The film ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ tells the life story of Freddie Mercury, member of the hugely successful rock group ‘Queen’. It is a film that is receiving great acclaim, both from film critics and audiences; I’ve heard rapturous reviews of it from people I know, who say ‘the best film I’ve ever seen’ and ‘great film.’
That has set me pondering. Many ‘Queen’ songs, including the eponymous ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, are well known and musically ambitious, reaching beyond the usual three chord domain of much rock music. They have amazing melodies and Freddie Mercury’s vocal range and musical talent are beyond qustion, though (as with all musical questions) these will not be to everyone’s taste. But the film taps into something else, appealing not only to hard-core ‘Queen’ fans but also to a wider audience because it looks at the never-fading appeal of the flawed hero.
We all need heroes, people we admire and respect, people whose talents and skills may well be beyond us, but who stir within us awe and a desire to ‘rise above the normal’ (‘Hero’, Kutless) Yet we are also drawn to flawed individuals because we ourselves are flawed. That’s why all the ‘superheroes’ in Marvel and DC comics have alter egos who are ordinary and maybe even deeply miserable. Clark Kent is a weedy reporter who can’t get the girl he loves to notice him until he dons the Superman costume. Peter Parker is an orphan with little going for him until he becomes the mighty Spiderman. Bruce Kent is another tormented individual haunted by a disturbed past, a billionaire who is still not happy, before he becomes the avenging hero Batman.
Freddie Mercury was a hugely talented individual, but the film portrays his whole life: the bullying over his buck teeth which made his childhood miserable, the demons that haunted him, the struggles he faced before becoming famous, the struggles which fame brought. People relate to that. Those who are bulled, those who are of mixed race, those who may have talent in one area but who feel useless in other areas of life, those who struggle with low self-esteem and crippling shyness all relate to a hero who did ‘make it’ and yet was still flawed and imperfect.
We are all broken, flawed individuals who are yet made in the image of God and we all contain vast, largely unexplored, potential. We also serve a Saviour who took on human flesh and is able to empathise with our suffering and sorrows, though He knew no sin. There really is only one perfect hero. All the rest of us are flawed heroes at best.