John Wick and the Completion of Revenge
Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.
— Confucius
Alright, before anyone takes my head off, let me clarify that the above quote is often attributed to Confucius. It’s been around for so long and it’s so well known, yet its real origins remain a mystery.
It’s a good thing I’m not here to do a scholarly investigation into the origins of quotes. But I’m not above connecting ancient wisdom of unclear origin to modern media.
In this case, the above quote to the sleeper hit John Wick, which fought its way to legendary status through the classic routes of sheer badassery and serving up the vicarious thrill of revenge.
Revenge Is Wrong
Yeah, that’s what conventional wisdom teaches us. And for good reason. People lose their minds over perceived slights, how much more real injustice?
Revenge shouldn’t be encouraged because it feeds into a cycle of destruction. By the time someone says enough is enough, all that’s left are ashes and trauma.
Nowadays, revenge is seen as equivalent to the wrong that brought it on in the first place.
Often, in smaller works such as TV shows, the revenge seeker is portrayed as indiscriminate. There are also characters in films that are depicted as such. They’re so hell-bent on revenge that they don’t care who they hurt along the way.
Take Baron Zemo in Captain America: Civil War. Or the Romulan Captain Nero in 2009’s Star Trek.
But what if the revenge seeker focuses only on those who have damaged them? It’s still wrong. Bad things can still happen. Take a look at Cataleya of Colombiana. After the murder of her parents, she went running to her uncle for sanctuary. Her uncle had done everything in his power to raise her to have a better future rather than be locked in on an unwavering vendetta. But she, still deeply grieving the loss of her parents, went on her vindictive — and admittedly creative — rampage.
For a while, anyway. At some point, her love for her remaining family won out and she decided she would stop.
But it was too late. Her enemies won’t let her go, and in the process of trying to eliminate her, they killed her uncle, her grandmother, and all she was tied to by blood, leaving her finally all alone with nothing left but her revenge to keep her going.
The point being, I think, that simply by enacting revenge, no matter how definitive, you set in motion a course of events that will result in the spilling of innocent blood.
So Why Are Revenge Movies Popular?
From The Count of Monte Cristo (both the films and the original novel) to the Kill Bill volumes, revenge stories dominate. They may not start out as the champions of the box office, but they always somehow make a mark.
John Wick is exemplar of this. It was a sleeper hit that captivated viewers through word-of-mouth. Not many movies can achieve that.
But why do people love revenge movies so much? Do we still secretly long for the bad, old days when you were actually obliged to get payback just to keep your reputation intact?
I don’t think so.
I think that societal rule was more of a burden than a relief and it didn’t solve any problems.
But I still have to admit there’s a simple reason why revenge movies rank — they’re cathartic.
They can serve up philosophy, social commentary, moral discussions, etc. But they rank for the catharsis they offer. And that catharsis comes because the acts of revenge are voluntary rather than obligatory. You’re not doing it for anyone else except yourself and the ones you may have lost along the way.
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The thing is, everyone knows what it’s like to feel wronged, whether that’s a valid perception or not. Not seeking revenge doesn’t make you feel good. It doesn’t guarantee that you’ll never be stepped on again.
Victimization eats at you. When you’re not cowering in a corner, waiting for the next hit, you hate yourself for not being strong enough. Is it right? No, of course not. But for many, that’s how it goes.
Revenge, as twisted as it can be, is a way of taking back your power and establishing a don’t-mess-with-me boundary. It’s admittedly a lot more personal than justice. A lot more on your timeline too. I know it’s wrong, but let’s take a look at this from the point of view of someone who feels entitled to revenge.
Letting go of a wrong done to you can feel like betraying yourself.
John Wick Is Both Cautionary Tale and Legend
In this way, John Wick serves revenge still smoking, fresh from the fire. In all the installments of the franchise, but especially in the first, John is made aware, time and again, about the consequences of walking down the path of revenge.
And all those promises were kept.
John got his revenge in unforgettable style. But in doing so, he also awakened hell. He doesn’t have anyone else but himself, but that life of his now plays out as his enemies decide. He’s often a target and at times weaponized. He’s forced to turn against old allies, and to face their betrayal as well.
In the end, John isn’t living. He’s only surviving. And he knows what it is to live. He’d had a taste of what it really means to live with his wife, Helen.
But at the same time, he kept winning. His enemies kept getting worse, the world kept getting bigger, and the buildings he fell out of kept getting taller.
And John Wick kept prevailing. He prevailed until the very end (until Chapter 4, as of this writing, in any case), when The Harbinger declared him free of his obligations to the High Table.
So, yes, in pursuing revenge, John did have to dig about 200 graves. Yet in doing so, he accomplished his goals: revenge and freedom.
John Wick died. But he died a free man.
In Summation . . .
I think the whole idea of “Revenge is bad. Don’t do it,” is inaccurate. It’s not wrong, but it’s not enough either.
Maybe the most honest way of putting it is that revenge is the sister of crime.
Like crime, revenge is a dangerous choice. Often, it just isn’t worth it. You may end up paying with your life for a few moments of satisfaction. Or you could be living a sentence.
Revenge is like John Wick.
It takes commitment. Focus. And sheer will.
If you know very little about that, you’re better off working on letting it go.
The good news? You can say the same thing about healing and moving on.
Commitment. Focus. And sheer, unwavering will.
If you know very little about that, you can learn it. And you’re often the better for it.
Copyright Disclaimer: Under section 107 of the copyright Act 1976, allowance is mad for FAIR USE for purpose such a as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statues that might otherwise be infringing.
I am not affiliated with the John Wick franchise in any way. I don’t earn coin from this. All this is my reaction and opinion, nothing more.
