When I hit the play button on Captain America, The First Avenger, I did not know I was going to go on this exciting emotional rollercoaster. I did not consider it to be anything special as, it was another superhero movie with action, explosions, and crazy stunts. However, what I watched was something more than that it was the story of the courage, love, sacrifice and the cost of being a standpoint about something bigger than you are.
My interest in the character of Steve Rogers was present immediately, and it was not based on the strength and handsomeness of this person, but on his weakness, his small size and persistently unnoticed nature. He was not the type of a man who people were ready to expect to be a hero. As a matter of fact, the world mocked him, shunned him and even attempted to shove him away.
But there was something deep in his heart which may not surrender. To see him was a kind of reminder to me of life always underestimating us, particularly us women or us Nigerians or just simply the average Joes who do not fit the picture of greatness. However, in the bottom of my heart greatness never was solely about the face, it is always about the heart.
The scene of the transformation shocked me. Steve was weak and weak the next minute he stood up tall and strong and powerful. However it is not his new body that touched me the most, but the fact that his heart has stayed the same. He did not turn into an arrogant person. He never forgot what he was. Rather, he fought on the behalf of others, not himself by virtue of his new strength. It taught me to pause and consider, that there are other instances where life would provide us with platforms, blessings or even power. The real question will we learn to use them ourselves, or on behalf of others?
With the course of the story intensifying, the conflicts got bigger. Red Skull, the villain was not merely a man with a very scary face he represented all bad rulers all oppressors all those who run on power and feel that they can conquer this world through fear. It was not only being strong in front of him, it was being brave. And Steve has shown that it is not those that have no fear, but those who have the power to move on despite the fear staring right at them.
But I must tell you, I was not so impressed by battles and the flashing of shields and the explosions. It was composed hanging out with Peggy Carter. The love yarn was not a shouty, or gasping business, it was modest, it was dedicated, it was ardent. As I watched them, I came to the understanding that it is not always love with forever together.
On other occasions, it is about appreciating whatever small opportunity you get. And when Steve was forced to make that tragic sacrifice and follow his duty rather than his heart I cried with Peggy. I almost heard her voice quaver, We shall have the dance we promised, and this brought back to my mind how we often sacrifice some things in order to make some other peoples dreams come true.
I cried when the ending came. Steve opens his eyes at a totally new time, confused, broken and disoriented. The world that he had left behind culturing had passed by him. But even at that point his initial sentence was not his loss, but the lack of dance he never got. There was more of war than all his war in that little line. It was not a simple love story, it was the things we lost when we do the right thing.
I as a Nigerian woman watching this movie felt there was a strong message beating at my heart. Not everything goes our way in life as we might wish to be on the stage that we envisage. At other times we continue to be the little one in the minds of the world. There are those times of making sacrifices that nobody will ever clap. But when we cling ourselves to the ties of courage, of love, of doing the right thing, we, too, are heroes, shield and all!
Captain America, The First Avenger is not only a superhero film. It is a looking-glass. It demonstrates that our strength lies neither in the muscles, nor the power because our powerfulness lies in what we refuse to give up when the world tells us we are not satisfied. It teaches us that the greatest way to love is to sacrifice and that even in defeat we still may have a purpose.
The one thought that remained with me after watching this movie was that no matter the battles won, it is the heart that should never give up which makes a hero. And I confess, as well after the credits were finished I whispered, perhaps, just perhaps, there is a Captain America lurking within the breasts of us all.
https://youtu.be/6j2IJlC6gic?si=ZBK1GnQ7CJJG6ebo
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