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| © 2022 by O. Douglas Jennings. All rights reserved. |
(NOTE: Spoilers ahead)
I see the Black Adam movie as a great, perhaps even redemptive return of the DC comics cinematic universe in its clever leveraging of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's meteoric star power along with a solid supporting cast.
In fact, I think it could even represent a kind of zeitgeist in the way that the anti-hero Black Adam is contrasted with the bona fide heroes of The Justice Society who, at best, are tone deaf to the needs of the oppressed citizens of the fictional Middle Eastern country "Kandaq".
Black Adam acts as a protector of a family (mother and son) who seek protection from exploitive and merciless "Inter-gang" who seek an unholy relic to cement their power.
But, as Black Adam vanquishes these antagonists and the supernatural force behind them, it is said of him, and I paraphrase, that his dark ruthless nature allows him to obtain a kind of "justice" for the down-trodden --a salvation that more scrupulous heroes would not attempt.
At the end, Black Adam claims for himself the title of "Protector" of Kandaq. But such a role has its pitfalls as well as its conveniences. Just like Black Adam eschews the role of Kandaq's king, so did a 17th Century British legislator, Oliver Cromwell decline the throne of England and took the title of "Lord Protector" after presiding over the execution of King Charles I with whom he had irreconcilable political differences causing the British Civil War.
Cromwell ruled as Lord Protector with an iron fist for five years, was succeeded by his incompetent son Richard who ruled for a few more years after being replaced by the restored monarchy upon the return from exile of Charles I's son who was crowned Charles II.
What was the legacy of Lord Protector Cromwell? Certainly mixed; his body was exhumed and executed which included being beheaded and disgraced. The embedded video below explains.
There are plenty of other historical leaders who appear on the scene and win acclaim with promises to fight the foes of aggrieved factions. But such a tempting quick fix can cause more problems than they are worth.
UPDATE -- On a lighter note:
“[Dwayne Johnson] set the tone, and not just the cast, but everyone involved in it. We were constantly going to dinners and spending time with each other, and I will take that with me for the rest of my life,..” https://t.co/uJdK7aNzjM
— 𝐎. 𝐃𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐬 𝐉𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦 (@odouglasj) January 15, 2023
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