Swan not happy abouts being 2nd in command?

[TheGingerWarrior]

Well i was watching the deleted opening scene just before.
And i noticed that when Cleon announces that Swan is Warchief and the camera Pans over to him, he doesnt look at all bothered or happy and then just looks away as if he didnt even care.
I myself think that he was already recognised as the gangs 2nd so this didnt come as a suprise to him.
What do you think?
Was it Arrogance?
Or was he just the quiet type?

[adam88]

Very good question.  I believe it was just the quiet type.  Whne you read the movie script, Swan is descibed as a shadow of a man.  I personally think that Swan believed he could have done more with his life.  He's probably been through so much with his life, that he couldn't get out of this hell whole.  He felt stuck, and the only thing he had was the warriors.  In the back of his mind, he wanted more, but had a sense of duty and pride tat belonged with the warriors.  So in his mind when he was given tat assignment, that look probably meant "yeah whatever, I do what I always do best, and thats follow orders, and help my fellow soldiers go into battle".  Sometimes people fell that they no longer belong to a certain obligation, but when you have nothing else, I am going to make the best of it.  So basically that look was, of an old fighter wanting more with his existence, and seeing what outside of Coney.

[Lion]

Quiet........, that was the reason Swan's character was so cool, he was quiet, which gave him personality.  Also a sence of authority.

[Swan23]

I agree with them up there, but I also agree with ya, that it doesn't come much of a surprise to him. To me, he already proved himself extremely reliable in his time of being a Warrior. Just like in the game, Cleon wanted Swan because he KNEW that Swan was a great soldier and I always thought that he held Swan in high regard, thus the reason why he was chosen for 2nd in command.

[ajax the warrior]

Swan is not really quiet i just think when cleon said that swan is warcheif that swan was just pulling a serious face that is what i think.

[prozium]

I think it has to do with a little bit more than just being quiet. Swan is not only strong but smart too, he gets himself and the rest of the Warriors through the entire movie :p

Anyway, I think it's about establishing authority and a sense of strictness. Both Swan and Cleon are very serious, which is needed for an authority figure. If Swan was all like "whooo! He picked me!" no one would take him seriously, but he played it off cool, as if expected. When you take orders from someone it's a lot easier to take those orders when the person giving them is calm and serious.

[Swan 1979]

I honestly think Swan took gang life quite seriously and not to get his emotions get ahead of him so he knew the job he had to do and concentrated on it and Swan was more of calm relaxed warcheif even know he was so good at being a leader.

[The Swan]

I think it's simply his way of living the life-gang life... always thinking about every detail, knowning he can do it!
No it isn't arrogance, it's the typical bravemen calmness... at last he led his mates home!!! 8)

[Lion]

All I know that cat was cool as hell.  They couldn't pick a more perfect character to play Swan than Michael Beck.

[Lux]

Well, I have a different opinion about it. I think Swan was just upset with the Conclave idea: "We ain’t even been to The Bronx before". To be honest, none of them except Cleon seemed to be very happy with that journey.

[Ninth Delegate]

The first page of the script that gives the character discriptions states that Swan does not like the role of leadership.  I think thats why when he gets back to coney, he wants to "take off".  He didn't want to remain the warriors leader.

[The Swan]

Well, I have a different opinion about it. I think Swan was just upset with the Conclave idea: "We ain’t even been to The Bronx before". To be honest, none of them except Cleon seemed to be very happy with that journey.

About this: "To be honest, none of them except Cleon seemed to be very happy with that journey." ---> Well, indeed this is what those scenes of the Movie "let" us understand.

Also, what Ninth Delegate posted about the script and Swan gives us, IMO, the right answer.

[Suburban Warlord]

Heavy is the head that wears the crown. With leadership comes
responsibility. He knows his homies can get "wrecked" at anytime
being so far away from home. Quite frankly as well, I feel Swan's
character is a bit tired of the life. Being born into that reality, where
gang life is a matter of survival, and not just kicks is gonna grind
on you eventually if you are smart enough to imagine something better
out there.

Cleon knows that Swan is smart and cool and tough. It's just understood.
Swan's acknowlegement is brief and low key, and dos'nt require words.
Not to drag this on, but also I have always felt that Swan was the
opposite of Ajax. Like two sides of the same coin. Ajax craves power and
glory, and is loud and brash. Swan dos'nt want it, but he cares about
his people, and is duty bound to lead them. It is clear that Swan is
alot like Cleon in personality.

[Ajax*1979]

Why would swan not be happy about being second in command, he obviously didn't know Cleon was dead when they got away from the meeting he had no clue about what happened to Cleon but he probably figured it out at the end of the movie that Cleon got killed. But i dont think he was upset about being second in command, but he would become warlord anyway cause he would replace Cleon rank and snow or Cochise would go into second in command, that's just what i think.

[nightarmyWARRIOR]

Well, I don't think that Swan wasn't happy about being 2nd in command. When he said "We ain't even been to The Bronx before" that doesn't means he didn't want to do his "thing", as 2nd in command. But anyway after the meeting, on the graveyard, Ajax asked him "who named you leader?" and after a while Swan said "make your move". That means he didn't want to lose his command, he would even fight for it.