What is 'bravery' ?
Is bravery being able to step into the Octagon and fight a MMA fighter? Is bravery being able to raid a crack house? Is bravery being able to step into a cage with some lions? Is bravery being able to talk the school bully out of kicking the crap out of you? Is bravery being able to run into a burning building to rescue people? Is bravery being able to give a speech in front of an audience?
What is 'bravery' ?
When I think of 'bravery', I think of the classic movie, The Magnificent Seven. You know the movie, this was the Hollywood remake of the classic Japanese movie by Akira Kurosawa, The Seven Samurai. It starred a few unknowns at the time and this movie put these unknown actors on the map and made them big stars: Steve McQueen, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn and Charles Bronson to name a few. The basic story concerns a small village which needs help in defending it against bandits led by Eli Wallach. The villagers hire seven gunmen, led by Yul Brynner, to protect them.
The one scene from the whole movie that I will always remember is not one of the many exciting action gunfights, nor is the rousing musical score, nor is it one of the many great performances by the ensemble cast...none of that, the one scene that I take away from the movie is a line by Charles Bronson, and yep, you guessed it, it was about 'bravery'.
Village Boy2: We're ashamed to live here. Our fathers are cowards.
O'Reilly (Charles Bronson): Don't you ever say that again about your fathers, because they are not cowards. You think I am brave because I carry a gun; well, your fathers are much braver because they carry responsibility, for you, your brothers, your sisters, and your mothers. And this responsibility is like a big rock that weighs a ton. It bends and it twists them until finally it buries them under the ground. And there's nobody says they have to do this. They do it because they love you, and because they want to. I have never had this kind of courage. Running a farm, working like a mule every day with no guarantee anything will ever come of it. This is bravery. That's why I never even started anything like that... that's why I never will.
Perhaps why this scene resonated with me so much is that it reminds me of my parents. They worked very hard day-in and day-out to support my sister and me. Mom and Dad -- this entry is for you! And the Circle of Life continues, as I go through my daily grind to support my kids. This is bravery! Speaking of which, I need to go to sleep so I can be brave tomorrow LOL
In case you missed my other Charles Bronson entries, please check out:
- Charles Bronson - Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
- Charles Bronson - Death Wish II (1982)
- Charles Bronson - Death Wish IV (1987)
- Charles Bronson - Death Wish V (1994)
- Charles Bronson would've been 93 years old today!
- IN MEMORY OF: Charles Bronson (Nov 3, 1921 – Aug 30, 2003) - Hard Times (1975) (Full movie)
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