friends.
This film also includes a very limited use of the body character. She only shows up when 'muscle' is needed to break into the antagonist's lair.
The Body Character: Francesca/Franky (Angelina Jolie)
Franky gets very little screen time, but the time she has is all about military might. She is the commander of a floating outpost providing squadrons of fighting vessels that ultimately allow Sky Captain to break into the island fortress of the antagonist, 'Totenkopf.' Military leaders are often depicted as body characters.
Franky was also the object of an affair Joe had at some point in the past. This affair, which Joe denies through most of the movie, happened while he was dating a reporter named Polly Perkins.
The Mind Character: Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow)
Polly is a reporter, a classic role for a mind character. She meets a contact in a movie theater who is obviously fears for his life. Polly shows no compassion and demands answers for her questions. When she exits the theater, the city is under attack, but she takes the time to call her editor from a pay phone to tell him what her contact said and what was happening as the monster robots were marching through the city.
When she meets up with Joe, she has her contact's briefcase and reads through all the notes, filling Joe in on all the details. She also 'knows' that Joe had an affair and repeatedly tries to get him to confess.
Polly's motivation throughout the story is 'the story,' gathering facts so she can write the ultimate 'scoop.'
The Spirit Character: Joe Sullivan/Sky Captain (Jude Law)
Joe really doesn't care about Polly's story. His motivation is seen when his best friend is kidnapped by Totenkopf's soldiers. When he meets allies in Tibet and later, when he meets Franky, he asks for their help to save his friend.
Saving Polly also becomes a part of his motivation. Polly constantly puts herself in harm's way trying to get new information or a perfect picture, and Joe inevitably has to take rash action to save her. He tries to save her feelings by lying about his affair with Franky, but when she confesses to sabotaging his plane, all bets are off and he finally confesses.
While he may have had an affair in the past, his heart truly belongs to Polly. His plane's tail number is h11od, which is a vertical reflection of 'polly.'
When the climactic confrontation comes, Joe doesn't hesitate to act, even though he believes he won't survive. Self sacrifice is a common characteristic of a spirit character, and when push comes to shove, Joe is ready to die in order to save his friends.
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