Spider man 2, a classic theme, polluted by corporatised film making... and shallow Americanism

What do you do when faced with a situation where you have to choose between a life where your personal interests rule the supreme and an anonymous existence that is entirely dedicated to serving the rest of  humanity and saving it from certain doom, sacrificing your all?

This is a classic dilemma. We face these dilemmas every day in our lives. You see some injustice happening somewhere. You come across an accident victim lying on road. You wish to do something about it. However, you refrain at the last moment. You don't want to involve yourself and commit your time and energy to the matter. It would be bothersome. Let someone else do the job. You have to return home to your family. You have to keep a dinner appointment. You have to strike an important business deal. You have to meet your girlfriend. You have to watch a film. You suppress your conscience and go on with your life. It rankles you though. You really wanted to respond to the crisis. There is something inside you that makes you feel restless in spite of all the excuses you may invent inside your head for your noncommittal attitude to a human crisis situation.

 Spider man 2 is about all this. It is about 'heroic' ideals. And it works all right. What mars its impact is its typical formulaic structure. It is a script written with a computer programme, under expert guidance of corporate executives. Something is missing here. This is the problem with most of these American films. 'Troy' too suffered from this problem.

American film writers and directors seem to have become conditioned to think in certain structured ways it seems. They write scripts the way corporate executives prepare their presentations. They make films based on various findings of marketing research. It is a kind of assembly line approach. You can also call it strategic film making.

When Art begins to follow the principles of scientific management, it pays a heavy price. It loses its soul. It fails to inspire.
 

 

'Spider man 2' and 'Troy' are good examples of this decline where classic themes have been turned into less than inspiring films thanks to an overdose of America's marketing genius. However, a classic idea cannot be so easily overshadowed by the dirty deeds of over enthusiastic hypesters. Some of its brilliance shows through.

So, 'Spider man 2' can be watched. You will not be disappointed.