Review 162: Superman

Superman (in the words of Roger Ebert) is a pure delight, a wonderours concoction of adventure, romance, groundbreaking special effects, heroes and villains and wit.  

Based on the DC Comics Superhero, Superman by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Unable to convince the ruling council of the planet Krypton that their world will destroy itself soon, scientist Jor-El (Marlon Brando) takes drastic measures to preserve the Kryptonian race: He sends his infant son Kal-El to Earth. There, gaining great powers under Earth's yellow sun, he will become a champion of truth and justice. Raised by the Kents, an elderly farm couple, Clark Kent learns that his abilities must be used for good. The adult Clark (Christopher Reeve) travels to Metropolis, where he becomes a mild-mannered reporter for the Daily Planet who develops a relationship with Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane (Margot Kidder)...and a caped wonder whose amazing feats stun the city: Superman! Meanwhile, Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman), the world's greatest criminal mind, is plotting the greatest real estate swindle of all time. Can't even the Man of Steel stop this nefarious scheme?

The plot, when you look at it, is very simple but behind it all is a beautifully peiced together puzzle that sets the stage for one of the most exquisitely told Superhero movies of all time.

Superman is divided into three basic sections, each having a distinct theme and visual style. The film is structured very much like a three act play.
The first segment, set on Krypton, is meant to be typical of science fiction films, but also lays the groundwork for analogy that emerges in the relationship between Jor-El and Kal-El.
The part of the film plays almost like a Shakespearean play and all the Krytonians talk in a Shakespearean dialect.

The second segment, set in Smallville, is reminiscent of 1950s films, and its small-town atmosphere is meant to evoke a Norman Rockwell painting. This segment is about how Kal-El, now called Clark Kent, is raised in Smallville by the Kents, the focus is on how he struggle to fit in while being so different form everyone else. He's raised with traditional American values and those are what get him through his difficulties.

The third (and largest) segment, set mostly in Metropolis, was an attempt to present the superhero story with as much realism as possible (what director Richard Donner called "verisimilitude"), relying on traditional cinematic drama and using only subtle humor instead of a campy approach.

In each of these three acts, the mythic status of Superman is enhanced by events that recall the hero's journey (or monomyth) as described by Joseph Campbell. Each act has a discernable cycle of "call" and journey. The journey is from Krypton to earth in the first act, from Smallville to the Fortress of Solitude in the second act, and then from Metropolis to the whole world in the third act.

Many critics have noted the examples of apparent Christian symbolism. Donner, screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz and producer Ilya Salkind have commented on the use of Christian references to discuss the themes of Superman. Mankiewicz deliberately fostered analogies with Jor-El (God) and Kal-El (Jesus).

Several concepts and items of imagery have been used in Biblical comparisons.
In the opening of the film, Jor-El casts out General Zod (Terence Stamp) from Krypton, which can be seen and interpreted as a parallel to the casting out of Satan from Heaven.
The spacecraft that brings Kal-El to Earth is in the form of a star (Star of Bethlehem). Kal-El comes to Jonathan and Martha Kent, who are unable to have children. Martha Kent states, "All these years how we've prayed and prayed that the good Lord would see fit to give us a child," which was compared to the Virgin Mary.

Just as little is known about Jesus during his middle years, Clark travels into the wilderness to find out who he is and what he has to do. Jor-El says, "Live as one of them, Kal-El, to discover where your strength and power are needed. But always hold in your heart the pride of your special heritage. They can be a great people, Kal-El, and they wish to be. They lack only the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you, my only son."
This theme resembles the Biblical account of God sending his only son Jesus to Earth in hope for the good of mankind.

The Christian imagery in the film has provoked comment on the Jewish origins of Superman.
Rabbi Simcha Weinstein's book Up, Up and Oy Vey: How Jewish History, Culture and Values Shaped the Comic Book Superhero, says that Superman is both a pillar of society and one whose cape conceals a "nebbish", saying "He's a bumbling, nebbish Jewish stereotype. He's Woody Allen." Ironically, it is also in the Reeve films that Clark Kent's persona has the greatest resemblance to Woody Allen, though his conscious model was Cary Grant's character in Bringing up Baby. This same theme is pursued about 1940s superheroes generally in Disguised as Clark Kent: Jews, Comics, and the Creation of the Superhero by Danny Fingeroth.

In a scene where Lois Lane interviews Superman on the balcony, Superman replies, "I never lie." Salkind felt this was an important point in the film, since Superman, living under his secret identity as Clark Kent, is "telling the biggest lie of all time." His romance with Lois also leads him to contradict Jor-El's orders to avoid altering human history, time traveling to save her from dying. Superman instead takes the advice of Jonathan Kent, his father on Earth.

Thematically, Superman is about responsibility: Superman has been raised with a very strict code of ethics. He's to use his powers only for good, not for personal gain and only when he's really needed. Both Jor-El and Jonathan Kent raise him with the same ideals. He's not to interfere with the course of human events.

Director Richard Donner's direction is poised, balanced and precise, infusing the film with a joyful, light feel and a sweeping scope akin to the works of David Lean. The cinematography is beautiful and captures the beauty and grandure of Krypton, Smallville and Metropolis giving the film an old fashioned 1940s Hollywood texture and an almost dreamlike quality.  
The special effects are spectacular, an excellent blend of wire works, miniatures and matte paintings to give the film a sense of visual splendour, the score by John Williams is awesome, the action scenes are gripping with some great moments of tension evoking the disaster movies of the time which fit the character nicely; in particular, his rescue of Lois from a Helicopter accident is just as awe inspiring and exciting as it is heartwarming and Superman’s climatic chase of the missiles is equally tense and exciting.  The production design is incredible; Krypton and the Fortress of Solitude all resemble the insides of Crystals giving the culture a sense of beauty and elegance, Metropolis itself is a thriving, fully functioning city that feels like a real place. The sound effects are tremendous, the make up is rich, the costumes are majestic (the Superman costume looks sensational) and the effect of ending scene is breathtaking. 
 
The acting is brilliant, Christopher Reeve was born to play Clark Kent/Superman, playing them as though they were two separate characters, he masterfully plays both the bumbling, humble, soft spoken journalist Clark Kent as well as the tough, confident, cool, collected, Superman.
What Reeve utilises spectacularly to his advantage is use the Clark Kent persona that he's created for himself as a disguise so that no one, not even the most observant individuals will suspect him as Superman. Playing both these duel identities is no easy task but Reeve pulls them off and manages to switch between the two seamlessly. It’s this senserity of the character which makes his performance work. The very idea of someone like Superman existing is too good to be true and yet here he is, walking, talking and flying. 

Margot Kidder is wacky and lovely as Lois Lane. Kidder wonderfully brings to life the characters spunky, hardboiled, witty, pert, perky persona. She's also intelligent and ambitious without being overly pushy. Lois is very much a career woman

Gene Hackman was an inspired villain playing Lex Luthor, beautifully bringing to life the characters intelligence, his cunning, his calculating nature as well as injecting his own brand of humour into the character.
He’s very much portrayed as a comic foil to Superman or as comic book writer Peter Sanderson rather eloquently put it “a used car salesman welding nuclear missiles. His primary interest is real estate speculation and while he doesn’t posses any particular personal animosity towards Superman, he recognises him as someone who could potentially foil his plan and isn’t quick to underestimate him as clearly demonstrate when he deduces Kryptonite is radioactive and lethal to the Man of Steel.   

 

Marlon Brando is extremely powerful as Jor-El. Despite his laziness on set, he provides the gravitas and paternal nature the character requires. He's a scientist of great authority who rids his planet of an evil threat (Zod) just before he discovers said planet is doomed. His peers refuse to listen to him and do nothing to stop it, so he sends his infant son (Kal El) to Earth as the last survivor of Krypton.
He doesn't send his son into space on the off chance that his pod will crash land on a planet he can live on. He knows about Earth, he knows what human beings are like, he's they're primitive compared to Krytonians but he sees this as an opportunity for his son to do some good and therefore, for his own legacy of improving life to live on, even on another planet. 
The scenes of him imparting wisdom to his son in the Fortress of Solitude are poignet, relatable and deeply effecting.

Glenn Ford and Phyllis Thaxter are terrific as Martha Kent and Jonathan Kent, Superman's adoptive parents.

Marc McClure is really likeable as Jimmy Olsen

Jackie Cooper is also terrific as Daily Planet editor Perry White,

Ned Beatty is hilarious as Otis: Lex Luthor's bumbling henchman, Valerie Perrine as Eve Teschmacher is also wonderful as Eve Teschmacher: Lex Luthor's girlfriend and accomplice

Superman is a classic Superhero film, one that'll make "you will believe a man can fly." 5/5.

The Anonymous Critic.