I have always been a John Wick franchise fan not only because of the awesome scenes that revolutionized the modern action films, but also because of the world-building that surrounds the main character.
Before we delve deeper into the world-building aspect of the whole franchise, let me touch a little bit on the revolution of modern action films that John Wick started. Before the John Wick era, the action film genre has been dying that is characterized by repetitive and exhausting plots, structures, and premises. Although there are occasional gems of this genre after the Bourne series, it's unlike the horror and sci-fi genres that continuously amazed moviegoers.
John Wick's revolution in action genre is characterized by flowing and calculated scenes. Close-up shots have been a pertinent identity of the whole franchise which was the result of well-choreographed stunts that actor Keanu Reeves performed himself. Without the consistent use of stunt doubles, the franchise achieved a ballet-like flow because there was almost no disruption in the continuity of the scenes.
Aside from the revolution in the action genre, one of my most favourite in John Wick is its world-building. My main criteria when it comes to movies, series, and novels is how solid is its world-building. The reason why J.R.R Tolkien's Lord of the Rings or J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter became blockbusters was because of how solid is its world-building. It doesn't have to be so new and novel when it comes to world-building because some successful franchises are often based on existing worlds, but the key is on how the world is developed as the story progresses. Some of the fiction stories are so focused on the main character that they forgot the other elements of the story. It's all about weaving every single element into a grand tapestry of the world that exists only in the imagination of the readers or viewers.
John Wick became successful in introducing the world of assassins where every character moves according to the boundaries of their role. John Wick was tethered to the rules and they were able to execute gracefully according to those rules. As Winston has stated:
Do you think this is a movie review? It's mostly not. 😂 I just want to flex my movie critique side, as if I have one.
In John Wick's world, one of my most favourite characters is the Adjudicator. Played by Asia Kate Dillon, the Adjudicator is the only antagonist who didn't die during their debut in the film. The Adjudicator appeared in John Wick Chapter 3 - Parabellum after being dispatched by the High Table as the representative of the Elder to deal with John Wick. This was after John Wick killed Santino D'Antonio on the Continental grounds. John Wick violated one of the rules that should be strictly followed by the assassins' world. The Continental is a neutral ground, which means there should be no conduct of business in its premises. The Adjudicator is there to make sure that the consequences of violating the rules are to be imposed on the violators.
If you haven't watched the film yet, you better watch the first three chapters before the release of the fourth chapter. For now, let's move on to the reasons why I likened a curator to the Adjudicator.
1. A Curator Should Be Decisive
"An adjudicator is someone who presides, judges, and arbitrates during a formal dispute or competition." - Wikipedia
I was really struck by the sassiness and confidence of The Adjudicator. Asia Kate Dillon really did justice in portraying the role. They are a representative of a higher power (High Table) so whatever they say is the say of that higher power. A curator here in Hive is also a representative of a higher power (the curation initiative it belongs to). A curator has the power to dictate the distribution of the reward pool. This is where decisiveness comes in. Since the reward pool is a limited resource, content creation is always a competition. Whoever has superior content based on the assessment of the curators will have the bigger portion of rewards taken from the reward pool.
A curator should be firm on their decisions, but of course, those decisions should be based on the rules set on that particular curation initiative they belong to. Those rules exist to serve as guides to the curator in making a decision. Whatever is the outcome of that decision, the curator should stand firm and be proud because they have done their best.
Curators often act as detectives and investigate the background of the author to see if there's abuse going on or there are violations of the rules of the community. Decentralization doesn't mean there are no rules. You can still do whatever you want to do, but make sure that you are ready for the consequences of your actions. You can't just expect the community to watch idly when there's abuse on the common and a limited resource.
One curator that I want to mention is @perceval. Some curators are biased with their people, but @perceval is loyal to none but Hive. That should be emulated. I witnessed when he reported his friend who plagiarized. Not everyone can do that and not everyone will do that. His decisiveness is unparalleled at that moment. He particularly said that it hurt him to report the abuse, but it was the right thing to do.
2. A Curator Should Be Calm and Collected
When The Continental was already in chaos after it was desecrated as a neutral ground, they're the only ones still having all the composure. After all those men were killed by John Wick and Charon, they were able to pull off a parley and that required a lot of mental fortitude to remain collected even after the bloodbath and your men decimated by just two people who happened to be your enemy.
They mastered the art of negotiation and they know how to use their position as The Adjudicator very well. They were recognized and respected as the decision-making body for the High Table and they were able to carry out those decisions with finesse.
A curator should be able to make tough decisions on behalf of the curation body that he/she represents. It's not easy, especially when dealing with matters that involve friends and countrymen. In times of heightened emotions that might cloud judgment, a good curator should be able to make decisions based on the rules of the curation body. While those rules are not absolute, they serve as guides to prevent the curator from making an irrational judgment. If you base your judgment on the rules, together with common sense, there's nothing to be afraid of.
3. A Curator Should Always Think that He's Replaceable
The Adjudicator was so good at their job that John Wick never even dared to touch them. He knew that The Adjudicator was replaceable and if he would succeed in killing them, a new and more vicious one will just replace them. They didn't even have a name because they didn't need to have one. They are just working based on the command of the High Table.
To be good at one's job, a curator should always think that he's replaceable. I always trained myself to think that I'm replaceable and that keeps me grounded. It stops me from even thinking of something that could abuse the system for my gain. Some curators act so high and mighty, thinking that they're already in the business for a long time. Well, if you abuse your position, it will always catch on you sooner or later.
Everything is driven by self-interest. Let's not be hypocritical about that. If you're a curator, just make sure that your self-interest is aligned with the curation body that you're representing. Once your self-interest starts to deviate from the boundaries set in your curation body, don't ever think that you're invincible. You are always replaceable.
These things might not make sense now, but they will eventually in the future. When more content creators join Hive, competition will be very tough and curators will have to make tough decisions on whose content should they choose to vote. Curators have the power to dictate the distribution of rewards. That's how powerful I think curators are next to whales and powerful stakeholders. Without a working curation, only time will tell if the social aspect of the blockchain will succeed or not.
Kim Ybañez
Welcome to Kim's small corner in Hive. He is a chemical engineer by profession, but a blogger by passion. He is a wanderlust and an adventure seeker. Join his quests as he visits secluded destinations, climbs mountains, tries new and exotic dishes, and explores his country (The Philippines). He's also a trying hard photographer so stay tuned as he shares his photos and his thought process while creating them.
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