Add or Subtract... Humans are not as good as it gets!

Genetic Variation or Mutation is a widely popular concept within all age groups. Children and their obsession with the four lovable crime fighting turtles, men with their comic book collections stacked in the garage and the elderly with their medical concerns praying for a medical breakthrough that might cure their biological deterioration. All of the above have direct relations to the scientific study of the arrangement of chromosomes and the process of meosis that determines each individual's genetic constitution.

I recently watched "X-men, The Last Stand" when the small yet unignorable group of superhumans really got me thinking about evolution and the possibility of "normal" man or woman being displaced by a far more potent species. On further research I was suprised to discover that the process may have already begun.

Recently a young boy in Germany, almost 5 years old, was found to have a strange physical condition, and has become the first recorded case of Human Genetic Mutation. The child displayed extraordinary muscular growth that was noticed when the boy could easily pick up a seven pound weight while the rest in his age group, fiddled with plastic alphabet blocks. Scientific Studies on the boy revealed that his DNA segment rejected the formation of myostatin, a protein that controls muscle development, leading to an uncontrollable and rapid muscle boost. Of course, there are concerns that the boy could face early health problems because of such an unadministered abnormality. At this point of reading the MSNBC article, I realized I was addicted and read several other articles on Chromosome Variations and the process of genetic transfer. Prophase, Metaphase, Meosis, Spindle fibres, DNA, haploid, diploid, Gamet, Mutagen, deleteion, inversion and mRNA later I was well equipped to understand the transfer process and realized how improbable my hopeful fascination for such powerful metahumans was because no variation within a particular species can result in a crossing over between any other species. Goodbye to the pizza eating turtles!

The Darwinian theory of Natural selection, better know as the survival of the fittest is still a seminal discovery, vastly used even metaphorically, but certains doubts about intraspecies evolution arose when I read this:

"Evolution requires billions of positive mutations in millions of different species of both plants and animals. Literally trillions of positive mutations would be required, and yet no one has been able to show one single, honest, convincing case. This completely extirpates the belief that evolution has happened by genetic mutation."

So how exactly did that single-celled micro oragnism come to be a complicatedly, intricate system of organs and nerves, that stands at the top of the evolution chain? Is Adam the only explanation for how we came to be? I refused to believe this, which once again threw me back to where i started.... Blind Belief!

The article talked about "Positive mutations" which are unheard of till date, but if every concept has a counterpart to balance life, the several negative mutations that plague medical research must hold hope for a gradual, yet plausible upgrade. Down syndrome, Limb distortion, brain malfunction, Cancer... all stem from an erroneous choromosome transfer. Reported cases flood in everyday from all over the world. So if the deletion in the genetic code by a mutagen could cause such a detrimal effect, perhaps the addition or inversion of a genetic code could equate Superman or Wolverine?

I do not stand alone with such faith. Fiction shares my newfound interest. MARVEL comics have relentlessly dished out characters beyond human science proving how hopeful the rest of the world is. In X-Men, they may have been a minority, analogous to the recent T.V Series "Heroes". They stand alone, afraid, divided and confused and yet, Mutants EXIST! The power in Imagination erases doubts that even science, the pinnacle of reason has failed to answer.

Heroes, verbally exalted, cinematically sensualized and verbally exalted again!

The story of heroes is meant to be shared, for how then do mortal, incapacitated men aspire to rise above impositons and restraints? Did Homer record tales of immense emotional drive purely to revolt against the stoicism of classic Greek texts or was it the first time ever the world witnessed a true tale of passion beyond limitations and plausibility? Such tales of uncontainable determination is what myths are made of, whether they speak of Hedonistic Gods who only aim to extract unquestionable worship or whether they follow the defiant, strong willed heroes who rebel against enforced suppression. It is precisely such defiance that elevates the king of Sparta to unfathomable heights, forever etching him in the archives of history as a personification of Strong Will against Supreme Power.

Leonidas, was a Spartan first and foremost, king followed soon. I could draw analogies between the unextinguishable determination he shared with a Macedonian ruler by the name of Alexander, both being relentlessly trained to become kings, both were unparalleled orators save for the Roman Marc Antony( my father's opinion never falters) who could snatch blue ribbon from them and both at some point of time let the fact that they were composed of flesh that could be cut into and blood that could be spilt, slip their hard heads. The crucial difference lies in the fact that Alexander knew not when to stop, he penetrated deeper into the spiral of ambition he created himself until anarchy, conspiracy and bad luck reared their ugly heads. Leonidas was not a ruler who dreamt larger than what was promised by the Greek code. He sought democratic liberalism for his people and despite the presence of an heirarchical reign, never made such distinctions obvious. Leonidas chased a promise not a dream.

Spartans were believed to be innate warriors, violent and crass, bold beyond the mind's fancy and skilled to perfection. After all , if you spent your childhood bashing in bones instead of sand, tasting enough blood to forget the taste of milk and taking on opponents ten times your size, there would be very little in the world that you feared. Frank Miller's novel "300" chronicles the battle at Thermopylae, where 300 Spartans refused to let their numeric insufficiencies outweigh their mammoth spirit and legendary strength. I am ashamed to say that i have not read the book, but in keeping with popular culture i have certainly watched the movie. A movie that stirred my deepest emotions allowing for Catharsis of fear and pity, a tragedy not of waste, because Leonidus lived out his legacy and defended his people till the last breath of air left his body, but one of loss.

The story when stripped of its captivating cinematic lustre, is basic. A deliberately angered individual is left to take matters into his own hands when faced with life altering choices, proves to be worthy of the title he holds as both king and soldier but is ultimately defeated but in death paves the way for a new beginning that his people can embrace with greater confidence. The alternating acceleration and retardation in the shot length allows for arresting attention where senses tend to be lulled or blinded... in most cases in the movie by blood.The movie despite is intention to adapt a known story, or valour against all hope must find a way to carve that intial into the bark , so that 300 men can find their "beautiful" demises.

Directed by Zack Snyder, the movie caresses visual senses like a satin blindfold. The shots are impeccably constructed to retain the effect of a Myth being unfolded, with its placid yet thick clouds , the luminous colour filters that enhance bold reds and oranges and further mystify blacks and blues, each sequence is like a painting infused with life. The Romanticized descriptions both on Snyder's part as a director and mine as a critic are essential in glossing over the simple legendary battle because it is in such heightened sensibility that lies that hard hitting sense of honour and courage that the Spartans lay their life down for. The movie succeeds in almost every sphere it glides into. The unexpressible grief in Human loss, the uncapturable depth of romance, one that is not permitted to wilt and thaw but is solidified in and only in the heart, never surfacing to the mouth, the incomprehendible pride that drives 300 soldiers to stand at the face of death and say "Come and Get Them", the corrput politics that lead nowhere and finally the circularity that each myth must attain in living on long after the story ends. The steady photography supervised by Larry Fong is commendable and in a post modern era it would not be inappropriate to applaud the graphic designer,Chris Watts for having done an excellent job in laying the viewer's interpretative complications to rest.

In terms of acting , I do not see the Oscars piling but it has nothing to do with the quality of acting. Gerard Butler is undoubtedly the hero and carries the limelight terrifically but apart from the intense and what could only be imagined to equate torturous hours in the gym in order to get those muscles to emerge and stay and his uncanny ability to bellow in a superbly comprehendible Irish twang, he merged into the Spartan glory that the movie perhaps aimed to highlight more than the character himself. As for the stiff upper lipped Queen, played by Lena Heady, she seemed to carry that controlled grief much like Maria Morgenstern, who played Mary in "The Passion of the Christ" whose repression spoke louder than dialogue could hope to extract. With nothing else to add to the actors credibility, the movie does wonders in encapsulating a concept rather than in creating a hero. The over-used plot of the underdog taking on the Superior Authority, falling short of complete physical victory but gaining infinitely in beating negative expectations to a pulp or in this case, slashing it to pieces only to build a fleshy wall as a reminder of their superhuman capability.
For if it was Miller's inetention to exonerate Leonidas, he would have titled his book, "King of Sparta" or something on such an individualistic level. Instead he glorifies 300 heroes, whose strength, commitment to both tradition and country exalts all 300 hundred , named and anonymous as reminders to push beyond barriers to live and die by what they together envisioned.
Are we questioning the potential in Collective Strength once again?.... I think so!