The Colliding Worlds of The Price of Greatness

The last two films I watched in theatre had unexpectedly overlapping themes.

Both present the audience with the same question,

What is the price of greatness?

One film explores a man consumed by the pursuit of greatness. The other explores a man consumed by greatness itself.

Greatness as Pursuit

Marty Supreme presents greatness as something an individual actively seeks, manipulating and making sacrifices along the way as needed if he wishes to fulfil his dreams. Victory becomes a testament to the worthiness of the self, which otherwise might come under an existential threat.

The film's director, Josh Safdie, seemingly altered the name of the real Marty Reisman, possibly being inspired by the famous book Maus.

Maus by Art Spiegelman, the only graphic novel to win a Pulitzer Prize, tells the story of the author's parents' survival, portraying Jews as mice and Nazis as cats.

Like a mouse, Marty is quick on his feet and with his words, embodying Jewish ideals of survival such as chutzpah and schpiel.

He is addicted to movement. Stopping means confronting the emptiness of the possibility being ordinary. Winning is merely the latest excuse to keep running.

Greatness as Sacrifice

What people most significantly misunderstand about Michael Jackson is the belief that his greatness was destined and merely a by product of extraordinary talent.

The Michael film actually spends a surprising amount of time showing that Jackson's greatness was not merely something that happened to him.

Marty spends the entire film behaving as though he already belongs among champions. Michael spends much of his life behaving as though he is destined to become one. Both men begin by imagining themselves into existence.

Michael Jackson wrote notes of expectations and affirmations

Both obsessively pursued greatness and constantly having a view of themselves whom not might but will gain the world one day.

The difference?

Marty Supreme argues that greatness is born from the need to prove oneself through status and admiration.

Michael argues that greatness is a burden, but also a conscious pursuit requiring extraordinary discipline and belief.

Even the seeming antagonist, Sato, is a figure closer to Michael in this regard than Marty. He often bests Marty at the one thing for which Marty actively sacrifices everything, yet still falls short of an individual who humbly dedicated his life towards a cause.

While Marty seeks greatness through hustle and improvisation, Sato and Michael pursue it through discipline, mastery, and devotion to craft.

Viewed together, these films reveal different paths towards greatness, but what remains constant is the catalyst of Sacrifice.

For Marty, greatness becomes a lifelong attempt to outrun the possibility of being ordinary.

For Michael, greatness becomes a burden carried through relentless perfectionism and belief.