I’m a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar. Serenity – Hoban “Wash” Washburne
For this week’s photo challenge Cheri asks us to share our interpretations of serenity. I’m sure the prompt was meant as an encouragement to explore calm, peaceful feelings and I’m happy to do that with a photo but I’ll admit my first thought was of Joss Whedon’s 2005 movie Serenity, an action packed western style space-opera set in the 26th century.
Set in the year 2517, Firefly explores the lives of the people who, on the outskirts of society, make their living as the crew of Serenity, a “Firefly-class” spaceship. The series’ original concept progressed after Whedon read The Killer Angels, a book on the Battle of Gettysburg. An ever present element was Whedon’s injection of anti-totalitarianism, writing into the show a historical analogy of the Battle of Gettysburg; the “Battle of Serenity Valley” Two of the main characters, Malcolm Reynolds and Zoe Washburne, fought in the “Unification War” and were defeated by The Alliance, an authoritarian regime. The beaten soldiers were called “Browncoats” after the brown dusters they wore as their uniforms. Whedon said, “I wanted to play with that classic notion of the frontier: not the people who made history, but the people history stepped on – the people for whom every act is the creation of civilization”. Firefly was written as a serious character study, encompassing what Whedon called “life when it’s hard”, and in elaboration was about “nine people looking into the blackness of space and seeing nine different things”. Wikipedia
In 2006 Serenity won the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation and in her New York Times review Manohla Dargis said “Joss Whedon’s unassuming science-fiction adventure is superior in almost every respect to George Lucas’s aggressively more ambitious screen entertainments.”
If you’re a fan of science fiction, popular culture, witty sarcastic dialogue or films that parallel current political events in imaginative settings I think you’ll enjoy Serenity. If you’re a fan of misty days and winter beaches I hope you’ll enjoy my photo and interpretation of the word “serenity.”
Wonderful image, Lisa. Lovely interpretation indeed. 🙂
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Thanks, Sylvia. Two different things but they both mean serenity to me. 🙂
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Hauntingly serene.
Thanks for the movie reco; sounds really interesting.
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I’m glad you like the photo and hope you enjoy the movie, Nancy. 🙂 The TV series is great too.
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Excellent – calm and mysterious all in one
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Thanks, John.
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Love how you linked it to Firefly. Never thought of that, and I’m a Joss Whedon fan. Lovely image too. Looks so desolate yet peaceful at the same time 🙂
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Nice to know you’re a Joss Whedon fan too Mabel. 😊 thanks for your nice comment.
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I hadn’t heard of that movie, so I’ll have to check it out! Misty is my idea of a good beach day – no one else there – beautiful image, Lisa.
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I hope you get a chance to see it, Sukie. :).
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Great photo. Enjoyed reading about the movie!
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Thanks so much, Amy!
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What wasn’t to like about Firefly and Serenity? … if only because it starred Nathan Fillion 🙂
I love the haunting look of this photo! I guess foggy mist tends to do that for me 🙂
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Agreed, Joanne Nathan Fillion is always fun to watch. :). Glad you like the photo too!
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Quiet and tranquil–well done.
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Thanks, Sally. The fog kept all sounds muted and people away from the the beach. It was a very peaceful afternoon.
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I think I will have to check out this movie – and cool shot 🙂
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I hope you like the movie and thanks for your nice comment about the photo!
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Yay for firefly- and misty beaches too! (and in super nerdom we bought a friend of ours the Firefly board game- super fun! 🙂
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I’ve heard the board game is really fun, we need to check it out!
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[…] Previous […]
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I often dream I’m a leaf on the wind.
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I hope they’re fun dreams, Jim. 🙂
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a mix of fun and anxiety…the sensation is fun but not knowing where the wind will carry me or if I might fall causes anxiety…
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Fourteen episodes of excellent writing, directing and ensemble acting. Gone, all gone. It is a heart ache. Oddly, the Serenity movie was my first thought too. 🙂
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A heart ache indeed… it’s been fun to hear from fellow Serenity/Firefly fans this week though. 🙂 I think we’ll pick up the board game soon.
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I am a hardcore Sci-Fi fan, and I have yet to read or see anything about this story that I’ve heard so many rave about.
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I hope you get a chance to enjoy the series and/or movie soon, Allan. 🙂
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