Man on FireWhen I think of an American hero, I immediately think of someone who is strong, intelligent, handsome, and bold. Upon closer inspection, many qualities other than these become apparent. Courage, honesty, courage, selflessness, and the willingness to try are just a few of the overlooked qualities of an American hero. The definition of heroism changes with context and time. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines heroism as "heroic conduct especially when manifested in fulfilling a high purpose or achieving a noble end; the qualities of a hero." Heroes of the past are not necessarily heroes of the present and vice versa. Looking at the present day, movie heroes are taking the law into their own hands, creating the antihero in the long run. Defined by Wikipedia, the antihero is a villain or outsider, but is still portrayed rather sympathetically. In particular, an antihero may have sufficient heroic qualities and intentions to align him with heroes in readers' minds ("Antihero"). A film that depicts the classic vigilante is Tony Scott's Man on Fire. The film tackles the idea of ​​revenge with a blend of disturbing sentimental seriousness and harsh reality. John Creasy has the characteristics of the vigilante that push him to be an antihero. Creasy, however well he conveys earthly consequences, devoutly believes in divine justice. This means that his journey cannot end with violence upon others and, further, that his serial sacrifices for the white child so abused by every adult in sight – except him – make him less admirable than frightening, a spectator of revenge. this goes far beyond his experience or representative capacity (Fuchs). John Creasy in Man on Fire is in the present tense as Blondie in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is in the past tense. Creasy seems to always be down, with little to look forward to in life, until he opens up to Pita. Creasy is as solid as ever, and we can see how Pita brightens the days of this tormented soul (Laforest). There are several quotes in the film that lean towards the vigilante side of heroism. “I'll do what I do best, kill them” “You're talking about a war, Creasy” “Exactly” “Forgiveness is between them and God, it's my job to arrange a meeting” “Creasy's art is death, he's going to paint his masterpiece" (Man on Fire). The macho agony of the guilt-ridden hero is exaggerated and an invitation to gnash your teeth and chew the carpet.