SPOILER DISCUSSION
1.It’s a small detail but Steve being so strong that he loses control while running is a great moment. He goes from not being able to keep up with running at training to going too fast to put the brakes on himself.
The crowd goes wild as Steve performs in a shield shaped arena. Steve (Chris Evans) tries his routine in front of actual soldiers. The soldiers are unenthused at Steve’s performance.
2.The instant cut from the highly colorful and extravagant shows that Steve did in the States vs out in the field for the troops is comedic gold. He goes from being the center of attention and the object of admiration by all to someone who’s treated with scorn and no respect. The change in color underscores just how “little” the Captain’s “efforts” domestically are are translating to everyday soldiers’ lives ; nothing he’s doing is helping stop the war in a meaningful sense and his attempts at a colorful cheer in the spite of the gray brutality of war is consequently hollow.
Schmidt (Hugo Weaving) makes his dramatic appearance. Red Skull (Hugo weaving) stands in silhouette as he gets painted. Captain America( Chris Evans) punches Hitler in a performance. The crowd goes wild as Steve performs in a shield shaped arena.
3.Far from being beyond “humanity” as he thought, Schmidt/Red Skull’s obsession with flamboyant entrances and theatricalities in general seem more in line with what the masses want. The reason Captain America is such a success is because his image is quickly capitalized on and made into a spectacle to be celebrated; it’s not a coincidence that Steve himself feels that such a role is beneath his capacities. He doesn’t want the theatrical role. He wants the practical one.
Captain America (Chris Evans) records propaganda footage for the war effort, pretending to lead a troop of soldiers. Captain America (Chris Evans) leads a troop of soldiers. Captain America (Chris Evans) is recorded on the battlefield. His efforts are documented.
It’s telling then that the Captain goes from roleplaying a soldier to create propaganda for the war efforts to becoming the most important solider on the frontlines. He goes from leading actors to leading actual soldiers. His courage and efforts on the battlefield end up getting documented on footage; far from acting a part for film, he’s filmed playing his role with no extra flourishes.
It’s fitting that the person focused not on toughing it out no matter what in stead of running gets immortalized in this transformative fashion, becoming an emblem and icon, while the person on the constant run with a performative bent gets cast away to a new location and left for forgotten. Hard work and grit make an icon which can last. Theatrics and bursts of force can only sustain influence for so long.
4.Ending on Steve waking up in a modern world and commenting on his missed date is brutal and effective. It’s not only a reflection on what he’s really lost, but it also serves as a brutal twist to the opening. We should be happy that Steve is finally back and awake after being lost for so long, but now he’s lost in another way entirely, and it’s hard to tell if it’s better or worse than the state he was in previously. Wish there was a better job of juxtaposing this idea in the way Steve’s story is told but outside of the very start, there’s no effort made to explain what Captain America means to the status quo versus what he used to mean.
Additionally, the opening feels like a huge waste because it could have served as a vantage point by which to assess the meaning of Captain America’s journey. Imagine if the opening held on a conversation of the shield and how important it is to the crew before then cutting to Steve. If the story of Steve was intercut with his discovery, the meaning behind what his fight was about would be more pronounced. We’d know that what he did was great and be intrigued to figure out what the journey to such a status looked like. But instead, the only time the present time is mentioned is at the very start in a throwaway fashion and at the end again.