6 life lessons 'Captain America- The winter soldier' taught me!

I've just seen 'Captain America- The winter solider'. Wow, this movie is profound. It taught me some important life lessons, here are 6: 

1. The biggest fear we face: Fear of the unknown.

Not knowing is one of the worst things a person can go through. As Captain states, knowing the enemy is important. The idea that S.H.I.E.L.D was hijacked and knowledge and information was kept from the public about the public, in Captain America's eyes was worse than them knowing the truth. I found this concept really interesting; that not knowing who the good guys and the bad guys can cause such panic. It really drove home to me, that you have to know who you are, what you are and who you belong too and importantly what you believe in to live a good life. While the fear of the unknown hung over people, they seemed to exist and not live.


2. "This isn't freedom. This is fear" - Captain America. 

S.H.I.E.L.D in a sense wanted to protect society by the process of 'the greatest good for the greatest number', sacrifice your freedom and you'll be safe. Captain points out "this isn't freedom, this is fear". This was a mind blowing concept too me. He then talks about freedom meaning trusting people, and taking the risk. Telling them He chose to sacrifice His life for freedom because it is valuable to him. The US government is willing to sacrifice what has always being what Cap believes the founding aspects of the country, for the sake of national security, he believes it fear. Interestingly, fear then leads to paranoia and we see that in the film. People turn on each other when they are fearing something and when they are paranoid they can't relax for fear of what is to come. 

3. You have to let the past go, to get hold of the future. 

The most profound scene in this movie is when (SPOILER ALERT!!!) Captain and Natasha go back to where He used to be a soldier in the 'skinny Steve days'. He see's himself as He was - He sees his past- and has to choose to face where he was and his past and not be afraid of it. He is a different man, with the same morals but He has to face the pain of all the rejection and all the hurt He felt while at that training ground. He had to visit the past and be okay with it. He had to let the past to, and grab ahold of the future. The battle was waiting, there is an enemy and He had to run to his future.


4.To lose your identity is to loose who you are. To lose who you are, means you can be moulded into something you never we meant to be. 
In one of the last scenes when He is fighting with the Winter soldier. He reminds the winter solider who he actually is. He tells him, He is Bucky - His best friend. The Winter soldier had lost his identity and then become something He was never made to be but became malleable and mouldable because He was broken down from what He was. He WAS a soldier, who WAS Captain's best friend, he served in WW2. As Captain reminds him of this, even though the soldier has being taught something different, slowley who he actually is starts to appear. The memories come back.



5. To believe in people, when they give you good reasons not to. 
The Winter soldier gave Cap every reason to not believe in him - He tried to kill him!- but Cap said He wouldn't kill the soldier and said instead that he'd be the first one to be killed by him rather than the other way around. He still believed Bucky was there...


6.Unity is how we change the world and our world- not going along. 
At one of the first scenes, Cap gets angry at Natasha for diverting from the plan. She tells him she knows what shes doing and He should just do the job that was assigned him. He says the plan was to rescue and tells her that diverting was not in the plan. He confirms and re-affirms throughout the film that team-work and unity is a needed in order to save lives and to save the world. If you can't work together, you can't do anything. Driving home that communication is key. 

I also want to talk about Chris Evans' ( Captain America). I've already stated -in previous blogs- that I am very appreciative of his work ( I don't want to use the word 'fan' because I would never ask for an autograph, get his picture or be at his premiers), He is supremely talented and He really understands the culture He is living in (He has also done some incredible indie films). What He brought to Captain America was a multi-dimensional character; Its being said, Captain is the most boring avenger- in the actual 'Avengers' movie, He was incredibly boring- from the movie I have concluded He is actually my favorite of them all. He does have flaws, He can't allow himself a mistake and to get it wrong. I believe that to be a flaw, to force your ideals on everyone and be so into doing good that you sometimes forget to use grace with that truth is a flaw. He can be harsh and judgemental but I liked seeing the human side of him. Only Chris Evans' could have added such a human touch to a man who is presumed the most perfect avenger. He is talented and one to watch- both actually and metaphorically, because of his ability to really understand human nature.

Later on this year He has his first feature film coming out- called '1:30 train'- I can't wait to see this guys creative offerings. I must also point out that yes, I hate to admit the truth BUT he is very handsome and some good eye candy for this film.

What the superhero movies taught me.

Lets state facts: Marvels Avengers, made $200 million at the American domestic box office opening weekend.

I think its fair to say it was a box office smash. Why?

 There is a massive following. Fanatics who love the comics and therefore love the movies. It was a risk for Marvel to put them into movie form it would be a success or a failure no too way, either all the fans who have adopted these characters as their friends and...well, their hero's. I am not a comic book fan, I watched the movies because I was curious. What I saw was not just a well acted, well produced entertaining movie. I saw something deeper going on, how the movies unbeknowingly, showcased painful issues within humanity.



There is something deeper going on...

1.Superheros represent being saved from destruction, catastrophe they are giving life. Being protected, held and being safe. In 2007 the recession hit, which has being called the worst recession since the great depression of the 1920's. We need to be rescued, superhero movies represent this. I wish I had Captain America to protect me, fight for justice. I wish I had Thor to throw his hammer at all my problems, I wish I had Superman to catch when I'm falling and feeling lost in the unknow.

2. More specifically The Avengers movies show different superhero's who are used to saving the day having to work together to collectively in unity have to save the day; is that not like human nature? do we not get too caught up in trying to be the hero? and seeing what we can do and stating how the problem should be solved by ourselves, that we forget to work together to solve the issue and give up our egos for the greater good. There is a scene where Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr) and Captain American (Chris Evans) are arguing about how to solve an issue, Iron man believes he has all the answers while Captain America thinks they should wait for orders and do it as a group. They end up arguing, this scene was really powerful for me, we have to work together not alone; we are called for community to solve issues together.

3. Thor 1 &2 ; brings up this idea of complex love, of not belonging, feeling like a misfit, the complexities of arrogance. Thor, the God of Thunder- so arrogant his Dad takes away his potential kingship until he can be wise enough to know how to rule and reign. Loki, his misfit brother the God mischief; really just hurt and feeling rejected so he acts out. In the second movie we see him vulnerable because thats who he really is underneath the bravado. I've done that before, I'm sure you have too.

4. Superman taught me that I have talents I need to harness. Every strength, is also a weakness. Your greatest strength is your greatest weakness, for example, if you have to gift of being able to speak to other people you may also have the tendency to talk to much. IF you have the ability to be organised and are type A personality, you may also be controlling and bossy. Superman didn't understand why he could see, or grasp why he could understand what he did. He had a gift but it needed refining.

Celebrities are not just famous people and its all an illusion.

Recently, I've really been thinking hard about celebrity culture. The way in which someone, somewhere said someone was more important than someone else and knowing about where they get their coffee from is very important.

So lets begin to look at it at its roots; as a society we need to label and class people. This helps us put people into categories and figure them out a little bit better. Its being done since time began, we need significance, acceptance, love and to belong somewhere innately, this is what we need. The humanist Abraham Maslow showed this in his hierarchy of needs, in which if all our needs (both physical and psychological) we can't reach Self-actualisation, an understanding of the world and ourselves and can't have dreams and meet goals. Celebrity culture, is shown to be a place where all our needs are met; they are famous therefore they belong; they have fans therefore they are loved; they have made a film and walk a red carpet with lots of people screaming their name therefore they are significant. This is the lie we are sold. These human needs if not fulfilled healthily we look for them in other ways, I really believe is in some ways where our obsession with celebrity comes from. This group of people who have it all, and if we had what they had, we would somehow have it all.

It is of course not only in celebrity culture this happens, we see it in advertising the lure that if we had that product we'd be happy. Wear that perfume and you'll have a man desire you completely and wholeheartedly. This constant tap into our insecurities, advertising and PR are in fact incredibly intelligent ideas. They work, we see that actor who talks about what he desires personality wise in a women (And then us girls who fancy him secretly dream about how we could be the one), but we do it in our everyday lives also make someone a celebrity too us. Listen to how the popular person wants a friend with x qualities and think of ways to become their friend and we get really depressed when looking at that girl/guy with a beautiful figure/physique on instagram. Celebrities are not just who the gossip magazines say they are, is not that person they claim it is rather its an illusion we make about anyone we see who we believe to be better, more able, richer, more significant, value and loved than us. They could be famous, they could also be your best friend. Its that person we've built in our brains who will answer all of our insecurities even though in our heart of hearts its not true.

Have you ever noticed that  hollywood celebrities are explained to be somehow superhuman, they have the best hair, of course they never have a sad day, the best bodies - the best everything. You know, if you just met Chris Evans your life would be complete and he'd answer all your problems but Chris is a man- with flaws. I came to this conclusion one day watching a great series called 'the becoming series' on youtube. I saw the one with Chris Evans ( I love them because they ask intelligent questions I want to know the answers too not just those crappy 'What do you eat for lunch?' type questions) in part 2, He spoke of anxiety, before he did the Captain America films, he got therapy (counselling for us Brits) and struggled with various aspects of fame! This was highly intelligent and intriguing as this thing that we should all want because it makes us complete (apparently) fame, this guy didn't want. How could this be? I thought to myself as I continued watching. He spoke about rising above your thoughts and how to deal with 'brain noise'. This guy is completely normal, at this point I was crying. I'd just gone through a  massive life change, and like him I struggled to come to terms with it. I wondered, like him, if I could deal with it. I wanted to peg it to the hills like He did. This thing that was meant to make him complete and answer all his life problems didn't, was it true Chris Evans was JUST like me? He is but celebrity culture would have you convinced He is not. I wanted to jump in the screen and hug him, because I felt less alone he was dealing with anxiety too and because He really made me realise once and for all that there is no better or worse in life just different. He loves doing the lower-budget indie movies, he hates the limelight of press junkets and clearly doesn't like celebrity all too much. How can this American man who is making movies; doing press, jumping in front of green screens in a ridiculous costume be the same as me, an English Women; leading groups and mentoring young people, trying to bring social change and completing a degree, deeply interested in politics, history and world affairs and culture. But somehow he was. He made me think and see something in a way I've never seen it. If I ever meet Him, I would like to tell him how incredibly intelligent He is, and how genuinely talented he is. I mean he has done some amazing indies- check out 'London' and 'puncture'. Hollywood celebrities are no different to any of us. Its an illusion at the core of it because they are human and have needs [plus if they are at the top who is feeding their needs? The grass is always greener on the other side, as i've looked into this I've began to notice more and more that gratefulness and thankfulness are a key in life, being thankful for what you have because there will always be a problem and something to fix but perspective and positive views on life are key to us living an incredible life. A celebrity can't answer life's deepest needs for you, or your deepest questions. Yes you can admire someone and think they have done well and even aspire to them ( I aspire to influence and provoke people to think, like Chris Evans did too me) but they can't complete you and the normal celebrities in life who are not famous, like family and friends who we place on a pedestal can't complete us. Only true love can.