One of the most influential pieces of media I have ever consumed has got to be the 1999 classic The Mummy starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, and Arnold Vosloo. I watch this movie at least twice a year and I’m pretty sure I own multiple copies.
Recently I was able to go see it in theatres with some friends. While I have seen it multiple times, I have never experienced the movie in cinema. And yes, it was amazing, I would go again if I could!
Following the screening, we stood around and talked about how despite the movie being 25 years old, it still holds up. And during this discussion I realized just how much this one movie has influenced me.
Other than making me appreciate the campiness of a certain set of action-adventure movies, this movie was my first big foray into monster movies, the occult and even fantasy.
This movie has inspired my writing as well.
Villain
While it is by no means unusual, The Mummy is the first piece of media I consumed where I recognized the villain was not exactly “evil.”
Imhotep was a man deeply in love who was willing to do anything – even break immortal laws – to be with his beloved.
He was deeply flawed, but we the viewer understood his motivations. He wasn’t out to rule the world. He wasn’t evil for the sake of being evil. He just wanted to be with his soul mate, and damn anything that got in the way.
This is something that I strive for in my writing. Villains, and characters that are flawed and not just The Bad GuyTM or The Good GuyTM. I hope I can provide nuance and depth to my characters, like we see in Imhotep.
The Love Story
While I am by no means a romance author, I think many stories can include a sub plot devoted to two characters falling in love.
Is it unbelievably corny to have the male main character and female main character be in love and share a kiss at the end of the story? Yes, it is. However, in The Mummy it doesn’t feel forced or contrived.
There are many moments throughout the 125-minute runtime where you can watch and feel Evie and Rick fall in love. Even when they dislike each other there are these moments where you can see the other is on their mind.
Evie obsesses over the kiss Rick gave her when he thought he was going to die. Rick steals tools for Evie when all of hers is left of a burning boat. There are longing glances and heated stares. Even the way Rick ensures he grabs Evie’s hand when they are running from danger. And don’t forget the banter!
It is a masterclass in how to write romance into your story without taking away from the main plot.
I’m a sucker for a good romance, but I prefer them this way, when they are happening with everything else going on around the main characters, and they still find their way to each other, and you cheer. This is something I strive to do.
In fact I have actually thrown away entire chapters of Drowned Gods and Bloody Skies because the romance subplot became the main plot, and that just wouldn’t do.
The Side Characters
The Mummy just wouldn’t be The Mummy without Jonathan and Ardeth Bay. Sure, the main characters are great and we all love them, but Jonathan and Ardeth move the story and make us root for them.
Jonathan holds a tight grip on most of the movie’s comedy. He has the wit and charm you love in the Loveable SidekickTM. But there is also this urge and desire to be recognized. When we first meet him he says, “Please tell me I found something. I’ve never found anything.”
Ardeth is the antithesis. He is stoic and serious and holds 3,000 years’ worth of knowledge. But there is also a fun side that you only see briefly. Towards the climax they are flying towards certain death with both Jonathan and Ardeth clutching on to a wing. While Jonathan bemoans his situation, Ardeth grins like a loon. Here you can see this glimmer of excitement and fun behind the Medjai.
Complexity. The biggest take away I got from this movie, is to make your characters complex. No one person is just one thing, and this should be true for your characters as well.
Research
A lot of research went into this movie, and it all made it so much better. Everything from the clothing of main character wore, which is set in the late 1920s, to mythology of ancient Egypt. The way the writers were able to weave in imagery and symbols of ancient Egypt while telling a fantastical tale of curses and the undead is remarkable.
When writing fantasy, a lot of time is spent worldbuilding and researching to make your world believable. I look to The Mummy as inspiration of how to weave the impossible with the possible, the bizarre with the mundane.
What is your favourite part of the movie?
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