The Amazing Spider-Man : Deeper Meanings

Recently I watched The Amazing Spider-Man and to be quite honest I was blown away. There were flaws with the film, but the positives really did outshine the negatives. In this article I will discuss and go over why I like the film as a whole.


The Reinvention of Peter Parker :

For me Andrew Garfield was an excellent choice, to portray this character. Everything from his mannerisms to his movement, this guy screamed Peter Parker to me. I have seen various people have not been too fond of his modernised look. The thing is the Peter that was portrayed in the Raimi films was a nerd stereotype. In this film Andrew Garfield's Peter Parker is a modernised nerd. Just because he doesn't wear high briefs with braces, it does not make him any less of a nerd, in my opinion.

This makes him more believable in our world and helps to make him a relatable character. I think it is important to note that Peter evolves throughout the entirety of this film. It doesn't stop when Uncle Ben dies. He is still learning the values of being a responsible adult in the world. Along the way he makes mistakes and bad choices. Even at the very end, you can tell he is still struggling with the concept of responsibility.

Spider-Man Born Seeking Revenge :

The birth of Spider-Man out of revenge, in this movie, actually makes more logical sense, in my opinion. He is angry for what happened to Ben. He is a kid that has received these extraordinary powers and has the power to hurt the person who hurt him. Can you honestly say if someone did that to you, you would just be okay with it and become a hero ? I really don't think so. What is also important to note from a psychological standpoint is that Peter is attacking these men because of the sense of guilt he feels. He needs someone to let it out on and it happens to be thugs, who he believes possibly was responsible for killing his Uncle. That is why the dinner table scene and the conversation with Captain Stacy is so important. It makes Peter realise that he is going down the wrong path. He is slowly but surely becoming the antagonist.


The Physical Embodiment of Responsibility:

The villain plays a very important role in this, that I don't think many have considered. He is the physical representation of Peter' responsibility. He helped create the monster that Dr Connors turns into. He has to fix it because it was his responsibility. I think what is important to take not of with this film is that Peter doesn't learn responsibility by just Uncle Ben's death. He is learning throughout the movie, through experience and I think that makes the character more relatable because he isn't perfect. He is like the rest of us because he makes mistakes along the way. He has to make them to learn. That was the one thing I didn't like about the Raimi trilogy. Uncle Ben dies and Peter suddenly becomes this perfect person who decides, I am going to be a hero because of what happened to my Uncle. I like the fact that he has to go through trials to understand what his Uncle was telling him, hence, why he listens to the voice message at the end of the film. He is finally beginning to understand the gravity of it all.

Understanding Responsibility :

In this film, Peter loses his mask several times. He doesn't yet realise the consequences of revealing himself to others. He merely wears the mask to protect himself but he is still unaware of the ramifications of people discovering his true identity. This falls into line with the importance of Captain Stacy's death. Captain Stacy says for him to distance himself from the people he loves and to ensure that they remain safe. Peter learns his lesson from Captain Stacy and that actually gives him a reason to make sure that people around him are safe and his identity remains hidden.

Uncle Ben Trying To Stop The Thief :

The whole point of showing Ben trying to stop the thief, is extremely impactive. It not only shows he is a good man trying to help people (living by the words he said to Peter) but it also shows where Peter comes from. He comes from a family who will sacrifice themselves to aid others and I think that shows physically what Ben was trying to explain to Peter. What I think worked so well in this particular scene is the fact that Peter had a serious argument with him before the events transpired. We have all been there and done that, we have walked away from our parents when they have tried to tell us something. Peter unfortunately does it at the wrong time and because of his actions his Uncle is lead into that situation by Peter. He is still to blame for what happened to his Uncle. Even more so then the original tale. He first leads his Uncle to the situation and then he doesn't stop the criminal because he wants revenge for the shopkeeper not letting him off the 2 cents. It is more effective and realistic in my view.

Spider-Man Saving The Kid On The Bridge :

This was an extremely important scene, if not one of the most important scenes of the entire film. When Peter saves the kid from the burning car, it is the first time he uses his powers responsibly. He is going out of his way to save someone and not doing it for self-satisfaction. When he gives the kid back to his father the camera shows a close up shot of Spidey, watching the father embrace his child in his arms. It is at that moment the birth of the hero begins. Peter realises that he has a gift and that he is able to help others who are in dire need. It obviously strikes a chord with Peter because he longs to be able to embrace his father again. The man asks Peter who he is ? To which he replies, "I'm Spider-Man". That particular moment brought a chill down my spine because we were witnessing him beginning to fully embrace his role as a hero.

In my honest opinion, this film was much deeper than people give it credit for. It is relatable on another level and that is why I enjoyed it so much. It brought a different vibe to it, then the Raimi trilogy and I honestly think it worked. I eagerly await the sequel and hope this fantastic character development remains in tact. If this be the case, we could be in for some quite extraordinary.

What did you think ? Do you agree or disagree ?

Let me know.