Aaaaaaand we’re back! Do you know something else that I love about this movie? It’s the sheer number of angles from which you can look at it. It’s just so immensely rich in its themes and execution that it can allow for numerous interpretations; I could honestly write a book about it. So far, I’ve primarily tackled it from the perspective of grace; a share in the Divine Life of God. Also linked to this angle is that of vocation, however I won’t be exploring this in much detail here for several reasons. The first, is that the theme of vocation is primarily the focus of the first movie (which I might do an analysis on in the future). The second is that whilst this is certainly central to this film as well, I can only tackle so many themes in a blog post…and it’s already too long. I’ve said this before, but I could honestly write an entire book on this movie. So, in a way, it’s a shame I can’t discuss all my thoughts here. I’ll also say that in writing this…I noticed some extra little things that I didn’t before, so I made some very minor adjustments to part 1 to make it a little more coherent (nothing much).
When we last saw Peter, he had finally “thrown in the towel”; quite literally (although it was more of a gentle placing of the towel). He had abandoned the persona of Spider-Man, putting his suit in the garbage. What follows this is the cheesiest (in an absolutely wonderful and smile inducing way) montage. It’s actually fantastic; definitely not something that detracts from the film! (no, I’m not being sarcastic. This is good cringe). What does it involve? Basically just a few short clips exploring Peter’s newly oriented lifestyle; a “life of [his] own” whereby he can focus on the things that he wants to do, by focusing on his dreams. There are some great slow-motion walks in the city, with B. J. Thomas’ recording of “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” in the background. We see various aspects of Peter’s life improving, especially his studies. My favourite of this compilation is a clip of Peter having just ordered a hot dog in the middle of a busy New York City street. As he begins to walk away, he witnesses a hoard of police cars and officers run straight past him, evidently in hot pursuit or an unidentified crime. For the briefest moment, we see Peter’s habitual concern written all over his face. But this is quickly undercut by him taking a massive bite out of his delicious hot dog, before turning in the other direction. “Not my problem anymore”, he must be thinking to himself. It’s both hilarious and revealing at the same time, showing the radical attitude change; the shift from responsibility to self. Granted, losing his powers makes that choice easier, but as I described in part 1, the problem of his power loss comes down to inner conflict; his psyche. Also...this montage ends in a freeze frame...it's so silly but I love it.
Afterwards, Peter attempts to be something that he had struggled with when trying to balance two separated personas: a good friend. This manifests itself when he surprises M.J. by finally coming to see her play. With Spider-Man out of the picture, nothing can get in his way! Although here it’s more than friendship, he’s in love with her after all, and hopes to win her heart; essentially “talk [her] out of marriage” as she puts it. Whilst at this stage he’s “too late”, she nevertheless appreciates his showing up, and acknowledges that “[he] is different”; in a good way that is. From all of this, we can conclude that Peter’s personal life is a lot less sucky than it was.
But…there is always a but…things start to gradually weigh on him. One fine afternoon as he is out walking in the sun, he walks past an alleyway, where he witnesses two thugs beating up an innocent victim, in an attempt to steal his money. Peter, with a look of heartbreak on his face, walks away, unable to do anything to help the poor soul, despite his calls for help.
Immediately after this, the film links the theme of choice with responsibility, and presents it in two forms. The first is the manifestation of a false sense of responsibility that we can often punish ourselves with, or a ‘false guilt’. It is something for which we unreasonably accept as ‘our fault’, when the reality is far from this. The second form is true responsibility…I don’t think I need to explain what that is…. But these two come head to head in a poignant scene between Aunt May and Peter with May encapsulating this ‘false guilt’, whereas Peter encompasses the opposite. Aunt May in part blames herself for Uncle Ben’s death. In her words “it was [all] her doing”, she says as they visit the grave. As most of you know, in the first film Uncle Ben was shot by a thief who wanted his car. Ben was out to pick up Peter, whom he thought to be at the library. Instead, Peter had used this as a guise so as to hide the fact that he was really going to a wrestling match, so as to win money. So how in the world does she blame herself for something like this? From her perspective, if she “had stopped him” from doing the simple act of going to pick up Peter at the ‘library’, rather than letting Peter take the train, then all of this could have been avoided. Now, there is no way to predict that an everyday task could lead to such tragedy. But in any case, perhaps this is not far off from what many of us actually do. Needlessly punishing ourselves for something that was in no way our fault. Such ‘false guilt’ can be consuming, depriving us from ever being able to let go and enjoy life. More on this point, not even actual guilt should become something that paralyses us, leaving us unable to move on. Rather, it should be an invitation to acknowledge our shortcomings and grow.
Image from: http://www.themoviedistrict.com/spider-man-2/4/
Peter, for his part, is on the flip side of his coin, for he does bare a degree of responsibility for Ben’s death. He’s not directly responsible, of course. But his act of selfishness in not stopping the thief in an earlier encounter (when he easily could have done so) for the explicit purpose of peeving off the man who cheated him (refer to the first film), is what lead to its occurrence. In other words, he failed to act ‘responsibly’. In the first way, he used his newly found powers to serve himself. In the second way, he used it so as to get “revenge”. All of this he relays to Aunt May whilst having tea at her house. Her efforts to punish herself tortures Peter, for he knows he bares the greater guilt. Upon hearing this, she is shocked, and seems almost unforgiving, as she leaves the table in silence.
This quieter scene recounting the death of Uncle Ben is extremely relevant for Peter’s life two years later. Though he is not exactly being vengeful in his desire to live life for himself, they both produce similar results. When he’s either abusing his gifts or not using them at all (either because of choice of internal conflict), other people suffer for it. The first film illustrates this with the wrestling match and the thief, and in this film the man being beaten in the alleyway. This is again reiterated in a more climactic scene involving a burning building. As Peter gazes upon a Daily Bugle paper stating that crime has risen 75% since Spidey’s disappearance, he is alerted to the cries of fellow New Yorker’s. An apartment building is on fire, and out of habit, Peter opens his shirt…only to find a singlet. Nevertheless, having never truly lost that heroic side, and despite others protesting, he launches himself into the burning building and saves a child. The firemen applaud his “guts”, but Peter overhears one of them say that a “poor soul on the 4th floor…never made it out”. Of course, had he his powers, he would’ve had no issue in saving everyone in the building. This again alludes to the idea of grace as building on nature. Sure, we possess natural abilities and qualities, but as Fr Mike Schmitz points out, grace serves to amplify these. Following this, we see a look of great sadness wash over Peter’s face, causing him to reflect in the next scene whether or not he’s even allowed to possess the life he is currently pursuing. “Am I not supposed to have what I want?” he asks as he gazes from his bedroom window.
Image from: http://www.themoviedistrict.com/spider-man-2/4/
Whilst all of this is happening, Doc Ock (Otto) strikes a deal with Harry. Otto is trying to recreate his experiment, only this time making it “bigger and stronger than ever”, but he needs the isotope “tritium” which is in Harry’s possession. He’s clearly lost the plot. Harry agrees to give it, under the condition that Otto bring Spider-Man to him (with the intention of killing Spider-Man out of revenge for what happened to his father). Otto is told to find Peter, who Harry believes will know where Spider-Man is (as the latter has disappeared). We see something in Otto’s relentless quest to bring about his “dream”; a certain pride. His way is the ‘only way’, and so it must be no matter the cost; at least in his view. This can often happen when we think that certain things can be in our control, when they can’t. No matter how much we may want it, it stands to reason that the thing we want is either unattainable or destructive (or both), even though we might be convinced it’s for a good end. What’s happening to Otto is that his passion has overstepped its boundaries, going beyond what reason dictates; it takes over the reins. His four arms which now control him are symbolic of this takeover. Again, not a perfect analogy, because he didn’t exactly choose this (freak accident yadda yadda yadda). There is a neat parallel between his character arc and Peter’s, but this will become more apparent later.
So! Otto is now on the hunt for Peter…scary stuff! But Peter is still able to get in a few cheeky conversations with loved one’s before this encounter takes place. The first of these is another chat with Aunt May, whom he decides to visit while she is packing up the house…it’s moving day! Aunt May tells Peter that she is proud of him for having told her the truth earlier, despite how she reacted; thanking him. Helping her is little Henry Jackson from across the street, who just also happens to be Spidey’s biggest fan! Knowing that the former photographer used to take pictures of the web-head, young Henry seeks reassurance from Peter that Spider-Man “will be back”; a reassurance that Peter cannot give. Saddened, Henry continues packing up boxes. And then Aunt May gives Peter one of the best pep talks in the history of the superhero genre (she’s basically Alfred from Nolan’s batman trilogy in this scene). Now, it’s not clear at this point if she known about Peter’s alter ego…but she sure does hint at it. Ultimately, it’s left ambiguous. In any case it doesn’t undermine the power of her speech. Drawing from Henry’s admiration for the heroic character of Spider-Man, she tells Peter of the “hero in all of us”. The “courageous, self-sacrificing” hero that inspires us to be “honest…. noble…. even if sometimes we have to be steady, give up the thing we want the most, even out dreams”. She tells Peter that “Spider-Man did that for Henry…and [now] he wonders where he’s gone.”
Image from: https://www.reddit.com/r/raimimemes/comments/9h1x0t/lets_all_appreciate_that_rosemary_harris_aunt_may/
Ah! I’m crying! Stop it May! And stop it Danny Elman with your emotional soundtrack! Thank-you Aunt-May for your brilliant and succinct definition of what it means to be a hero…and moreover, even perhaps something of what it means to be a saint! To turn over our hopes and dreams to Christ who fulfils your desires more than you can over hope for. To sacrifice what it is that we think we want, for something greater; something more. It’s not a perfect monologue if looking at it from that angle…but it’s still pretty great.
Having been inspired by Aunt May, Peter concludes it’s time to return to the life of Spidey…and decides to test himself by jumping between buildings. “Strong focus on what I want”, he says. Only this act of the will doesn’t bring his powers back…and he hurtles towards the ground…and gets away with nothing more than an injured back? WHAT? HE SHOULD BE DEAD; HE FELL SEVERAL STORIES. H-H-HOW? Minor nit-pick…
In any case, he desires to be Spider-Man again…just needs his powers to return and he’s good to go…he’s working on it. After this he goes for his second cheeky conversation with a loved one before the formidable encounter with Otto…and it’s with M.J. She’s invited him to a café for coffee. She confesses that “some part of her listened to what he had to say” the night he saw her play. But before she can finish, Peter reaffirms what he told her at the end of the first film…that he “can’t be there for her”. A disappointed M.J. tells him to kiss her…because in her words she “need[s] to know something”. Uh, M.J…you’re engaged…this is not ok no matter how much you feel for Peter or “need to know something”. RED FLAG, PETER. RED FLAG. RUN. Or don’t run, make your own decisions. As she leans in for the kiss…. Peter’s Spidey sense returns, he leaps forward and grabs M.J. as a car is thrown through the window, narrowly missing the two thanks to Peter’s newly returned reflexes. And who could it be? It’s Otto! Coming to sus out from Peter the whereabouts of Spider-Man. One problem though…WHY WAS IT A GOOD IDEA TO THROW A CAR THROUGH THE WINDOW? YOU DON’T KNOW PETER IS SPIDER-MAN!! MUCH LESS THAT HIS SPIDER SENSE AND REFLEXES ONLY JUST RETURNED IN THAT SPLIT SECOND…FROM YOUR POINT OF VIEW, PETER SHOULD BE DEAD! AND EVERYONE IN THE CAFE! DEAD! Minor nit-pick…
Anyways…Otto blackmails Peter into finding Spider-Man, ordering that the latter “meet him at the Westside tower at 3:00.” He flings Peter across the café; leaving him trapped underneath broken wood. Again…he should be dead…minor nit-pick...He then kidnaps M.J. as a part of that aforementioned blackmail. Several seconds later, Peter’s superhuman strength returns, but after unstrapping himself he’s too late…Otto has escaped.
But let’s talk about all of this for a moment. Specifically, the circumstances upon which Peter’s powers actually do return. Previously, Peter decided to be Spider-Man again, but his powers didn’t return…so why now? What’s different? Gotta say I struggled with this for a while. But I’ve reached a conclusion…and again this is just the way I like to see it, so I could be totally wrong! In part 1 I discussed Peter’s fractured life; his two personas that he was trying to keep separate rather than somehow bring into unison. In my opinion, I said that he loses his powers because of his psyche; this disequilibrium that’s come to the forefront. At the end of the first film, he was able to make a firm decision to be Spider-Man and leave M.J. out of it. This decision was made out of love for her. It’s not that at that time his feelings suddenly disappeared, but that he was able to order it in conjunction with the catechism understanding of love as “willing the good of the other”. But nevertheless, this choice that he made led to the problems he experiences here. In this movie, his desires are all over the place. There is no longer a firm and reasoned personal choice in the first half, he desperately wants to be with M.J. He even attempts to win her heart after having lost his powers, by actually showing up to see her play. But what happens in this café scene? He reaffirms that choice he makes at the end of the first film. Granted he lies in saying that he doesn’t love her, but the choice to not be with her is the same; one that stems from love and responsibility. And this is the exact moment his powers come back. I’ll be coming back to this towards the end. This feels exhausting to write…I feel all huffed and puffed.
So, Peter’ powers are back, and it’s time to save M.J.! He steals his suit back from Jameson, who had bought it off a garbage man (as Peter had thrown it in the trash) and goes on to face Otto. What follows just might be one of the best super-hero action sequences I’ve ever seen…After a brief engagement at the clocktower, the two nemeses fall through the sky and land on top of a train. Seriously, this whole section alone is worth watching the movie for. Spidey is in top form. The climax of the fight has Otto rip out the breaks in the control carriage and pushes the accelerator towards full speed.
The train has no way to stop…and it’s headed for a dead-end above a river. Otto jumps off the carriage onto a nearby building, graciously leaving Spider-Man with the task of finding a way to prevent the disaster. Before jumping in front of the first carriage, Peter removes his mask, as it had caught fire from the sparks of the broken controls. After failing in various ways to stop the train, Peter tries one last manoeuvre…he shoots countless webs towards the passing buildings, and, holding onto them tightly, attempts to slow the train to a holt.
There is some beautiful Christ imagery here. As he is doing this (see picture below), his arms are outstretched in the shape of a cross. I was talking to a priest recently and he also pointed out that there can also be seen a wound in his side (they’re in both sides, but still a neat image). The train does eventually come to a stop, with the first carriage teetering over the edge. Far below is a long drop into the river. Peter, having put all his energy into saving the innocent civilians, collapses from exhaustion. But before he can fall into the river, the civilians place their hands on his chest, and then lift him up; carrying him over their heads through the carriage. His arms are still outstretched in the shape of a cross. As they lay him down, he awakens; realising that his mask is still off. They can all see him; see that “he’s just a kid”. Panic comes over Peter’s face, before a man crouches down to him and tells him that “it’s alright”. Two children follow suit and return to him his burnt mask; assuring him that they won’t tell anybody about his identity.
As Peter places the mask over his face…Otto comes back. Spidey is too exhausted to fight, so the citizens attempt to stand up for him! This whole last 10 minutes just goes from epic to truly touching. Of course, they’re no match for Otto, who easily subdues them. Spidey tells them it’s okay; they don’t have to defend him…and he is subsequently knocked out. Otto binds him, and takes him to Harry’s mansion, who in turn gives Otto the tritium. Harry, now alone with the exhausted Spider-Man (now laid out on the furniture), picks up a dagger. As he raises it, he lifts off the mask…and sees his best friend. In utter shock, harry near-collapses. Regaining strength, Peter breaks his bonds, and tells Harry to disclose Otto’s hideout. It’s here that he also learns that Otto is rebuilding the machine. Not only is M.J. in trouble but, New York itself. I don’t really understand in this scene why Peter doesn’t quickly tell Harry that he didn’t kill his father…I mean I guess he is pressed for time…it’s just the way that he brushes off the question kinda makes him seem guilty. Ah well…
Spidey arrives at the harborside shack and engages Otto in one last battle…with another miniature sun in the background wreaking havoc. Although the fight is not quite as good as the train sequence, it was what it needed to be. After finally overcoming his opponent, who lays defeated in a pool of water, Peter takes off his mask. He tries to convince Otto to shut it down. Whilst the latter initially refuses, Peter appeals to what Otto once told him…that “intelligence is a gift…for the good of mankind”. He then references what he learned from Aunt May about dreams, that “to do what’s right, we have to be steady and give up the thing we want the most…even our dreams”. IM CRYING AGAIN. STOP IT DANNY ELFMAN. This is the parallel between Peter and Otto that I was talking about, and it’s illustrated so well! We may have good intentions, but sometimes our way just isn’t the way. Or as previously discussed, perhaps in other times we overstep our boundaries. Passion takes over, and reason is subdued. Finally convinced, and gaining a level of control over his arms, Otto deduces that the only way to shut it down is to drown it; which he does, dying in the process. He sacrifices himself to save the city. Yay for redemption!
But now…M.J. knows the truth! She seems…pretty amazed and happy actually. After all…now she knows that Peter does love her. After saving her from a falling roof, Peter spins up a romantic web in the night sky…well the music makes it romantic…Peter himself tells her again that they can’t be together…responsibility and such. He doesn’t want to risk anything, and she heartbreakingly accepts this, or so we think.
Cut to her wedding day, where she is getting ready to walk the aisle…except just before she can, she bails…leaving John Jameson at the altar. She races back to Peter’s apartment…still in her wedding dress. She tells him that she “knows there will be risks” but begs him to be able to let make her own decisions. She is as in love with him as he is with her. And there you have it! They end up together! And after the sound of police sirens, she says to him “go get em’ tiger!”, and Peter heads out for the final swing of the movie. The final shot sees M.J. looking out…her facial expressions revealing concern, as she is well aware of the trials ahead. MOVIE END.
Now, there’s a lot to say about this ending. I won’t say absolutely every last thought I have, but still start a discussion. On one point…this is probably the most emotionally satisfying it could have been. Like seriously, it would just kinda suck if they didn’t end up together wouldn’t it? After everything the audience has been put through! I didn’t watch all of these close up, slow talked cheesy dialogue scenes between Pete and M.J. for it to not pay off! Two movies worth! At this point you might say Tim, doesn’t this ending undermine what you were saying about him making “firm decisions” to keep M.J. safe? Let’s talk about it.
In Part 1 of this analysis, I said that much of Peter’s pain in the movie is caused by his decision to keep his responsibility a secret from those who mean the most to him, particularly M.J. In other words, his decision to fracture himself into two personas. In saying this, it is not the direct cause of his power loss; rather it only leads to it. His power loss is due to the incongruency within himself; with his desires and wants, and M.J. is the primary symbol of this.
So how is this issue resolved? Firstly, Peter repeats in the café what he did at the end of the first movie. In both of these situations, there was congruence (although still a fracturing of personas) because of this “firm decision” to order his love towards M.J. by “willing her good”, in other words; keeping her safe. And he does this again just before M.J. is kidnapped; giving return to his powers. But this is an imperfect means, because it’s not actually getting to the root of the problem. As I've said, whilst the lack of unity between Peter and Spider-Man is not the direct cause of losing his powers, it’s what leads to his imbalance (the incongruence, which is the direct cause); therefore, the fracture is the root.
What’s maintaining his powers now at the end of the film? I believe it’s the fact that M.J. knows Peter's secret. She now knows that Peter Parker and Spider-Man are one and the same; he no longer “needs” to fracture his two personas. Because although he re-committed himself to that original decision in the cafe, who’s to say that losing his powers (or something similar) won't happen again? Now, it's unlikely, given everything Peter has learned through the course of the movie (I mean, Aunt May's pep talk was pretty inspiring!). But what he did in that circumstance (in telling M.J. that he can't be there for her) didn’t do so much as to solve the problem, as it did to put a band-aid on the wound. It was more of a symptom reliever, then actually targeting the disease (the fracturing). Peter’s pain is particularly significant because of his desire to be with M.J. But now, he doesn’t have to keep his love and his identity a secret anymore. It’s ceased being an intense and torturous decision for Peter to make. He has become one whole person; the fractured egos have reached unity. And you also notice the fruitful effects of this. When he takes off his mask in front of Otto at the end, he is able to remind Otto that "intelligence is a gift" (something that Otto told Peter early in the film). By making Peter Parker and Spider-Man one, he is able to assist in the redemption of the villain. Love how it all links together!
As a Christian, there needs to be this ‘one whole person’. It’s impossible for us to manage two different personas that we present and try to keep balanced and separate. When we are given the infused grace of God, particularly at the Sacrament of Baptism (Sanctifying Grace), we become a newly regenerated person. In the pursuit of a holy and virtuous life, through cooperation with Actual Graces, bit by bit we reach this perfection and wholeness in unity with God.
To end, there’s still something I haven’t made my mind up on…Was it right, even though it’s M.J. who made the decision, for Peter to go along with it? Or should he insist that even that it’s still not ok? Again, it’s a satisfying ending. But is it okay morally speaking? Is he no longer willing her good? You could argue that he isn’t, because she is still being put in danger. On the other hand, you could argue that because he already insisted on his stance, she knows the risks and is ready to accept them. She has full knowledge. Honestly, I have no idea…I should probably just stop overthinking it and enjoy the movie for what it is…which is in my eyes the best superhero movie ever made.
VERDICT
For me, no other story in this genre explores the interior struggle of the hero as well or as focused as this movie does. This is not to say that it's perfect. Nevertheless, the ambiguity of it, far from making it confuse or unrelatable, invites the audience to engage and come up with their own interpretation.
9.5/10
Caveat's:
. Brief profanity
. Action violence/some scenes may frighten children
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