X-Men:First Class

Comes out this Friday

Synopsis: Set in the era before Professor Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr became mortal enemies as Professor X and Magneto, respectively, X-Men: First Class follows the two former allies as they lead a powerful team of mutants on a mission to save the planet from Sebastian Shaw who plans to set the world into nuclear annihilation.

Below are scenes that seem to really utilize the metaphor of being different.

"My Mutation"
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5zom_0WcFw[/YOUTUBE]
"You didn't ask, so I didn't tell"
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXkHPgTYMKM[/YOUTUBE]
"I always believed I couldn't be the only one in the world who was different"
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDJguU_hOjQ[/YOUTUBE]
"You have no idea what I'd give to be normal"
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lwAj60ySnw[/YOUTUBE]
"You want society to accept you, but you can't even accept yourself"
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Csii_f5f204[/YOUTUBE]
"Fight for the people who hate and fear you or join me"
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWIS8YE3-84&NR=1[/YOUTUBE]
Behind the scenes
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yaEuKbgi5U[/YOUTUBE]
Bryan Singer interview
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oXKBk3azeI[/YOUTUBE]

For those looking for a more relaxed way of coming out, I've always used the metaphors found within The X-Men when discussing it with my friends. Gay director Bryan Singer, since the first film, has used the series as a metaphor for the LGBT community.

"Making gay sense of the X-Men" Written by William Earnest

 

Reviews have already been coming in positive. Also keep in mind Bryan Singer wasn't really attached to Wolverine or X-Men 3. Only X-Men 1 and X-Men 2. X-Men 3, somewhat, but not much. He basically created the X-Men film universe. This is why those two installments felt different from the rest. :icon_wink

Also Fox has, surprisingly been hands off, the run time is 2 hrs 20 minutes. Same as X-Men 2. Whereas X-Men 3 and Wolverine were both well under 2 hrs.

 

Everyone will have something to take away from the film.

The film itself was very entertaining and I'd say the best X-Men film to date. There's numerous cameos including Storm, Cyclops, and Wolverine to be on the look out for. Most of the footage from the trailers happens much later in the film. If I'd have to say there's one weakness, or not really - just misleading marketing, the main "teenage" core of the cast doesn't show up until at least thirty minutes in. Nobody is safe in the film, which is something they make apparent from the start and this instantly raises the stakes. It's a fun ride that I'd rank up there with The Dark Knight, but they're entirely different kinds of films. TDK was hard core rock music, while X-Men is the Beatles... if that makes sense?

Before, I launch into the LGBT content of the film which the series has become famous for, I'll go into a detail that I think girls will be able to relate to a lot. Mystique could be substituted by any number of girls who believe they have a physical deformity whether it's being too fat, too thin, etc. Early on she gets jealous of a girl Charles is flirting with and asks if he could ever be with her, to which he avoids answering the question. She believes it's because she's "blue." Even Hank, more out of his own low self-esteem, rejects her true form saying they'll both always be ugly and need to change. It's only Eric who frees her from this and helps her become proud of who she is. Rather than seeing the birth of a 'villainess,' we see a "deformed" girl who realizes how truly beautiful she is. Since someone in my family has suffered from this, I think it's a perfect message to send out for girls.

Alright, now to the LGBT content. I still remember being a teenager and reading the X-Men books and getting really emotional when I first read Bobby's coming out scene and Angel trying to cut off his wings, because I went through that. I tried to run from who I was for my whole life. If I just left this school or this room or this state, I'd stop being a freak (I'm sorry to say that, it's how I felt at the time) and just be normal! Just BE NORMAL! I absolutely hated that I wasn't. I went to such extreme lengths to hide that I was different. I was really upset when Rogue took the cure, but at the same time I agreed with it. I still believe that was a bad lesson since I knew what this would tell others about being different. I looked up to the films for support, so that felt like a betrayal. Even so, I'd still give anything to be like my friends. My denial, hiding it away, was my "cure" for something that could never truly go away no longer how hard I tried to fight it. It was bound to explode out of me. Even my co-workers don't know. Eventually it did go haywire, I had to give up and accept it. There was no other choice really. Or rather become proud of it. This is the same journey Hank McCoy undergoes.

When we first meet Hank, he's a mutant in hiding. He never allows his big ape like feet to be shown. However, when he attracts the attention of Mystique he starts to open up to her. Regardless, his main goal is to find a cure because his whole life he's wanted to become normal. He later tells Mystique he's ashamed of who he is because he knows society will never accept him. He injects himself, leading to his transformation. He leaves a note telling the team to meet him in the hanger. The first time we see him is his "coming out" moment. Mystique doesn't react in fear, rather she tells him he's beautiful for who he is and that this is who he's always been. And to not be afraid of it. Thus, Beast learns to accept himself and overall becomes much more psychologically balanced knowing the team accepts his mutation. Just like we become stronger knowing our friends accept us.

I don't want to go into details over Charles and Eric, since that's the core of the film. But we do see how and why they become who they are. There's another really interesting scene, and poignant, when Mystique calls Charles out on wanting to feel like he belongs to humanity despite being different. Just like how many hang onto any semblance of being part of the heterosexual community. For Eric, it all starts in the nazi camps through a very emotional scene. You truly feel sad for him rather than afraid. All the classic pieces are together by the end of the film. Except Charles isn't bald.

As with every X-Men film, it's the superhero franchise that's there as support for anyone who's ever been different. Anyone who was born with a mutation of some kind. The overall message can be summed up as this:

Be proud of you are, never try to change. You shouldn't have to adapt for society, society should adapt for you.

Mutant and proud.

10/10