Andrea and I went to see X-Men 3 last night with a group of old and new friends.  I am new to the whole X-Men phenomenon, but am quickly becoming a fan.  I borrowed the first two movies and watched them as preparation for going to see the third installment on the big screen. That is a great way to be fresh with a story line when heading into a new installment of a series.  As we were heading home from the show, some thoughts along the line of a feminist critique on the film came to mind and I thought they may make for interesting conversation here.  The thoughts center on the portrayal and interaction with female characters throughout the series, but especially in X-Men 3.
 

 

***Warning: Plot spoiling is inherent in this discussion.  Do not read on if you have not seen this movie and plot spoiling will bother you ****

The character of Jean Gray particularly caught my interest as she becomes the central focus of this movie.  The latent/obvious sexual tension between she and Wolverine as well as the competition between Wolverine and Scott “Cyclops” have figured into the plot.  What is now revealed is that two other men have been competing for Jean and her power since they first met her twenty years ago, Xavier and Magneto.  Xavier recognized her power and sought to “benevolently” restrain her power through a psychic block for the good of her and all of humankind and mutantdom. 

 

The part I would like to highlight is how Jean’s fullness, which is regarded first as mysterious and unrestrainable, is necessarily malevolent.  The “unblocked” Jean is now demonic and destructive.  Magneto seeks to ally with her power for his own ends.  After much action and interplay, it emerges that Jean must die for her own good and for that of humankind and mutantdom.

 

The contrasting female character is that of Storm.  How is it that the desires of male characters are all played out in Jean’s character and not with Storm (it’s
Halle Berry, for goodness sake)?  Storm seems to be an asexual, benign good force—another sort of half-person whose desires surface briefly, but not consistently. 

The question of what women want haunts male minds from Sigmund Freud to Mel Gibson.  This film revolves around that mystery embodied in the character of Jean Gray.  And we are led to believe that the full revelation of Jean’s abilities and desires is destructive and that she must then be sacrificed.  The desires for power, control, possession as well as necessary sacrifice and violence are all played out within Jean Gray.  But, rather than one who can reckon with her own power in either a benevolent or reconciling way, Jean serves more as the stage prop for others.

 

Well, I’m tired of writing for now and would really love to hear other’s thoughts on this angle or on the movie.  I’ve actually composed this post twice—the first one was lost to the intricacies of cyberspace and internet connection.  What a frustrating experience.  This second rendition is more wordy, but still on the same point. 

 

Andy