Superman Returns: Return of the American YHVH

by Nick Pell on 2006-07-06 18:15:56
Warning For Fanboys: Hella Spoilers Lie Ahead Superman Returns has been eagerly anticipated for almost thirty years. Ever since the debacle of Richard Donner leaving Superman II midway thru production after the film became separated from the original (which seems mercilessly hacked compared to the more complete version on DVD), the film has carried a taint. The story, while imaginative (what happens when the Man of Steel fights other Kryptonians?) also suffers from some bizarre twists (coming out to Lois Lane followed by depowering followed by repowering). The newest film, however, seems almost inextricably linked to Batman Begins, the cultural corner-turn for the superhero film. While the original film (Superman) typified the spectacular blockbusters of the 70s, I suggest that Superman Returns begins a new era of spectacle in Hollywood. In this era, the emphasis skews toward the construction of myths which link mythical, mystical and quasi-religious ideas to pop culture. It seems that Grant Morrison's dream of a self-aware DC Universe comes closer to a living reality every day. Superman Returns is the most recent advance toward this goal.The film takes place "five years later." In practical terms this means Superman II plus five years. Singer opts to ignore the lackluster second half of the original franchise. Superman Returns relates Superman's return to Earth after seeking out the remnants of Krypton. He returns to find a world which, while not explicitly resentful at his absence, has learned to live without him. The balance between resentment and awe is stuck neatly by the twin pillars of Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. Kate Bosworth plays Lois as the self-assured, urban woman who has (not quite) married and has a child. Sam Huntington's Jimmy evokes the Superman fanboy / Clark Kent confidant with laser precision. Between the two the viewer gets a flavor for the conflicting emotions of a temporarily rejected world. Also on the scene is Lex Luthor with new, meaner cronies in tow than Ned Beatty's bumbling Otis. Kevin Spacey, the man with the worst kept secret in Hollywood, gives Lex his teeth back. While Gene Hackman's portrayal seems beyond reproach (has the man ever turned in a bad performance?), he played Double L as a common criminal looking for the ultimate grift payout. In contrast, Spacey plays Luthor as downright nasty, evoking all the sociopathic qualities one would expect from the self-appointed world's greatest criminal mastermind. Even the typically more annoying than relighting a pilot Parker Posey appears to be living Luthor companion Kitty Kowalski with the amount of subtlety appropriate to a comic book character.

But in any Superman picture the performance that makes or breaks the film is Superman himself. The curent film will of course always be measured against Christopher Reeve. After his fall from the back of a horse (and well publicized paralyzation and death) Reeves has been lionized by elements of the corporate media for his fund-raising work. His relatively recent death seems to cast a very long shadow over this newest film. Christopher Reeve will likely remain the gold standard Superman for generations, due in part to the fact that he was the first actor to really nail the role. Nevertheless, Brendan Routh will likely be “our” Superman. For those under the age of, say 12, however, Brendan Routh seems likely to at least put up a fight for the throne of iconic Hollywood Superman. Those of us sadly viewing the film as adults will quickly separate into Reeve and Routh partisans. Routh’s performance- while admittedly somewhat stiff and workmanlike at times- excels beyond any recent comic book hero with the obvious exception of Christian Bale’s Batman. Routh’s strength lies in getting the viewer to believe that he’s vulnerable. Perhaps Reeve was too confident in the role. It seems worth pointing out that a hero is not a hero if he doesn’t make a comeback. This hero is mercilessly beaten before coming back. This time, however, the culprit is not Kryptonian Fuehrer General Zod but traditional villain Lex Luthor, fresh out of the joint and looking to take out a big piece of the Big Blue Boyscout. The scenes with Luthor and his prison cronies kicking the tar out of Supes are hard to take to say the least. The chemistry between Routh and Spacey exceeds anything the Reeve-Hackman axis ever produced. After a dramatic death scene (symbolic, with New Age overtones of near death experiences) the new Superman, played by the decidedly All-American Brendan Routh, recovers and becomes the hero Christopher Reeves couldn’t become because of Hollywood politics.

Last year’s Batman Begins showcases the beginning of a new wave of Hollywood films about comic book heroes. The last batch about Marvel books were made into relatively unchallenging popcorn movies. With few notable exceptions the films were somewhat entertaining but seemed like television shows worked out at great cost and with larger budgets. Batman Begins had spectacle, but created an entire world as opposed to the Marvel movies which typically took place in New York. Batman Begins hearkened back mostly to the Burton movies if anything, but mostly cribbed from Frank Miller. As in Spiderman, the geeks had been given the helm. However Batman‘s geek wasn’t the splatter-happy madman of Evil Dead 2 repute. This geek made a little film called Momento which quite literally ran noir backwards. The result of the merger- big Cowboy dollars and British Orwellian ingenuity- packed theaters and kept audiences in thrall with its dramatic precision. It felt different, hard to remember the last time that a movie about a man in a funny costume made you feel. The murder of Bruce Wayne’s parents was portrayed as not so much shocking but deeply tragic, setting a bright young boy on the course to murder and self-destruction. Wayne’s role as Batman was explored thoroughly for the first time as we saw him grow into it. The word “deconstruction” gets bandied about far too much, particularly in regard to comic books. Nevertheless, Batman Begins deconstructed Bruce Wayne / Batman without portraying him as a fascist vigilante, obsessive crackpot or cavalier playboy looking for adventure. In short, the film had a depth that prior comic book films lacked.

Superman Returns inevitably appears as a part of this new current. Following neatly behind both Batman Begins and the somewhat second-rate V for Vendetta, Superman Returns leads the pack. In terms of spectacle it hardly seems fair to compare the other two films- or any other work of superhero cinema for that matter. Superman (with the possible exception of Spiderman) more than any other superhero is comics to the non-comic reading public. Moreover, where the prior DC films represent human beings who have attained an extraordinary degree of proficiency at a number of skills, Superman's powers are far more god-like. As a character in a recent Superman title shrewdly observed, he could cut the Earth in half with heat vision if he wanted to. For all the hype over a Superman / Batman confrontation (cinematic or otherwise) it seems almost ludicrous to suggest that any mortal could present even a reasonable struggle against the Last Son of Krypton, particularly in the solitary fashion which Batman is known for. The film does not portray Kal-El's godlike status with much subtlety, showing Supes falling from the sky in the form of a cross to Earth, face down in a puddle of water. The death and rebirth of Superman (perhaps the only element of the original Kevin Smith / Tim Burton / Nick Cage debacle of years back) leaves little room for debate that Superman lies in a category separate from characters like Batman, V, or even Spiderman and the Fantastic Four.

Superman is a modern day American god. Marlon Brando’s dialogue in both this film and the original highlight his god-like elements. While living among man, he will never be one of them. His role is not (despite the necessity of filling two hours plus of screen time) solving all the petty foibles of mankind, but giving us all something to aspire to. The symbolism of Superman-as-god appears a bit conflicting, however. While primarily associated with the sky (and thus the alchemical element of air) he derives his power from the sun (associated with fire). Many shots in the film play up this air / fire imagery. Despite all the cinematography, the narrative imagery of Superman’s symbolic death and rebirth locates him firmly in the camp of such sun avatars as Mithra, Ra and the most obvious (slash least accurate) example of Christ. It seems instructive to remember the canonical DC story of Superman’s death and rebirth. Obliterated by the demonic monster Doomsday, Superman is resurrected first as four characters with different aspects of his personality. The film addresses this new aspect of Superman- dying and resurrected god- with spectacular insight. When viewing Superman Returns it seems less useful to see it as a piece of cinema, more useful to view it as the next installment of American pop magic! QBLH. The earlier films introduced us to the playing field: the super baby falling from Earth, raised by the embodiment of the best American values (a moral clarity about “justice”, hard work and a rejection of hero worship for merely “doing one’s job”) and off to Metropolis to make the biggest difference. The most recent film acquaints the American public with what they already know. Superman is our American YHVH, an avatar of the highest aspirations of man to attain the stars, provide service for his fellow man and to always keep going no matter how hard the obstacles seem.

Look. Up in the sky. It’s not a bird. It’s not a plane. It’s the homegrown sky god come back to give us something to believe in.

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