Nazism, the Mutants, Sequels and an Oscar(?)

Rating: 10/10 (15 July 2000)

I was very impressed with the opening scene. Bryan Singer seems to have a very good understanding of what Nazism/Totalitarianism is all about: enforced equality.
The movie is excellent, truly: I expected either a bunch of special effects aimed at people who prefer "Reader's Digest" (>90% of summer movies, take a pick) or something self-absorbed to the extent of anesthesia (Star Trek comes to mind). What I got was high-grade directing, tolerable script and very good acting (Jackson and McKellen).
Here's the big question of the day: (this is not a spoiler, but if you'd rather not know anything at all about the movie, skip the following three paragraphs).
Why does the X sign on the Xmen uniform look so suspiciously like the swastika?
Why does Professor X wear a small golden encircled X as a necktie pin -- again, it looks exactly like the golden swastika that Hitler (and highest-ranked) Nazi party members wore on their neckties.

I mean, Singer, who filmed Apt Pupil (a movie about an SS officer) could not "miss/overlook" these strange similarities. Could it be that the school of Xavier is not "good to the last drop"? ...As I was leaving the movie theatre, I overheard a woman (about 35) talking to her husband (older, tired) and her two kids (about 7 and 10): "I liked it -- but, you know, I wanted more".
I agree: the film is about 10 minutes too short. The ending also was tepid. I'd rather see Magneto looking at Prof X and saying something like "You don't know what he (Wolverine) is about to find. But I do" -- and a cut to Wolverine doing something (whatever, really).
Then again -- there will be sequels. I would hope for the Nazi allegory to develop and for some unusual twists to happen. Alas, the all dumbing force (20 Century Fox) might consider that to be "too dark".
Rating: 10
Heck, I would even nominate it for a special Oscar(R): for outstandingly brave and novel idea of having a plot and an actual ethical conflict in a summer action movie.