Almost every acclaimed movie has a villainous form that is much loathed, feared, and admittedly, intriguing. Asma views popular monsters as a reflection of a hidden but important part of the collective’s psyche (1). On the other hand, Baumann points out that monsters in popular media are constantly tweaked to have greater mass appeal (107). This essay uses the predator monster, as presented in Jim McTiernan’s Predator (1987), to encapsulate a deep-seated sense of fear and provide a hypothetical representation of the horror that each person dreads.
Firstly, the otherworldly predator monster reminds its viewers of how fragile human existence is relative to the magnitude of the universe. As human beings with a perceived superiority over other creation, it is easy to think that earth exists alone in the universe and that the human race’s powers are singular. The predator, in particular, boasted a killing instinct as well as advances in physical and technological evolution that mankind could only dream of. In its exaggerated way, it reminded its viewers that earth is one of many planets in a near-infinite universe whose secrets are yet to be unraveled. Asma states the following regarding the term monster: “The term’s imprecision, within parameters, is part of its usefulness.” (7) Thus, the term monster is apt for vague entities and in this case, it is the vast world that exists outside of the planet. Meditating upon this reality informs that all existence is bound and governed by forces unknown. Forces that could easily conspire to end humanity in ways humankind could not possibly begin to fathom.
Additionally, the predator monster brings to the fore society’s worst fears about war and wartime. For many people growing up, particularly boys, being a soldier is a popular fantasy. Most dream of being extremely skilled and adept at eliminating the enemy as the case may be. However, few imagine the situations that war throws at a soldier in the course of the engagement. For instance, a life-sized space monster determined to kill as many soldiers as it can and hang its victims’ spines on vines for the fun of it. Notably, its human enemies such as Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Billy (Sonny Landham) personify the virtues of courage, valor, and self-sacrifice. Yet in the face of battle against a far superior enemy with no regard for human life, the soldiers’ best efforts barely prevent the total annihilation of the regiment. As noted by Asma, some of the challenges people face every day are similar to a predator monster (3). It takes much will power to overcome strife on a regular basis which could be the motivation behind people’s fears of monsters.
Freud’s perspective on the unconscious offers insights into why Jim McTiernan’s Predator (1987) was critically acclaimed. Notably, Freud worked with patients whose mental health was compromised. As a practising psychiatrist, Freud proposed that ailments whose physical causes could not be established were borne of the unconscious mind of the patients (Bargh 2). The predator monster is a good representation of Freud’s opinion. In particular, the predator wore a space suit of impenetrable and sophisticated making. It was perfect for negotiating the jungle, stalking enemies, and butchering them. This can be a perfect allegory of the conscious mind which Freud believed had been conditioned by human beings to be the receptor and actor while interacting with others (Bargh 4). Once the suit came off, the monster was exposed with its pincer-like mouth; appendages that were revolting and astounding. This is a good representation of the unconscious which as Freud asserts, controls the external manifestation of the human being from within (Bargh 3). This is in line with the assertion of Asma that human beings are monsters as showcased by Daniel Silva (4).
From the perspective of the human victims of the predator, it was as different from them as possible. Dutch and his fellow soldiers approach the monster as expected, with trepidation and the purpose to find a weakness. The soldiers do not draw parallels between the monster and their reality, and especially, that the soldiers are trespassing on foreign territory on a political mission just as the predator is on earth uninvited. Morally and ethically, it is easy to judge the monster when it is not properly packaged as an image of the self. Movies provide people with a mirror on which the monster is reflected back.
In conclusion, human beings can learn a lot from the predator monster. Markedly, it is a reminder of the fickle nature of life as well as a reminder that as much as people cling on to life, it could be easily lost. From evaluating the predator using Asma’s theory, the learning to be made is that monsters represent a lot more than the feelings commonly associated with them such as fear (1). In most cases, monsters bring to light the dark parts of history and relations that one could easily and mistakenly romanticize. It also reminds each individual of the monster lurking within.
Works Cited
Asma, Stephen. “Monsters and the Moral Imagination.” The Chronicle of Higher Education, Web.
Bargh, John A. “The Modern Unconscious.” World Psychiatry : Official Journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) vol. 18, no.2, 2019, pp. 225-226. Web.
Baumann, Benjamin. “Phi Krasue: Inhuman Kiss (Mongkolsiri, 2019).” Monsters: A Companion, edited by Simon Bacon, Oxford, Peter Lang, 2020, pp. 101–109.
Predator. Dir. John McTiernan. Perf. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Kevin Peter Hall. 20th Century Fox., 1987.