The Legend of Bagger Vance
World Views
10/3/13 The Legend of Bagger Vance
The Legend of Bagger Vance vs. Bhagavad Gita
The 2000 film The Legend of Bagger Vance tells the story of a man named Rannulph Junah, who was a very talented golfer when he was young. He had planned on playing his whole life, until he fought in World War I and became traumatized. Years later, his old lover Adele decides to hold a four-round, two-day exhibition match in order to recover her family’s lost fortune. The match consists of two talented golfers, Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen. In order to gain local support, Adele asks Junah if he’d be willing to play. With some soul searching and help from a caddy, Bagger Vance, Junah is able to fight his demons and play his best in the match. The film is loosely based on the sacred Hindu text called the Bhagavad Gita. The warrior in the story, Arjuna (whom Junah was based upon) refuses to fight in a battle. The god Krishna (whom Bagger Vance was based upon) appears to him during the battle and leads him to becoming the great warrior that he was meant to be. Both stories are based upon themes of self-actualization and becoming the best version of yourself you can be. The Hindu principle of Varna, which means duty, is also an important theme in the story. Varna is the idea that your duty is what should lead you in life and you should not worry about the results of your actions, just try the best you possibly can. The sacred Hindi text is a story of self-actualization. Arjuna is faced with an existential crisis in the beginning of the story. He questions who he is and what he wants his life to be about. He wonders if what he does with his life is more important than the people in it, whom he loves. All these questions are much more intimidating when they are being asked in battle, where if he answers a question wrong, lives are at stake. He sees his family and friends in the audience, and his anxiety level rises. He says, “My dear Krishna, seeing my friends
10/3/13 The Legend of Bagger Vance
The Legend of Bagger Vance vs. Bhagavad Gita
The 2000 film The Legend of Bagger Vance tells the story of a man named Rannulph Junah, who was a very talented golfer when he was young. He had planned on playing his whole life, until he fought in World War I and became traumatized. Years later, his old lover Adele decides to hold a four-round, two-day exhibition match in order to recover her family’s lost fortune. The match consists of two talented golfers, Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen. In order to gain local support, Adele asks Junah if he’d be willing to play. With some soul searching and help from a caddy, Bagger Vance, Junah is able to fight his demons and play his best in the match. The film is loosely based on the sacred Hindu text called the Bhagavad Gita. The warrior in the story, Arjuna (whom Junah was based upon) refuses to fight in a battle. The god Krishna (whom Bagger Vance was based upon) appears to him during the battle and leads him to becoming the great warrior that he was meant to be. Both stories are based upon themes of self-actualization and becoming the best version of yourself you can be. The Hindu principle of Varna, which means duty, is also an important theme in the story. Varna is the idea that your duty is what should lead you in life and you should not worry about the results of your actions, just try the best you possibly can. The sacred Hindi text is a story of self-actualization. Arjuna is faced with an existential crisis in the beginning of the story. He questions who he is and what he wants his life to be about. He wonders if what he does with his life is more important than the people in it, whom he loves. All these questions are much more intimidating when they are being asked in battle, where if he answers a question wrong, lives are at stake. He sees his family and friends in the audience, and his anxiety level rises. He says, “My dear Krishna, seeing my friends