fannishliss (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
fannishliss) wrote2014-07-10 06:51 am
fannishliss) wrote2014-07-10 06:51 am
Why Be Bucky
I have a thing for dark heroes (or anti-heroes, whatever).
So currently I am completely all about Bucky. Prior, I was all about Loki for a good while (I'm hoping to write a novel for NaNoWriMo this year, going back to the mythological roots of Loki and casting him as a force in the modern world--we'll see how it goes. Kind of a sequel to my faerie novel, which is pretty cool actually). And of course if you read this journal at all you must know about my love affairs with Nine (who, with Ten, is a sad, dark Doctor) and Dean Winchester (poster boy for sad, bad boy Heroes everywhere).
I am planning on cosplaying Bucky for Halloween. Part of it I guess is just the incredibly striking visual image of his metal arm and his black on black on black armor. In real life I am not into guns (theoretically I would like to know how to shoot in order to hunt for game; deerhunting is a big part of the culture I grew up in -- but I've never really taken action to learn to shoot and have only actually gone hunting once.) So I'm experiencing some cognitive dissonance with my own desire to dress as Bucky, because he is bristling with guns.
I really love Bucky's emo face. I love his hair that falls down in a messy curtain around his sad, confused, angry eyes. I love his killer stride. And I could watch the big hand-to-hand fight a million more times, great fight choreography is really beautiful to me, and the choreography throughout CATWS is stellar. I think of Bucky as a dancer and I see the Winter Soldier as seeing his fight with Steve as a dance. (It's interesting, because he dances beautifully with Nick Fury's suv as well, but not so much with Natasha. He takes a lot of shots at her but doesn't engage in hand to hand, even though she jumps onto his head.)
I get sad when I see high end cosplay. I am very much not at that level. I will not be buying one of those machines to build my own storm trooper outfit. :P However, I am looking forward to going to the thrift store for black cargo pants and something I can cover with a shitload of straps somehow.
Bucky does have a lot of precursors in my mental landscape. Primarily he reminds me of Krycek, also a one-armed Russian assassin with extremely complicated loyalties. Krycek was my first slash boyfriend back in the 90s when I discovered slash online. *_* But also, he reminds me visually of El Mariachi, as played by Antonio Banderas in Desperado. With the hair and the black outfit and the guns and the darkness. Yes. Third, he reminds me of Sarah Connor from Terminator 2 -- still the only movie I've seen in the cinema five times. (I saw Bucky two more times on the planes, bringing my total to five so far!) It's interesting how there are overlapping themes... Sarah is accused of mental instability, and is extremely violent but not actually insane, and she makes herself into a weapon to survive against the machines. Whereas Bucky is made into a weapon (but his ability as a sniper and his nature as a fighter were already there), and his insanity is part of what Hydra did to him-- but still he is so not as messed up as they want him to be. Part of what draws me to Bucky is his self-awareness that keeps resurfacing; he keeps coming back to himself, pushing back against Hydra, when they (and he) think they own him body and soul. He does their bidding because he doesn't know anything else and then comes around and bucks them again and again. (I love that pun so much.)
... Sometimes I read stories where Bucky is referred to as a villain, which really upsets me. Pierce is the villain. Rumlow and Sitwell are villains. Bucky is a hero who has been tortured into being Hydra's pawn. In a lot of ways, the movie sets up a powerful discussion about criminality, violence and culpability. My philosophical roots are back in the Romantic period/late enlightenment, and of course being a Godwin/Wollstonecraft/Shelley expert, it makes me think of all the issues about where crime originates and how criminals might be rehabilitated. Bucky is someone who is overtly forced to lash out with violence, and who will revert to good if given a chance. Imagine Mary Shelley and her husband and the wild philosophical arguments they would have after seeing CATWS -- a movie entirely composed of that same Romantic era discussion of individual freedom vs the shackles of tyranny. So yeah, if Bucky is Mary Shelley's Creature, then clearly it is no surprise that I love him so, given that I spent ten years of my life immersed in Shelley and her circle. :D Which leaves one question of course: where will Bucky be on Steve's wedding night??? :D :D :D if strangling him, then not in the bad way I bet :D :D :D
So currently I am completely all about Bucky. Prior, I was all about Loki for a good while (I'm hoping to write a novel for NaNoWriMo this year, going back to the mythological roots of Loki and casting him as a force in the modern world--we'll see how it goes. Kind of a sequel to my faerie novel, which is pretty cool actually). And of course if you read this journal at all you must know about my love affairs with Nine (who, with Ten, is a sad, dark Doctor) and Dean Winchester (poster boy for sad, bad boy Heroes everywhere).
I am planning on cosplaying Bucky for Halloween. Part of it I guess is just the incredibly striking visual image of his metal arm and his black on black on black armor. In real life I am not into guns (theoretically I would like to know how to shoot in order to hunt for game; deerhunting is a big part of the culture I grew up in -- but I've never really taken action to learn to shoot and have only actually gone hunting once.) So I'm experiencing some cognitive dissonance with my own desire to dress as Bucky, because he is bristling with guns.
I really love Bucky's emo face. I love his hair that falls down in a messy curtain around his sad, confused, angry eyes. I love his killer stride. And I could watch the big hand-to-hand fight a million more times, great fight choreography is really beautiful to me, and the choreography throughout CATWS is stellar. I think of Bucky as a dancer and I see the Winter Soldier as seeing his fight with Steve as a dance. (It's interesting, because he dances beautifully with Nick Fury's suv as well, but not so much with Natasha. He takes a lot of shots at her but doesn't engage in hand to hand, even though she jumps onto his head.)
I get sad when I see high end cosplay. I am very much not at that level. I will not be buying one of those machines to build my own storm trooper outfit. :P However, I am looking forward to going to the thrift store for black cargo pants and something I can cover with a shitload of straps somehow.
Bucky does have a lot of precursors in my mental landscape. Primarily he reminds me of Krycek, also a one-armed Russian assassin with extremely complicated loyalties. Krycek was my first slash boyfriend back in the 90s when I discovered slash online. *_* But also, he reminds me visually of El Mariachi, as played by Antonio Banderas in Desperado. With the hair and the black outfit and the guns and the darkness. Yes. Third, he reminds me of Sarah Connor from Terminator 2 -- still the only movie I've seen in the cinema five times. (I saw Bucky two more times on the planes, bringing my total to five so far!) It's interesting how there are overlapping themes... Sarah is accused of mental instability, and is extremely violent but not actually insane, and she makes herself into a weapon to survive against the machines. Whereas Bucky is made into a weapon (but his ability as a sniper and his nature as a fighter were already there), and his insanity is part of what Hydra did to him-- but still he is so not as messed up as they want him to be. Part of what draws me to Bucky is his self-awareness that keeps resurfacing; he keeps coming back to himself, pushing back against Hydra, when they (and he) think they own him body and soul. He does their bidding because he doesn't know anything else and then comes around and bucks them again and again. (I love that pun so much.)
... Sometimes I read stories where Bucky is referred to as a villain, which really upsets me. Pierce is the villain. Rumlow and Sitwell are villains. Bucky is a hero who has been tortured into being Hydra's pawn. In a lot of ways, the movie sets up a powerful discussion about criminality, violence and culpability. My philosophical roots are back in the Romantic period/late enlightenment, and of course being a Godwin/Wollstonecraft/Shelley expert, it makes me think of all the issues about where crime originates and how criminals might be rehabilitated. Bucky is someone who is overtly forced to lash out with violence, and who will revert to good if given a chance. Imagine Mary Shelley and her husband and the wild philosophical arguments they would have after seeing CATWS -- a movie entirely composed of that same Romantic era discussion of individual freedom vs the shackles of tyranny. So yeah, if Bucky is Mary Shelley's Creature, then clearly it is no surprise that I love him so, given that I spent ten years of my life immersed in Shelley and her circle. :D Which leaves one question of course: where will Bucky be on Steve's wedding night??? :D :D :D if strangling him, then not in the bad way I bet :D :D :D
no subject
I loved the choreography in CA:TWS so much too!
That's one if the reasons I never get sick of watching it. So many different styles and techniques. And they fit the characters so well.
In the first fight against Steve, the winter soldier is like a force of nature -- so fast and adaptive and nearly unstoppable. All Steve can do us deflect and weather the storm.
Love your Shelley comparison ;) very apropos!
no subject
I just keep thinking what must have been going through the Winter Soldier's mind as he fights Steve and Steve fights back. It is a gorgeous dance, fast and deadly and graceful. It must have been a completely novel experience for him to fight someone who is a match for him. Even fighting Natalia he would have had to hold back... the fight between Natasha and the Winter Soldier is quite a bit more graceless, as she goes for the kill, though there is beauty in the way he stalks her. I love that he shot her twice without killing her (just as he shot Steve THREE TIMES without making what would have been a stupidly easy killshot).
The beautiful choreography makes the contrast so effective when it suddenly comes to a halt:
Bucky? -- Steve just stops everything, standing there with his mouth hanging open in shock.
Who the Hell is Bucky? -- the Winter Soldier hears something that apparently rings a bell enough to make him speak... and make him panic and disappear... and bring it up with Pierce for god's sake.
The movie is nearly flawless. Wow, I love it. :)
...lost my bucky icons because balking at paying LJ
no subject
(sebastian stan's face here is a good response.)
also, i'm right there with you on the way he moves. the fight scene with him and steve is fucking amazing. it's beautiful to watch. even the way he steps out of the way when fury's suv flips over and slides past him. just... nrrrgh. i don't tend to think of ww2-era bucky as especially graceful - i mean, he could be a good dancer but i don't picture him as more graceful in general than other guys his age - but man, whatever hydra did to him gave him some tremendous moves.
and his FACE, i love his face, altho i love sebstan's painface anyway because i'm a terrible person. he just has a very expressive, mobile face. all bucky's terror and anger and conflict are right there and it's just glorious.
i love high end cosplay! people who put ridiculous amounts of time and energy and creativity and money into it just blow my mind. altho the folks who go to their local thrift store and then their local craft store and put together something interesting and recognizable without spending a shit-ton of money are also really fabulous.
basically all cosplay is good. :D and aside from the arm i think bucky is probably pretty easy to do on a budget.