The investigation of the hero's archetypal travel pattern in the works of Majid Majidi from the viewpoints of Joseph Campbell and Islamic mysticism

Investigating the evolution of the main characters with regard to hero’s journey template, this research work studies the narratives of Majid Majidi’s movies, applying qualitative research method in data gathering and analysis. In perception of journey’s concept, one meaning is to move from a place and passing through stages of the way in order to reach a destination. Journey template includes those contents that have been regarded both in mythology and morphology fields of stories as well as under mystical topics. In other words, inner and outer journey of human being as hero is the theme of a large number of performing works and dramatic shows that influence hearts directly and strongly and affects minds of different audiences from nations around the globe. Reviewing Majidi’s movies, adaptation of archetype of hero’s journey is analyzed in the works from the views of Joseph Campbell and Islamic mysticism. Feasibility to select eight cases of study such as Baran, Baduk, Khoda Miad (God Comes), The Father, Children of Heaven, The Color of Paradise, The Willow Tree and The Song of Sparrows enables the researchers to investigate the hero’s journey of each work according to the character’s activities. Findings indicate how the main characters experience their inner, outer and combining both types of journeys. In the stories, they as heroes come across occurrences that inevitably involve them in situations where they have to go through unknown or risky journeys. Considering such a concept in Islamic mysticism in relation to the main characters, there are further aspects to consider. Journey is important and has been respected in Islamic mysticism which implies: human being is in a journey since the beginning of the creation until resurrection day. Similarly, in this context the mentioned types of journeys also are agents of human evolution. Looking at these texts, at least three meanings exist; its most prevalent one reflects the concept of travelling around on the earth to percept different horizons. In contrast there is spiritual journey through which one hesitates to do improper and immoral deeds in hoping to be accepted by God. Campbell classifies the hero’s journey in three key stages as departure, initiation and return. A journey can be commenced when ‘call to adventure’ arises, sometimes hero tends or makes decision to accept that and another time he/she has to go where he/she is driven to. ‘Call to adventures’ in the movies of Majidi commonly invites the heroes to an outer journey from the society’s coercion where they have to live in. Most of the heroes’ journeys spend in ‘initiation’, the longest stage in the Campbell’s template. Majidi’s approach tends mostly to social experiences that finally turn into mystical mood whereas it has mystical-spiritual concept in his works, Khoda Miad, The Color of Paradise and The Willow Tree. All the heroes in these cases are looking for happiness; however, it is deferent in everyone’s mind. Finally, this determines how the hero passes through the journey template.