If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away---Henry David Thoreau

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Underworld: Rise of the Hebrews?


This past weekend I went to see Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. This film reveals the origins of the blood feud between the clans of vampires and werewolves or lycans. It is a prequel to the first two movies in the trilogy; Underworld and Underworld: Evolution. While watching the movie I couldn't help but be struck by parallels between this story and an older, more familiar and prototypical story....the story of Moses!

The elite race of vampires (Pharoah and the Egyptians) had enslaved the race of lycans (Hebrews). They were put to hard labor serving and protecting their masters. Victor, the leader of the vampires (Pharoah) rules with absolute authority.The first true lycan, Lucian (Moses), is born human to a captive werewolf mother (born Egyptian to a Hebrew mother?). Viktor spares the life of Lucian and raises him with certain privileges and limited freedoms among the vampires (Moses in Pharoah's court in Cecil B. Demille's Ten Commandments). He still must wear a collar that reminds him of who he is (In DeMille, Moses has a Hebrew blanket from his mother that reminds him who he is). But, in one scene Lucian takes off his collar and becomes fully a Lycan (In Demille Moses removes his Egyptian gold collar when he identifies himself with the Hebrew people).

Lucian falls in love with the Pharoah's, I mean, Viktor's daughter, Sonja (In DeMille Moses falls for Pharoah's daughter). Others have noted similarities between this film and Romeo and Juliet. A tension develops between his love for Sonja and his identification with his people (In De Mille Moses choses his people over his love for Pharoah's daughter).Lucian plots to free his people from their slavery (Go Down, Moses). Lucian saves Raze, who also helps lead the lycans (In DeMille Moses saves Joshua, who helps lead the Hebrews). There are no ten plagues, but the lycans are finally freed to the distress of Pharoah, uh Viktor. In a final confrontation between Lucian and Viktor, Viktor is drown in water, or so it appears (Pharoah and his armies are covered with the waters of the Red Sea).

The parallels may only be coincidental, but having been raised on movies and Bible stories I couldn't help but leave the theatre singing to myself....Go Down, Lucian.

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