Revisit: Superman: The Movie (1978)
A retrospective of Richard Donner's superhero classic starring Christopher Reeve as Superman
A helicopter is dangling off the Daily Planet skyscraper after a faulty takeoff. With the pilot passed out, Lois Lane struggles — and screams — for help, but she is certainly going to fall to certain death. As her grip lets go, she plummets toward the hopeless, terrified bystanders and cameramen gazing skyward. Everyone is powerless. No one can save her.
Then, from out of nowhere, like a ‘big bluebird’ — and with a grin — swoops in Superman to catch the confused damsel in distress, as well as the helicopter.
The crowd erupts in applause. A newswoman is dumbfounded, telling viewers, “I can’t believe it, he got her.” Meanwhile, John Williams’ excellent Wagnerian, triumphant leitmotif swells, joining in the celebration — with the music seemingly cheering ‘Superman.’
This tense, expertly paced, sincerely acted, and optimistic scene is the first of Superman’s many heroic actions in the 1978 grandfather of all superhero films; and it was a movie moment that captured my imagination as wee youngin (I might’ve been four or five when I saw it), solidifying my love for the Man of Steel. Or at least Richard Donner’s version of the character who unabashedly stands for “Truth. Justice. And the American way,” which 2006’s ‘Superman Returns’ can’t even fully admit to (Frank Langella’s Perry White asks, “Does he stand for truth, justice, all that stuff?” instead).
Like ‘Superman Returns,’ Zack Snyder’s ‘Man of Steel’ (2013) also fails to reach the zenith of superheroism that Donner and Reeve accomplish in this one scene. While both films grapple with Superman as an American mythic character, similar to the Greek and Romans gods for possessing extraordinary powers, they underachieve in appealing to the timeless emotions embedded in the helicopter scene: that in dire, hopeless situations, perhaps a savior will arrive just in the nick of time.
Even the iconic costume is grayed and muted in modern adaptations, ashamed of the character’s bright blue spandex and red cape — attempting to avoid any campiness, but to their detriment. Donner and company, however, fully embraced the mythos and peculiarities, creating a truly happy warrior that remains a classic 45 years after first premiering.
However, the movie nearly failed to leap off the ground — and not in a single bound either. The production was arduous at best. Several directors climbed in and out of the chair, with Guy Hamilton — most famous for directing James Bond movies — the longest lasting prior to Donner; Hamilton had to leave the production to avoid tax penalties when Superman was initially slated to film in Italy. Meanwhile, Mario Puzo (author of ‘The Godfather’) turned in a campy, 400-page, unfilmable script rewritten numerous times over, until Tom Mankiewicz polished the screenplay, balancing the story’s mythos, drama, and comedy (though he only received a creative consultant credit). Tests for how to make Superman ‘fly’ cost $2 million dollars before a single camera rolled with one experiment essentially shooting a dummy out of a cannon of sorts. Hundreds upon hundreds of auditions for the lead role went nowhere, while big stars like Burt Reynolds, Warren Beatty, James Caan, and Robert Redford turning down the cape. Apparently, producers were so desperate, they screen-tested one of their wives’ dentists.
To summarize, pre-production was a nightmare — which only continued during production. Filming went over schedule, over budget as Donner tried accomplishing a feat unparalleled at the time: shooting the original and sequel at the same time. Meanwhile, in a prima donna fashion, Marlon Brando refused to learn his lines, relying on cue cards placed around the set, though he was paid $3.7 million for 12 days (as well as nearly 12% of the box office). At the time, ‘Superman: The Movie’ became the most expensive movie ever.
Yet art through adversity is cliché because — similar to contemporaries such as ‘Jaws,’ ‘Star Wars: A New Hope,’ and ‘Apocalypse Now’ — ‘Superman: The Movie’ became an international success, while pioneering the model for which every other subsequent superhero film has benefitted. A prime example is ‘Batman Begins’ (2005): Christopher Nolan explicitly credits how ‘Superman: The Movie’ was cast, which influenced his own direction for casting characters around the Caped Crusader.
Donner’s direction is pitch-perfect. Krypton’s destruction is terrifying and tragic, more akin to Biblical epics (for Superman is based on Moses); the antics of Lex Luthor’s henchman, Otis, and the Daily Planet’s inhabitants are amped for comedic effect; the death of Pa Kent (played by Glenn Ford) is gut-wrenching; while Superman and Lois Lane’s romance is filled with charm, sincerity, and chemistry like in their interview/flying sequence. Now one could read this and surmise the film is schizophrenic tonally — and in less capable hands, it could have been. But the movie remains balanced. For a movie about an alien in tights saving Earth from “the greatest criminal mind of our time” bent on destroying California to create his new West Coast, ‘Superman: The Movie’ surprisingly showcases the light and dark of the human condition better than most art-house films. On the latter, after the sudden death of Pa Kent, Clark tells his adopted mother, “Those things I can do. All those powers, and I couldn’t even save him,” with restrained bitterness and pain. If brevity is the soul of wit, this line perfectly encapsulates Superman’s dilemma — which rears its head again in the film’s climax (more on that below).
Superman, as a character, is imbued with religiosity. Jewish comic book writers Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were obviously intentional on Kal-El’s similarities to Moses and the Book of Exodus (a child placed in a cradle, sent off to another country to avoid a people’s destruction…). Yet, over the years, Superman has also become a Christian, Christ-like character — such as his ‘resurrection’ in the comic books. ‘Superman Returns’ and ‘Man of Steel’ visually make this connection, but, again, do so too obviously, leaving a viewer saying, “I get it” rather than elevating the material.
‘Superman: The Movie’ retains the Christ-like symbolism, but more so in the son-father relationship between Kal-El and Jor-El. Before sending his son off to Earth, Jor-El says to the infant, “The son becomes the father, and the father becomes the son” — showing this inseparable union between the two. Later on, after Clark unlocks the Kryptonian crystals’ powers, the father — now a seemingly omniscient presence — states humanity “can be a great people, Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way.” This is the main reason why Kal-El was sent to Earth: to give humanity a symbol of hope. One cannot ignore the similarities between God sending His only son to do likewise.
Yet, in the climatic third act, after Superman fails to save his beloved Lois Lane from an earthquake, the bereaved angrily soars into the sky, turning back time (which more on that in a few), completely disregarding Jor-El’s only rule: “It is forbidden for you to interfere with human history.” It may seem like a breach between father and son, one that goes against everything his father professed, but Kal-El fulfills the mission Jor-El imparted on his son. Ultimately, the son chooses to be human — thus not being so ‘alien’ — becoming the light the world needs.
Though this review was perhaps bogged down by an exploration of Superman’s religiosity, ‘Superman: The Movie’ does not suffer that fate. These elements are dissectible if a viewer desires to do so; in fact, they elevate the material beyond the degrading “comic book movie” label. They are foundational themes rather than quick window dressing as subsequent Superman movies have done.
Most importantly, without Christopher Reeve, this film would have failed. Without a doubt, the late actor was born to play this role. He effuses a charm, warm humanity, yet wrestles with the character’s alien nature; and he expertly uses his physique to subtly morph from Clark Kent into Superman, from slightly hunching inward to standing upright (this transformation is best depicted here). Reeve is Superman/Kal-El. And he is Clark Kent. No other actor since has pulled off the character’s duality quite as well or with the same grace. Though he suffered through the flying segments, Reeve carries on with ease, making the venture look effortless and fun. He simply embodies the movie’s spirit so well — creating a film icon in the process.
In short, ‘Superman: The Movie’ loves its source material, yet doesn’t excuse itself as only a “comic book movie” — as the following sequels awfully submitted to. It elevated the genre before the genre existed.
And while the movie is not perfect, it perfectly achieves its mission: to be a fun, lasting experience. The time travel ending is questionable in terms of plausibility and its consequences (though it at least serves a thematic purpose), but the colorful cast of characters, the wonderful chemistry between Reeve and Margot Kidder (who is also excellent as Lois Lane), the dastardly charm of Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor, and supreme special effects and cinematography more than make up for the film’s deficiencies.
This movie remains the best screen iteration of Superman, the true American mythic icon, becoming iconic in its own right.
And, as the tagline guarantees, you’ll believe a man can fly.
Appendix I: Fun fact, the time travel ending was originally intended to be used in ‘Superman II’; however, with the production behind schedule, and in favor of a non-cliffhanger ending, Donner and company included the sequence in the first movie. It’s a shame Donner never had quite another bite at the apple. ‘Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut’ (2006) is definitely better/more aligned tonally with ‘Superman: The Movie,’ but it still remains a cinematic ‘what if.’
Appendix II: ‘Superman IV: The Quest for Peace’ is truly horrendous. But it’s a ‘so-bad-it’s-good’ film. If you think the time travel powers are ridiculous, wait till you see him repair the Great Wall of China with his eyes….I’m not kidding.