Ok so The Amazing Spider-man 2 is a film where the things surrounding it are just
as interesting as the film itself is. Released in a time when the MCU was
really taking off it was critically panned for having too many villains,
subplots and a weird score that has the singer basically giving Electro's inner monologue.
Garfields Webhead had a tough time from the beginning and his version of Peter
Parker was released just 5 years after the Tobey Maguire incarnation
before he himself was replaced by Hollands Spider-man less than 4 years after.
Because of this The Amazing Spider-man franchise is often overlooked but it has picked up a strong
following online who absolutely love the film. When you watch it you can kinda see why too and
though it has it's low points there's also a scene in it that I think is absolutely perfect.
No not that one...not the one with Jamie Foxx making himself a birthday cake from Spider-man.
No what I am talking about is Gwen Stacy's death.
Ever since it was announced that Emma Stone would be playing the role in the Amazing Spider-man
we knew that the character was truly doomed and
this franchise very much built up to that moment coming to fruition.
For many years Gwen's death was viewed as a defining moment for the character
and though she has been brought back to life in recent times, for many decades it
was said that she should be a character that remained dead like Uncle Ben and The Waynes.
Gwen Stacy's death very much represents a number of things in Peter's life
and to me The Amazing Spider-man 2 absolutely nailed all these aspects.
Peter Parker is someone who was plucked out of
Queens and given incredible abilities that transformed him into a superhuman.
Initially he wanted to use these gifts for personal gain but after they inadvertently
led to the death of his Uncle Ben he decided that he would instead use them to help others.
Peter donned his Spider-man costume to keep those around him
safe and he tried to have a normal life. Being a vigilante caused several
run ins with the law including Captain Stacy. Stacy was killed in the comics
and the source material had him saying in his final breath that he should take care of Gwen.
This somewhat is the opposite to The Amazing Spider-man franchise as Cap was very much
like stay away from my daughter but either way you look at it Peter broke his promise.
Though he tried to keep Gwen safe and protect her, wanting things
for his own personal gain and happiness ultimately led to him losing once more.
In the comics Green Goblin took Gwen to the top of the Brooklyn Bridge and clocked her with his
glider which sent her hurtling over the edge. Reacting quickly, Peter to fired a web around
her ankles in order to catch her but upon climbing down he realised that she was dead.
For many years Peter didn't know whether it was the impact of the Goblin or the whiplash
from the webbing that ended her life and he spent several years dealing with the guilt
over this. It was revealed in later comics that it was indeed the webbing that broke her neck
but I've always been someone who viewed Peter as doing the best he could in the situation
and to me the fault lay with Norman Osborn for putting her in that position.
Peter being Peter though he very much blamed himself and believed that because
he chose to be Spider-man that he's the one who put the woman he loved in danger.
There's definitely a debate to be had there and that's what makes the character
so interesting. He's someone who will try and do the best he can
but even doing the best he can can often mean that those he loves die because of it.
Peter Parker is an extremely flawed character that fails like the rest of us
and that's what makes him so relatable. Now whatever you think of the Amazing Spider-man
movies I think most people agree that Peter and Gwen's relationship was the strongest
part of those films. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone dated in real life and that chemistry
definitely comes across in the characters who go back and forth throughout the twi movies.
Peter very much wrestles with whether to keep his promise to Captain Stacy
or to follow his heart and to be with the woman that he loves. In the film Gwen gets
a chance at another life in London and Peter in the end decides to go with her to England.
However the happy moment is ruined by Electro who starts to drain power from the city.
Gwen's death is even foreshadowed here as the two stand ontop of a bridge whi
Peter webs Gwen to a car in order to keep her safe but she ends up joining him in stopping
the electrical enemy. Gwen is just as much of a genius as Peter...well probably even smarter
and she knows the grid specs in and out making her a valuable asset in
trying to stop Max from playing the incy wincy spider on Peter's head.
They manage to stop him and send him to the MCU which is when the Green Goblin swoops in
cackling. I absolutely love the screeching of the glider and though Dane Dehaan's Goblin gets
a lot of crap I think using the actors face instead of having a mask works really well.
Throughout the movie Harry was someone who learned his father was dying from a
debilitating disease and tried to reach out to Spider-man in order to help find a cure.
However finally getting a blood sample from Oscorps
labs led him into mutating even further and thus he sort revenge.
Gwen was very much caught in the crossfire and as the two battled in the clocktower
she was left dangling by a threat as the pair battled it out.
As all the gears come crashing down we get a brilliant moment in which her literal
life line is cut and this leads to her arm dropping before the rest of her body does.
I'm not sure if the physics behind this are right but it's such a cool
shot that made me get butterflies in my stomach the first time I watched it.
You really get that sinking feeling as Gwen starts to fall and Peter leaps down the tower after her.
Throughout the Spider-verse films we've often seen the usage of a reflection in the eyes of either
Spider-man or Venom in which they're trying to stop someone from falling to their death.
We really get the desperation Peter faces here and seeing her reflected in his eye
very much reflects how much she means to him.
There's lots of subtle icography here too
such as the web Peter shoots out to her itself resembling a hand reaching out to save her
and we watch as it fires through the gears barely managing to catch her.
Now her death is of course one of the most famous in all of comic book history so we
know whats coming but when analysing the scene the creative team do an incredible job of using
the score and setting to make us think there's a chance that Peter and Gwen will escape their fate.
Just as Gwen falls they tune everything out and leave a solitary piano so that we can truly see
how focused Peter is on saving her. Thopugh he was just attempting to stop the Goblin,
this sole instrument blocks out everything else and makes it so that we too focus just on her.
The gears also cover her at one point so that we cant see Gwen but these
open up as the web shoots down, giving us the idea that all the obstacles have
cleared out the way and that he's actually gonna save her.
Unfortunately though as the web hits her he grabs a pipe and this caused
the web to tighten which whips her head backwards. This cracks off the ground and
the snap from it is even more impactful than the one carried out by Thanos.
They completely cut the music and all the other effects so that all you hear is this noise
and I remember it shaking through the cinema when I saw it for the first time.
Add to this the clock which too breaks symbolising that Gwens time is up and you have
a lot of things laced throughout the subtext that make this moment hit ten times harder.
In the aftermath of it you could hear a pin drop and though we knew this was coming it
was completely devastating to see it play out. Hammering this moment home is Andrew Garfield
who drops down and gives a performance that reminded me of Bambi finding his mother dead.
There's just something so innocent to it that makes it even more devastating.
As with a lot of Spider-man movies we end with a funeral but something about this one feels
ever more personal. We've dealt with a lot of characters dying around Peter but watching the
montage of him at her grave as the seasons pass makes it hit home even harder. This truly captures
the grief that he's going through and let's us know just how impactful this was. Spider-man is
someone who's often seen as a kiddie character who's somewhat cartoonish because of his big
eyes and brightly coloured costume. However he can really have moments like this that
are real gut punches that make you realise the kinds of battles that Peter is truly fighting.
Not only does he have to tackle super criminals he also has to deal with losing those around him.
He's not a billionaire. He's not invincible and he's not someone who ever has it easy.
Add to this he broke Captain Stacy's promise and the guy is just taking constant L's.
Peter even quits being spider-man but in the end its the memory of Gwen
that brings him back around. In the final few scenes he speaks to Aunt May who is
putting Ben's stuff in a box. She says the heavier the box is the lighter she feels
which very much speaks to the acceptance part of grief and learning to let go.
Though she isn't chucking it out because it's part of her, she's finding a better place for it.
Peter plays Gwen's Graduation speech in which he's told to hold ontop hope
and to become that. She says even if we fail to try and become that
which very much summarises her death and Peter's next step. Much like May he puts
Gwen's possessions in a box but leaves one photo behind as a reminder and he returns as Spider-man.
Say what you want about the film but I feel like this rise and fall of the character represents
why we as audiences love him so much. He is a person who's been through some of the worst
things imaginable and though he's lose people close to him he will still come back every time.
Gwen's death is obviously a tragedy but its such an intrinsic part of the character that
shows his greatest strength is dealing with his own failures and coming back from them.
Though I do have some issues with the film,
I think Gwen's death is one of the most impactful scenes in a comic book movie ever.
Now obviously I'd love to hear your thoughts so make sure you comment below and let me know.
We're running a competition right now and giving away 3 copies of the Spider-man 4k trilogies on
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If you want something else to watch then make sure you check
out our breakdown of perfect scene in Spider-Man Homecoming. We break
down the entire thing so it's definitely worth checking out if you wanna know more.
With that out the way thank you for sitting through the video,
I’ve been Paul and I’ll see you next time. Take care, Peace