Representing the death and resurrection of the male protagonist in the classic Hollywood film "Ben-Hur" (1959, William Wyler) based on the theories of Robert Bly (Jungian analytical psychologist)

Mythological critic, as one of the considered approaches to film critic, explores in hidden motives and images of narrative and visual structure of films, which related to myths. Our purpose from the word “Myth” is not limited by its literal meaning, as “the narrations which concentrate on “divine sources””, but also in a Jungian concept, implies any archetypes that manifest and express themselves in legends or folks, of course in the collective unconscious. Anyway, focusing on mythologists and Jungian analytical psychologists theories, whose efforts in topics about myth, religion and psyche made a connection between human collective heritage and cultural-ritual products, will gain double importance. Carl Gustav Jung had proved that this collective heritage (myths, rites, symbols and art products) has an undeniable effect in human psyche’s growing and prosperity; so it should not be ignored, as by positivistic and Freudian thinking. This research tries to illuminate the male hero’s “Initiation” and “Resurrection” in an iconic epic of classic Hollywood cinema, with a descriptive-analytical approach and qualitative method. In the other word, this research explains the male hero’s ascension from crudity to maturity and “individuality” in Carl Gustav Jung thought, based on Robert Bly (Jungian mythologist and psychologist) theories. We will understand that this “Resurrection” in our case study, happens in an external level (epic-heroic) and an internal level (mystic), following Christian myths and believes. Both of them perform their own particular functions.The external resurrection is naturally related to “external” issues and dramas, such as battle, survive and trying to defeat a “real” enemy in the external “real” world, in our particular case. But in the other side, the internal resurrection is about the male protagonist’s challenges in his own “internal” war with emotions and mental forces. So he would have some problems with his faith, lifestyle or his old worldview. In internal mystic resurrection, the enemy is not a clear “materialistic” object in the outworld; but a hidden vague existence in his stormy spirit which is represented by wrath, violence, doubt and other shadows. In this dramatic situation, “Resurrection” is related to Christian salvation and redemption. The male hero dies and will be reborn, with a new worldview, life-world and lifestyle, as he moves from crudity to maturity; he is “initiated” to a higher level of spirituality. In our case, this mental journey occurs by Christian faith and Jesus Christ’s life and destiny, as a divine ancestry for the hero character. However, Robert Bly and Jungian ideas will give us some criterion literature, motives and archetypes which can help to understand this initiation and resurrection process better. Jung psychology uses archetypes in order to understand the ancient structure of psyche deeper; from this perspective, this structure is not important for its true or fictional content; but for its “psychological” effect and function. Also, Bly’s researches on modern man’s psychological issues, will give us a dramatic pattern with eight levels which describes initiation and resurrection of the male protagonist to access to a self-conscious. This pattern will be analyzed on our case study.