Superman – Superman: The Movie (1978)

Directed by: Richard Donner | 146 minutes | action, drama, comedy, adventure, romance, fantasy | Actors: Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Ned Beatty, Jackie Cooper, Glenn Ford, Trevor Howard, Margot Kidder, Jack O’Halloran, Valerie Perrine, Maria Schell, Terence Stamp, Phyllis Thaxter, Susannah York, Jeff East

Those who thought that old Superhero films can only produce childish or winking cartoon character kitsch in the vein of the Batman series from the eighties will be pleasantly surprised with ‘Superman: The Movie’. This first real Superman film by director Richard Donner is a balanced work with a top cast, mature script, great music, beautiful camera work and, even now, relatively convincing special effects. The character of Superman was created in the 1930s by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, in the comics magazine Action Comics – which is explicitly referenced in the short prologue to Donner’s film – and has since made a comeback in many audiovisual media and has gone through many developments; in series, radio programs, TV movies, and of course comic book form. After the tragic death of popular Superman actor George Reeves, the character himself appeared to have died a sad death and it would take a respectful, professional approach, and the right actor, to revive this legendary figure. And writer Mario Puzo, of ‘Godfather’ fame, director Richard Donner, and acting newcomer Christopher Reeve proved to be a golden combination in this regard.

The film is on the long side, especially the prelude to the introduction to Christopher Reeve as the adult Superman could have been shortened, but these introductions do contribute to a necessary deepening of the central character, who in himself, with his gigantic, and unlimited powers, after all, dramatically not much to offer. We learn a bit about his background, including how his father, Jor-El (Brando), fought for truth and justice, against pride and jealousy, and what his intentions were when he sent his son to the Earth — what would be Superman’s, then called Kal-El, task in the world of humans, who are a noble people, but lack the light to guide them. These are interesting things to learn about Superman’s parentage, but it takes a little too long, even though Brando’s presence gives it some extra allure. There is too much philosophizing and arguing, and too much time spent convicting three criminals, expelling little Kal-El, and the planet’s collapse and explosion. We are more than twenty minutes later when Kal-El is finally noticed by his (future) adoptive parents in Smallville.

The time little Superman spends on his new parents’ farm is necessary for the next layer in his character. Here we see the origins of the “villageness” that he will later display as journalist Clark Kent: his old-fashioned language – with words like “swell” and “golly” –, his modesty, and the clear morals and values ​​in his uncompromised character. Also here we see the tragedy in the realization that he cannot do or prevent everything with his powers: he stands powerlessness against the mortality of those around him; people he loves. Finally, here he is told by his adoptive father that his powers should be used for a special, important purpose – and not to score touchdowns with football.

After creating his fortress of solitude in the North Pole and having a good chat with (the ghost of) father Jor-El, he makes his way to the big city of Metropolis, to get a job at the Daily Planet newspaper. We are already an hour further, but the pace and entertainment content now increases considerably and will not slacken until the end. Here we finally see Christopher Reeve on the scene, who proves to be a bull’s eye for the two halves of his personality. Donner deliberately chose an unknown actor here, just as Bryan Singer would later do with ‘Superman Returns’, to avoid other associations with the actor and to see him only as Superman. And Reeve is an ideal embodiment of the legendary hero. The superhero suit fits the tall, imposing actor like a glove and with his blue eyes, charming smile and smoothed hair, Lois Lane (Margot Kidder)’s crush is understandable. At the same time, he’s ideal for the clumsy Clark Kent, who runs into everything, is always late for the elevator, and whose glasses keep slipping off his nose. Very effective is the (deliberately) different way Lois deals with these personalities – indifferent and almost condescending to Clark, and full of love and awe towards Superman; but always spicy anyway. This dynamic is amusing and important to the vibrancy and ambiguity of this strange love triangle, and Margot Kidder, like Reeve, is an ideal Lois Lane here, although her sweet love poem during the Superman fly-over, via voiceover, is a bit too much. of the good.

Hackman is also an excellent Lex Luthor, although his inclusion in the story is too much surrounded by comedy. Mainly because of his sidekick Otis (Ned Beatty), and to a lesser extent assistant Miss Teschmacher (Valerie Perrine), who somewhat undermine the villain’s threat. Also, his obsession with estate is not exactly imaginative, and his actions only become drastic and threatening towards the end of the film.

The action in the film is constantly increasing, and comes out well. Even Superman’s flying effects are still quite convincing, although it is clear that Reeve is flying around in front of a projection screen. In any case, Reeve and Kidder’s confident acting makes a lot of difference and the action sequences themselves are often exciting enough to let the viewer experience everything, whether a plane is about to crash, a dam breach needs to be repaired with some rocks or the San Andreas Fault is miraculously closed from below by our hero. And often it’s accompanied by humor, such as when a thief running into a building with suction cups suddenly has the surprise of a lifetime when he encounters Superman standing right up against the windows. And of course there’s a lot of humor in the dialogue, including the fun flirtation between Superman and Lois, such as when she asks him if he can see (through her clothes) what color underwear she is wearing.

The camera work is fitting for an epic superhero film like this one. We see many great images of landscapes and buildings. In Smallville, the expansiveness and rusticity of the countryside comes out beautifully, for example in the shot in which Clark stands at the end of a cornfield, which is slowly revealed to the viewer in its size. And the dam, which will break through with great force, has been captured with equally impressive panoramic shots. And then the music: John Williams’ excellent score is almost enough to give the film an epic and exciting character. Donner himself described it well in the documentary ‘Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman,” when he said the music seemed to exclaim “Su-per-man”. Coupled with the flashing opening titles between the stars, you as a viewer are immediately in the right mood for a strong example of film entertainment. And that’s what ‘Superman’ has become. A film that strikes a satisfying balance of drama, humor, romance, and action, and features a high-quality cast and crew, including key “players” like Donner, Puzo, Reeve, Kidder, Hackman, and Williams. ‘Superman’ therefore remains one of the better superhero films, and Superman himself a character that we are far from bored of.