Spiderman - a man with a mission

'Power brings with it great responsibility': Spiderman has a mission to fulfil that is a 24-7-calling and changes all aspects of his life.

Feature article by Kerstin Kaie.

The Spiderman movie web site says

You can watch this movie from many different viewpoints:

• There are the teenage girls (and not only teenagers!), who are totally gone on Tobey Maguire
• There are boys and girls who will find their 'hero' in Spiderman and cover all their bedroom walls and desktops with his pictures
• There are the die-hard action movie junkies who will bemoan the lack of blood and guts, sex and crime and deny the 'corny' ending
• There are the computer freaks who will appreciate the marvellous computer simulated scenes - Green Goblin skating through the air, through walls and fire; Spiderman swinging like a modern Tarzan (in one scene accompanied by a modern Jane) through the City-Jungle, using spider-web instead of lianas
• There are the Spiderman Comic fans, who know every adventure, every scene, every character and booked the tickets for the premiere months in advance
• There are some followers of Christ who read about spiders in their concordance, saw some ads and trailers and came to the conclusion that this is not a movie for them....

... and at one level they are right! Spider bites are not a source of power and wisdom a follower of Christ can refer to. We do not want 'spider-senses' and spider webs. We do not believe in Green Goblins and super heroes.

But if you just go along to the cinema and do not analyse every scene, you can really enjoy this film as a great parable of our calling as followers of Christ in this world - of the power God has entrusted us with, and the responsibility connected with it:

Power and responsibility

When Peter Parker realizes the changes his spider bite has caused, he is as astonished as every one else around him. He has to learn not to use his new power and abilities for his own advantage.

On the other hand, there is this very successful scientist whose excessive ambition opens a door for a demon to take control over him. This is shown very clearly in the movie - a textbook about the principalities and powers of darkness couldn't have done it better.

Strength out of weakness

The demon, called Green Goblin, tries different strategies to disarm the one who stands in the way of his plans. He tries temptation, lies, flattery - ideas that are neither creative nor new. To demoralize Spiderman's fighting spirit, he even tries to touch the people Spiderman loves most - the woman he loves, and his elderly aunt, who brought him up instead of his mother. But power is found in unexpected places, and she is a committed believer. When the demon tries to attack her, she (who seems so weak) prays the Lord's prayer 'But deliver us from the evil one...' - a prayer with power!

Willing to suffer?

I was also impressed by Spiderman's willingness to fight - by his bravery: He knows he will win, but he also knows he will be hurt, and he has no fear of being hurt. I know Jesus has already won: he will come back as the victorious winner in the end, but he got deeply hurt in all dimensions of his being to win this victory. I am on his side, with the grace of God keeping me there, so I will win too in the end. But am I prepared to be hurt to win some victories for him while I am here?

On a mission

The ending in particular highlights the difference between Spiderman and other action heroes such as James Bond: Bond has a job to do, and when the job is done, he lives for his own satisfaction. Spiderman has a mission to fulfil that is a 24-7-calling and changes all aspects of his life.

For a more detailed, and more critical, review of 'Spiderman', go here:
http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/2002/spiderman.htm