I think there are a few responses to this, based partly on the comic series some of the movie imagry uses, some stuff about what the next X-men movie (might) hold and the fact that Eric is a fucked up man.
The movie rumor mill suggested that the current end to DoFP was not what was originally planned because, as is obvious, Eric does a complete 180 on how to handle Trask for no apparent reason. That last combat set piece would basically cause the very future they'd been fighting the rest of the movie - killing Trask and a bunch of other humans on world camera? Even Eric, in his nuttiest, doesn't want a mutant massacre and with no established mutant defense forces (ie: the brotherhood) it would be a massacre. The movie totally falls apart with this ending because, IMO, Eric is not stupid.
A) But, the rumor goes that the end was changed because, in the third movie Eric was/might be possessed by Apocalypse - who does want a totally destructive war, so he can take over a softened Earth. No idea if this is true or not but they damn well needed to foreshadow it better. If true it was a last minute change, imposed by producers, so I can forgive it.
B) Second, based on the comic version of some of the story. I don't know if it's in the comic DoFP or in God Loves, Man Kills but at some point, Eric realizes that in order to provide compare/contrast for humans so they don't simply fear all mutants, there needs to be a villain in the play. He decides, pretty much with no discussion (because one of Eric's consistent flaws is his need to be the one in charge), to play that role and basically stages a version of what we saw in the movie so that humans can get the idea that there are mutants and then there are bad mutants. Charles confronts him at some point about his behavior, which is when Eric reveals what he's doing, probably much to Charles' irritation.
C) From my partner who has a pretty good grasp of the character and also what it's like to be a Jew who survived the holocaust in the US (he grew up around holocaust survivors). Eric's got a whopping case of PTSD, plus a very reasonable belief that humans will, in fact, turn on mutants given the chance (his mom gave him a big diamond earring when he turned sixteen so he'd always have portable wealth on his person in case he had to start running without warning). Striking first isn't a totally unreasonable response - but only if you believe you can carry through to the end, which the movie is showing Eric he can't. Personally, Eric's ability to trust, at a most basic level, is so fractured that he cannot tolerate being vulnerable or allow others to take charge of situations. Put all this together with a bit of cold-bloodedness, and you get a guy who'll follow his own flawed logic to the end, without allowing anyone else to intervene.
None of this means Eric is a woobie who needs someone to pet him and make him feel good (nor would he tolerate such a thing), or that he's not going to go rampaging round the countryside.
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branchandroot
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Date: Jun. 13th, 2014 17:11 (UTC)The movie rumor mill suggested that the current end to DoFP was not what was originally planned because, as is obvious, Eric does a complete 180 on how to handle Trask for no apparent reason. That last combat set piece would basically cause the very future they'd been fighting the rest of the movie - killing Trask and a bunch of other humans on world camera? Even Eric, in his nuttiest, doesn't want a mutant massacre and with no established mutant defense forces (ie: the brotherhood) it would be a massacre. The movie totally falls apart with this ending because, IMO, Eric is not stupid.
A) But, the rumor goes that the end was changed because, in the third movie Eric was/might be possessed by Apocalypse - who does want a totally destructive war, so he can take over a softened Earth. No idea if this is true or not but they damn well needed to foreshadow it better. If true it was a last minute change, imposed by producers, so I can forgive it.
B) Second, based on the comic version of some of the story. I don't know if it's in the comic DoFP or in God Loves, Man Kills but at some point, Eric realizes that in order to provide compare/contrast for humans so they don't simply fear all mutants, there needs to be a villain in the play. He decides, pretty much with no discussion (because one of Eric's consistent flaws is his need to be the one in charge), to play that role and basically stages a version of what we saw in the movie so that humans can get the idea that there are mutants and then there are bad mutants. Charles confronts him at some point about his behavior, which is when Eric reveals what he's doing, probably much to Charles' irritation.
C) From my partner who has a pretty good grasp of the character and also what it's like to be a Jew who survived the holocaust in the US (he grew up around holocaust survivors). Eric's got a whopping case of PTSD, plus a very reasonable belief that humans will, in fact, turn on mutants given the chance (his mom gave him a big diamond earring when he turned sixteen so he'd always have portable wealth on his person in case he had to start running without warning). Striking first isn't a totally unreasonable response - but only if you believe you can carry through to the end, which the movie is showing Eric he can't. Personally, Eric's ability to trust, at a most basic level, is so fractured that he cannot tolerate being vulnerable or allow others to take charge of situations. Put all this together with a bit of cold-bloodedness, and you get a guy who'll follow his own flawed logic to the end, without allowing anyone else to intervene.
None of this means Eric is a woobie who needs someone to pet him and make him feel good (nor would he tolerate such a thing), or that he's not going to go rampaging round the countryside.