Director: Steven E. de Souza
Writer: Steven E. de Souza
Genre: Action
Year: 1994
Rated: PG-13
Starring:
Jean-Claude Van Damme as Guile
Raul Julia as Bison
Kylie Minogue as Cammy
Those who fight monsters should take care that they do not become one.
— Friedrich Nietzsche
Street Fighter is the story of a tragic hero's downfall. The once patriotic Colonel Guile's obsession with tracking down and destroying the psychotic warlord General Bison drives him too far. His vendetta overwhelms everything else, causing him to turn his back on his country and everything he loves. By the time the credits role, his transformation is complete. Guile has turned into everything he hated. In his quest to destroy Bison, he became Bison.
Guile sees himself reflected in the similarly obsessed Chun-Li, a Chinese reporter who is actually just trying to get close to Bison to extract revenge for destroying her village. Guile hypocritically attempts to arrest her while muttering under his breath about his own personal reasons for going after Bison, which the movie shows overshadowed his duty, his loyalty, and even his good sense. This was, perhaps, Guile's final chance at redemption. He looked into the mirror and failed to see what he was becoming.
Shortly after this, a body of international politicians decides that the war against Bison has cost too much. They decide to recognize the sovereignty of the territory Bison has captured, legitimizing his claims and his jurisdiction. As the field commander of the Allied Nations armed forces, Guile has his orders: he is to stand down. The war is over. His single-minded obsession, however, won't let him. This is the point of no return for Guile. He rallies his troops, each one steadfastly loyal to Guile over all else, and turns them from an organized military force with the full backing and authority of the sovereign nations that trained and supplied them into a band of outlaw mercenaries and guerillas with their own agenda. It is at this point that the last of what separated himself from the warlord is lost. The idea that politicians set policy that the military enforces is lost. The military has ignored the government, and by proxy, the people they are sworn to serve and protect.
The final act which symbolically drives this point home comes when Bison intends to display his mutant killing machine Blanka for the first time. Since the beginning of the movie, Bison had been brainwashing, training, and mutating Carlos Blanka to bend him to his will, robbing him of his very humanity in the process. He would be the first of an army of these superhuman servants. Guile hides in the capsule to get the drop on Bison. When the mad dictator opens the capsule to reveal his creation, what emerges was not the mindless, green monster, but rather the other victim he had warped, twisted, and robbed of everything that made him what he was.
Was it a homage to Star Wars when Bison attacks Guile with lightning during their final confrontation? If it was, it was brilliantly conducted. While the larger battle raged outside, the battle for Guile's very soul took place in Bison's inner sanctum. Playing the role of the Emperor, Bison challenges Guile to strike him down. Unlike Luke Skywalker, however, Guile gives in to his rage and attacks. It is too late for Guile — he is irredeemable. In killing Bison, he has not only become Bison, but he has succeeded him.
What is not shown is the aftermath of Guile's tragic decisions. Guile, and his loyal army, have betrayed their own countries. Their actions cannot be justified, neither by their motivation, nor by their consequences. They stole weapons, deserted their assigned posts, waged an undeclared war, and assassinated the recognized leader of a sovereign foreign power. To go home would mean facing trial for high treason. But with the fictional nation of Shandaloo now leaderless, and without a viable military, surely the obvious answer must be staring Guile in the face.
Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.