Nordling here.
Now that THE AVENGERS has broken box office records - and made a lot of people very happy, myself included, hell, I've seen it three times now - I think we can all say unequivocably what works the most, and that's Joss Whedon and Mark Ruffalo's take on Bruce Banner/the Incredible Hulk. My friend at Badass Digest, @FilmCritHULK, is probably my favorite film writer on the Internet. He knows how to deconstruct a movie down to its very core and build it back up again better than anyone I know in this field. Plus, he's just a great guy to hang out with at SXSW, when he's not smashing 6th Street.
Film Critic HULK was invited to write about Ruffalo's version in THE AVENGERS by none other than the New Yorker, and it feels like a validation of all things geek. You should read this right now and come back - but one thing struck me about what he wrote:
HULK WRITES ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME, BUT ONE OF THE ONGOING PROBLEMS OF BLOCKBUSTER CINEMA THESE DAYS IS ASSUMED EMPATHY. IT’S AS IF OUR STORYTELLERS JUST PLOP A FILM IN OUR LAPS AND SAY, “HERE’S OUR MAIN CHARACTER AND WE’RE GOING TO ASSUME THAT YOU’RE INTERESTED IN THEM FOR THAT REASON ALONE. THEY’RE THE MAIN CHARACTER!” … HULK DESPISES THIS TREND. IT TENDS TO GET EVEN WORSE WHEN STORYTELLERS FALL INTO THE MARKETING-CENTRIC TRAP OF “LIKABILITY,” WHICH IS A WORD THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MAKING CHARACTERS INTERESTING. USUALLY IT’S JUST A CODE WORD USED BY EXECUTIVES WHEN THEY’RE WORRIED A CHARACTER IS “DOING BAD THINGS.” AND TO ADHERE TO THE WORRIES OF LIKABILITY IS TO THUS EMBARK ON A FOOL’S PLAY AT DRAMA.
I absolutely agree. Empathy isn't just about showing up - it's about finding that connection between the character and your own personal experience, and the best filmmakers know how to set that up within a few minutes of the character's introduction. You can feel empathy even for a great villain - Heath Ledger's Joker doesn't only work because he's so frightening, he works because his performance makes you wonder what exactly would it take to push yourself from the light and become that insane, misanthropic character.
So what makes Banner/the Hulk empathetic as a character? Is it his anger issues? That's part of it, certainly, but it's Bruce Banner's struggle that makes for the drama inherent in the character, and not necessarily our empathy. Ruffalo's Banner, in his way, has made peace with the Hulk in his life, and so when he's finally unleashed in the third act, Banner is at play.
About the scene on the Helicarrier - people have argued that the Hulk 's appearance is inconsistent with his behavior at the climax. I'd say that's true, except that Banner's life was threatened at that moment and turning into the Hulk may well have been a defense mechanism. As for him attacking Black Widow, my theory is that before the attack, Banner was ranting at SHIELD lying to the team for so long, and when he transformed the Hulk responded to Banner's focus at the time. Black Widow was merely the closest target.
Anyway, who's your favorite iteration of the Hulk in film and television? Is it Mark Ruffalo's? Eric Bana's in Ang Lee's flawed but interesting film? Ed Norton? Bill Bixby? Any of the animated series? Feel free to talk about it below?
And yeah, this article is pretty much entirely due to Film Critic HULK's write-up, because even if you can't handle the ALL CAPS, it's undeniable that he's one hell of a writer.
