Boxing as a Metaphor

A film perhaps, could be considered as atomic number 53 of the most powerful medium in the field of communication. Creativity, per se, is a major factor in culmination up with this kind of output. Not everyone is entitled that sense of creativity and at the same time, substance that would cater a must-see movie for all. Also, in coming up with a film, a film maker has all the means to incorporate underlying themes or messages in the film being produced.Some of the film makers start been successful in using this techniques, some, meanwhile, were non open to make their audience realize that their movies had something say beyond the denotative objects and situations in the film. Two of the films which incorporated metaphors or underlying themes on it are billow of the Spirit and the Boxer and Death. The two mainly focused on the life of the protagonists with relation to fisticuffs. Boxing was used as a form of metaphor in the said films. Triumph of the Spirit An OverviewThe Triump h of the Spirit was based on a true story of a boxer which took place during a Holocaust it was released in 1989. Directed by Robert Young, it was the first ever film to be shot in the death tenting of Auschwitz. Every detail was vividly shown in the film. Every detail was presented accuratelyfrom the bread thrown into their dinner plates up to the wooden shoes that were worn by the prisoners. The movie is a true story focused on an Auschwitz concentration plurality inmate named Salmo Arouch. Salmo, who was a boxing poor boy, was forced to be complicated in a series of boxing bouts which tallied 200 win-or-die contests.BOXING AS A METAPHOR PAGE2 The contest was conceptualized by the camps guards as they see it as a form of entertainment. The movie was set during the Holocaust of the Second World War which can be considered as one of the darkest parts of the modern biography. The movie was made in the superlative description of authenticity. The film was basically about a boxer named Salamo (played by William Dafoe). He was a Greek Jew who was sent to Auschwitz who almost died in the hands of the national socialist who captured him. He did not die as the Nazi learned that he was a champion boxer.The Nazi captors, seeking for some sort of entertainment, set a Boxing match, wherein Salamo won. The boxing matches continued with money involved. At least once a week, the Nazi captors would gather to drink and eat and also to watch their prisoners pound one another. Salamo was stuck in a very difficult situation. He would accidentally blot out his confrontation during bouts, or else, he himself would die. One of the camps gypsy prisoners (played by Edward James Olmos) appeared to be a fixer who would engage himself in a sear market mainly focused on persuasion and bribery.Later, he became involved in Salamos plan to save his father in the prison. Unfortunately, the name of Salamos father was include in the list of those who would soon disappear. And when Sala mo asked him if there anything that he could do to save his father, he merely replied, Nothing, unless someone can be strand to take his place. BOXING AS A METAPHOR PAGE3 The next predictable scene was that Salamo offered himself to replace his father. He volunteered that his name be included in the list of those who would soon disappear instead of his father.But he never really pushed through his plan. Only a few of the detainees of the Nazi captors managed to survive the Holocaust. Of course, many an(prenominal) of them just chose to die instead of enduring the pain of the torture that had happened. But those who did not want to die, died anyway. Salamo managed to survive the Holocaust for he won enough fights during the boxing contests. The title of the movie was dubbed as The Triumph of the Spirit. Where did the concept of triumph become evident in the film? Salamo received his own triumph in the get down of his opponents.Another flaw that could be inferred in the movie is that it never really introduced the other charactersnot even those who had significant roles. They were not even given their respective names. Basically, Triumph of the Spirit showed the horrors that can be inferred from the Holocaust part of the Second World War. Triumph of the Spirit Boxing as a Metaphor Although boxing was not really the focus of the film, boxing was used to convey underlying themes and messages by the film maker. Salmo was a boxer during one of the darkest stages of the modern history.The story evolved on repression and abuse that happened among the prisoners perpetuated by the Nazi. BOXING AS A METAPHOR PAGE4 The understanding of the film would entail a lot of creativity and a deeper comprehension of what was really the main point of the film. Basically, the main and obvious theme of the movie was survival of the fittest. Survival of the fittest would best describe that 200 win-or-die contest. The concentration camp appeared to be a place where you guard onl y two choicesto continue to live or to accept death.That is, if you are strong enough to beat and kill your fellow inmates. Boxing appeared to be a manifestation of the cruelty and brutality that happened in the concentration camp. The movie also reflected a significant part of the history where the detainees of the Nazi captors had to go through all the hardship that the circumstance had to offer. Disappointingly, the movie also portrayed an individualist theme. In order for Salamo to survive he had to circumstantially kill his opponents who were also his co-inmates. Those who would not win the bouts were subjected to execution.The movie also assumed that the viewers were already oriented of the basics of the Holocaust. Boxing represents the struggles that the characters had to go through. Despite the flaws that could be observed in the film, the film maker was creative enough to use boxing as a metaphor in the movie. Boxing, aside from the struggles, could also indicate as a def ense mechanism against the Nazi captors. Boxing was portrayed as something which could save ones life. In the case of Salamo, boxing became his alert apparatus. BOXING AS A METAPHOR PAGE5If not because of boxing, he might have died and his bouts did not reach to 200. Amazing how the film maker was able to come up with a metaphor that the viewers could dwell into. In life, just like in boxing, we have to get up whenever we are punched down. We have to maximize all the means that we have for us to survive. Ironically, the opponents of Salamo perhaps signified the hardships and problems that he had during the Holocaust era. Although quite inhumane, the bouts represented his winning over the predicaments that he had to face. His friendship about boxingor life rathermade him survive all of these.