Spiderman 3 – Window to Human Condition?

Spiderman 3 is full of awesome effects and great fun as expected, but what has been getting some press is the insight of the human condition depicted in the character development of the characters.

 

Everyone loves Spiderman. People tell me it is because unlike most ‘superheroes’, Spiderman is a real human being with real human struggle. He wanted money to buy that fancy car to impress the girl. He takes pictures of himself bc he wants to do well as a photographer. He gets mad at his uncle for being a little intrusive. Who can blame him? We all can relate in some way.

 

The evolution of the Spiderman seems all too realistic. Spiderman 1 Peter was just trying to understand his power and its responsibilities. Spiderman 2 was about Peter struggling to accept the role of being a ‘hero’. Spiderman 3, peter has accepted his superhero status and is slowly becoming proud as the fame gets to his head.

 

We know this to be true to life. Just think about athletes who gain fame or businessmen who rise to high places or politicians who become corrupt. None of them grew up thinking they would end up that way. Pride and Power are very scary things, but they are scary because people are wired to do that which they deem good or useful for themselves. Let’s be blunt – we are just built to be selfish and put ourselves above all things. Think about Communism. Great Idea – everyone sharing everything, working together with equal economic status. But why does it always seem to fail? Who wants to work hard then have to share what we feel we rightfully earned? Human beings are too selfish to make this work. Think about children who do not have the capacity to put on masks or have been drilled in ettiquette or politeness. They speak what they feel and are found to be extremeley demanding. If you have children or spend enough time with them, you know what I mean. You have to teach a child to share, not to be selfish, they already know how to do that. We feel this way all the time, but we know how we should behave and what is the right thing to say..

 

So how does this all tie back to Spiderman? This movie depicts people as they are – human. Peter Parker slowly gets consumed by his pride and ego. He was a ordinary kid like you and me, but now alienates those around him because he is so enamored by who he is and what he has become. Even the villians who seem to be ordinary citizens slowly sucuumb to their own needs and desires as soon as the restraints are broken off. If there was no law, no order, no consequences for anything we did – do you really think we would be living in a utopia? No way. I would fear for my life everyday and I would also fear what I might end up doing when the wrong situation presents itself. If I have no concept of consequences for my actions, then innately doing ‘bad’ things would become easier and easier to do. For the villians, as soon as they have the power to do what they please, you see their inner desires magnified by their actions.

 

So all in all, this movie depicts did a good job showing the broken human condition. It is refreshing to see a realistic view of people and the real lasting consequences of their actions unlike most of hollywood which seems to suggest people are innately good and consequences are minimal and issued are solved in 30 minutes with no further problems. Some of the characters (even some villians) are able to go through a revelation and redemption which was wonderful to see while others just failed. Again, sadly true to reality.

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