Before its release, the word in conservative circles was that the new Superman movie was “woke.” Director James Gunn seemed to confirm that prediction Friday in an interview with The Times in which he framed his “Superman” as a potentially offensive story about an immigrant. As a result, I expected a preachy and progressive Superman.
What I found was quite different.
Surprisingly, “Superman” is a film with a message not about politics, but about the innate value of human beings. In magnificent color, Superman – driven by his strong moral compass – fights for life, beats the bad guy, and gets the girl. In many ways, it is a classic American superhero story that, without the director’s off-screen commentary, might attract more conservative audiences.
Don’t believe me? All the discussion about Superman’s immigration status is just noise. The words “immigrant” and “immigration” are not in this movie. The issue, in fact, is not addressed in any meaningful way. The only scent of political commentary on immigration comes when Superman (spoiler alert) is arrested and told that he does not need to be read his rights because he is not a citizen of the United States. Other than that, the topic is avoided.
Though Gunn appears to be putting an off-screen political spin on the movie, the film itself seems intent on keeping any divisive ideas and concepts out. Not only is there no mention of the word immigrant, there are no LGBTQ+ characters, no references or hidden insults to current or past presidents, and no mention of abortion, racism or voting. After watching villain and weapons manufacturer Lex Luthor deal underhandedly with foreign nations to foment war, viewers might leave with a healthy skepticism of corporations and the military-industrial complex. But that is the extent of the movie’s political messaging.
“Superman,” by and large, is not interested in politics. Its sights are set on higher goals.
More than any superhero movie that I can remember (and I’ve seen every Marvel and DC film since 2007), “Superman” and its titular character remind us of the value of human life. After decades of superhero movies where people are killed on screen with no effect on the other characters, often to the beat of a gleeful pop song, “Superman” rightly reminds us of the tragedy of death.
Early in the movie, Superman must defend his perhaps unwise, geopolitically-speaking, decision to act against a foreign nation. When pressed on his reasoning, he lands at his ultimate motive: “Because people were going to die.”
This Superman is not interested in the larger calculation or in the risk-benefit analysis of his actions. He must stop imminent threats to human life, end of story. Standard Superman stuff.
As we see in the film, though, he is not as powerful or resilient as in previous renditions. This Superman bleeds and takes time to recover after a beating. He cannot save everyone. And what is particularly different about this film, when compared to recent superhero adventures, is that every death of an innocent person is felt, by Superman, and by us.
When a person is murdered on screen, it is not glossed over. No lighthearted joke is inserted to keep us or the characters from facing that loss. Instead, when an innocent person is killed in “Superman,” the audience is meant to feel the tragedy, just as does Superman. Every innocent death matters.
In perhaps the film’s most poignant line, love-interest Lois Lane declares to Superman, with a sense of wonder, “You think everyone you’ve ever met is beautiful.”
This is the surprising ethic and message of the new “Superman” film: that everyone is beautiful, valuable, and worthy of respect; that death is a tragedy; and that one can hold these things to be true, all while being a man’s man and fighting the bad guys.
This ethic extends even to Superman’s enemies. During the final fight between Superman and Luthor’s minions, our hero pauses for a moment to give his attacker a chance at redemption. The minion refuses and the offer proves to be costly, as Superman’s enemy uses the brief moment to counterattack and injure him. This ethic was not what I expected to see promoted in the film.
“‘Superman” is not perfect. It boasts the standard language and violence of a PG-13 movie. And Superman, for all his manliness, is a bit sillier than I might like.
Director Gunn promises to bring LGBTQ characters to future DC films, but for this film? Its overarching message is a good one and our value-depriving culture would benefit from more movies like it.
Parker Snider is a minister and writer based in Birmingham. Before entering ministry, he worked in policy and communications at both the state and national level. A lifelong movie fan, Snider writes here about film, exploring what on-screen stories reveal about the off-screen world.
This culture article was made possible by The Fred & Rheta Skelton Center for Cultural Renewal, a project of 1819 News. To comment on this article, please email [email protected]. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News.
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