How The Mandalorian Solved the Hollywood Helmet Problem

[@fabian1939]

Small addition to the Maximilian Scene: Its an Austrian-German Co-Production and in the scene it wasnt a fight to the death but a training/show-off fight between Maximilian and the heir to the Hungarian throne (but I'm not sure about the identity of the opponent any more).

[@danquaylesitsspeltpotatoe8307]

Best content in the star Wars universe doesnt mean its even very bad!

[@oTurkish13x]

The Mandalorian is still a crappy corny low effort show with on average 30 dialogue lines per episode and clichéic space and alien adaptations of earth based concepts and culture.

[@longcrab]

@@oTurkish13x wank

[@ReirMuchoProductions]

@@oTurkish13x now thats a hot take

[@spacegremlin9972]

​@@oTurkish13x I believe that to be very inaccurate

[@XxHUNT3RN4T0RxX]

You know there’s a serious Hollywood problem when Mando wears his helmet much more than Master Chief does in his own Halo show. How do you mess up a character as iconic as Master Chief by taking away the biggest thing that people associate him with: his helmet.

[@WillieHoule]

Funny how we never saw this character face in 6 games, multiple side media content like comics, movie and animation. For multiple years and those writers were like... The helmet is an issue, lets remove it

[@JayPlusForerunner]

Agreed. The halo show is a disgrace

[@Cheesus-Sliced]

bro his helmet is so important he wears a second helmet under it. someone repositioned the camera angle on the ending Cutscene of the first or second game where he is flying the longsword and takes his helmet off, but his head is just out of frame as he does so, and he has a second helmet

[@adrianthom2073]

I know for Halo 4, 343 spent much time in trying to create a particular movement style in the cut scenes to show that MC was heavy and to try show emotion as his helmet hid that details. I thought they did a great job with H4.

[@WhatIsSanity]

@@adrianthom2073 The emotional story telling of Halo 4 was the only really good part about it really. They butchered all the armour design though so not a great example. Halo Reach did it a lot better.

[@deldour5995]

It will never not depress me that the Halo show chose to instantly expose Chief's face instead of having him communicate emotions & feelings through movement and good voice acting, like in Mando.

[@Drums_of_Liberation]

Well you know gotta get nobodies recognition somehow.

[@williamkuzio5162]

That’s what I’m saying, if you go back and watch Halo cutscenes and you pay attention to Chief’s or any other Spartan, you’ll see a lot told through how they move their heads around, and the use of body language

[@ShahabSheikhzadeh]

Do we really need a show to do that when the video games did that perfectly?

[@Xonarag]

@@ShahabSheikhzadeh Well the show was pretty terrible the way it was so maybe it would've helped

[@Peizxcv]

Didn't even realize they went ahead with the Halo show. Thought it was on hold or something

[@DylanThomas1993]

Honestly, the Mando had so much good "head-acting". There's many different angles the head can move to, and a lot of them convey different emotions. The first thing I noticed in episode one was how much head-acting there was and how well it was done.

[@Hottactioncop]

Your mom has good head acting

[@johna07_83]

Yes, clever angles along with great acting did a lot here

[@claudeyaz]

Yeh Brendan Wayne did a great job...john Wayne grandson finally getting his shot

[@sergioaccioly5219]

You forgot to mention the use of a virtual camera inside Iron Man's helmet as a great approach to the problem. Also by Mandalorian's Jon Favreau.

[@scelonferdi]

Knightfall (not a great show) also used the Iron Man approach for a Medieval setting.

[@zebjensen4251]

also as an add on iron man given what he is going up agenst having his helmet come off like in the battle vs thanos makes sense, he was going up agenst a being who had four infinity stones. it makes sense that his suit will get damaged quite baddle very quickly.

[@TheAmenez]

if you want to refer to that as an idea you could go back to the 70's and Gundam, who had giant suits of armor with no emotion (the zaku actually could convey some emotion too) but the cockpits with the pilots being able to convey the emotion inside

[@zebjensen4251]

@@TheAmenez that is true and heck r2d2 and c3po can't show face expressions, and they show so much emotion with the way they speak and move the rest of there body. And look at the b1s they show so much emotion in the cartoon. So the starwars univer has been doing this for decades. P.s I'm aware that the battle droids are cg but you get my point they have no moving faces and show expressions in a way.

[@TraaaaaasshBooooaaaatttt]

Honestly i hate that virtual camera thing it looks stupid. Well more so in the newer moviea

[@0megacron]

You forgot to mention "Dredd", in which the protagonist never removes his helmet and the subject isn't approached at all. Dredd's solution was basically just "He wears a helmet, deal with it." and it worked marvelously. Granted, his mouth is exposed so that gives the actor some freedom of expression... but not much.

[@Justanotherconsumer]

Obviously borrowed a bit from RoboCop, which had a similar helmet style.

[@Lugbzurg]

@@Justanotherconsumer Judge Dredd pre-dates RoboCop by a decade, so no.

[@xx_amongus_xx6987]

@@Lugbzurg In terms of movies, no, RoboCop comes out first

[@tankicat]

@@xx_amongus_xx6987 And yet RoboCop was influenced by Judge Dredd according to Paul Verhoeven and Ed Neumeier

[@xx_amongus_xx6987]

@@tankicat Never said it wasn't, but we're talking about the movies here

[@YophiGames]

Let’s not forget V for Vendetta. We never actually get to see V’s face, yet he displays a lot of emotions through his mannerisms and his eloquence of speech.

[@fenicepercaso4204]

EXACTLY, I was thinking about them throughout all the video, because the film came out 10 years before Mandalorian and it had already solved this problem, and even, in comics, one could not even know the gender and ethnicity of the character.

[@FluffyInsanity]

YESSSSSS! Exactly what I was going to type.

[@VikingTeddy]

Or Dredd, which was lauded for keeping the face hidden for the whole movie.

[@YophiGames]

@@VikingTeddy Didn’t Stallone take off the helmet after his arrest?

[@VikingTeddy]

@@YophiGames Not that movie. Though the Stallone one is fun in a campy way, it's not Judge Dredd. I was talking about Dredd (2012)

[@MrGochira]

It also has to be mentioned that the design of a helmet contributes a lot as well. The iconic t visor of the mandalorian helmet can portray a lot of emotion, you can tell exactly where he is looking and a simple tilt can make it look angry or remorseful. While it is mostly just domed the shaped cheeks give it a silhouette as he turns side to side adding definition. Vader's helmet is almost as important, it has an otherness with almost bug like alien features. But is still a familiar shape emulating the samurai helmets we know from other films, as a result we know it's militant purpose but we cannot read the intent of the man underneath giving him a bit of horror perfect for an antagonist.

[@Superabound2]

That tilt of a helmet/mask allowing it to portray different emotions using shape and shading comes from Japanese theater

[@KStyx]

The interesting thing with Vader and showing emotions is that in key moments he really shows emotions! Especially in the moments before he throws the emperor in the pit, you can really see the inner conflict in Vader

[@MrGochira]

@@KStyx there is something about the way those lenses linger. it's almost more powerful for how alien that mask can be, that despite what has encased him he shows humanity in that moment.

[@konradk1066]

Wow. I never thought of that. Great point!

[@EmeralBookwise]

Body language is a highly underrated art form. Tangetial to the Mandalorian specifically, the actor not only does an amazing job without ever showing his face, but in the few scenes where the helmet does come off, he manages to look just as exposed and uncomfortable as someone who was completely naked. He really sells the concept of a character whose social mores include never showing his face.

[@westcoastgio6328]

subtle note about Din Djarin unhelmeted, he still moves his head instead of his eyes...

[@sushikitten1679]

@@westcoastgio6328 one big thing that i watched in a video that was pointed out is that Mando looks directly at who he trusts when he's not wearing the helmet, like in the scene in s2 where he needed to remove it for the face scan, he looks directly at his friend when the officer approaches him to speak with him. Pedro Pascal and the direction in the mandolorian is spot on, really shows that visual storytelling, even in super subtle ways, is what makes a film or TV show really feel real and immerse you unlike any basic script could

[@woodneel]

Reminds me of the classic quote "*mumble mumble garbled jumble warble*", transcribed as "No one cared who I was until I put on the mask."

[@thebatman.]

This is why I love Andrew Garfield in the Amazing Spider-Man 2, his body language is outstanding even so he can convey emotion even when covered head to toe

[@LadyDoomsinger]

The funny thing is, body language used to be a vital and even over-relied upon staple of film-making, back in the era of silent films; actors had to be extra expressive in their delivery, because they couldn't use their voice to convey emotion, and often they would exaggerate movements and expressions for the benefit of the audience.

[@arektllama3767]

Another Darth Vader example is in return of the Jedi when Palpatine is laying into Luke with force lightning. The tight frame around Vader’s face as he looks back and forth between Luke and the emperor really conveys his internal conflict with the scene. The audio during this scene is dominated by Luke crying out for help and the laughter from Palpatine which only reinforces the drama from Vader’s body language. A pretty decent example of framing and sound design being used to convey emotion.

[@Feintgames]

The ultimate use of a helmet scene is in Jedi when Darth is deciding what to do about the Emperor electrocuting his son to death. Back and forth he looks, the lightning reflecting off of him, close ups of his "eyes", a raising of the camera level for one of the first times ever in the three movies when showing Vader, etc. Creative camera work, long takes in the reaction shots, it all works perfectly. The best part is the match move from CU of Vader out of the frame to the wide shot of him picking up the Emperor...culminating in the reaction shot of Vader kneeling down next to the vent shaft after throwing the Emperor down it. That scene showed what's possible. The Mandalorian ran with that concept.

[@dominicmoras4283]

The whole video I was thinking of just that scene. Masterfully done.

[@Gareth-410]

Then they ruined it all by adding the stupid "Nooo, Nooo, Nooo" voiceover.

[@dominicmoras4283]

@@Gareth-410 The first no wasn't too bad, but it gets exponentially worse with every other no.

[@mallninja9805]

@@Gareth-410 The Despecialized Edition is the only one I'll watch

[@TDA792]

@@Gareth-410 I love the stupid "no, no, no!"

[@heathwasson7811]

Shame to discuss this without bringing up the tour de force Hugo Weaving put in as "V" in "V for Vendetta". Never once is his face shown, but so many micro movements of the head and body, a tilt of the head or shift of the shoulders, as well as the amazing voice acting, work so effectively at conveying emotion you don't even notice the mask by the end of the film.

[@JR-Mystic]

"V For Vendetta" was definitely a huge, massive, glaring omission in this video analysis....and saying that still feels like an understatement.

[@cvarc3736]

yep, Edward Norton as king Baldwin in kingdom of heaven was great too

[@anaussie213]

@@cvarc3736 agreed both Norton and Weaving didn’t need their face to be seen at all in order to emote (and seeing what voice actors can do is it really surprising actors can effectively emote even when their faces are not shown)?

[@heathwasson7811]

@@cvarc3736 Ah yes... forgot that one myself. Completely concur. I actually think that's his best performance, and masked the whole time!

[@andrewwalker9136]

Boss

[@Steve_Hickman]

The moment in The Mandalorian, where he's in the ship, works on a deep level because we don't need to see his face. The shift in his body language, the pause when he reaches for the lever and the knob is missing, you feel the conflict he is experiencing, the emotional state he is in at that moment...all while he's wearing the helmet. It's a testament to the great writing, direction and most of all, acting that's needed to pull off that type of scene.

[@sarl2121]

No, the writing tops the acting. That scene was acted out in minutia by the writer for Pascal and the director and Pascal just copied him.

[@RG-rm6ih]

@@sarl2121 You just have to be different, don't you?

[@sarl2121]

@@RG-rm6ih I just know far more about it than you

[@RG-rm6ih]

@@sarl2121 I’m sure you do, buddy :)

[@sarl2121]

@@RG-rm6ih That's good

[@billyuno]

The actual brilliance of the Mandalorian's helmet is that for the whole first season you see his stoic visage of the helmet and assume his face underneath is equally stoic, then when he removes the helmet for the maybe 5 minutes that he does, you see that his face isn't stoic at all, and he shows real fear and uncertainty, but never lets it come out through his voice. This makes you wonder how stoic he's actually been this whole time, using the mask to conceal those emotions. This is further reinforced in the second season when they infiltrate the Imp base and the uncertainty of the situation clearly shows on his face, and he's clearly missing how his mask hides it.

[@JoshB_TheTower]

Also the fact that his armor is 100x better than that trooper armor for when the 💩 will inevitably hit the fan. That would put some extra concern on your face.

[@Pailzor]

@@JoshB_TheTower Stormtrooper armor seems to literally be the plastic the prop is made of.

[@Zykked]

@@Pailzor in battlefront the rebels call them "bucket-head" so it may just be pvc

[@IAmBael]

I disagree. With the full expectation that he was as stoic as he seemed, my perception of him was ruined after he took the helmet off, and beginning to question how tough he really is was not a positive thing for me. He should have kept the helmet on. That way the viewer can make up their own mind how they want him to be. It's like the scene from A New Hope where Han shoots Greedo: before George Lucas edited it, it wasn't clear who shot first. Those who wanted to believe that Han Solo was a ruthless rogue could believe that he shot first, and those who wanted him to be a misunderstood romantic could believe that he only fired after Greedo did. The Mandalorian removing his helmet forced only the one perception that the writers wanted the viewer to see.

[@anonymousapproximation8549]

@@IAmBael Imagine, if you will, that you spent the majority of your life with your face hidden. Only your body Language could give you away. Eventually, you'd find yourself more in control of your body language, while your facial expressions would fall to the wayside.

[@GiganticPawUnit]

There's something fascinating about how vulnerable Din looks when he finally takes off his helmet. Pascal plays the character in much the same restrained way as ever, he's not trying to emote in some particularly obvious way, but the fact of his face being hidden for so long means that he can't help but look smaller and weaker when it's a mere human face and not this featureless, impenetrable facade. It can inherently make you consider what he's doing, in his own view, when he puts it back on and resolves to continue following the code, and it can establish this sympathy for his discomfort when he has to take it off again.

[@Highostrich]

In season 2 episode 8 when he removes his helmet, I love that they showed how unused to it he was. You can see that he turns his whole head when looking at someone, not just the eyes. Not to mention how vulnerable he looked. You almost felt wrong looking at his face because he was so uncomfortable.

[@katpottz476]

beautifully put

[@tiffanypersaud3518]

Yes!

[@calluminkster6892]

Yeah exactly. I also like how he looked like utter shit the first time we saw him. No heroic reveal, no glowing skin, no white teeth. Visually, he was at his complete worst. He was in a state no one would want to be seen it, let alone an actor's first face reveal in a TV show. It so refreshingly realistic and not something I'd expect from a company such as Disney who like to pretend the world is pristine.

[@samiamtheman7379]

Then finally showing his face was nice, but the way they justified it in the show was unreasonably stupid. Wouldn't a facial scanner tell who was one of their troops than who isn't?

[@shenanickans361]

Mandalorian, Vader, Dredd, and V are all great examples of being able to properly write a story and convey emotion around a character with a face we cannot see. It upsets me greatly how poorly Master Chief was handled in the Halo show (and not just the removal of his helmet--but as a whole) when we see many times in the games how animators and Steve Downes were able to give Chief emotional responses without EVER revealing his face. There are plenty of other issues with the Halo show, but this is the most tangible and immediately focused issue.

[@Aro666pl]

Dredd helmet shown his face tho.

[@BaeBunni]

@@Aro666pl his lower mouth which is the only thing shown in the comics is Dredd's lower mouth. Compare it to the Stallone version where he basically never wears the helmet which is not a thing in the comic after decades we only sorta know what Dredd looks like because his clone brother rico has show his face.

[@speedyazi5029]

Don't forget Pattinson's Batman Eye acting through the mask

[@jeffreygao3956]

John 117 is well, concerned for his safety so he's more comfortable with the helmet anyway.

[@planescaped]

@@Aro666pl His jaw and mouth are shown, that's not exactly his face.

[@philipsalama8083]

I love the way the helmet signals character development in The Mandalorian. The frequency with which he takes it off increasing shows how his values are changing - at the start, he doesn't remove it at all. At the end of season 1, he nearly dies because he won't remove it and only gets saved by the loophole of the droid seeing his face technically not being alive. In season 2 he removes it in a life or death undercover situation to try and find Grogu, and then at the end of that season he removes it willingly to show Grogu his face as a sign of fatherly love. It's really good non-verbal storytelling. Instead of treating the audience like idiots and telling us outright that Din's outlook on life is changing, we can see it through his relationship to the helmet, and learn how his love for Grogu is overtaking religion and tradition as the most important thing in his life. Can you imagine how less impactful each face reveal scene would be if Din took off the helmet in episode 2?

[@dane1382]

the subtle change in values always reminds me of Mayfeld's words at the end of Chapter 15: "Look, I'm just sayin', we're all the same. Everybody's got their lines they don't cross until things get messy. As far as I'm concerned, if you can make it through your day and still sleep at night, you're doin' better than most."

[@JohnYoo39]

Both times in Season 2 made me gasp, no lie. But every time, it felt not only right but thematically completely earned.

[@lightlysal]

Wow looks like the English teachers were actually right. There's meaning in small details, crazy!

[@Keanine]

@@JohnYoo39 It's crazy how they managed two surprise moments within such a short timespan so successfully. I think it's to do with the fact that it was shocking to see Mando make the move under pressure, but even more shocking to do it by choice

[@uthopia27]

As much as I really love the character development I really wouldn't Mando to take off his helmet every single time now.

[@EuanH91]

I was amazed by how much emotion they managed to portray in that scene in Book Of Boba Fett when Mando wants to see Grogu but can't because it would interfere with his training. Something about the slow zoom into the helmet, the tone of Pedro Pascals voice, the music.. made me genuinely want to shed a tear without ever showing a single facial expression.

[@deadricdeath265]

Just watched that recently, Karl Urban was great

[@BaneSIlvermoon]

@@deadricdeath265 Karl Urban had a .... let's say very negative ..... view of the thought process behind whoever decided to create the rumor that he was under the Mandalorian helmet.

[@deadricdeath265]

@@BaneSIlvermoon I meant to comment this about Dredd, I don't know why it's unfer this one

[@anaussie213]

@@deadricdeath265 yep and Hugo weaving in V for vendetta emotes brilliantly through the mask too.

[@StartledOctopus]

Book of Boba Fett? Don't you mean the Mandalorian Season 2.5?

[@bathbomber]

A duel where both characters are masked, and the audience can*not* distinguish between them during the fight, would be incredibly suspenseful.

[@bathbomber]

Taken to its logical conclusion.... a movie where the audience grows attached to two characters who don their masks and duel, one kills the other, but neither the live nor the dead character has their mask removed and the audience is left wondering.

[@evelknievel2000]

A character can be made recognizable by their whole harnas design anyway. I think it’s more about the facial expression and emotion.

[@SmartassX1]

The 2001 movie "The One" has the final fight sort of like that. They wear no helmets, but the characters are identical, as if cloned. And the wear identical clothing. In the beginning, it's possible to distinguish them, but half way through the fight, it nolonger is and they do get mixed up.

[@Glittersword]

The movie I think of of regarding helmets and not using them correctly because you want to see t he at big money face is.... Battlefield Earth. They have a race that breaths an atmosphere that is highly explosive in Earth's atmosphere and they give them a nose tube when the slightest contact with oxygen means they go BOOM.

[@ironladyerimuth]

Like the duel in The King, a Netflix movie starring Timothee Chalamet. There’s a duel between two characters, and they’re rolling around on top of each other trying to stab each other and you have no idea which character is which.

[@SandraOrtmann1976]

Part of why the Mandalorian helmet (I mean "Mandalorian" as a general term for that planet of warriors) works so well is that the helmet is their face. The real face beneath is secondary, it is the menace of that T-visor and the arrangement of sharp lines that is psychologically so intimidating. Same goes for many other helmets, such as the Corinthian helmet, the sallet or the frogmouth helmet. A nice, well-fitting helmet is something immensely...attractive, at least to me. Just as otherwise well-fitted, historically correct armour (no, please no hoodie-like mail coifs). But Hollywood seems not to understand this. Open-faced helmets such as Roman models or some Viking styles should be a no brainer whether to keep it on or not. You can very easily see the actor's face with these. But surprisingly, the main characters seem not to need even these helmets.

[@mythwest]

Totally agree. It just has a killer look about it. It reminds me of a space age take on an Italian Barbute (with some heavy Corinthian inspiration). And same on helmets, there’s just something *chefs kiss about a great helmet, it’s where function meets art. (I collect them haha)

[@laisphinto6372]

they basically just copied boba fett how he acts in the comics . aka the mandalorian is how boba fett should act this is even better potrayed by various fan films that never take off bobas helmet since bobas helmet is his face. a thing Hollywood never understand with their narcistic ego actors hell even the mandalorian actor whines about not showing his face

[@Hypernautz]

Couldnt have said it better! Also this is why some sith in SW minus some like Vader or Malak wear helmets who have injuries, its ment to illustrate dominance, leadership, and intimidation to strike fear in their enemies. It's that feeling when Vader steps into a room, he commands presence. Fear of the unknown and fear itself is one of the most powerful tools of control on the planet.

[@MadelineMysterious]

@@laisphinto6372 we don't know if him complaining about not showing his face is true. that rumor originated from a channel/person called Mike Zero/h or some name. He makes up everything. He's like Supershadow (think that was his name) but worse almost.

[@SandraOrtmann1976]

@@laisphinto6372 I know nothing about Pedro Pascal complaining. Possibly. Myself, I can understand him. I wear a Boba Fett costume during weekends. And yes, without ventilation, the helmet is not the most comfortable thing in the world (it is basically a great helm without any ventilation and you don't see a lot as your face must not be visible through that visor. But you get used to it, you just need good padding in this thing. And looks absolutely cool.).

[@stormykeep9213]

Big props to Pedro Pascal for signing on to a show where you virtually never get to see his face. For some actors it's an ego thing that they need "face time," but it's also much, much harder to convey emotions without facial expressions, and Pedro does this excellently.

[@Hates-handle]

They only wrote in scenes without the helmet because he wanted facetime tho

[@bmrrmb2601]

@@Hates-handle that never happened.

[@bearcubdaycare]

It's not just ego surely. An actor whose face is never seen is more easily replaced, has less leverage in remuneration in subsequent seasons, is less of a brand for future acting opportunities.

[@faithnfire4769]

An iconic face is job security.

[@nhpivotlk]

@@faithnfire4769 but an iconic voice is also hard to replace. His voice and personality just work.

[@aspecttnd]

The Mandalorian helmet and the shows success coincide perfectly, as the helmet gels together a perfect “show, don’t tell” atmosphere. No need for dialog or facial reactions of an actor- you physically can’t do some of it. Therefore, show your emotions in your actions. I’m surprised many people don’t force students to practice this, to get used to environmental storytelling

[@Raptorman0205]

It also helps that the mando helmet lends itself particularly well to dynamic expression, particularly with its ocular. It has a very neutral base design, but the straight ocular bar can give the illusion of curving up or down depending on how its tilted. When mando wants to be intimidating, the actor tilts his head down, making the ocular "curve down" and evoke a furrowed brow, whereas if he wants to be smug he can tilt it up, making the ocular "curve up" and evoke a raised brow. It's funny, the initial design for it was probably to be as flat and neutral as possible to represent Boba Fett's cold, calculating nature, but it ironically wound up becoming an incredibly expressive helmet.

[@FuzzyTrekkie]

Even though it's a mask rather than a helmet, V For Vendetta is also an excellent example of relying on body language and voice when convaying emotion. Even when the character took the mask off, they even shrouded the face in shadow. It got to the point where the need to see V's face went away entirely. He became more of a symbol rather than a person.

[@anaussie213]

Yep weaving is a beast of an actor and he made seeming light work of that mask.

[@ArunaUtd]

First thing I thought of as well, phenomenal performance!

[@mcltim]

Came here to say this. Leaving satisfied.

[@MobileTech296]

I thought of this as well. I'm still amazed at how much nuance can be expressed though subtle movement and voice alone.

[@syee3]

When did V take the mask off?

[@zabronzkee731]

I really hope they don't resort to just having Mando be okay with not wearing his helmet a lot. the coolest part of The Mandalorian is having that faceless badass character. it worked so well.

[@DaveDexterMusic]

as far as I remember, pedro is or will be pretty much phased out of physically playing the character, though still doing the voice. there's many moments and I think full episodes where he isn't there at all already, so if he stops doing any live action work it'll be an excellent incentive to keep the helmet on, given they'd have to deepfake his face in or something if they take it off

[@kaizokuAUTO]

@@DaveDexterMusic I don't think that's the case at all. The reason stunt doubles were used in his most recent appearances in the Book of Boba Fett was because he was busy, presumably with The Last of Us or some other project, and given that he is a cameo appearance in the show it wasn't necessary for him to turn up. There is no indication that Pedro Pascal is going to be phased out as the physical actor from my understanding.

[@nogrammer]

@@kaizokuAUTO if I was Pedro I'd be p'd off if they did that

[@bradleytaniguchi1187]

I doubt it. So far it's been used very delicately for very specific moments, to the point it's a key driving point moving forward for the next season. My guess is the show ends with him taking it off forever to signify his "new life", as his helmet represents his old one.

[@harrylane4]

@@kaizokuAUTO yeah from what I understand the fuss about pascal being “phased out” was based on an interview where he mentioned how he wished he didn’t have the helmet on so much, along with the aforementioned double acting during boba fett. I don’t think it ever went any further than that.

[@nuyabuisness7526]

Serious props to the actor for being able to play such a well done character. Not only was his performance supposed to be subdued, he also wasn't allowed to show his face for any of it. Still being able to convey a character that people can get invested in despite, and even because of, those limitations show the level of skill in all aspects of this show's production.

[@leinonibishop9480]

Pascal was in the suit the least amount of time of the 3 people that wear it. Brendan Wayne was in it for most of season 1 and he’s a stunt guy that does the shooting scenes, then there’s the other stunt guy that does the martial arts/ hand to hand stuff and then pascal. I think Brendan Wayne should get credit for developing mando’s mannerisms more than anyone else.

[@nopulpapple991]

This is what Japanese Noh theatre is all about - maximizing expression with the smallest subtleties

[@gaijininja]

There is also the subtle body language trick Pascal used where a tilt of the head would show emotion. Head forward makes the horizontal eye slit look more like an angry frown, while tipping back would appear like surprise. Holding the head straight make it look like steadfast resolution and no fear.

[@melissaharris3389]

It has a lot to do with the design of the helmut. Traditional Japanese Noh masks are designed to allow the actor to emote in specifically this way. Tilling the head subtlety appears to change the expression.

[@Superabound2]

That's not Pascal, it's his stand-in

[@JavaRivers]

Yeah Right @@Superabound2 😆😆

[@JavaRivers]

I'm sorry I had to 😆

[@muldaeroththemurdermage4576]

Like noh theater

[@aviatorengineer3491]

Love how The Mandalorian shows emotion through body language rather than facial expression.

[@ChrisHallbeck]

Surely Favreau solved this years ago with Iron Man. It would be interesting to see Star Wars try that “inside the helmet” view.

[@aceman0000099]

The inside the helmet view is still slightly cringe

[@AdrianRojasF]

I think it works perfectly for Iron Man. But it's way too iconic for someone else to apply it. It's a big risk of having people distracted by it because it would feel like they're copying Iron Man.

[@SauceBlob]

well they did that in the halo show and look how trash that show was...

[@Ranyesn]

Honestly I think they didnt want to do the Iron Man helmet shot bc it's basically what they had to do for all of the X wing fights

[@momsberettas9576]

Tony has 2 identities, Mando has one.

[@Merione]

It is also true that in both The Mandalorian and Darth Vader's cases the design of the helmet itself also helps with the goal of conveying emotions. It's not a generic knight-like helmet, it has a very distinct shape and it also replicates in some way the image of a human face, thus making it more relatable to look at. It's like when you look at a car from the front you can kinda see a "face" made by the left and right lights and the central elements of the design. Putting some kind of "eyes" on an object always helps the audience to connect to it in a much stronger way.

[@rosesweetcharlotte]

The Mandalorian helmet is just perfect. And it's a design we see repeatedly a lot in the franchise.

[@theyautjawarrior6652]

The OT did manipulate the lighting on Vader's mask to help him convey different emotions to it actually looked like the mask was making a different expression when it wasn't. At the end of ROTJ when he's pleading with luke to take the mask off, the helmet is loosely slid slightly off the mask to make his expression look pained and sorrowful.

[@AxeBearWhoCares]

The thing that annoys me about the helmet problem is that there are so many historical example of effective helmets that shows the person’s face or the majority of their face. Just wear a kettle helm! Even nobles wore them on occasion!

[@mythwest]

Precisely! There’s tons of examples. The more movies I watch, the more I’m convinced Hollywood writers have never done any simple historical research

[@planescaped]

An open faced sallet or barbute too, in fact, knights sometimes would forgo wearing the face plates by choice even in battle as they could be claustrophobic.

[@thewickedwoods8881]

2012's Dredd is a great example of a main character wearing their helmet for an entire film. Fantastic movie and an outstanding performance from Karl Urban.

[@carn9507]

I dunno about the movie itself (I found it rather dull and disappointing as a long time reader of the 2000AD and Judge Dredd progs) but the fact he did keep the helmet on throughout was appreciated for sure.

[@shadowfox009x]

I was thinking the same thing. Didn't Urban actually fight to keep the helmet on the whole time? Because that was more accurate to the comic?

[@ExpendableSith]

I think that one of the biggest reasons we see these characters without their helmets is that, and I'm painting with EXTREMELY broad strokes here, a lot of these characters are played by actors with colossal egos. They WANT to be seen. The helmet hides their pretty faces. The helmet must come off.

[@thechannelofultimatedestiny]

I always thought the obsession with showing faces was due to actors ego combined with small/unimaginative thinking on the part of decision-makers. I don't think any creative person seriously doubted the possibility of expressing emotion with a masked face.

[@kreigguardsman3355]

I think all actors have some ego

[@he-manworld6140]

It isn't so much the actors, but the studios. The studios feel the actor they are paying top dollar for needs to be seen at all times.

[@ShurikenSean]

@@he-manworld6140 yeah I can definitely see it from that perspective, there are probably actors that have the ego they want to be seen. but some of the best actors can understand its about the show and character, not them, such as Pedro Pascal who understood the helmet's importance in the story and character and embraced expressing through body language and subtle head movements. even in the scenes where his helmet was removed he moves his head/body as if it was on. like someone who spent their whole life wearing that helmet

[@TheSuperRatt]

Of course they want to be seen, they want to be recognized for their work.

[@MikeHesk742]

Mando is just genius design all-round. It's a character that by design can basically show up anywhere. I mean that both in terms of a design that looks at home in any setting (chrome but dirty, fits in dusty frontier towns but also clean-looking ships or futuristic prequel-esque planets), a character that can be justified showing up anywhere when the story demands it (gun for hire), and an outfit that doesnt demand specifically Pedro Pascal to be wearing it (though I think he does a great job).

[@wrenchinator9715]

Red Vs Blue also had some good expressions with helmets on and even less movement options. They relied on dialog of course, but also found subtle tilts of the helmet (even more so for others like Carolina's helmet) could also convey emotion. Her helmet gave off a very aggressive/angry feeling when tilted down for instance. These shows show that the helmet problem can be overcome with creativity and careful thought. Unfortunately Hollywood is in short supply of both.

[@Shinzon23]

Was not expecting someone to bring up red versus blue in here

[@JoshB_TheTower]

TUCKER DID IT!

[@migultantamco]

Even more so with the fact that their body language (barring the animated scenes) we’re even more restricted yet they were able to display the characters feeling through the dialogue and limited player actions alone

[@wrenchinator9715]

@@migultantamco Exactly! Hollywood has no excuse for being unable to act and emote in helmets. If a dozen guys could do it with a handful of xboxes for thirteen amazing seasons, so can they.

[@TommVenable]

I came here to say the same thing. RvB influenced my own body language when I wear a helmet. I didn’t realize that until I started talking to people with a motorcycle helmet on and imagined how Carolina would have conveyed emphasis on certain lines. It just… worked.

[@weeferooni]

dude. making mando chrome was the best design choice ever. theres one scene in the desert where they are about to be ambushed by sand folk. you can actually see the sand people stalking mando in the reflection of his helmet when i am not even sure the character is supposed to be able to see it. the way he is shown with subtilely nervous body language right when you see the object of his fear in the reflection of his actual face hit SO hard for me when i first watched it.

[@newchangeunlisted_viewer5594]

THAT IS SO COOL!!!!

[@JacobPaul123]

I think my favorite example is v for vendetta. Not only is his face covered but the mask has a smile on it and you still get every emotion from him

[@Raso719]

Honestly I think it has more to do with a deep, narcissistic need to put a Hollywood star's face on display than with any story telling decision. I absolutely believe Hollywood thinks viewers are so stupid that they wouldn't know how to feel without characters showing facial expressions. But I frankly believe it has more to do with Hollywood's obsession with their system of star recognition.

[@AngeloBarovierSD]

It's rarely narcissism. Studios prefer recognizable faces, just as they prefer recognizable names. It's considered an audience draw. A director may crave all the accuracy they want but studios want butts in seats.

[@sharkpoems4617]

Same issue with Spider-Man always taking off his mask

[@TheDragonfriday]

Japan does it better with faceless characters, they're usually the most badass fun characters. Just look at goblin slayer

[@Raso719]

@@TheDragonfriday totally agree. They have whole styles of theater that predate Hollywood which resolved around fully masked characters. Noh, for example.

[@Pailzor]

@@sharkpoems4617 Came to say this. In the comics, responsibility and the mask are the core concepts of his character: to do everything within his power, while still protecting his loved ones. His spider-sense even alerts him if someone sees him while unmasking. In the MCU especially, it's "Oh, I have a line? Mask off.", no matter how many people are around. "What? My identity was discovered?!" Well yeah, everyone sees your face 30% of the time, and has a camera and internet access in their pocket.

[@thewovenmantis6813]

Your mention of including some differences between armor during the Last Duel section was a nice touch, and also historically accurate. Knights often customized their armor to make it look unique. In Hollywood, all of the productions are fashioned in such a way that everything looks so grey and drab, but in reality - knights especially - were very colorful and decorated.

[@mythwest]

Thanks, I’m a big armor/history fan! I used a German Teutonic Great Helm as reference for the painting I did in that segment.

[@anaussie213]

@@mythwest loved the inclusion, the classic bretonnian knight helmet of warhammer.

[@agneskirsch8335]

That helmet wouldn't have been worn in a duel though, the Horns would have been a impractical in a fight.

[@MasterTMO]

One thing I think I noticed in your chosen clips was the range of motion the helmet could convey. In the 'good' clips, the helmet were all raised away from the shoulders/chest area, so the actor could freely tilt their head and had a wide range of motion; whereas in the 'bad' clips, the helmets were larger, and often sat flush against the chest armor, limiting the actor to minor turns of the head in either direction. This allows more emotion to be conveyed through physical motion rather than facial expressions.

[@mythwest]

Interesting thoughts. If there has to be any historical inaccuracy in a costume, that makes me want to see a shorter more mobile helmet, rather than a half-visor

[@Corrupted]

I never knew this was an issue, books and most games have no problem conveying emotions without facial expressions - I thought Hollywood just wanted to show the star's face for better marketing/publicity reasons

[@Rowan3733]

With books you get to read the protagonists thoughts, which is something that you don't really see in movies etc. Also the narrator can tell you what or how the protagonist feels. This becomes more so effective with first person narration. With games, you usually play as the character, or you can see the characters face/expression (god of war, metal gear solid 5, last of us etc. In all these story driven games the MC doesn't wear a helmet for the same reason discussed in the video)

[@hf117j]

You can read characters thoughts in books. In games you play as them, and all the voiced characters and animators are used to making characters come to life without their faces.

[@ardanblade641]

It’s about ego. Stars in Hollywood want their faces seen. In fact, Din Djarn’s actor reportedly pushed for his helmet to be removed more frequently in Season 2 of the Mandalorian.

[@shikniwho7215]

yes, it is pretty much the case, it likely in the contract that they need to let the actor show the face and this is bother me a lot, specially in Amazing Spiderman since Andrew Garfield keep finding cheap reason to took off his mask. But game also do it a lot nowaday, removed the character's helmet during cutscene like they want to show off the new facial animation.

[@nolaffinmatter]

@@ardanblade641 It's not "ego", an actor's face is their main tool. This video does a good job showing how it's *possible* to convey nuanced emotion using just voice and body language, but faces are still the main way that humans read emotion. Think about how much more powerful it is to look someone straight in the eyes versus just generally looking in their direction. Think about how often movies cut to close ups on faces when they need a character to convey something important. Think about how emojis are mostly built around facial expressions, not poses. An actor's face is a huge part of their craft, so if you're taking away one of their main tools it should only be because the story wouldn't work otherwise.

[@xwindkey]

A worthy mention of a failure to incorporate the helmet into the Story was in the Halo TV series, they completely chickened out in that one, removing the Master Chiefs Helmet almost immediately. It was such a crime to the character.

[@Strideo1]

What Halo TV series?

[@anonymousapproximation8549]

@@Strideo1 Forward Unto Dawn or something. Except, I don't think they took off Chief's helmet?

[@anonymousapproximation8549]

@@comradestalin1211 I'm playing to the joke where we deny it's existence because how bad it is.

[@Noone-of-your-Business]

The thing about Darth Vader's helmet was also that we got nothing but a _glimpse_ of the actual *man* inside the suit before the grand finale when we finally got to see his _face_ and his humanity. This is what Dustin Hofman's character in "Wag the Dog" called _"You don't put Jaws in the first reel of the movie"_ - something that neither Jar Jar Abrams nor Ryan's Johnson understood. You use the helmet to build up mystique and fear of your villain, and you do not release that tension before the final showdown. Never ever.

[@ottifant64]

Yeah, I don’t think making Kylo Ren mysterious was the point. Him taking his helmet off was supposed to show that he really was just a young dude as opposed to old, scarred Vader.

[@TomBrawns]

Vader was interesting in this aspect. In ANH, he's just a menacing yet mysterious figure. He clearly has a past with Obi-wan and Luke's father but you don't know much beyond that. Then ESB rolls around and it's revealed that Vader's weak under the helmet. He's still mysterious and arguably more menacing, but it raises more questions about his past. You even see the weakness behind Vader when he tells Luke the big secret. Then when ROTJ comes out, we start to see that weakness bleed through with his obsession and communication with Luke. And when the mask finally comes off, you see who Vader really is. You know more so with the mask than without, but only after it's taken off. Pretty genius story telling.

[@Cybernaut551]

I agree.

[@TheThingInMySink]

When you mentioned the horns on the helmet I couldn't help but think back to how they actually recognized people on the battlefield, namely coats of arms, banners and symbols often worked into the armour itself. People back then had a much more pressing need to know who was who on the battlefield than we do when we're watching a film. You could use that to pronounce the differences of two characters, the livery doesn't necessarily have to be fully historical, just the fact that it's there would make myself and many other history enthusiasts jump in excitement.

[@sirpiken]

That scene in RotJ where the emperor is shocking Luke and you can see the lightning being reflected off Vader's helmet is another really amazing example of this. You can see through something that isn't even part of the character or really even part of the helmet how it's emotionally effecting Vader.

[@adamgreenspan4988]

Body language is key - the angle and movement of the head, the posture, slumped shoulders, clenched fists or hands that hesitate or reach towards a weapon. Plus, of course, tone of voice and even how the actor breathes. These are all tools in an actor’s toolbox, whether their face is obscured or not. Editing, shot composition, and the musical score, too, are tools at a director’s disposal to convey emotional cues. Not to mention the actions and words of the character themselves.

[@RothAnim]

Absolutely. There are plenty of shows with masked/helmeted heroes, but most of them tend towards very broad, exaggerated movements: Japanese tokusatsu series like Super Sentai (Power Rangers), Ultraman and Kamen Rider all use this method. This broad acting is stylized, which makes it feel "unrealistic" when placed against more naturalistic acting (I.e. The Green Goblin in Sam Raimi's Spiderman comes off looking like a Power Ranger compared to the acting of Spiderman). It takes great care from the writer, actor and director to get a more subtle performance without relying on facial features. The writer needs to make the tone clear in the dialog, the actor needs to choose what body language to best convey that emotion, and the director needs to choose the shots that best capture the subtleties of performance. It's hard work, and the reward is making it seem so effortless that it doesn't look like work at all.

[@brandtmanning1084]

Watching Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy.........that body language says it all

[@RothAnim]

@@brandtmanning1084 It also helps that James Earl Jones was able to perform the lines based on the acting, and the editor could line them up without having to worry about lip synch.

[@brandtmanning1084]

@@RothAnim Totally agree and even though I have always thought of James Earl Jones's voice as being PERFECT for Darth Vader, I never really considered the difficulty of matching the voice to the movements and keeping the timing. Thanks for pointing that out and I totally agree. What's funny is my oversight kinda supports that all the ingredients on screen makes Vader a believable character.....not an actor in a suit with a voice over and editing. To me.....Its Darth Vader

[@comet5607]

The amount of work you put in this to make it structured is SO refreshing.

[@mythwest]

Thanks!

[@ZeRafut]

And yet it's just nonsense...

[@mythwest]

Hey since you were one of the early fans I wanted to let you know that I just launched the official channel Instagram @myth.west , in case you wanted to keep up with updates, behind the scenes and etc. Thanks again for being a fan!

[@johnnye87]

That HelmetCam could have worked so well in Game of Thrones. The books make such a repeated point about the tradeoffs involved in fighting in armour and it's a great way of communicating that idea cinematically.

[@Supermatmike]

The algorithm smiles upon you.

[@qmyers367]

It’s like this dude was ready for the algorithm to shine, lol.

[@Honored_one-oi9ps]

Indeed

[@mcltim]

So say we all!

[@mythwest]

It sure has! Hey since you were one of the early fans I wanted to let you know that I just launched the official channel Instagram @myth.west in case you wanted to keep up with updates, behind the scenes and etc. Thanks again for being a fan!

[@onbearfeet]

Honestly, "impassive character who communicates a lot through small movements and vocal choices" is one of my favorite storytelling tropes. It's a high-risk/high-reward proposition, which is probably why it's rare, but I wish more stories would swing for the fences with it. Also, those Court Jester clips got me to click on this video. The pellet with the poison's in the vessel with the pestle ... or was it the flagon with the dragon?

[@joeydubs]

The court jester is a banger

[@onbearfeet]

@@joeydubs A jester unemployed is nobody's fool.

[@eyesofthecervino3366]

Agreed. One of my pet peeves is the opposite, overutilized trope, "Whoever says it loudest means it most."

[@ssaylor]

Right. But there's been a change.... They broke the chalice from the palace.

[@alexandramarberry1023]

The single most iconic and masterful use of writing a helmet into the plot: Spaceballs.

[@c.r.blankenship9040]

I’m glad you mentioned Darth Vader in this because this ties into the Obi-Wan series as well. The change from previous Vader body actors to Hayden Christiansen was immediately noticeable. Vader can often seem a bit cold and unfeeling, but the way Hayden walked and moved in the suit emanated a malice and hatred that I’d truly don’t think we’ve ever seen from Darth Vader. For me, it even kind of helped tie the prequels to the original series getting to see `Hayden in the suit.

[@Prefix1998]

Obi wan series was just reva with obi wan as a cameo

[@baconburgeronly3089]

@@Prefix1998 haters gonna hate on stupid shit

[@LilacSreya]

@@Prefix1998 The op was specifically talking about something, and you purposely went off-topic to bitch about Reva. 🙄

[@Grimmers]

It's a shame that show's only good scene was copied directly from a cartoon though. The Rebels animated show pretty much did the exact same scene concept with Ahsoka and Vader.

[@unhiro7]

Hugo Weaving absolutely nailed acting through the mask in V for Vendetta.

[@tavastian3288]

Dredd didnt require Karl Urban to take off his helmet to convey emotional impact. Infact, Urban insisted he never takes the helmet off for the entire movie and it was way better for it. Dredd is a tremendously good movie and I just cant understand why it flopped, its a perfect action movie with an actual plot and characters that makes sense

[@SweBeach2023]

We could see the lower parts of his face though, and our mouth carry more emotions than any other part of the face.

[@jasonmullinder]

Urban unlike most actors wasn't a little princess that wanted his face on screen as much as possible . It didn't do as well as it should because Hollywood and audiences couldn't care less about adapting comics accurately

[@sharpe8888]

@@SweBeach2023 The eyes are the window to the soul.

[@curtisbme]

@@SweBeach2023 Stop with your facts. The masses can't processes those, only irrational nerd rage.

[@andmicbro1]

Also notable, Karl Urban in the movie Dredd. Which was a big deal at the time because people recognized the Hollywood helmet removal trope, and the previous Judge Dredd movie featuring Sylvester Stallone pretty went helmetless despite the comic book character the story was based on featured a guy who never took of his helmet either.

[@jarrakul]

At the end of the day, I think the problem is that you absolutely can portray compelling emotion without the face, it's just... harder. The face is a shortcut. It's the easy, reliable way. To portray emotion with the whole body, and not just the face, you need good actors, good camera work, and good direction. Those things aren't always easy to come by.

[@tamhederson]

Just as in Judge Dread, the same thing happened. The entire history of the comic version he never ever took off his helmet, it was like a code, similar to the Mandalorian, then they made a film version with Stalone who preceded to take his helmet off within 10 minutes of the film beginning ...I remember half the audience getting up and leaving the cinema which was hilarious. Then in 2012 they redid the film with Karl Urban (star trek, the boys etc..) and they nailed it. The helmet stayed on the entire film and it was just like in the comics, intimidating...

[@DKC196]

Sadly the 2012 version didn’t get enough attention for possible future content with Karl Urban :(

[@pianoman8029]

This helmet solution has been accomplished by the clone wars, filoni wanted to humanise the clones, and he did that by animating them in a way that allows us feel what they were feeling without showing their faces....i didnt really think about till i watched it back, its genius!! Now favreau is doing the exact same thing but live action. Im glad these 2 are buddies in making star wars material....they the closest thing we have to a George Lucas rn

[@rosesweetcharlotte]

This is actually why I like that they had Boba Fett without his helmet so much in BoBF. It was this constant reminder that Boba wasn't just some bounty hunter. He is a part of the larger story being told here, especially given Mando's ties to The Clone Wars.

[@gullyfeather4330]

I loved how clone wars would sometimes get reaction shots of clones with helmets on being surprised, just showing the surprise entirely with body langauge. They did pretty well to keep the number of knocked off helmets to a minimum I think

[@pianoman8029]

@@gullyfeather4330 go watch the Umbara arc...its the perfect example of expression through body language...u can actually feel that the clones were Furious, esprcially Rex hes when being confronted by the General

[@AdrianRojasF]

I like how in Tartakovsky's Clone Wars they have the Obi-Wan battle with the clone trooper helmet on and after a lot of tension they reveal it's him. Taking off the helmet is a reveal on its own, dramatically and symbolically, rather than just a cheap device. And the ARC troopers are badass af.

[@Avalanche041]

Excellent sound design is also key. The musical score can convey how the audience is supposed to be feeling just as well as the characters face. This is especially true for star wars which lives and dies by the soundtrack and effect noises.

[@liskavanrijin]

And the Mando Soundtrack is just pure gold.

[@maybeJace]

This is why I really like Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man. The amount of emotion he conveys through the suit with the mask on was amazing

[@strix3d609]

I just realized at the end of the video that you not only do you have 4 subscribers, but this is also your first upload. And woah you have some real talent. I am eagerly awaiting your next upload. In the mean time, I'm gonna share this like crazy.

[@mythwest]

You don’t know what this encouragement means to me. I can’t wait to release more on this channel, got lots of awesome videos coming!!

[@qmyers367]

Right?! Like where did this dude come from?! I need moar!!!

[@mythwest]

Hey my og fan! Just wanted to let you know that I just launched the official channel Instagram @myth.west in case you wanted to keep up with updates, behind the scenes and etc. Thanks again for being a fan, and for starting it all with this comment!

[@thecactusman17]

The biggest thing The Mandalorian but also Chewbacca and R2-D2 teach us about these types of characters is that body language, cinematography, set design and other characters in the scene can all be used by directors and actors to add subtle and nuanced context cues for the audience when the actors face cannot be shown.

[@Matt-zu2lu]

I think Star Wars The Clone Wars is a great example of how much a voice actor can do, you got one voice actor who is essentially voicing an entire military of soldiers who are always wearing helmets constantly and not only does Dee Bradley Baker pull make almost every character feel unique he also delivers a lot of emotions without the show having to make the clones remove their helmets except for when it makes sense like when they’re not in an active combat with a few exceptions

[@The_D0C70R]

I've noticed the helmet problem also applies to masks for superheroes. Just look at Raimi's Spider-Man.

[@mythwest]

Absolutely. I considered adding a segment in this video about it. From what I see That’s what separates Tom Holland’s Spider-Man from the other two, he has those dilating eye pieces that provide a little more emotion, so he can stay in the mask longer. (Though not the whole time) The other two either take their mask off in the final battle scenes or parts of it get torn away in the fight.

[@RoninXDarknight]

@@mythwest It is worth noting, however, that most iterations of Spider-Man's mask aren't there for protection but rather to conceal his identity from the general public. Removing that mask for those climactic battles is less of an issue because in pretty much every instance the battle is out of view of the public and with someone who already knows who is under the mask...or in the case of Endgame, he's surrounded by people whom he doesn't need to conceal his identity from. Also it's worth noting that, at least in Holland's case (and there is probably argument enough for this being the case for the other two), all his senses are dialed up to 11 and the mask helps mute them so he isn't overwhelmed at all times. Thus, removing the mask for that final confrontation can be seen as him symbolically, if usually unintentionally, taking his gloves off.

[@templarw20]

It's also been a technology problem. Comic Spider-Man's eyes weren't static, because... comics. But until the Holland Spider-Man they didn't want to have the dynamic eyes. Deadpool decided to forget "realism" and just made the mask eyes animated, and it was all the better for it.

[@ericpeterson8732]

@@RoninXDarknight what? I did see Tony remark that Holland's Peter needed dark glasses because his eyes were sensitive to light, so you might have a case there, but while Maguire's Peter had the super-slow-motion vision (also to represent his spider sense), there is nothing in the Rami trilogy, nor the Edwards amazing series that the mask "dulls" his senses. It was a throwaway line from Civil War that you've extrapolated into a plot point.

[@VxV631]

Your point of historical accuracy is spot on. One of the reasons HERALDRY was a thing, was to identify who was who UNDER THEIR ARMOR. *historian angry noises* (great video ofc lol)

[@mythwest]

Right??

[@tjriley1795]

Another great use of helmets is in the movie "Dredd". Where Judge Dredd never takes his helmet off, as that would be a failure of a judge to do so while on duty.

[@andyhx2]

This problem was already partially solved in Dark Knight Rises. Tom Hardy as Bane conveys as much emotion with voice and eye movement as facial expression. Interesting usage of occasional convenient helmet usage is also in Gladiator movie, too bad the protagonist stopped using it once the he had no real reason to hide his identity - as if purpose of helmet was to hide ones identity and not to save from deadly blows to head...

[@InfernosReaper]

Dark Knight Rises is a bad example, because Bane sounds neither menacing nor intelligible

[@anaussie213]

V for vendetta had Weaving emoting behind a mask through voice and face/body posture.

[@cannonfodder4000]

But you can see his eyes..

[@rosesweetcharlotte]

I fucking hated his voice and questioned why they had him talking so much. And why was he British?!

[@Dommbuscus]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who appreciates Tom Hardy's Bane, I thought he was awesome. Definitely the best part of Dark Knight Rises (unfortunately)

[@CharliMorganMusic]

Hollywood forgot that for most of history, it was difficult to see the actor's face because distance, yet actors could portray emotion with their voice and their body. That's all Mando does: he is a stage actor

[@TheRandomSpectator]

I really appreciate the opening with The Court Jester because IT'S SO GOOD and NO ONE HAS HEARD OF IT! Definitely one of my favorites.

[@HazopGaze]

Helmeted characters can be done in many ways, some of which I am also seeking to explore myself. A great inspiration comes from Red Vs Blue and other Halo machinimas, and how their creators used various camera angles to give characters who's faces were helmets a sense of expression. Heads tilted downward with a straight-on angle can give a somewhat intense frustrated or angered look, while looking up from an angle beneath eye level can be used to depict hope as much as horror. Helmets in general are shied away from far too much. I absolutely agree that there is an over-reliance on facial features in film.

[@TheKingsPride]

It was so funny during season 1 of The Mandalorian when people were like “I wonder what he looks like under the helmet?” And I just said “yeah he probably looks pretty similar to Pedro Pascal, since that’s who plays him.” Lo and behold. Honestly, the helmet is so iconic that I feel uncomfortable during scenes where he takes it off. I’m not here to see an actor, I’m here to see The Mandalorian.

[@Josh-vv9mk]

The way you were able to simply convey a complicated issue, give praise to The Mandalorian's writers/cast without bias, make the video entertaining, and make it funny by making fun of that one movie with the half-helmets, without making it feel like bullying and over the top-outstanding video sir. 10/10 loved it

[@mythwest]

I really appreciate that, so glad you enjoyed!

[@woodneel]

As someone who has trouble distinguishing emotions on a human being's face (tension, pain and joy are about the only things I can be sure of, trying to figure out the rest cause me anxiety), having a neutral face on a body that is well-controlled and the "subconscious" body movements being the real tells of the character's thought process, is much easier to follow. It's basically "cartoonish" done well, where the action, no matter how subtle, is emphasized by the direction and cinematography of including it in the scene and dedicating certain amounts of beats and scene time to it. It's also great acting that makes it easier to understand than the jumbled, incomprehensible mess most people barely half-assedly emote in their daily lives rather than "communicate".

[@leadpaintchips9461]

It's less half assed then a problem of you picking it up. There's a _lot_ of people who don't struggle with day to day emoting, much more then those who do. It's a huge part of communication between humans. Not saying that it's wrong that you (or anyone) can't pick it up, just saying that the fault isn't on most people for not exaggerating their emotes enough for you to read.

[@syee3]

This is interesting to me. Is it only the face you find difficult, and is body language (posture and movement) any easier? I mean in real life, not when watching trained actors?

[@tj-co9go]

Some of the most iconic Wild West movies (the Good, the Bad and theUgly) show their characters stare only with their eyes before the battle. The same with many other movies. Just imagine how awesome such a shot can be when it is done with just the eyes being seen behind the visor of a helmet

[@wardeni4806]

The Mandalorian is a prime example of how you don't need to always see an actor's face to see what they're conveying, you can also do it all through body language. The way you breathe, the way you move, if you tilt your head to the side, up or down, do you fidget, how you stop movement while thinking etc. It's all conveying your emotion and intent, and with the character of the Mandalorian it's a genius way of utilising the art of emoting as a primary means of non verbal communication. Everyone does it all their life anyway, but it rarely gets highlighted.

[@MaltomaniaGamer]

I feel like the dark souls series handles this very well. Granted it’s not a film but a lot of the points you make about the films that creatively enhance its storytelling along with the use of helmets on the main characters applies to dark souls characters like Solaire and Siegfried. The voice acting and dialogue is so emotionally charged that you can’t help but feel for these characters. Almost cried when I found Solaire in Lost Izalith the first time.

[@wannabesurferdude6385]

The funny thing about the Dark Souls games is that even characters with exposed faces don’t actually have facial animations, so helmeted characters actually maintain the illusion that they’re talking better and feel more “alive”

[@kendrick6740]

It’s not just the writing, it’s the increased difficulty for the actor as well. Without the face, there’s a huge emphasis on using body language and subtle head movements to convey meaning and emotion, which many actors especially from a non-theatrical background may find difficult.

[@tieshianna8833]

I really like the way they worked with helmets i a knights tale. The closing of visors or removal of the helmets really conveyed a start/finish of a fight. And this really showed how other productions could use helmets. Just have visors and close them at the last moment, this can even be a character defining element.

[@WillieHoule]

Not only that, but with the helmet on, its easier to put ourselves in the characters and project our own emotions onto him/her even if it wasnt the director intention.

[@mythwest]

Yes!!

[@NieroshaiTheSable]

But why do we need to do that? Not every character needs to be, or is meant to be, a self-insert.

[@nickthedreamer4434]

Instantly subscribed for 2 reasons: 1) You used "The Court Jester" footage in a video. This alone is worth my appreciation since The Court Jester is one of my favorite underrated films of all time. 2) You've given me a brand new idea for a future D&D character with this helmet on at all times idea in mind. I'm curious as to what my fellow players and DM will react with a character that does this.

[@mythwest]

Thanks so much! Danny Kaye was a legend, and that movie had some comedy genius moments

[@EpsilonXenos]

Goblin Slayer is literally what your second point is describing lmao

[@majingazetto4146]

I think there are a few more things that made The Mandalorian great. Not only that the helmet is baked into the story, the Helmet also is one of the reasons, people are Interested in the character at all. On top of that, acting with a helmet takes a different approach on acting, which Pedro Pascal mastered perfectly. But I agree with your point, the Mandalorian series took the effort to put up with the helmet issue and they did it well.

[@Kaiserland111]

Thank you for covering this important aspect of the film experience that I've always hated - seeing main characters without the single most common and necessary piece of protective equipment ever devised. There is something impressive and powerful about a character properly utilizing armor, especially the helmet, and it breaks immersion for me to always see characters without a helmet precisely in the time of most danger. It's never really been a lack of technology that holds us back from the experience of helmeted combatants, simply a lack of vision and creativity on the part of those making the films, and we're finally seeing that creativity rearing its uncovered head these days.

[@nattenaniel]

And a lack of trust in the audience from Hollywood. Hollywood has had for way to long the mindset that audience is not able to perceive basic things even, so everything needs to be explained in-depth. Characters awkwardly explaining the plot to the viewers cuz Hollywood thinks the audience is stupid. Characters removing their helmets cuz Hollywood thinks the audience is to stupid to get who is who and what emotion’s they feel otherwise.

[@dudeat1320]

I like the scene when Darth Vader struggles with his decision to save Luke

[@mythwest]

Man that moment’s just so full of emotion/tension. Darth’s most emotive moment imo

[@CornerTalker]

The same problem exists in science fiction's space suits. So many directors have approached the problem by putting lights inside the helmet playing their beams on the character's face.

[@dicesectiongamedesigns8594]

How is this the only video you have? This is fantastic quality.

[@mythwest]

Thank you so much! Stay tuned, I’ve got a lot more coming!

[@mythwest]

Hey since you were one of the early fans I wanted to let you know that I just launched the official channel Instagram @myth.west in case you wanted to keep up with updates, behind the scenes and etc. Thanks again for being a fan!

[@eggstinater]

I just have to say I appreciate your inclusion of the films/series you took the footage from. I'm sure I'm not the only one who will watch a video only to be left wondering what movie/media a scene comes from. Its not something a lot of people do so I just want to give you props for including that 👏

[@zaratti24]

Great video! I'm glad there are creative people out there that actually think about problems like this.

[@zumwansi6734]

Halfway through watching this, I noticed this was your first upload! Wow! Absolutely amazing content man! I can't wait for your next upload

[@mythwest]

Thank you so much!! Got some more videos coming soon!

[@mythwest]

Hey since you were one of the early fans I wanted to let you know that I just launched the official channel Instagram @myth.west in case you wanted to keep up with updates, behind the scenes and etc. Thanks again for being a fan!

[@ricardobimblesticks1489]

Perhap I am imagining it but at 2:23 the positioning of his head, tilted forward and to the side gives me the impression of eyes narrowed in suspicion. Compared to 2:47 head back, eyes wider assessing or 'oh so it's like that is it'. I wonder if they had various helmets with slight variation to reinforce the body language. Imagined or not it's a good excuse for a rewatch. Great upload, "please sir can I have more" ;-)

[@mythwest]

Now I’m starting to wonder haha… Thanks so much, I’ve got more content coming soon I think you’ll enjoy!

[@catsozen]

Although not a movie, this treatment reminded me of how they do Master Chief in the Halo series game. His identity is always hidden behind his helmet but the developers made sure that it didn't hinder his expressions through sheer use of body language, acting, camera angles and moments of silence. It's a subtle but effective method.

[@Flash_Funnies2137]

Another example that proves you can have your protagonist wear a helmet and yet have the audience understand his emotions is Dredd from 2012. Even though the helmet stays on the entire duration of the movie it is quite clear what emotion is being shown.

[@theyautjawarrior6652]

Robocop and Predator are also two amazing examples of film characters who wear face obscuring helmets, granted they both end up showing their faces at the end of their films but for the bulk they both showcase phenomenal physical acting.

[@pj3352]

Master chiefs armour and helmet are an iconic part of Halo. Having no face adds such a cool layer of mysticism. Writers of the new series need a stern talking too.

[@NieroshaiTheSable]

The show was loosely inspired by the novels. The show doesn't _have_ to be the games.

[@cammando2363]

Another example is by Dred. Judge Dred he kicks his helmet off within minutes of the movie starting. Dred he never takes his helmet off for the whole movie. I can’t help but feel if Dred had come out around this time instead of the mid teens it may have done much better. Maybe we will get a see a second Carl Urban Dredd.

[@JoeEnglandShow]

It began with Darth Vader, Star Wars mastering the art of conveying emotion without faces. Really wish more movies would remember that.

[@malcolmmacguffin3972]

Nope, it began with HAL from Space Odyssey. And I think especally the views into Mandos "face" are pretty similar to the views into HALs red eye. Where sometimes there's not even talking.

[@JoeEnglandShow]

@@malcolmmacguffin3972 Well, we're kinda talking about Star Wars specifically, and its usage of masks. If we go beyond that to discuss disembodied voices in general then we might as well say it began with radio plays. Those big old radios did have a presence of their own, implacable as narrators and actors read their lines through it. I would even say that Vader's facade resembles nothing so much as a menacing radio.

[@svenblubber5448]

@@JoeEnglandShow Talking specifically about Star Wars, C-3PO should get a mention for defacto humanoid using only his voice and body-acting to convey emotions...

[@JoeEnglandShow]

@@svenblubber5448 Very true!

[@harrylane4]

@@JoeEnglandShow if we want to stretch even further, Greek plays had masks that showed a single emotion that was meant to characterize the entire character.

[@hollismccray3297]

Agreed, we don't really need to see an actor's face for them to convey emotion. One of the secrets to Ron Perlman's career has been his ability to act and emote while wearing heavy prosthetics. Often most of his face is covered except for his eyes and mouth, but he still manages to convey great emotion. And in the Mandalorian, we don't need to zoom in on a character's eyes to see where he's focused, he turns his head.

[@Deadman3913]

Not mentioned but very much related to the Hollywood helmet issue: in movies like Top Gun, the only fighter pilots that use tinted visors with their masks are the “bad guys”.

[@darthswagedorn]

Yep, basically two sides of the same coin. It's a common trope for rank & file antagonists to have their faces obscured with masks or helmets as a way of dehumanizing them so the audience doesn't feel as conflicted about the protagonists killing them left and right. They become faceless mooks, not people. As for the rank & file protagonists, if they have helmets, they're far more likely to be open-faced so the audience can see and empathize with them. Star Wars is a textbook example; just look at the rebels and the stormtroopers. Even among the rebel pilots who have helmets with visors, said visors are transparent-orange, clearly displaying the pilots' faces, while the Imperial pilots have full-face helmets.

[@Just_Adrian_]

Another reason to keep the helmet on is that it makes it much more meaningful when the helmet is taken of (like in the mandalorian)

[@dakotaemata8]

The Court Jester has been my favorite movie since I was a kid. I appreciate how many Clips you used from it, you've earned a new fan.

[@MistaPuffa]

This was a well done video. I’m surprised it’s this channel’s first video. The quality made it seem like you’ve been at it for years. Please keep it up. Quality, not quantity

[@mythwest]

Thanks!

[@velcro4836]

@@mythwest I wanted to say the same thing. This video is so good! I subscribed instantly.

[@JacopoSkydweller]

@@velcro4836 Likewise. 2k subs and nearly 600k views from a brand new channel. Kickass @Mythwest.

[@mythwest]

Hey since you were one of the early fans I wanted to let you know that I just launched the official channel Instagram @myth.west in case you wanted to keep up with updates, behind the scenes and etc. Thanks again for being a fan!

[@mythwest]

@@JacopoSkydweller Thanks so much! Hey since you were one of the early fans I wanted to let you know that I just launched the official channel Instagram @myth.west in case you wanted to keep up with updates, behind the scenes and etc. Thanks again for being a fan!