Ultimately, the X-men
comic fans will be the true judges of the film incarnation of the long
running series, but for us movie lovers, one thing is certain; X-Men is
not only a superb action film, but also an impeccably woven character
drama with a profound emotional dimension.
As we marvel at layer
upon layer of visual wizardry that gave life to this movie, we first
congratulate the many screenwriters who succeeded in capturing the
spirit of the comic by uniting many of its character threads without
omitting fascinating details of their background.
At the heart of X-Men,
teenage Marie/Rogue (Anna Paquin), who only recently faced the trauma of
her Mutant power, joins Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), an older and
more powerful, but equally outcast and displaced Mutant. The two must
reconcile with their nature, which, despite the awesome power, brings
unsettling realities. For a passionate, attention and love hungry
teenager, not being able to touch anyone because doing so sucks out the
person's life force becomes a soul splitting burden. Symbolically, her
strange ability adds a real kick to the idea of being “different” as
much as it provides the mystery element that brings together Professor
Xavier (Patrick Stewart), Cyclops (James Marsden), Storm (Halle Berry),
Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), Rogue, and Wolverine in a life and death
battle against Magneto (Ian McKellen) and his band of Mutants. Magneto
aims to end prejudice against Mutants by eliminating human beings.
In essence, the first
movie installment of X-Men (an exciting sequel is set up by the film’s
ending) grapples with two major challenges, one faced by the younger
generation, and the other by the gray haired leaders. Teens will easily
identify with Rogue’s sense of damnation and isolation. The void of
being cut off from the basic human exchange of affection and consolation
makes her relationship with the older Wolverine even more powerful. With
sexuality out of the picture as the means of compensating for lack of
genuine connection, Rogue must learn to trust Wolverine with her
insecurity. Balancing Rogue’s undeveloped and misguided energy with
Wolverine’s laid-back, master warrior practicality and cynicism
tempers each in a touching intimacy of understanding and acceptance.
Adult viewers, on the
other hand, may ponder the idea of prejudice drawn so well through
Magneto. As a Jewish boy in a concentration camp, Magneto had survived
the most horrid example of prejudice known to human kind. This supplies
complex motivation for his urge to destroy those different from him.
Though he is painted as the antagonist in the story, we can hear a
scream “never again” from the depths of his being. His fears of
persecution are made all the more real by U.S. Senator Robert Kelly
(Bruce Davison), a McCarthyesque politico whose legislative agenda
foments prejudice that looks like the top of a steep slippery slope that
will accelerate to the demise of the Mutants. This is a powerful
reminder to all of us that though the tribal days are long gone, and
global awareness is spreading by leaps and bounds, many of us still hold
unbreakable bonds with that which is similar, whether it be race,
religion, sexual orientation, or opinion, and shun the unfamiliar,
mostly out of fear.
Of course, to make all
of this as powerful as it is, acute casting plays another key part. Here
again, the balance of youth and age creates a magical formula. Rarely do
warring action figures take form of gray-haired gentlemen, one of whom
is in a wheelchair, but Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen play their
adversarial roles with flair and charisma of veteran actors. The younger
brood, led by Anna Paquin and coupled with sizzling special effects help
make X-Men a rare action treat that dazzles with its imagery as
much as it moves with its heart and stirs the mind and imagination.
Bravo! We eagerly anticipate more.
