The Chosen One: Marty Supreme

Graphic of Marty Supreme ( Francisco Linares / The Puma Prensa‍ )

Francisco Linares, Sports Editor

When thinking about your future, one thing is always the most important to consider: your dreams. “Chase your dreams and dream big” is drilled into your mind starting at childhood. The question is, how far are you willing to go for those dreams?

Marty Supreme, the new drama movie that has captivated the world, exemplifies how we would look at someone truly doing anything possible in their power to pursue their purpose.   

While watching Marty on this seemingly never ending chase for success, it’s clear that he won’t stop until he sees his goal through. Marty's hunger to be at the top of the table tennis game makes you question if you really want to root for this guy. He starts off this movie as just someone trying to see his purpose through, but as the movie goes on and he betrays more people, you wonder why the people he's wronging keep coming back. You might slightly relate to why they continue to come back, because you, the watcher, can't stop watching either, for the sole purpose of wanting to see him win. 

Marty says to his love interest: “I have a purpose, and if you think that's some sort of blessing, it's not, it means I have an obligation to see a very specific thing through and with that obligation comes sacrifice.” In this scene, you really begin to ponder whether or not he deserves to succeed. This is because, right before this quote, he tells the mother of his future child: “you don't have a purpose.” Then, he completely abandons her.

The reason he must go to Tokyo is because he lost in the English Open table tennis tournament to a Japanese player named Endo. Endo, after beating Marty, became a Japanese national treasure. Endo symbolizes discipline and calmness: everything Marty isn't. Marty and his one-sided beef isn’t just about competition anymore, it’s also about proving to himself that he deserves to continue to chase his goal. The desperation for Marty to win this game is palpable, as even after being rejected from the World Table Tennis Tournament, his goal remains the same. To beat Endo means to beat the doubt people have in him. But, the whole reason why Marty is in Japan was because he got paid to play Endo to hype up the tournament.

When the smoke has finally cleared and Marty finally wins, you feel happy for him. But then, you also have the lingering question of “was it really worth it?” Marty Supreme isn't really a story of triumph; it’s about whether or not you really are willing to risk it all for yourself.