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"Just because someone stumbles, loses their way, doesn't mean they're lost forever." 🙏
Last week, I was forced to turn the page of another treasured induvial who had blessed not only my heart since I was 5 years of age, but for everyone who grew up watching superhero cinema. Sir Patrick Stewart not only defined the role of the iconic leader of the X-Men, Professor Charles Xavier, but was and still is one of the greatest actors of all time. This incredible man not only pulled off portraying Xavier as just the world's most powerful telepath, furthermore, an eternal optimist who could make anyone genuinely believe in peace, bridge-building, and eternal prosperity between humanity and mutants. Sir Stewart always brought an air of wisdom, authority, and a deep emotional resonance whenever he graced the audience with his portrayal of Professor X, which derives from his years of extensive classical training from the Royal Shakespeare Company. Beyond his stoic leadership, Sir Stewart also able to captured Xavier's inner conflicts, crippling age, and physical fragility in the much more poignant and deeply emotional film, 'Logan'.
Of course, I also can not talk about Sir Stewart without bringing up his iconic performance as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the beloved sci-fi series, Star Trek: The Next Generation. While I much prefer the original Star Trek television show from the 60's, I always enjoyed watching Sir Stewart appear on screen, bringing the same Shakespearean energy from his earlier years in Broadway. I can't help but remind everyone about how hilarious this man was as CIA Deputy Director Avery Bullock in the animated sitcom American Dad! Every time the eccentric Director appeared on the screen, doing the most random of shenanigans with Sir Stewart's voice being unapologetically comical, I find myself unable to stop myself from bursting into laughter. Seriously, I kid you not.
Many X-Men fans have gather together to honor his legacy as our favorite telepath, reminiscing their favorite scenes from the films, most perceptibly their favorite moments with Professor Xavier. Scenes such as the iconic chess game, his 'death' in the Last Stand, the young Xavier (James McAvoy) meeting his future self, and even his phycological breakdown in the dusty abandon tank. Nevertheless, the scene that I find myself rewatching the most even to this day, is a verbal exchange from the first film that started it all. I am talking about "We are the future, Charles! Not them!" between Magneto (Ian McKellen) and Professor X. Some of you may have an eyebrow rose, since Magneto does most of the talking in the minute and a half long exchange, however I feel that Magneto's subtle yet sharp monologue is what helps highlights Xavier's unyielding moral compass. To me, a perfect scene in a film, game, or even in literature relies on the chemistry, timing, and interplay between two or more people rather than a solo performance.
This scene needs no action, no superpowers, or high-stake shouting, because all it needed to do was lay bare the true conflict of the franchise; the price of brotherhood. Despite facing eachother on opposite sides the two are close friends who genuinely love and understand each other, making the pair's ideological split heartbreaking rather than just the typical hero-versus-villain showdown. Charles Xavier represents hope, idealism, and peaceful integration with humanity, while Erik Lehnsherr represents hard-earned realism, trauma, and the belief that mutants must assert supremacy or face extinction, influenced by the real life civil conflicts between rights activists Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Tragically, Erik’s desperation isn't born out of baseline malice, but out of the horrific historical suffering he experienced as a Holocaust survivor and his mother's death, driving his conviction that humans will always turn on the "other." Even so, Charles still refuses to abandon his faith in humanity's better nature, setting up the tragic stalemate that repeats across decades of comics and films.
Sir Stewart's real-life 50 year friendship and classical stage history with Sir Ian McKellen is the cherry on top. Such beautiful chemistry is not only entertaining, it is a loving friendship that can only be found once in a lifetime, mirroring the bond between Charles and Erik. I will try to steel myself as I watch Sir Stewart play Professor X for the last time in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday with his friend Sir McKellen. Truth be told thought, I highly doubt I'll be able to keep my composure as I struggle to hold back the tears as I finish writing this memoir.
"It's not their pain you're afraid of. It's yours, Charles. And as frightening as it can be, that pain will make you stronger. If you allow yourself to feel it, embrace it, .it will make you more powerful than you ever imagined. It's the greatest gift we have: to bear their pain without breaking. And it comes from the most human part of us: hope. Charles, we need you to hope again." - Patrick Stewart
#video #movies
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Last week, I was forced to turn the page of another treasured induvial who had blessed not only my heart since I was 5 years of age, but for everyone who grew up watching superhero cinema. Sir Patrick Stewart not only defined the role of the iconic leader of the X-Men, Professor Charles Xavier, but was and still is one of the greatest actors of all time. This incredible man not only pulled off portraying Xavier as just the world's most powerful telepath, furthermore, an eternal optimist who could make anyone genuinely believe in peace, bridge-building, and eternal prosperity between humanity and mutants. Sir Stewart always brought an air of wisdom, authority, and a deep emotional resonance whenever he graced the audience with his portrayal of Professor X, which derives from his years of extensive classical training from the Royal Shakespeare Company. Beyond his stoic leadership, Sir Stewart also able to captured Xavier's inner conflicts, crippling age, and physical fragility in the much more poignant and deeply emotional film, 'Logan'.
Of course, I also can not talk about Sir Stewart without bringing up his iconic performance as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the beloved sci-fi series, Star Trek: The Next Generation. While I much prefer the original Star Trek television show from the 60's, I always enjoyed watching Sir Stewart appear on screen, bringing the same Shakespearean energy from his earlier years in Broadway. I can't help but remind everyone about how hilarious this man was as CIA Deputy Director Avery Bullock in the animated sitcom American Dad! Every time the eccentric Director appeared on the screen, doing the most random of shenanigans with Sir Stewart's voice being unapologetically comical, I find myself unable to stop myself from bursting into laughter. Seriously, I kid you not.
Many X-Men fans have gather together to honor his legacy as our favorite telepath, reminiscing their favorite scenes from the films, most perceptibly their favorite moments with Professor Xavier. Scenes such as the iconic chess game, his 'death' in the Last Stand, the young Xavier (James McAvoy) meeting his future self, and even his phycological breakdown in the dusty abandon tank. Nevertheless, the scene that I find myself rewatching the most even to this day, is a verbal exchange from the first film that started it all. I am talking about "We are the future, Charles! Not them!" between Magneto (Ian McKellen) and Professor X. Some of you may have an eyebrow rose, since Magneto does most of the talking in the minute and a half long exchange, however I feel that Magneto's subtle yet sharp monologue is what helps highlights Xavier's unyielding moral compass. To me, a perfect scene in a film, game, or even in literature relies on the chemistry, timing, and interplay between two or more people rather than a solo performance.
This scene needs no action, no superpowers, or high-stake shouting, because all it needed to do was lay bare the true conflict of the franchise; the price of brotherhood. Despite facing eachother on opposite sides the two are close friends who genuinely love and understand each other, making the pair's ideological split heartbreaking rather than just the typical hero-versus-villain showdown. Charles Xavier represents hope, idealism, and peaceful integration with humanity, while Erik Lehnsherr represents hard-earned realism, trauma, and the belief that mutants must assert supremacy or face extinction, influenced by the real life civil conflicts between rights activists Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Tragically, Erik’s desperation isn't born out of baseline malice, but out of the horrific historical suffering he experienced as a Holocaust survivor and his mother's death, driving his conviction that humans will always turn on the "other." Even so, Charles still refuses to abandon his faith in humanity's better nature, setting up the tragic stalemate that repeats across decades of comics and films.
Sir Stewart's real-life 50 year friendship and classical stage history with Sir Ian McKellen is the cherry on top. Such beautiful chemistry is not only entertaining, it is a loving friendship that can only be found once in a lifetime, mirroring the bond between Charles and Erik. I will try to steel myself as I watch Sir Stewart play Professor X for the last time in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday with his friend Sir McKellen. Truth be told thought, I highly doubt I'll be able to keep my composure as I struggle to hold back the tears as I finish writing this memoir.
"It's not their pain you're afraid of. It's yours, Charles. And as frightening as it can be, that pain will make you stronger. If you allow yourself to feel it, embrace it, .it will make you more powerful than you ever imagined. It's the greatest gift we have: to bear their pain without breaking. And it comes from the most human part of us: hope. Charles, we need you to hope again." - Patrick Stewart
#video #movies
source
