Recently the world celebrated the anniversary of probably one of the most iconic entries into the genre of superhero films, a movie so big, you'd believe a man could fly. I am of course talking about the classic 1978 masterpiece Superman starring the late Christopher Reeves. For years this movie had been the golden standard of how to handle a Superman film, however, with the release of the very controversial film by Zack Snyder: Man of Steel, the debate on how to properly depict the last son of Krypton has never been hotter. With that in mind, I feel like I have come to the solution to this debate, so without further ado, I am going to talk about how the key to making a good Superman film.
Now before we talk about the things that are essential to making a good Superman film, it's important to point out the failings of his past forays onto the silver screen. Criticisms of the old 1978 movie, are for the most part nitpicky and are very much a result of the film not aging well. The dialogue was starting to be dated by the time it was filmed, and so, as a result, it's not the easiest movie to appreciate from a newer audience's perspective. However, what this film had that more recent iterations lacked, is the heart. Snyder's approach to Superman has quite frankly been an utter character assassination, which only becomes more of a shame considering that they have probably the best casting for the role since Christopher Reeves in the 70s. While Man of Steel was not a complete loss on the character, Batman vs Superman takes everything that is special about Superman and dumps it in the garbage. Now fans of Snyder's vision will defend these films as trying to explore the more "human" side of the character. While I can definitely agree that an attempt was made in Man of Steel those attempts were abandoned in the follow-up. Superman is portrayed as a godlike figure put above mankind, and Snyder's use of cinematography to portray Superman as a Jesus figure shows just how out of touch the director is from the character because ultimately the key to understanding Superman is that despite all his power, he does not see himself as being any better than anyone. Because ultimately the thing Snyder's fanbase claims to be the drive of his vision is, in fact, the key to approaching a Superman film, depicting his humanity.
One of the biggest complaints about this character is that his power has no limits. No foe can touch him and so it ruins the suspense of most fights. Because of this, action sequences are NOT the key to a good Superman film. If you want proof, Man of Steel has probably some of the best action sequences for Superman that there have ever been made, but at best the film is polarizing to fans and critics alike. The thing that drives a Superman story is his connection with people. Honestly, I think that this is where the old Superman film thrived. The film revolves around Superman saving people, while the villain plays a very minor role in it. Lex isn't a constant threat, he's in the shadows and doesn't unveil his plot till the last half hour of the movie, and even more unique is that the challenge he provides Superman isn't a fight with a big bad, it's a labor that pushes the very limits of Superman's abilities and if he fails a lot of people will die, including the woman he loves. What makes a good Superman film is his connection to the people around him. It's showing that the Kents provided Clark with an understanding of humanity's best traits so that even when he's faced with the worst versions of ourselves, he has this beacon (in the Kents) which allows him to overlook that darkness and still believe in us despite our failings. Superman is supposed to be a light of hope that reminds us of the best parts of ourselves, inspiring us to be that better person.
A Superman movie should not be about a display of power, sure action sequences will be there. It's a superhero film, you wouldn't really be able to engage an audience if Superman didn't stop crime and get into an occasional scuffle. That being said the key is his humanity, it's the Kents who showed him the best humanity is capable of (not a paranoid farm couple that would rather protect their son's identity than be proud of him for saving a bus full of drowning children), it's friendships like the one he has with Jimmy Olsen or romance with Lois Lane that give him reasons to push beyond what he even thought was capable. The key to a Superman film is its heart, because it's what makes him special, that beneath the bulletproof skin and all the powers under the sun, his heart beats for his family and friends the same way ours do.
While it's unclear as to when we will get our next entry of Superman on the silver screen, I hope that they give him a film that allows people a chance to see why he's the special character he is. If WB studios want a Superman film that will draw in an audience, they should put less emphasis on the action blockbuster and more on creating a narrative that appeals to everyone the way only this character can. This has been another edition of Comic Relief! I hope you have enjoyed and we will see you again soon!
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