»Roland's curse«

I was watching M3 again today (finally got it back from my father-in-law after two weeks... I was jonesing!) and remembered something that struck me as curious.

Roland (captain of the Mjolnir, aka the Hammer) swears a lot.

Quote:

Roland: 'Bout time we had some goddamn good news. Roland: That's a mechanical line. It's impossible, no one can pilot mechanical. Niobe: I can. Roland: Bullshit. Neo: I know it's difficult to understand... Roland: No, it's not - you're out of your goddamn mind. Neo: You have to believe me, I have to go. Roland: Bullshit! While I'm captain of this ship, I say where it has to go. Believe me, this ship will go to hell long before I let you take it anywhere. Niobe: He can take mine. Roland: You can't do that. Niobe: Don't even think of trying to tell me what I can or cannot do with my ship after that little speech. Roland: But for Christ's sake, Niobe... Niobe: I'll pilot this ship. He can take mine. If we leave inside an hour, we should reach Zion as the machines do. That's as good a plan as any. Roland: It's a waste. A goddamn waste. Mauser (v.o.): We're ready, sir. Roland: 'Bout damn time. Roland: I knew it. I knew he was out of his goddamn mind. He fired that EMP. Goddamn it, I should have beaten it out of him. Roland: Holy Christ! Didn't know this ship could do that. Roland: Goddamn, there's a shitstorm of 'em. Roland: Goddamn, woman, you can drive. Roland: None, it's completely impossible, but he wouldn't listen. He wouldn't even take any ammunition. He was totally out of his goddamn mind.

It breaks down like this (presuming I counted correctly):

• "goddamn" - 8 times
  
• "shit" (in various forms) - 3 times
  
• "Christ" - 2 times
  
• "damn" (without the prefix) - 1 time
  
• "hell" - one time

Good stuff. Maybe there is something to it, maybe there isnt. I didn't think of anything. Maybe someone else will.

Wow, man you got some good observations. I am dead tired at the moment, it’s like 3.45am and I’m still in the Matrix! Got to jack out and get some rest. Lol

I particularly am interested in the Hammer stuff, as I have ‘felt’ (thunder) the Hammers meaning but not as yet seen the other connections. I believe the ‘hammer' could be considered as what hits Neo and the Source at the end of M2 and ends up being significant in being ‘driven’ all the way down into Zion…

Morpheus: What happened?
Trinity: I don't know.
Link: It's the Hammer.
(Deep thunderous rumble)

So any more stuff you have on the Hammer I would love to hear.

But the swearing has to be significant too as Neo could be considered the spiritual meaning to the path and yet he’s cursed and attempted to be thwarted by Roland as you’ve revealed.

I’ll be back

Later.

I`m hunting for roland related things, i`m currently looking at:

Maybe Rolan represents Þór...in a way....and when the Wikings were worshiping there gods it was called ''blót'' which means, if you translate direcly) it means ''swear''

The swearing is propably just part of his charcacter....

i think it could be taken literally the way he tells neo this...when he fries the sentinels he is literally "out of his goddamn mind" using his powers...

...

Quote:

Roland: None, it's completely impossible, but he wouldn't listen. He wouldn't even take any ammunition. He was totally out of his goddamn mind

could in a way be foreshadowing, since neo will become blind and has to see "out of his goddamn mind" i dunno good question

as for the reason for the actual swearing all the time? he's portrayed as a bad ass military hardcore survivalist, and that's just the way they talk...we've all heard the expression.... "you cuss like a sailor" right?

i'd like to hear more on this subject, so continue on my bretherin!

All good stuff! Thanks. I will take a look at those links in a bit; thank you, Silvercat. And Pawnatron, your post was very helpful...!

Roland is also a very cool character in some Stephen King novels (including The Dark Tower series); I don't think there is any (direct) connection there. But King's Roland may yet give insight into ours.

bullshit is what the screens of neo kept saying, when he was with the archotect

annaerullo wrote:

It breaks down like this (presuming I counted correctly): "goddamn" - 8 times "shit" (in various forms) - 3 times "Christ" - 2 times "damn" (without the prefix) - 1 time "hell" - one time

So... "Jesus H Christ" is not in the category?


Maybe Roland is an incarnation of The Coach from "Not Another Teen Movie"...

Quote:

goddamnit, Wyler! after all the goddamn shenanigans you pulled last season, you should be thanking God you're still in goddamn uniform, goddamnit!

the meaning of Roland from several baby name sites is "from a famous land", if that matters at all. "Ro" meaning fame, famous, great. and "land", well....

thats pretty crazy..i wonder how many other small thigns we never picked up there could be...good find!

I believe Roland is a type of gun, as is all the crew aboard the Hammer have some type of name related to a weapon... even Maggie maybe short for Magnum. Just a thought. I could be wrong.

And YES Roland curses a lot, he always makes me laugh...

Venus wrote:

I believe Roland is a type of gun, as is all the crew aboard the Hammer have some type of name related to a weapon... even Maggie maybe short for Magnum. Just a thought. I could be wrong.

Nice observation, especially considering the other crew members of the Mjolner (AKA the Hammer)

Captain : Roland => ?
Operator : AK => Kalashnikov rifle - AK-74 [en.wikipedia.org...]
First mate : Colt => pistols, rifles, revolvers ... [en.wikipedia.org...]
Medic : Maggie => (?short for?) Magnum - Desert Eagle [en.wikipedia.org...]
(also .44 Magnum [en.wikipedia.org...])
Crew : Mauser => semi-automatic firearm - M2 [en.wikipedia.org...]

Something gun/captain related about 'Roland':
[nationmaster.com...]

The First MATRIX is considered to be a modern CHRIST story and all the characters say JESUS or GODDAMNIT throughout the trilogy.

THIS religious inference can be extended[ie a form of foreshadowing] to what is HEAVEN, what is HELL and what is PURGATORY[?] .

Clockwork wrote:

Venus wrote: I believe Roland is a type of gun, as is all the crew aboard the Hammer have some type of name related to a weapon... even Maggie maybe short for Magnum. Just a thought. I could be wrong. Nice observation, especially considering the other crew members of the Mjolner (AKA the Hammer) Captain : Roland => ? Operator : AK => Kalashnikov rifle - AK-74 [en.wikipedia.org...] First mate : Colt => pistols, rifles, revolvers ... [en.wikipedia.org...] Medic : Maggie => (?short for?) Magnum - Desert Eagle [en.wikipedia.org...] (also .44 Magnum [en.wikipedia.org...]) Crew : Mauser => semi-automatic firearm - M2 [en.wikipedia.org...] Something gun/captain related about 'Roland': [nationmaster.com...]

Heh, glad to know I was right... I knew I heard about that on another site, I'll let everyone know if I find it again... But I find that very interesting, since the ship IS called the HAMMER the name of a weapon also! LOL... What is it's real name... I know it's the name of Thor's Hammer but I forgot what it is.

Hey Venus,

Like your insight.

Quote:

What also seems fitting is the Mjolnir’s mythic analogy to “possessing magical qualities” represented in the Promise (Link), faith (Morpheus) and Heart (Niobie). It would “magically return when thrown”, and was the only ship to return home to Zion, “and was used for healing and even resurrection” knocking out the sentinels, a prelude to Neo’s salvation. –Again symbolic of God’s hammer being driven to the Heart of Zion, releasing the promise/power through faith in the One. I told you the hammer was LOUD!

Inevitability

Aaaahhhhh... thanks intell, I can NEVER remember that it's the Mjolnir... what a weird name! But yeah, I LOVE that quoted paragraph though, very awesome how it all makes sense with the mythology behind it.

how do you pronunce Mjolner?

Mjolnir (with an i)

mi - ol - neer

(the 'mi', a little bit shorter than the 'ol')