In Sacred Matters,
Laderman highlights the religiosity of film and the creation of the cosmos.
Laderman highlights the importance of film in framing the cosmos. Laderman says, “films provide myths that frame
and make sense of basic, universal dilemmas faced by finite, mortal humans and
serve as touchstones for making sense in a cruel, painful world full of
suffering”(9). While reading, all I could think about is the
Marvel Universe. The Marvel Universe while, action-packed and cartoonish, is
filled with countless examples of religious-like transcendence. From Peter Parker being bitten by a
radioactive spider and becoming Spiderman to the mutations that create the X-Men,
the marvel universe showcases humans transcending human bounds and cosmic
limitations. Captain America (2011) is a great exemplification of Laderman's
point. Captain America begins a frail young man by the name of Steve Rogers. He is plagued by mortal dilemmas such as
sickness, weakness and vulnerably. Despite this, Rogers maintains a sense of
confidence and courage. The frail young man is then enhanced to the peak
of human perfection by the experimental "Super Solider Serum," which
transforms Rogers into Captain America.
The myth of Captain
America echoes various religious myths, most notably Jesus. Like Jesus, Captain America is a man with superhuman abilities teaching humanity. As the movie title suggests, Captain America is the first Avenger. Captain America creates a legacy that defines what it means to be a superhero in the marvel universe. More importantly, he is the standard we judge both heroes and culture as the universe progresses. Like Jesus, Captain America maintains his ethos despite
his transcendence. In one of the final scenes of the movie, Captain
American crashes his plane into the Arctic to prevent the detonation of
weapons of mass destruction. He sacrifices himself much like Jesus, in order to
save humanity from suffering. Captain America maintains the American work
ethic and morality that existed in Steve Rogers. Though Captain America, Moreover, he goes about his
life with intimate knowledge of the moral, finite bounds of humans and attempts
to limit pain in a world "full of suffering." Like many religious
myths, the myth of Captain America showcases how one should behave no matter
their circumstance, even if you are the first avenger.
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