Superman Represents Social Change - An Analysis

[Sutekh]

Hopefully the next people who get greenlit to write/produce/direct a Superman movie aren't deeply cynical bitter people who don't believe in heroism or ideals or selflessness.

That's all I gotta say on the subject.

[phonogram12]

Many movie super-heroes have emotional states which are openly talked about and/or heavily implied to be in mental distress ver their actions and many are constantly being self aware about how being a super-hero is destroying their life and hurting their sanity when they kill. There also less of a burden since we know what they're thinking, they're not blank slates. Dr Strange has a longer and more human reaction to killing someone than Superman does, and he's a mental wreck over it. When Tony Stark kills people in the first movie he's such a basket case Pepper calls him out on how he's not acting like himself any longer and he defines his life by his "mission" - none of this applies to Superman. Black Widow's life is defined by how many people she's killed and it's heavily implied she hates herself for it, ergo "red on her ledger." It drove their characters forward, after MOS Superman can watch Batman brutally murder numerous people in public, and not bat an eye lash over it.



Sure he does, Snyder's Superman's not a talker. He's miserable we're supposed to think yet the movies never go into why that is. He's not presented as someone who would got to therapy as an option, even if he was able to. The problem is I did pay attentioin and the movies made him look bad by his actions. So many questions abut his mental space and opinions on the world and he's more interested in doing anything other than looking sad. And if he'd want to, all he has is Lois and his mother. He's not looking for anyone like himself to talk to.

Edit: Superman is supposed to be standing up for things, but what does Snyder's stand for? He stands for nothing but doing whatever he wants. Does he think maybe government should naturally be wary of a god-like being who levels cities? The implication of the drone is that he won't hesitate to burn them if sees them, that's all we get.

Absolutely, positively accurate in every way, shape, and form. Beautifully put.

[SiegePerilous02]

Yeah, from people who hate it. There is a difference between being indifferent and not being able to do anything about collateral damage. Nor is this the first Superman to even fight without a care for collateral damage.

He did kiss Lois Lane among the ashes of dead people and make a quip about not being human. It may have been a more appropriate scene if the action had been a little more comic book-y instead of showing people getting lifted up into the sky and slammed back into the ground a few scenes earlier. The tone is off.

I don't think MOS Clark is genuinely indifferent to the collateral damage. But we do have to rely on only a few instances of him looking mildly concerned at explosions to tell us that, and that's not gonna be enough for some people. The movie intends him to be concerned, but the wooden acting and not dwelling on it too long isn't helping it. Kind of like him saying he didn't kill anybody in BvS and I think that's true, but him rescuing Lois from that terrorist leader guy is done so sloppily it makes it looks like he obliterated a guy. And is either in denial over it or doesn't give a crap/

[Agent Z]

Edit post. Never mind.

[manwhohaseverything]

He did kiss Lois Lane among the ashes of dead people and make a quip about not being human.

I don't think the tone is off. I think snyder meant it. He didn't want to be dishonest about what happens in these kinds of movies and mask things so that it becomes acceptable. It's violence. It shouldn't be acceptable. Never.Usually, when heroes do this with humor and "not serious" excuse.That Superman ain't the first hero to kiss or make quips while the world is crumbling behind him.It's just others don't show much world crumbling.

[Steel Inquisitor]

I don't think the tone is off. I think snyder meant it. He didn't want to be dishonest about what happens in these kinds of movies and mask things so that it becomes acceptable. It's violence. It shouldn't be acceptable. Never.Usually, when heroes do this with humor and "not serious" excuse.That Superman ain't the first hero to kiss or make quips while the world is crumbling behind him.It's just others don't show much world crumbling.

How that scene is shot makes it look like glamor shot, it's a big contrast to the death and destruction around them. That's why people don't like it, it's extremely tone deaf. It's not about being dishonest, Snyder's doing the exact same thing by making an up beat scene right in the middle of a disaster which doesn't feel natural. What other heroes have done this? The humor is something to lighten the mood so the movies won't get depressing, and it's natural for people in circumstances like that to make jokes to cope with tragedy around them. That's why gallows humor is a cliche in detective fiction. However, it's not the humor so much as the making out right after a 9/11 event with people dead and dying within blocks of them.

[phonogram12]

Well, good. I'm glad that we're all in agreement that both Man of Steel and Batman vs. Superman depicted Superman absolutely terribly. Moving on.