The Enigma of Bucky Barnes: Part Two

After the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier how is Bucky reconciling himself with his past, lost principles and ideals, and the things he has done under the control of Hydra? Among other things, Captain America: Civil War emphasizes and explores Bucky’s past and how he is now trying to reconcile himself with it. (Seriously stop reading right now unless you want spoilers). When asked about Bucky’s transformation, Sebastian Stan responded

I mean, what have we gotten as a result of Bucky and the Winter Soldier? You know, here’s the guy when you merge the two. This is what came out. To me, he’s never really going to be Bucky Barnes again. There’s going be recognizable things about him, but his path through the [experiences of] Winter Soldier is always going [to] be there, haunting him. He recognizes his past, but at the same time he’s sort of a new character, too.

He also explains of Bucky’s reconciliation with his memories and past:

It doesn’t just suddenly all come back to him, just because he’s learned certain things about himself. It’s not like he immediately has all these emotions and feelings and point of views about people and families that he’s dealt with — or Steve. The knowledge is there, but the emotions aren’t explored yet, which also makes it very interesting to play.

This is a defining factor not only in the action throughout Civil War, but also with Bucky’s character development and relationship with Steve.

Bucky’s Past: Hydra’s Reign of Terror

The Russo brothers really have no intention of letting us forget for one moment about the hideous things Hydra has done to Bucky for the last 70 or so years. We find out through flashbacks that Bucky is stored in a cyrochamber, which is something that is hinted out during Winter Soldier, and is only woken up when needed.

We also find out that every time Bucky is woken up he immediately undergoes a memory wipe, and then has the following trigger words said to him: “Longing, Rusted, Seventeen, Daybreak, Furnace, Nine, Benign, Homecoming, One, Freight Car.” These words – which have somehow been planted deeply within Bucky’s brain – operate like a switch to his brain. Once they are said he merely responds, “Ready to comply,” and does whatever the person who said them commands. This further pushes the idea of Bucky as just a weapon and not an actual human. He doesn’t age, and he doesn’t experience life. He is simply awoken to perform tasks and then put away for further use.

Present Day: Finding Bucky

When we see Bucky for the first time in the present day his physical appearance has totally changed. He’s much more disheveled looking than before, and seems to be trying to acclimate into a normal civilian life away from the people who would either see him as a weapon, or use him as one. He seems genuinely happy before everything is shot to hell. As is the MO with MCU, something catastrophic happens. A man named Nemo frames Bucky for a bombing during a U.N. meeting which starts a worldwide hunt for Bucky.

Enter Steve to save the day. Even with warning from the likes of Tony Stark, and pretty much everyone else, Steve runs after his friend to save him. He gets to Bucky just before security forces storm his apartment building. He urges Bucky that “This doesn’t have to end in a fight.” Bucky wearily replies, “It always ends in a fight.” This simple response really highlights a crucial part of who Bucky is now and what he has been through. As mentioned previously, Hydra stored Bucky in a cyrochamber when they were not using him for missions. The only thing Bucky has of the last 70 or so years are scattered memories of abuse, violence, and death. Bucky grabs only one thing of importance to him before he and Cap try to fight their way out of the building – a backpack. When asked about the significance of the backpack to Bucky, Sebastian Stan responded

In his backpack there are a dozen notebooks that compose the scattered memories dating back to as far as he can remember which somewhat piece together a scattered life. In a similar way to Alzheimer’s, he’s written things down, for fear of losing his memory again. He was prepared, were something to happen, to walk away with nothing but that backpack, which is why it’s the only thing he takes and knowing full well that not everything those pages contain is pretty.

This may be one of the most heartbreaking revelations about Bucky. Even though he was unable to control his actions; he is afraid to forget any of it. It is my belief that he forces himself to remember as part of his personal penance for the things he has done. It also shows that he lives in constant fear of losing himself again and falling victim to Hydra’s plans.

Bucky and Steve are almost able to get away from security forces after a pretty high energy fight scene and chase. In these scenes we are still able to see the skills that Bucky had and developed further during his time as the Winter Soldier. Unlike CA: The Winter Soldier, Bucky is very tempered with a lot of his movements and fighting. Even though he tells Cap he isn’t going to kill anyone (and yay, he doesn’t) we still see the weapon side of Bucky. His body and mind are used to reacting a certain way while under attack and he is consciously having to hold himself back. Yes, he crushes a cinderblock over some guy’s head, but at least he didn’t throw him into an airplane (baby steps).

Steve’s reactions around Bucky and his body language speak volumes. Once Bucky and Steve are surrounded – Steve puts his arm out towards Bucky. The internet has been abuzz about this scene since people first saw it. I tend to agree with the masses that it is a two sided reaction. Steve still knows that Bucky is the kid he grew up with – what he doesn’t know is how much of the Winter Soldier is left in Bucky. Steve knows how the Winter Soldier acts when cornered or threatened and he also knows the temperament of his friend. He also just found the only living person he was close to before he was frozen during the War. Bucky means the world to Steve and I think in this scene we see it. We see Steve telling Bucky to stand down but we also see Steve saying to those around him “If you try to hurt my friend – you have to come through me first.” This is an important theme throughout the course of the movie, and is hinted to time and time again.

Bucky’s reaction when arrested is really telling. From previous experience, we know that he could take out most of the security forces surrounding him without blinking an eye. We also know just how incredibly strong he is (as is Steve). Bucky shows restraint, I believe because Steve wants it, but also because Bucky really doesn’t want to hurt any more people. He is already living with immeasurable guilt and to do anything now when he isn’t under the control of Hydra would be devastating to his recovery process. He would in essence be giving up what is left of Bucky Barnes if he chose to kill them. While his face outwardly shows defiance towards the Black Panther and Iron Patriot, his body language shows that he’s done. He’s done fighting and he’s done running. He knew it was only a matter of time before he would be found and would have to answer for the things he has been made to do.

Capture and Zemo’s Plan

When Bucky is captured and taken into custody we get a glimpse of the broken Bucky we saw in Winter Soldier. He is caged, alone, and looks more like a wounded animal than he does a soldier. One particularly interesting thing about many scenes with Bucky and his handlers (whether they be CIA operatives or Hydra) is the lack of human interaction they have. He is typically surrounded by metal, and machines – kept at a safe distance lest he lash out. His captivity scenes are all the more brutal when considering that he went through 70 years of this.

Zemo infiltrates the compound that Bucky is being held at under the guise of a UN official that has been sent to question Bucky. Once he is alone with Bucky he sets his elaborate plan in motion which ends up with Bucky, and him totally alone. He pulls the Winter Soldier journal from his bag and begins saying Bucky’s trigger words. Bucky begins to panic and flies into a rage – trying desperately to break through the mechanical capsule that is holding him before Nemo is able to finish. Unfortunately, Bucky is unable to get out in time, and Zemo demands that he provides a mission report to him from 1991.

When Steve and Sam are finally able to infiltrate the area that Bucky is being held they find all of the workers dead. They confront Zemo, but are interrupted by Bucky who is now in full Winter Soldier mode. Zemo is able to escape as Bucky attacks both men. The scenes that follow are basically Bucky fighting pretty much every one in the building, and winning.

There is a particularly interesting exchange during the brief fight between Natasha and Bucky before they are interrupted by the Black Panther. As Bucky is choking Natasha she manages to say, “You could at least recognize me.” While the film doesn’t elaborate on this statement many fans are hoping that future films will follow the comics’ story line where Bucky and Nat end up knowing each other previously from Nat’s time with the Soviets. This would actually make sense. How this meshes with the previous story that Nat gave Steve in CA: The Winter Soldier is yet to really be seen. It could have been that she was lying to Steve or maybe didn’t know Bucky as Bucky or Winter Soldier previously. It’s completely possible that he may have gone by another alias. This is just total speculation on my part, Nat could also just be referring to their previous encounter during CA: The Winter Soldier.

After kicking some serious ass, Bucky makes his way to the helicopter pad at the top of the building to make his escape. This is one of the very few scenes in the movie that actually confused me a little to begin with. As Bucky is trying to escape with the helicopter, Steve grabs ahold of it and begins dragging it down (I swear he defied the laws of physics here, but that’s beside the point). As the helicopter moves, Steve is able to grab on to railing on the side of the building to prevent it from leaving. During this Bucky looks out at Steve and almost smiles. He then crashes the helicopter. It’s obvious that Bucky is still in Winter Soldier mode here because he does smash through the window with his metal arm to grab ahold of Steve, and I definitely think to an extent he may have even tried to kill his friend; however, the emotion is what threw me off. We never see the Winter Soldier display really any type of emotion when fighting. For a second it seems like Bucky is breaking through the mind control even if only slightly and briefly. Steve is the only person that can repeatedly bring Bucky out of his Winter Soldier mode.

A Pause Before Battle

Steve is able to drag Bucky out of the river the helicopter crashes into and hide him from everyone that is looking for him. When Bucky awakes Steve asks which Bucky he is speaking to which Bucky replies, “Your mom’s name was Sarah… You used to wear newspaper in your shoes.”  The revelation of these facts provide a very touching sentiment for Bucky and Steve’s friendship. In CA: The Winter Soldier there is a flashback that is Bucky showing up at Steve’s house after his mom’s funeral, and asking him to come live with him and his family. Bucky’s reply reminds us again how close these two were before the war. Bucky is distraught when he discovers that he has injured and killed innocent people again while under the control of someone else. He tells Steve that he is not the only Winter Soldier and that he believes Zemo is trying to find the others which would be catastrophic. Steve, Bucky, and Sam both decide that they have to find Zemo and stop him. They know they won’t be getting any help from Tony, Natasha, or Vision so they recruit Clint, Wanda, and Scott Lang (Ant Man) to help them find Nemo before it is too late.

Bucky, Steve, and Sam: Third Wheel?

Although the overall mood of Bucky’s storyline is pretty somber throughout CA: Civil War there are a few funny moments that remind us of the spunky Bucky we met in 1940s Brooklyn. Most of Bucky’s wittier banter is between him and Sam (Falcon). It’s pretty obvious that the relationship between the two is uncomfortable. Sam has been Steve’s number one for awhile now and knows how much Bucky means to him. Due to this, Sam comes off kind of as the guy who feels like his best friend turf is being stepped on. That isn’t to say the scenes aren’t hilarious, because they are. They remind us of the Bucky we loved, and the Bucky that Steve lost on a mission in the 1940s. They assure us that under the damage and the constant strain of trying to put the pieces of his life back together and deal with his guilt that Bucky is still there.

In one such scene Bucky asks Sam if he can move his seat up a little. When Sam replies, “No.” Bucky decides to relent and scoot across the back seat to have more room. We know that Sam is the king of sass, but we also need to remember that the last time he was in a car with Bucky was when Bucky tried to kill him. Sam doesn’t know Bucky rather he knows the Winter Soldier and what Steve has told him about Bucky. He wisely chooses to distance himself until he can discern Bucky’s character for himself.

When Steve kisses Sharon (which was a little creepy, but whatever) he looks back to his car to see both Bucky and Sam looking on approvingly with giant grins on their faces which embarrasses him. The scene is funny, but also further reestablishes the bond that was lost between Bucky and Steve. Bucky needs human interaction and normality in his life to be able to find himself again.

The humanity of Bucky is found within these scenes no matter how small they are. They remind us that he is no longer the wordless ghost from CA: The Winter Soldier, but that kid from Brooklyn that watched out for Steve when he kept getting his ass kicked over and over. It’s also important to note that no matter how much shade Sam throws Bucky he also knows how much he means to Steve. Sam trusts Steve’s judgment almost to a fault, and because of this he really has already accepted Bucky in some way. Bucky just needs to be seen as a person – Sam doesn’t have to be overly nice to him. In some ways, Sam evens out the way Steve treats Bucky. There’s really an organic normalcy to the trio’s friendships and interactions that will be interesting to see develop in later installments. These scenes soften the blows of the scenes that are yet to come.

 

And with this I leave you as this is already longer than my first post. Make sure to check back for the third installment of The Enigma of Bucky Barnes where I will discuss the second half of Civil War and the influence that Steve’s decision to stand by Bucky has on the division of the Avengers.

 

The Enigma of Bucky Barnes: Part One

Occasionally a character pleasantly hijacks a series. One such character, at least in my opinion, is James Buchanan Barnes, known as Bucky Barnes to Steve Rogers, and the Winter Soldier to everyone else in the present day Marvel Universe. For this particular article I am mainly focusing on Marvel’s cinematic interpretation of Bucky, I assure you that I will be focusing on Ed Brubaker’s interpretation of Bucky in the comics in the future (once I have finished reading them all). Part one of this series will look at who Bucky is and how he eventually becomes the Winter Soldier that so many fear while focusing on the interesting development of his character throughout the first two Captain America movies.

Captain America: The First Avenger

We are first introduced to Bucky in Captain America: The First Avenger as Steve Roger’s cooler and protective friend. In a way Bucky represents all the things Steve is not before he is given the super soldier serum. This doesn’t seem to hamper their friendship. If anything, Bucky’s involvement in the war only further pushes Steve’s desires to enlist. Bucky resembles an older protective brother in many aspects for Steve.  His entrance into the film is actually saving Steve from being beat up by a man in an alley. Bucky urges Steve to stay out of the War and harm’s way before he is deployed.

After Steve is transformed into Captain America he eventually discovers that Bucky has been taken captive by the Red Skull and Doctor Zola. Risking everything, Steve single-handedly infiltrates the Hydra compound and finds Bucky. We discover here that Doctor Zola has been experimenting on Bucky, the extent of which is not clear until the second installment of the series. Steve’s change to Captain America changes the dynamic between him and Bucky slightly. Instead of being like a little brother that needs to be protected Steve is now the one rescuing Bucky.

Steve and Bucky team up with the Howling Commandos to infiltrate all of Hydra’s lairs to defeat the Red Skull. On a particular mission they find themselves on a train in the mountains while trying to get to Doctor Zola, the man who had previously experimented on Bucky. It is during this mission that Bucky presumably falls to his death as Steve is reaching towards him. As far as Steve or anyone other than Doctor Zola and his Hydra operatives are concerned, Bucky is, for all intents and purposes, dead.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Flash-forward to present day post-Avengers destroying New York during a freak alien invasion, and we are introduced to a shadowy operative of Hydra named “The Winter Soldier.” We don’t know much about him other than Natasha (a.k.a. Black Widow) is terrified of him, and Nick Fury is presumably killed by him. The first appearances of this mysterious man lets us know that someone doesn’t want people to see this guy’s face. Steve discovers this mysterious and deadly assassin to be his long-lost presumed dead friend Bucky during a fight where his mask is knocked from his face. Now hang on to your butts because this is where Bucky’s story gets incredibly interesting. (I also have to say: Mad props to Sebastian Stan – for someone who has minimal lines in a movie he perfectly conveys the pain and conflict that Bucky is going through during the course of the film).

Steve is obviously incredibly shocked to see his friend not only alive after 70 years of thinking he was dead but also with a metal arm and a strong desire to kill his friends. Bucky is simply taken aback when Steve calls him by his name. He has no idea who Bucky is or who this man is that is speaking to him.

Who The Hell is Bucky: The Hydra Experiments

In the scenes that follow we discover just what Bucky has been up to for the last few decades that we assumed he was dead, and it isn’t pretty. Doctor Zollo’s experiments had in essence saved Bucky from his fall, and further experiments turned him into a super soldier. He is also given a metal arm to replace the one that he lost during his fall. Of course the problem with this is it is done without Bucky’s consent and let’s face it Hydra never does anything to be nice. While suffering from flashbacks of his operation post-fall, Alexander Pierce shows up and asks Bucky for a mission report. Bucky is despondent, and confused. After he doesn’t answer Pierce’s prompts several times, Pierce backhands him. Suddenly we are shown the heartbreaking side of Bucky’s condition. It isn’t that he is a villain – he’s a weapon to Hydra and nothing more. He’s a man whose soul has been subdued to compliance and that might be the most terrifying thing of all. The conflict and emotion played out in these scenes shows Bucky to be both vulnerable and human – if only for a moment. He asks Pierce who the man on the bridge was and when Pierce sweeps it under the rug as him merely being a man who Bucky has seen on a previous mission – Bucky becomes even more defiant saying “But I knew him…” This is the first time we see not only emotion from Bucky in his new role as Winter Soldier, but also defiance to those who are calling the shots and telling him what to do.  Bucky’s defiance prompts Pierce to call to have his memory wiped again. Within the span of thirty seconds we see Bucky conflicted, defiant, and then eventually complacent.

The memory wipe scene is quite frankly one of the most brutal scenes in the MCU. In all of its hideousness and pain it symbolizes the attempted dehumanization of Bucky Barnes. It taps into a fundamental fear that all humans face of losing themselves (that part that makes them “them”), and their free will. To know that Bucky’s spirit has been crushed repeatedly in this fashion for the last 70 years is absolutely heartbreaking and horrific. We no longer see the spunky boy from New York, but rather a man who is on the verge of losing his soul to the people who wish to turn him into a complacent weapon that bows to their every need. In many ways, in these particular scenes, Bucky in reminiscent of a wild animal. He is defiant and fierce and trying desperately to not let evil break his spirit.

The Winter Soldier Uniform

It isn’t just the wipe scene that conveys these particular ideas. As many fans have pointed out, Bucky’s “uniform” itself is a constraint. Through at least half of his scenes his face is covered by a mask that resembles a muzzle and glasses that cover everything up to his eyebrows. His jacket is even reminiscent of a straight jacket. No matter where he goes – he is constrained and constantly reminded that he does not belong to himself.

The filmmakers also do an excellent job with a scene where Bucky is in Pierce’s house. He is shrouded in shadow and barely visible to the audience. Even without his mask, Bucky remains constrained by the shadows. The Russo brothers use this similar technique in many of Bucky’s initial scenes.

What about his cool metal arm that everyone talks about? Well he lost part of his arm during his fall, and the other half was cut off by Doctor Zollo and replaced, without Bucky’s consent, by the metal arm. Zollo used Bucky’s disability to weapon-ize him. He even compensates the way he walks and carries himself, in part because of his metal arm. Not only did Hydra take his mind, they permanently took part of his body too, and replaced it with something lethal.

Cap vs. Bucky Barnes: Cause I’m with You till the End of the Line

Captain America: The Winter Soldier concludes with Steve and Bucky having an all out free-for all brawl. Without question, this fight scene and what happens after it are probably my favorite scenes in all of the MCU. Both men are injured and riding in a hovercraft that is literally being blown to hell when Steve looks at Bucky, while helping me from a pile of rubble and says, “You know me.” Bucky defiantly replies, “No I don’t!” while taking a swing at Steve. Steve replies, “Bucky, you’ve known me your whole life.” To which Bucky replies with hitting him again. Steve continues, “Your name is James Buchanan Barnes…” Only to have Bucky interrupt by yelling at him to shut up. Steve takes his helmet off, looks at Bucky, and replies “I’m not going to fight you… you’re my friend,” and drops his shield off the hovercraft.  Bucky rushes him and screams “You’re my mission” over and over while punching Steve in the face. Steve replies, “Then finish it … cause I’m with you till the end of the line.” This is something Bucky used to tell Steve when they were kids. This causes Bucky to stop, and Steve falls off the hovercraft.

I want to timeout really quick and really talk about this scene. Anyone that has seen this movie can’t really deny that it is an incredibly emotionally charged performance by Sebastian Stan. If you haven’t seen the scene, I would recommend watching it just so you can get the full scope of it – sometimes words won’t do justice and this is one of those cases. As Steve is telling Bucky who he is – Bucky becomes increasingly more violent. In essence, Steve is opening the flood gates to Bucky’s memories. The easiest way for Bucky to reconcile the things he has done as the Winter Soldier is to not hear what Steve is saying. He is trying vehemently to convince himself he is still the weapon that is the Winter Soldier. He isn’t really telling Steve he is his mission rather he is telling himself. He’s trying to hold onto the Winter Soldier in fear of the pain that will come by reconciling his actions with the person he was. Imagine losing 70 years of your life – thinking you were one thing – and then suddenly, someone comes along and makes you begin to remember and question everything. This is where Bucky is at, and he’s scared as hell. That fear shows in his eyes when Steve finally forces him to admit to himself that what he is saying is the truth. At that point, he stops being the Winter Soldier, but he is also no longer Bucky Barnes.

Bucky saves Steve, and disappears. It is completely evident that the old Bucky, no matter how shattered he is, is still there— to what extent – not even Bucky knows.

(Check back soon for Part Two of The Enigma of Bucky Barnes!)