My dad done did it...He ordered digital cable. Don't worry, I thought the same thing, but it's not a rip-off, yet, there is a promotion that gives us digital wonder for 5 bones a month for 6 months. The cable company shrewdly figures that households will get addicted to the ease of mental hibernation with the Siren's song that digital cable sings. It is bittersweet to have this feature, as I know it will fracture what iota of ambition my dad had left and dissolve the biggest piece. I am working on an escape plan to free my dad from these chains, stay tuned, it's truly an epic spiritual struggle here.
The benefit of digital cable coursing through my p's house is...HBO for me. Ten channels of it. On-screen menu to see what's on in an hour, or three, or eight. Premium, baby! Wait, who's the one trapped...
I've been catching Curb Your Enthusiam, one of the funniest shows around, as The_Dude declared. This season, while intermittently great, seems to pale in comparison to the outstanding Season 1 that Jeremiah of My Turn uses to ensnare his friends in the joy of laughing at the most frustrating character on TV, Larry David.
Recently, I've been peepin X2: X-Men United when I run into it. HBO will keep playing a given movie over and over again, a trait which is annoying when the flick is What a Girl Wants, but tolerable when it's something cool.
I'd have to say right off the bat that I'm a comic book nerd. I really dug the first X-Men movie, X-Men, and two good friends gave me the DVD for a birthday a couple years ago.
This sequel wasn't as pleasant a ride from start to finish. But it's the conclusion I really want to talk about.
WARNING: If you are clueless about the X-Men universe and you don't know what the ending of X2 was foreshadowing and you'd rather have the filmmakers tell the story than find it unadorned here, peace out.
After I left the theater post-X2, I wasn't...satisfied. Now, I'm not one to demand that filmmakers stay unwaveringly true to the books that movies are based on. I realize the value of having creative license to utilize the particular characteristics of the cinema art-form, so the liberty taken in X2 wasn't the source of my malcontent.
The semi-secret of the ending of X2 is that Jean Grey essentially became the Phoenix upon the film's conclusion, setting up the next movie in dramatic fashion for anyone that cares. The story of the Phoenix is mind-bending; as different writers all tried to weave with one thread, they followed what seems to be the curse of long-standing comics: they ended up tying a knot. But it is enough to say that the Phoenix is some primal life-force that for some reason was bonded with Jean Grey to give her near-unlimited power but also quite a headache. Apparently, it's tough being a woman with god-like powers.
So, the unsettling part of the ending of X2 is how it all went down. If you'll recall, the dam at Alkali Lake was breached and a violent flood was imminent. The X-Men and the rescued children were inconveniently in harm's way. But, wait, they were in the Blackbird, the X-Men's jet! But, no, they had no power to take off! Drama.
Jean Grey leaves the jet, unbeknownst to her friends. By the time they realize it, she has already exhibiting powers beyond her mutant abilities, and she prevents them with some sort of force field from leaving the jet to force her back. With one hand reaching out towards the Blackbird, we see her exerting herself in full concentration, trying to lift the entire jet up with these strange powers that seem to include telekinesis of extremely heavy objects. Lo, and behold, the dam fully yields, and the deluge comes rushing towards her. She reacts, warding off the waves with more mysterious power while simultaneously lifting the Blackbird out of danger. Then, to complete her glorious sacrifice, her powers relent, and she is consumed by the oncoming waters.
The lives she saved are understandably shaken. Her friends wonder in the next scene what was gnawing at me while I observed the movie: "Why did she leave the plane?" It seems entirely reasonable to believe that she could have done exactly what she did, except still remained on the Blackbird, so that she, too, would be saved. Their leader, Professor X, cryptically states, "She made a choice." At the time, I'm like, "Yeah, thanks, Picar--err, Prof. X, that explains nothing, you moron". This unresolved close of the tale irritated me like sawdust in my eye.
Well, thanks to HBO, I saw the ending twice recently, and upon further contemplation, it is magnificent. There is true heroism here for the ambitious to unearth. Of course, true heroism must reflect the One True Hero, Jesus of Nazereth.
Most obvious is the sacrifice of life in order to save the lives of others. I must admit that in a way, I've become calloused to seeing stories that include this element, due to inartful overuse, but this is to my detriment because Jesus is the exemplar of sacrifice.
But further, Jean Grey went silently to finish her task, like a lamb to the slaughter. After the fact, people wondered why she did things they way she did, and if there was another way. This parallels neatly with the apostles' puzzlement over Jesus' revelation that He must die, and the questions that still echo today that many use as excuses to doubt: Why did Jesus have to die? What kind of God would allow His Son to die? What does this prove? Why did God design a story that included such a bizarre twist? Who asked Him to die for me? Why wasn't there some other way?
Finally, the beauty in Jean Grey's sacrifice is illuminated in her resurrection. The comics reveal that in dying she gains a wholly new level of access into the powers of life through the Phoenix force. Her rebirth is glorious. The X-Men gain perseverance, maturity, faith, hope, and character through the entire process. What's striking is the wholly unique path brought about by Jean Grey's actions.
Jesus willfully submitted Himself to the shame of the cross, and in doing so, received the most precious treasure in existence: The Glory of God. By conquering death while fully human, Jesus gave us access to the Life Abundant that can only be found in the Father. In the process of dying to our old selves, and rising anew like Christ, we develop character traits that glorify God. The beauty of Professor X's statement, "She made a choice" is its utter simplicity. There is no exhaustive explanation, but he is not distracted into despair by the unknown, as others are. He is content with what is known, as we should be with what the Bible reveals: Jesus is the Life. We are to embrace the paradoxical truths with eager hope. There are some that unceasingly question the mysterious journey, debilitating their dreams, when what is required is submitting to the Truth of the Story.
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4 comments:
"Why did God design a story that included such a bizarre twist?"
-One of the best questions I've heard in a long, long time.
I don't know what would suck more for me if I was Wolverine. The fact that Jean Grey died, or that when she comes back, she is a fire-bird, and now I have no chance of ever making out with her.
Well, Wolverine needs to stay away from married women, anyway. Now that she's an inferno, maybe that'll help.
I still don't get why she left the plane.
Thanks for pointing out the Christ/X parallels, though, I didn't spend enough time over X2 to see those.
You are welcome, Ariel, like I said, I'm a comic book nerd.
Why Jean Grey left the plane is a mystery. What I was trying to say is that it seems that the movie is setting up a storyline in which we find out in the third film exactly why she did so, but for now, there is a easily-missed satisfaction in not knowing but still praising her sacrifice and trusting that she did what was best. I'm not sure if I'm explaining this well, please let me know if it is vague.
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