Hellboy1

                                      By Kevin C. Neece

     When Hellboy opened in the United States, it found a mixed reception from theatre owners - especially in the South. Certain exhibitors had a definite problem with the idea of putting a film on their marquee that had the word "Hell" in its title. Some theatres simply refused to carry the film. Others were more creative, listing the movie as "Hello Boy. " This was, of course, completely nonsensical to anyone who didn't know the film's real title. It certainly didn't change the fact that when people bought a ticket, they would see a film that was in fact called Hellboy, nor that Hellboy was the main character's name, nor that he was a half man/half demon creature who came from Hell.

     Hellboy. What an awful name for a character - a comic book hero no less. Exactly how heroic is a demon-man supposed to be? How, indeed, could Christians be expected to tolerate - let alone engage - such a film? After all, if its title alone can be so offensive, presumably on religious grounds, what possible benefit can there be in viewing the picture? Well, I'd say there is quite a bit. And that awful name has a lot to do with the reasons why.

     Hellboy may look like a big, red ape, but he is a complex and deeply human character whose struggles and obstacles mirror the ongoing human struggle for identity, purpose, and salvation. Directed by acclaimed Mexican filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro and starring Ron Perlman as Hellboy, the film is based on the comic book series created by writer and artist Mike Mignola for Dark Horse Comics.

     It is prudent here to note that the movie's screenplay, written by Del Toro, takes definite liberties with Mignola's original characters, altering some characters' relationships and roles within the universe. This emerges, however, out of Del Toro's deep love and appreciation for the comic book and the resulting film has the full, enthusiastic endorsement Mike Mignola, who was also the film's Co-Executive Producer. With that in mind, I will be focusing herein rather squarely upon the film and its interpretation of the characters and universe of the Hellboy comics.

     Hellboy's journey in the film is essentially two-fold. He struggles against his origins - both in his identity as a monster and his having been brought to Earth for evil purposes. He is also terribly immature. Though he is some sixty years old by human accounting, he ages more slowly than a native of Earth would. So, in terms of maturity, he's roughly in his early Twenties, just barely out of adolescence. That is not to mention his youthful physical appearance in contrast to his age.

     So, back to that name. Hell. Boy. In his very name ("In retrospect, perhaps not the most fortunate," according to Professor Broom) are the two things he must overcome to fulfill his destiny and own his true identity. He must fight against Hell and its purposes for him and must cease to be a boy in order to become a man.

     For Hellboy, though, the quest for manhood is also a quest for humanity. He not only must combat his immaturity as every young man must, but also must overcome, or more accurately, reconcile with his nature as a monster. So, the two purposes feed each other - an idea we will see again in this film.

     "He was born a demon. Can't change that," Professor Broom tells John Myers, "But you will help him, in essence, to become a man." It is that journey toward becoming a man that is the film's central, thematic core. In the opening voiceover, Professor Broom asks, "What is it that makes a man a man? Is it his origins? The way things start? Or is it something else? Something harder to describe?" This question is central because it asks not what one must do to become a man (that is, to be human), but rather upon what criteria humanity, identity and indeed manhood (or maturity) are based.

     For Hellboy, as with all of us, identity and destiny are closely linked. Discovering who he is means also discovering his calling and where he belongs. So again, a single theme breaks into two interrelated themes: calling and belonging. The influences on Hellboy's identity, both competing and complimentary, are symbolized in the film by his various father figures. There are two primary father figures in the film, but there is also a subset of two more that are less obvious. Let's begin with the lesser two.

"What is it that makes a man a man? Is it his origins? The way things start? Or is it something else? Something harder to describe?"
--Professor Trevor "Broom" Bruttenholm

First, Sgt. Whitman

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