Chapter 4860

Shiler sat in the cinema seat. He was probably the only one among them who recognized Mephisto. But to be fair, Mephisto's performance was truly impressive.

However, it makes sense when you think about it—if the devil couldn't disguise himself as the embodiment of justice, he wouldn't be able to deceive so many people. After all, not everyone is psychologically twisted; knowing you're a devil and still following you is rare. Most of the devil's tricks involve disguising himself as an angel or a messenger of God.

One could say Mephisto is one of the rare villains who is aware of just how evil he is. He never intended to save a world he considered perfect. He clearly understood that all his actions served only one purpose: satisfying his own desires.

In other words, he is not a naturally mentally deviant talent type, but rather a diligent one. He knows his desires are insatiable and that he must continually deceive humanity to gain their faith and souls. For this, he constantly hones his acting skills, refines his demeanor, and becomes an excellent devil with strong disguise and persuasive abilities, using his talents to expand his influence.

This is also why Chris doesn't like him. Most artists prefer natural talent. Mephisto inevitably appears to be trying too hard, especially when he first chooses to imitate Shiler, a natural talent type. And natural talent is the hardest to imitate, so he inevitably reveals himself.

But Captain America is, after all, a normal person and a traditionally good person. Such a person is easy to imitate, especially since the film only needs to portray part of his qualities, making Mephisto's performance effortless.

Moreover, he did not shape Captain America into a stereotypical, formulaic character. He clearly understood that a good person must have depth to avoid seeming fake. If he were constantly shouting slogans, it would instead seem like a deliberate imitation.

If one were to describe the temperament of the young Captain America, most people would say he is a kind, gentle youth—so compassionate he wouldn't even step on an ant.

It is undeniable that Captain America is indeed kind. However, the temperament of the young Captain America consists of two parts: one is the spirit of the times, and the other is his own personal temperament.

Many people overlook the former and focus only on praising the latter. But it is only when these two temperaments overlap that the true Captain America emerges.

Fortunately, Steve Rogers was born during America's golden age. Unfortunately, he was born at the tail end of that golden age, and he and his family were among the sacrifices made by this struggling giant in its final breath.

Thus, the young Captain America is destined to be conflicted. He loves this country, filled with national and ethnic pride, yet simultaneously, the hardships and disappointments of reality leave him feeling confused, unsure where the problem lies. This is his unique temporal temperament.

At the same time, the obsessive aspect of his personal traits gradually becomes more pronounced amid this contradiction. In his youth, Captain America attributed all the nation's flaws and his own misfortunes to war. He believed war had destroyed his beautiful homeland and life, so he resolutely enlisted.

Mephisto grasped this confusion and obsession well, shaping a Captain America who differs from the public's impression yet remains vivid and real. Clearly, this came from his time working with Hampton and the real Steve Rogers, and through his superb acting, he perfectly portrayed it.

Since the film uses reverse narration, the youthful segment actually occurs in the middle of the movie, so Steve grows increasingly silent as he watches. Meanwhile, Bucky is obviously even more shocked—he has run from the back rows to the front, his head nearly touching the big screen.

"I suspect he peeked into my memories," Steve said, "but actually, many things from that time I myself don't even remember."

"You really were like that back then," Bucky said, "I remember clearly—you were always worried about the country and the people, full of complaints. When I heard about the conscription, you immediately ran over with enthusiasm. I was stunned when I heard you were going to join the army."

Steve opened his mouth, seeming at a loss for words: "Back then, I was really too young."

Everyone instinctively felt a hint of regret in his tone, but they knew he shouldn't regret going to the battlefield—rather, he regretted dealing with the military. Yet without dealing with the military, he couldn't have become Captain America. His ambiguous relationship with the U. S. military is Captain America's lifelong shackle. He cannot publicly blame the military, nor even complain privately to friends without beating around the bush—he can only hint obliquely.

In the latter half of the film, as war scenes multiplied, the tone began to grow solemn. After watching for a while, Steve said: "This part is a bit exaggerated—I didn't participate in that many frontline battles. The Howling Commandos mainly handled rear-area operations. What the hell is the Normandy landing?"

"You didn't take part in the Normandy landing?" Stark asked, somewhat puzzled, "Wasn't that supposed to be the Anglo-American-French allied campaign? Why wouldn't the military send you?"

"Because I couldn't die there," Steve sighed, "They knew this battle wouldn't be easy to win, so they wouldn't send their propaganda mascot to the front lines to die. If I had died, it would have severely damaged domestic morale, making recruitment even harder."

"Put bluntly, they just don't believe in you," Bucky complained, crossing his arms, "They think you can only do small-scale stuff, that you're not a real soldier at all—you should just stay honestly in the studio shouting those ridiculous slogans."

"Who would've thought the Soviets would give me a chance?" Steve self-mockingly chuckled, "The first day I met them, they called me a hero, offered me a drink, and assigned me as a vanguard in the Berlin campaign. No one had ever trusted me that much before."

"In fact, after the first day's battle, they personally said they wanted to invite me to Moscow to meet their leaders. If I hadn't fallen back then, I might really have earned a medal."

Everyone fell somewhat silent. As they say, fate plays tricks. The U. S. military originally only wanted to use Captain America as a mascot, to perform on some safe battlefields or simply sit in domestic studios shouting slogans—never imagining they'd truly let him achieve anything.

But Steve's patriotic fervor and obsession made him unable to accept that arrangement—ironically, it was the Soviet army at the time that gave him the opportunity.

And not receiving a medal is indeed something worth regretting. After all, at that time the two countries were in their honeymoon phase; the U. S. wouldn't have opposed his going to Moscow to accept a medal, and would even have heavily publicized it. Moreover, Soviet medals from that era still carried significant weight—they represented recognition, exactly what Steve sought.

By contrast, the U. S. military here just wants to make the horse run without giving it grass. Given Captain America's achievements, following the normal promotion path for a U. S. Army soldier, he should at least be a major general by now. Yet he has consistently been excluded from the military's system.

Don't say rank is useless—rank represents power. No one ever considered giving Captain America real power; they just want to use him while excluding him, hoping he'll promote for them while keeping him out of military affairs.

"They really picked the right person," Strange said, "If you hadn't insisted on going to the battlefield and actually achieved something, then today's Captain America would probably just be a nameless clown."

"I have to thank my fall," Steve said frankly, "The ice stole my time, but it also protected me. If it weren't for that fall, letting me avoid the power shifts after the war and during the Cold War, I'd probably have been swept into the vortex—I doubt I could have matched them."

Stark couldn't help but glance at him. He said Steve rarely mentions those past decades—now I understand. This reason isn't entirely self-consolation. If he hadn't fallen but instead come back alive, during the Cold War, his situation would certainly have been very awkward.

The film altered Captain America's experiences. Besides the Berlin campaign, it also shows him participating in the Normandy landing and several other tough battles. The depiction of rear-area activities is reduced, favoring instead a portrayal of the real U. S. Army rather than a special assault squad.

The military invested heavily, putting in great effort. Hollywood isn't incapable of making good films—just look at the war scenes in the second half of this movie, which appear very realistic and oppressive. Captain America doesn't look like a superhero; he looks grimy, dust-covered, fleeing for his life.

No one here knows whether the actual intensity of the Normandy landing could have made Captain America scurry for cover like a rat. But at least, what the film presents is reasonable. It was truly carpet bombing—every inch of land plowed over, the earth trembling, Captain America unable to stand firm, blown into the air multiple times, yet forced to grit his teeth and crawl back up.

At this moment, Shiler realized this isn't actually a superhero film. Because Captain America is a real person who existed in this world, not some fictional comic character.

This is a biographical film of Steve Rogers, a war hero's memoir. Precisely for this reason, the film's entertainment value is weak—there are hardly any scenes of Captain America in uniform, shield in hand, descending from the sky. Most of the time, he's shown grubby, crawling and rolling on the battlefield.

Compared to popcorn movies, this is more like a traditional Hollywood war epic, akin to *Black Hawk Down* or *Blood on Steel Saw Ridge*, with some artistic embellishment and exaggeration, but overall leaning toward the serious.

Generally, films lacking entertainment don't do well at the box office, but *Captain America* is an exception. Because Captain America himself is already famous enough, with fans worldwide—just for that name, many would come to watch.

Moreover, this film is also exceptionally well-made among war films—the actors' performances are spot-on, the atmosphere is well-rendered. When the final showdown with the Red Skull comes and he falls into the ice cave, Mephisto's acting erupts. Even Steve's friends today are moved by his self-sacrificing spirit.

Originally coming for fun, after watching they were left speechless. Stark couldn't say anything, just patted Steve on the shoulder.

This boy, born in the Brooklyn slums, from beginning to end upheld patriotic spirit, fought bravely, sacrificed without fear—even if it meant dealing with nations unfriendly to the U. S., one must admit, Captain America is a hero.

When the frame froze on the ice layer, the screen gradually faded, the credits began to roll, and that jazz tune with a hint of era flavor started playing, Natasha sighed: "America today doesn't deserve you."

"I don't think so," Steve said, shaking his head, "At least the people of Brooklyn live much better now than before—cheap food, convenient transport, and no immediate war threats nearby."

"America isn't just the federal government and the military," he said, "It's also ours, it's the Americans'. Ninety percent of the people in this country are striving to make it better—we shouldn't lose faith because of a small minority. We will surely make everything right."