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Spiderman 3: Choosing to
Forgive
December 10, 2007 By Josh Remington In late summer of last year, when I found out that
there was going to be a Spiderman 3, I got pretty excited. When
I realized it was going to include the Venom Saga, I knew I would need
to write a review. So, after renting the DVD, getting into my favorite
PJs, popping a massive bowl of popcorn and making sure my notebook was
close by, I present to you my (8-month-late) thoughts on last summer's
biggest sequel. Venomous Choices If I were making the movie of the Venom Saga, the
black Spidey suit would have been representative of sin and the
difficulty in getting rid of it in oneself. Of course, I would be
presenting the story from a Christian perspective, and not so worried
about ratings and ticket sales. Imagine my surprise when the movie
nearly presented that precise theme. Of course, it was a little toned
down and wasn't a purely “Christian” film, but it was astonishingly
biblical. The major theme of the movie was about making the
choice between selfishness and revenge on the one hand versus
forgiveness and putting others first on the other. Forgiveness is
Spiderman's ultimate heroic act, but it is not evidenced only by the
Spider himself. At some point in the movie, every major character has
to make this choice. The perfect voice of wisdom, Aunt May, first gives
us the evidence for the power of forgiveness. She informs Peter that
there is no need to celebrate the death of someone who hurt you.
Revenge, she says, “…is like a poison, it can take you over . . .
before you know it, turn us into something ugly.” This, of course, is
shown visually by the black Spidey suit that slowly takes over
Spiderman. Venom visually represents selfishness, pride, and
aggression. When Peter is wearing the suit, he thinks only about
himself. These selfish thoughts allow him to seek revenge against Flint
Marko (the Sandman), against Eddie Brock (a rival photographer), against
Harry Osborne (his best friend), and against Mary Jane (the love of his
life). Seeking his own pleasure, he lashes out at all of them without a
thought of whether they deserve it or not (some do, some don't). He
comes to understand--and the audience sees--that this way of living and
thinking ultimately leads to one's own destruction. Fortunately, for us
as well as for Spiderman, there is a choice. To Be or Not To Be? Spiderman 3 is an interesting super-hero movie
in that it drastically blurs the lines between good guys and bad guys.
It doesn't say that there are no good guys or bad guys, but we can't
tell who is who by the normal methods. The “good” Spiderman makes some
bad decisions, while the “bad” new Goblin shows he is capable of making
good ones. Ultimately, it is not the suit that defines us: “It's the
choices that make us who we are,” Peter informs us, “and we can always
choose to do what's right.” This concept of choice is most dramatically depicted
in Spiderman's struggle with the alien symbiote, but is also seen in the
life of the Sandman, Flint Marko. “I didn't want this, but I had no choice,” he tells Spiderman. “We always have a choice,” Spidey argues. “My daughter was dying. I needed money. I was scared… I did a terrible thing to you and I spent a lot of nights wishing I could take it back. I'm not asking you to forgive me. I just want you to understand.” “I've done terrible things too,” Spiderman
answers. Flint Marko tries to excuse who he has become by the
situations he was placed in. If he had a choice, he would have been
someone different. Spiderman won't let him take that route.
Ultimately, we all have a choice in how we act and how we respond to
situations. However, Spiderman is not condemning Marko either, for he
knows that he too has made poor choices and done “terrible things.” The
grace that he has received allows him to forgive Marko. Bad guys are
only bad because they choose selfishness and revenge. Good guys
are only good because they choose to serve and forgive others. “I believe there's a hero in all of us,” Aunt Mae says in Spiderman 2. In Spiderman 3 we come to understand that there is also a villain in all of us. Ultimately, whether we are that hero or that villain is based solely upon the choices we make. © 2007, Joshua Remington --------- Joshua Remington is an alumnus of Urshan Graduate School of Theology, and is currently serving as the Discipleship Pastor at TurnPoint Church in Clermont, FL. When not acting in roles for the Home Missions Division, he is busy keeping Blockbuster in business. |
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