I Forgive You

Rating: 10/10 (5 May 2007)

I am a Spider-Man fan.
I remember as a kid while at the grocery store, reading the comic where Spider-Man, wearing his black suit, was buried alive by Kraven. I've been following Spidey since then.
Spider-Man 3 completely satisfied me. The movie surpassed my expectations. Surpassed and then exceeded and then went above and beyond.
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Who is Spider-Man?
He is a hero, but he is not just any hero. He's special.
He's not the strongest. He's not the fastest.
What he is, is the most deeply feeling of all heroes. Spider-Man's feelings run deep. They run throughout his whole self. Spider-Man draws his greatest power from his feelings.
Spider-Man 3 did Spider-Man justice. He was the deeply feeling hero I have always known him to be.
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I cried. I went to eat out after the movie and people looked at me, at my red stained eyes. I wore my sunglasses because it was a beautiful afternoon and I was glad for the excuse to keep the shades on. I didn't want to show my pain. I didn't want people to see my weakness.
But I know Peter would have understood. Peter, and Harry, and Mary Jane, and Aunt May, and Flint Marko (aka Sandman), and Uncle Ben
and I know Tobey Maguire would have understood, Tobey, and James Franco, and Kirsten Dunst, and Rosemary Harris, and Thomas Haden Church, and Cliff Robertson
and I know Sam Raimi would have understood, and his brother Ted, and Bruce Campbell, and Lucy Lawless (Xena), and lots of the people who were involved in this movie.
I know they would understand why I was weeping. I know they would understand why I tried to choke back the tears. I know they would understand why I don't want to show my feelings and I know they would understand how much I need to.
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Emo. It's short for "Emotional".
Peter goes Emo in the movie. It's a look. Dark circles under the eyes. Hair slicked and combed over the forehead. Dark clothing. It's also called 'goth'.
It was really delightful to see. Peter looked so cool. He's a really good dancer. I was happy for him.
I have darkness inside of me too. "Without contrast you cannot see. Without darkness there is no light." It's OK to have it.
I was happy to see Peter 'strut'. Strutting looks like a nice feeling. You're confident. You can look at pretty girls without feeling ashamed of your appearance. You can dance in the street without feeling embarrassed, you dance just because you feel good. You can sway your hips and not feel like you're gay, because you're not, you're just : feeling good.
Feeling powerful : feels good.
What's wrong with that? Nothing, but Peter feels deeply, and he finds that when your only feeling is power you hurt those who aren't as powerful as you.
And that's something that Peter, that Spider-Man, can't do, won't do.
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Harry is a handsome guy.
Peter destroys his handsomeness. Peter directly disfigures Harry.
I know what it's like to feel ugly. If Harry wanted to kill Peter before, it's only natural he would want to tenfold after Peter ruins him.
Harry loves Mary Jane. What hope does he have of her loving him back when half his face is one twisted piece of flesh? She would be repulsed.
and yet, Harry forgives Peter. Harry finds feelings other than anger and hatred inside of him.
How? In the feelings of someone else. Just a few words from his faithful butler Bernard the most important ones being, "I loved your father just as I love you."
As Harry said near the beginning of the film about Peter and Mary Jane, "My best friends - I'd give my life for them."
I can't think of a better reason to die. For people who you give your life for. For people who weep when you die. I wish for my death to be like that.
"All we really want from life is to be remembered with love when we're dead."
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MOVIES ARE MODERN DAY BIBLES.
This movie says to the audience, "Thou shalt not condemn thyself to eternal guilt and self-loathing. Thou shalt forgive thyself and in forgiving thyself forgive others."
Spider-Man never takes life. He defends life. Innocent lives. Loved ones lives. even the lives of his enemies, all at the omnipresent potential loss of his own. He loves life and the life he sees in others and protects it with his own.
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As Emo Peter says to Eddie after Eddie publicly humiliates Spider-Man with his faked black costumed Spider-Man photo, "You want forgiveness? Get religion."
Peter mocks then, but later on he understands forgiveness. He understands something teaching him how to forgive, or more appropriately : someone.
I have always wanted forgiveness too. I have always got Spider-Man.
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P.S : The $250 million extra for special effects was worth every penny. The SFX were jaw dropping.
P.P.S : The incorporation of Venom was excellent. The Goblins and Doc Ock are classic villains from the 60's comics, while Venom is 90's. Venom adds that climatic punch to the movie at its peak, while the classic baddies gave the first two films and the majority of the third its staying power.
P.P.P.S : Sam Raimi did what Spidey does. He searched his feelings and found a manifestation of the Spider-Man legend that resonated and echoed with me and my own vision of Spider-Man : the everyday hero; the marvel universe's most powerful "feeling-hero"; your, the people's, everyone's, friendly neighberhood Spider-Man! thanks Sam.