Post by Deadshot on Dec 6, 2015 3:25:01 GMT
Tonight while watching the movie Warrior (starring Tom Hardy for one), one of the top 5 fighting-sport movies ever made in my opinion, I came to realise the very real, hard-hitting core of the story. Contains spoilers.
Both Conlon brothers were fighters and trained by their drunken father in their childhood.
Joel Edgarton's older brother Brendan Conlon fights for his family. His young daughter had major health issues leaving his family in huge debt. At this point in the timeline, the bank is threatening to repose their home unless he can scrap together mortgage, which the jackpot would give. When his mother and younger brother left their father, Brendan stayed, partly because he thought he could finally get some attention (their dad favoured the bigger, stronger younger sibling to him) but also to be with his girlfriend, who later became his wife and mother of his children. He became a physics teacher but was suspended for his second job, parking-lot MMA brawls, leading to his entry in Sparta.
What struck me in this film was that what we had was a man with everything to lose, going up against his brother, who had only one thing left to him. And it made me really think about things. Brendan stood to lose his home that he worked so hard to achieve for his family, that he put himself through hell to hang on to. Tommy had lost his mother, his brother(In arms and in spirit) and his liberty. The only thing he had left was his promise to help the widow and honour his dead friend.
All this made me really think about the big question. Which is more motivated? The man with everything to lose, or the man who had only one thing left to him? Note, this isn't the same as having nothing to lose, or everything to gain. But I wanted to ask a serious question. Which is the more powerful feeling? The end of the film (spoilers below) suggests one thing but I want other opinions.
Personally, I believe having nothing left, not even your pride, but only your promise to fight for, is the more motivating, powerful feeling.