by Mark Young
Even though we entered spring only two weeks ago today, we are already seeing the first screenings of the “Summer Blockbusters.” It seems to me that the summer blockbuster season stretches earlier into spring every year. Starting with the film Jaws in 1975 late June became the unofficial starting point for the summer’s biggest movies. Memorial Day weekend soon took over as the official start of the blockbuster movie season with the release of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in 1989. And since 2008 with the release of Iron Man, the first weekend in May has been the beginning of the big budget releases. Yet, now it seems that before studying for finals even begins the cinemas are calling to young adults around the world, “Delay studying, come to the midnight showing of –insert name of any summer movie--.” So as a tribute to the start of the blockbuster season and because I love the Superhero genre, I would like to invite you to analyze Captain America: The Winter Soldier with me.
Now the validity of the Superhero movie as its own genre has often been contended. But my colleague Michael has already defended that topic in another article which you can read here: The Superhero Film: A Credible Genre? Here we will treat the superhero movie as its own genre because of the special circumstances that superhero films bring to analysis. If you have not seen the Captain America trailers yet please take a moment to watch this one below.
Now the validity of the Superhero movie as its own genre has often been contended. But my colleague Michael has already defended that topic in another article which you can read here: The Superhero Film: A Credible Genre? Here we will treat the superhero movie as its own genre because of the special circumstances that superhero films bring to analysis. If you have not seen the Captain America trailers yet please take a moment to watch this one below.
The first aspect I like is that this trailer shows Captain America’s struggle to relate to the modern world. A lot has changed in 70 years and we are asking a man with pre-World War II values to embrace the modern ways we choose to defend our country. I feel this film and its predecessors accurately portray Cap as the dream soldier we all hope our fighting men are: honorable, brave, and selfless. Captain America exemplifies all of these while still keeping a persona of innocence. As my nephew said, “Captain America isn’t like other Superheroes. He is 100% good.”
In Cap’s struggle to relate to the modern world he is finding himself butting heads with many of his new bosses. He finds the modern methods of a militarized intelligence agency unsettling, but it also causes him to question if the country that he loves is still the same country in which he lives. Cap wants to do the right thing but being raised in a different time has given him a different perspective on what the “right thing” means. This struggle also clearly draws parallels to the modern military political atmosphere in America. And it is asking important socio-political questions that are on the frontline of our culture’s topics. Questions like, is preparing great military might an action motivated by freedom or fear? Is it wrong to take pre-emptive strikes when no crime has been committed? How do we protective ourselves and still maintain true American freedom?
Finally, this film is bringing both Cap’s personal and professional struggles to a head by giving him a threat that could redefine the way he views the world. It addresses the questions. Will he be completely changed into going along with the fear he protests? And will he be able to maintain the purity of what he fights for: truth and justice? I know that this film will be full of many action sequences and stunning visuals that we have all come to know and love. However, it also has the opportunity to be an incredibly smart film and tackle some big topics. I personally hope it does both.
So, let me know what you hope to get out of this film. Do you think it will be as smart as the preview led us to believe? How different will Cap be at the end of this film? Share your thoughts and analysis in the comment section below. And as always thank you for reading.
In Cap’s struggle to relate to the modern world he is finding himself butting heads with many of his new bosses. He finds the modern methods of a militarized intelligence agency unsettling, but it also causes him to question if the country that he loves is still the same country in which he lives. Cap wants to do the right thing but being raised in a different time has given him a different perspective on what the “right thing” means. This struggle also clearly draws parallels to the modern military political atmosphere in America. And it is asking important socio-political questions that are on the frontline of our culture’s topics. Questions like, is preparing great military might an action motivated by freedom or fear? Is it wrong to take pre-emptive strikes when no crime has been committed? How do we protective ourselves and still maintain true American freedom?
Finally, this film is bringing both Cap’s personal and professional struggles to a head by giving him a threat that could redefine the way he views the world. It addresses the questions. Will he be completely changed into going along with the fear he protests? And will he be able to maintain the purity of what he fights for: truth and justice? I know that this film will be full of many action sequences and stunning visuals that we have all come to know and love. However, it also has the opportunity to be an incredibly smart film and tackle some big topics. I personally hope it does both.
So, let me know what you hope to get out of this film. Do you think it will be as smart as the preview led us to believe? How different will Cap be at the end of this film? Share your thoughts and analysis in the comment section below. And as always thank you for reading.
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