MovieChat Forums > On Deadly Ground (1994) Discussion > What does it take to change the essence ...

What does it take to change the essence of a man? A deeper look....

posted 17 years ago by DLeon2828
13 replies | jump to latest

This question has bothered me since I saw this movie in 94. For 14 years, I have constantly thought about what is the definitive answer to this question. I have watched this American classic scene over and over, and I finally discovered, wisely, Mr. Seagal does not give the answer. Is there a definitive answer to this question you ask? The answer is not as simple as a yes or no.

Lets all analyze this scene together and you will discovered not only did Mr. Seagal dared to ask us this profounding question, he also provided us with drama, action, and laughter at the same time. How many movies out there can achieve this feat I ask you.

In the beginning of the scene. Mr. Seagal confronts Big Mike for beating up on a defenseless little native man. Mr. Seagal starts by asking him an easy question, "Are you a man?" Big Mike's response was he is a man simply because he has a big pair of balls between his legs. With this answer, Mr. Seagal was able to see right away the essence that is inside Big Mike. Truly remarkable. At this point, Mr. Seagal could simply lay him out to make his point, but he didn't. Mr. Seagal chose to play a children's game called the hand slapping game. Why did he choose this? Simple, the essence inside Big Mike belongs to a child. He does not know what is right and what is wrong. In order for a "Child" to understand a lesson, sometimes a game is needed to prove the point. Simply brillant. During the game, Mr. Seagal was also able to reveal his humble side by calling himself a "cupcake" and questioned if he would be the one still standing afterwards. What a remarkable man. When Big Mike vomited after the second punch, Mr. Seagal was able to make us laugh by wondering if he ate bad Halibut at Maggie's! Hilarious! After the final strike and when it's all said and done, Big Mike stood up bloodied. At this moment, with total silence in the room, Mr. Seagal asked, "What does it take, what does it take to change the essence of a man?"

Now, I believed because of the severe beating Big Mike got, he probably wasn't too coherent to give a clear answer. However, from the answer he gave, we can see he is beginning to question his own essence. Big Mike told Mr. Seagal he needs time to change. Can time actually change the essence of a man, or is it what a man does with the time he is given that would truly reveal to him what truly would change the essence of a man? In the end of the scene, I believe Mr. Seagal does give a hint to the answer of this thought-provoking question. He simply said, "I do too, I do too." Keep in mind, even though he is the one that was teaching Big Mike a lesson, he admits his essence was not perfect either! Truly amazing! The answer is there is no definitive answer! It is different and unique for each of us! Keep in mind, If Mr. Seagal needs to change, I think we all do too. You might say to yourself that your essence is fine the way it is and you do not need to change, but let me ask you this... If you are proud or arrogant enough to think this way, isn't there something wrong with your essence already. I believe Mr. Seagal would say so. I encourage all of us to take a moment and think about what is the essence inside each of us and how we can use the time we are given to change it. When you do find the answer, please post it, so we can all help and enlighten each other. Thank you, and may you be able to change the essence of the man that you ultimately wish you can be.

[–] PFischer87 17 years ago

Very interesting topic. Thank you for bringing this up. I've really given it some thought.
I think there is another point to the beating. You need to get hurt, before you can start to heal and start changing your essence. Segal knows this, because he already is a lot further in the proces of changing his essence (he still isn't there yet, as you already pointed out). He has obviously seen the light and you can see that during the movie he's trying to get a lot more people to see it too. This would also explain, why he's trying to hurt as many people as possible: so the healing can start. It isn't always easy, some people need to get hurt real bad, before they can see what he means. But eventually Segal has faith in everyone he meets. I think many people misunderstood this deeper meaning of the movie.

[–] DLeon2828 17 years ago

Welcome, PFisher87, to the Steven Seagal School of Essence. While Sensai Seagal do teach many aspects of life, the essence of a human being is what we are focusing on at the moment. I think Sensai Seagal would be proud that we are trying to expand on his teachings.
You stated that "One needs to get hurt real bad before one's essence can be changed". I find this very fascinating indeed. I will also do my best to expand on this theory. Sensai Seagal knows that a man must be humbled before he will question his essence. We all know this is a 100% fact. While there maybe other ways to humble a man, Sensai Seagal takes the quickest method. He beats the living crap out of him. Why bother taking precious time to teach or a guild a man to reach the destination of his true essence? Sensai Seagal is a true master indeed. A question many people asked is, "If Sensai Seagal is truly trying to change the essence of a man by beating the living hell out of him, why does he killed some of them?" The answer is actually quite simple. While Sensai Seagal does have faith in everyone he meets, he also knows some needs to die in order for their essence to truly change. How can their essence change if they are no longer breathing? Only Sensai Seagal would know the answer to that profounding question which he has yet to share with us.
While we can talk about the essence of a man for a lifetime, we must move on to the next question Sensai Seagal has asked us..."How much is enough?" or, we can look at it as, "When is it enough?". For the time being, I will leave this question for you to ponder. Try to answer if you think you are up to the task.
Remember, "One needs to get hurt real bad before one's essence can be changed."

[–] ThingyBlahBlah3 17 years ago

I too have been meditating on this scene since I saw it 13 years ago; my cloistered lifestyle doesn't permit me to see movies in the theater, so I had to wait to rent the videotape.

For the past six months, I have been focusing on the sudden moment of enlightenment (or "Nirvana", as we in the know call it) experienced by the young woman in the crowd who excitedly exclaims, "Did you see that?" True, on one level, she's commenting on the fisticuffs before her. But on a deeper level (as we're always dealing with multiple levels of meaning when discussing a Seagal movie), she's talking about the sudden flash of understanding that she's been given into the totality and unity of all things, all thanks to seeing one fat guy slugging another fat guy repeatedly in the face and stomach.

______________________
'It's a mess, ain't it, sheriff?'
'If it ain't, it'll do till the mess gets here.'

[–] DLeon2828 17 years ago

Welcome, ThingyBlahBlah3, to the Steven Seagal School of Essence. I'm sorry to hear you were not able to see witness this life-altering scene in the theater. From I recalled, before this scene came on, I was just an ordinary man chomping on greasy popcorn without a care in the world. After the scene was over, it was complete dead silent. I also heard a few gasp. The people that were talking and poking fun at the movie had stopped. We just couldn't understand what had hit us. People wanted to discuss what they had just witnessed but they also wanted to see what else Sensai Segal had in stored for us. I truly believed we all left the theater a better person after that day.

I do want to share a few trivias regarding about the "Essence" scene. Did you know all the extras were not told what the scene would be about? Yes, that is true. Sensai Seagal wanted natural reactions from all the extras. They were not acting. Like us, they were also stunned on what they just had witnessed. The woman who excitedly exclaims, "Did you see that?", was not in the script.
The gentlemen who played Big Mike, Mike Starr, (Noticed Sensai Seagal kept his first name to make it realistic) wanted Seasai Seagal to hit him for real!!! In an interview, Mr. Starr stessed that after reading the script, he knew getting fake punched would not do the scene justice. While Sensai Seagal appreciated the gesture, he declined. Sensai Seagal knew he could've killed him.

[–] ThingyBlahBlah3 17 years ago

Hello DLeon, and thank you for the kind words. I would have responded sooner, but I have spent the last few weeks alone in meditation, pondering the myriad of universal truths contained in that scene in 'Hard to Kill' wherein Sensei Seagal impales that guy with a pool cue, then says "%*$& you and die!"; weighty philosophical matters, to be sure, but I feel a steady diet of his early movies has prepared me well.

______________________
'It's a mess, ain't it, sheriff?'
'If it ain't, it'll do till the mess gets here.'

[–] Jnbfwc 14 years ago

I do not wish to cavil, yet I believe that everyone is better for learning, and not worse; this is why I wish to bring to your attention the word "myriad": It is an adjective, or a noun.
You are using it as an adjective in your sentence above.
The word is used exactly the same way the word "many" is used. For instance, you would say, ". . . pondering the many universal truths," rather than, ". . . many of universal truths".
In this same manner, myriad is used like so: ". . . pondering the myriad universal truths. . . ."

I hope you are not angered by my correction, and will see much correct usage of the word in the years forthcoming.

[–] Anonymous_Maxine 16 years ago

Wow, well said, my friend!

[–] IamTVI 15 years ago

The existential teaching of Soren Kierkgaard immediately sprang to my mind. Clearly the "big balls" symbolise the life giving sun circling the earth, being as it is the very essence of life itself.

Mr Seagal affords himself a wry smile when considering the response "I need time to change", time itself of course having evolved from a single quantized entity in nature.

[–] jaylee7777 15 years ago

This is officially the funniest and most awesome thread on the entire IMDB!

Good job guys!

+HOLLYWOOD IS DEAD+

[–] chrismahon2005 15 years ago

Obviously smash his face to bits, humiliate him in front of people and then talk bollocks to him

[–] Hyman_Flomax 13 years ago

That's easy. All it takes is some Old Spice deodorant and after shave. Haven't you learned anything from those commercials? I'd say Seagal's exploration of that question is about as complex and nuanced as one of those advertisements.

If I could drop dead right now, I'd be the happiest man alive.

[–] Nakrophile 13 years ago

I think the previous few replies have missed the goal set out at the beginning of this insightful thread, and as such the keener minds among us have been disheartened and seem to now seek enlightenment on a more personal level, away from the 'On Deadly Ground' message board. Nevertheless, I think the 'On Deadly Ground' message board is a sure place to achieve one's goals; the road to spiritual enlightment is a long and arduous one, and there is no better place to begin such a jounrey than the 'On Deadly Ground' message board. Hopefully fellow travellers will continue to stop by with the sorts of comments already encountered in this thread, but if this is the last then at least I leave it knowing the original author has reached a state of being far beyond the hopes and dreams of most simple film-goers - yes, thanks to this masterful presentation of American art cinema, thanks to the wise teachings of the majestic Steven Seagal, men who wish to learn the ultimate truth of themselves have been able to find their essence, and run alngside it as if they were both spirited deer bounding through the smooth, snow-capped hills of the Alaskan wilderness.

I for one am truly saddened to have found this well of knowledge quite so late, but I can now travel onwards, knowing that there is a place for me, somewhere, and it all began on the 'On Deadly Ground' message board.

Time to blow

[–] 13 years ago

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