'Superman: The Movie' film review

(C) 1978 Warner Bros. and DC Comics

Superman: The Movie (1978)

Directed by Richard Donner

Written by Mario Puzo, David Newman, Leslie Newman, Robert Benton, and Tom Mankiewicz (uncredited)

Story by Mario Puzo

Based on the DC Comics character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

Starring: Gene Hackman, Marlon Brando, Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Ned Beatty, Jackie Cooper, Valerie Perrine, Marc McClure, Terence Stamp

Superman: I'm here to fight for truth, and justice, and the American way.
 Lois Lane: [laughs] You're gonna end up fighting every elected official in this country!

Starring Oscar-winning actors Gene Hackman and Marlon Brando as Lex Luthor and Jor-El, and co-starring Christopher Reeve in the dual role of Superman and his alter ego Clark Kent, Superman is a witty, exciting action-adventure based on the DC Comics character created in 1938 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

You’ll Believe a Man Can Fly

General Zod: The vote must be unanimous, Jor-El. It has therefore now become your decision. You alone will condemn us if you wish, and you alone will be held responsible by me.
 [pause]
 General Zod: Join us.
 [wordlessly, Jor-El starts walking away]
 General Zod: You have been known to disagree with the council before. Yours could become an important voice in the new order, second only to my own! I offer you a chance for greatness, Jor-El! Take it! Join us!
 [Jor-El keeps walking away, oblivious to Zod's words]
 General Zod: You will bow down before me, Jor-El! I swear it! No matter that it takes an eternity, you will bow down before me! Both you and then one day, your heirs!

Superman begins on Krypton, an icy planet thousands of light years away. Council member Jor-El (Marlon Brando) is prosecuting the ambitious rebel Gen. Zod (Terence Stamp) and his two accomplices Ursa (Sarah Douglas) and Non (Jack O’Halloran) for treason and sedition. Jot-El and his fellow Council members agree that the three rebels are guilty. Since Krypton has no death penalty, Zod, Ursa, and Non are banished to the Phantom Zone,

Though Zod’s insurrection failed, Krypton’s troubles are not over. Jor-El, one of the planet’s distinguished scientists, has worse news for the ruling council. “This planet,” he declares to a group of disbelieving elders. “will explode in 30 days, if not sooner.”

Jor-El’s dire warnings anger the elders, who threaten to banish him and his wife Lara (Susannah York) to the Phantom Zone if he makes his “outlandish theory” public. Jor-El reluctantly agrees to remain silent. “Neither I nor my wife shall leave Krypton,” he solemnly swears.

Knowing that he and his wife will die with the rest of Krypton’s population, Jor-El spirits his newborn son, Kal-El, into a small spaceship and sends him to Earth shortly before Krypton explodes.

Three years later, Kal-El’s ship crash-lands near Smallville, Kansas and is rescued by Jonathan Kent (Glenn Ford) and his wife Martha (Phyllis Thaxter). Giving him the name “Clark,” the Kents adopt Kal-El and raise him to be a typical American rural teenager (Jeff East).

Jor-El: [bidding his son farewell, as Lara looks on] You will travel far, my little Kal-El. But we will never leave you... even in the face of our death. The richness of our lives shall be yours. All that I have, all that I've learned, everything I feel... all this, and more, I... I bequeath you, my son. You will carry me inside you, all the days of your life. You will make my strength your own, and see my life through your eyes, as your life will be seen through mine. The son becomes the father, and the father the son. This is all I... all I can send you, Kal-El.

Superman’s first act is slow-paced and has two distinct narrative tones. The dialogue and acting style in the scenes on Krypton are reminiscent of Shakespeare adaptations and Biblical epics. Lines are delivered in stiff, formal English full of sturm und drang seriousness.

 Lana Lang: [driving up with Brad] Hey, there's Clark! Clark?
 Brad: How'd you get here so fast?
 Young Clark Kent: [shrugs] I ran.
 Brad: "Ran," huh? Told ya he's an oddball. Let's get outta here.
 [they drive away, Lana looking back at Clark]
 Jonathan Kent: Been showing off a bit, haven't you, son?
 Young Clark Kent: [going over to Jonathan] Um... I didn't mean to show off, Pop. It's just that, guys like that Brad, I just want to tear him apart.

In contrast, the visual and dramatic tone in the Smallville sequences evokes the Middle American-themed illustrations of Andrew Wyeth, as Tom Mankiewicz points out in a making-of documentary. Where Krypton was an alien and cold-looking environment, Superman’s Kansas is sunlit, bucolic, and all wide-open spaces.

Jor-El: [at the Fortress of Solitude] So, my son. Speak.
 Young Clark Kent: Who am I?
 Jor-El: Your name is Kal-El. You are the only survivor of the planet Krypton. Even though you've been raised as a human, you are not one of them. You have great powers, only some of which you have as yet discovered.

Eventually, Clark Kent leaves Smallville and heads to the desolate Arctic. Aided by a Kryptonian crystal bequeathed to him by Jor-El, Clark builds the Fortress of Solitude. There he discovers his true identity of Kal-El and, after a 12-year-long sojourn with his father’s spirit, the now adult Clark (Reeve) embarks on his superhero’s journey.

 Jor-El: Live as one of them, Kal-El, to discover where your strength and your power are needed. But always hold in your heart the pride of your special heritage. They can be a great people, Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you... my only son.

Finally, the Man of Steel makes his way to the city of Metropolis. Once he takes on the identity of Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent, Superman takes its storytelling brakes off and leaps off the ground with, well, a single bound.

In a series of fast-paced, humorous, and exciting sequences, director Donner takes viewers on a thrilling ride as he introduces Kal-El to his new hometown. His Superman is lively, witty, and, above all, believable,

Perry White: Lois, Clark Kent may seem like just a mild-mannered reporter, but listen, not only does he know how to treat his editor-in-chief with the proper respect, not only does he have a snappy, punchy prose style, but he is, in my forty years in this business, the fastest typist I've ever seen.

Much of the movie’s warmth and humor are found in the scenes that depict the dual character of Clark Kent/Superman during his first encounters with Daily Planet editor Perry White (Jackie Cooper), photographer Jimmy Olsen (Marc McClure), and the sassy reporter (and eventual love interest) Lois Lane (Margot Kidder).

Of course, every hero needs a formidable antagonist that poses a truly dangerous threat, otherwise there’s no point in telling a superhero story. In Superman, the Man of Steel meets Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman), a diabolical genius with a deadly obsession with oceanfront real estate. Aided by his less-than-adroit henchman Otis (Ned Beatty) and his moll Eve Teschmacher (Valerie Perrine), Luthor plans to carry out the Crime of the Century.

But before Luthor proceeds with his nefarious plan, he needs to deal with a Super-fly in the ointment. Soon, “the greatest criminal of our time” is on a collision course with Metropolis’ high-flying protector.

My Take:

Even though Warner Bros and other Hollywood studios have made dozens of comic book adaptations since 1978, Superman is still the movie by which all others of the genre are measured.

Part of the reason is that producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind spent $55 million (in 1970s dollars) and nearly half a decade in making Superman. The main title sequence alone is reputed to have cost as much as an average motion picture of the era,. Much of those $55 million went into the then-revolutionary special effects that made audiences believe that a man could, indeed, fly. To give the Salkinds credit, they saw vast possibilities in making an epic Superman movie where no one else in the industry did. They may have been heavy-handed at times when dealing with their director, but Superman got off the ground because they wanted to see it made.

But most of the credit goes to the cast, writers, and director,

Although the late Christopher Reeve is listed third in the credits after Hackman and Brando, his performance as meek Clark and assertive Superman carries the movie. In previous incarnations of the character (George Reeves’ TV Superman comes to mind), it’s hard to believe that Lois, Perry, and Jimmy can be easily fooled by Clark Kent’s reporter’s suit and eye-glasses disguise.

Reeve went where no previous actor cast in the role had gone before. As Clark, he speaks in a meek, hesitant manner, He stammers and his voice often cracks when he is with Lois in a dangerous situation. He slouches and pretends to be all left feet and hands. He even parts his hair differently from his Superman persona.

 Clark Kent: Really, Lois, supposing that man had shot you? Is it worth risking your life over ten dollars, two credit cards, a hairbrush, and a lipstick?
 Lois Lane: How did you know that?
 Clark Kent: Know what?
 Lois Lane: You just described the exact contents of my purse.
 [Clark peeks in her purse]
 Clark Kent: Hmm. Uh, wild guess?

When he dons the cape and Superman outfit, Reeve is the epitome of masculinity. He’s assertive, charming, and disarmingly funny. He’s also warm-hearted and, despite his alien origins and superpowers, all too human.

Casting director Lynn Stalmaster could have cast any talented and gorgeous actress in the right age group for Lois Lane, but his choice of Margot Kidder was a stroke of genius that matched his choice of Reeve for Superman. The actress projected smarts and sass, two qualities she shares with her onscreen character.

Kidder, however, was not as pretty as Anne Archer or other actresses that tested for the role. Instead, her looks made her the ideal Everywoman, an independent-minded and intelligent Lois Lane who attracts Superman not with her looks but with her wit and decency. By not being the stereotypical pretty love interest, Kidder makes Lois resonate with many viewers.

 Miss Teschmacher: Tell me something, Lex, why do so many people have to die for the crime of the century?
 Lex Luthor: Why? You ask why? Why does the phone always ring when you're in the bathtub?
 [walking away]
 Lex Luthor: Why is the most diabolical leader of our time surrounding himself with total nincompoops?
 Otis: I'm back, Mr. Luthor!
 Lex Luthor: Yes, I was just talking about you.

Hackman’s Lex Luthor is a joy to watch. Conniving, ruthless, and fiendishly murderous, Superman’s arch-villain also has a dry wit and a knack for comedic put downs. When he’s not plotting his Crime of the Century or plotting to beat his Super-nemesis, Luthor is constantly berating his minions, Otis and Miss Teschmacher.

The original screenplay by Godfather scribe Mario Puzo contained the foundation for Superman and Superman II. It was too long to be used as the shooting script and was campier than necessary. Various writers, including David and Leslie Newman, Robert Benton, and an uncredited Tom Mankiewicz doctored Puzo’s script, giving more emphasis to the love story and the Luthor vs. Superman story thread,

Richard Donner deserves all the kudos he received for Superman. He made an excellent film under less-than-ideal circumstances, As he did with 1976’s The Omen, Donner approached Superman as though the comic book universe Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and the other denizens inhabit were real.

Lois Lane: [being rescued, stammering] Who... are you?

Superman: A friend.

[flies away]

Superman: [waves] Bye.

[Lois waves, and stares at Superman, then sinks into a faint]

As conceived and written by Puzo, David Newman, Leslie Newman, Benton, and Mankiewicz, Superman was originally the first half of a duology that delved into the origins of the Man of Steel and originally ended with a cliffhanging “sequel hook.” Superman II, which director Donner shot at the same time, would pick up the story that pits Superman against Lex Luthor and the three arch-villains from Krypton.

It didn’t quite happen that way, but Superman was a hit with critics and audiences alike. In his contemporary review, Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times called Donner’s film “a pure delight, a wondrous combination of all the old-fashioned things we never really get tired of.”

Nearly 40 years after its release, Ebert’s opinion is still shared by many film buffs. As Reelviews’ James Beradinelli points out, “Other superhero movies have attempted to recapture the feel and intent of Superman; to date, none has succeeded. Batman and X-Men, although both triumphant at the box office, have failed to match Richard Donner's 1978 feature for spectacle and grandeur.”

I’ve watched most of Warner Bros. Superman films, including Zach Snyder’s reboot Man of Steel. Several of them, including 2006’s Superman Returns, are enjoyable and worth adding to a video collection.

However, I agree with Beradinelli’s take on Donner’s Superman. Many comic book movies, including the Raimi and Webb Spider-Man series, have tried hard to duplicate the magic of the 1978 classic. Some have come close, but none have grabbed the brass ring.

Blu-ray Specifications

The 2006 Warner Home Video Blu-ray release contains the extended Director’s Cut originally released in the 2001 DVD. It contains eight minutes of footage not seen in the 1978 theatrical release, including a scene with Jor-El that takes place after Superman’s first adventures in Metropolis.

This version is available as a single-disc Blu-ray release. In addition, Warner Home Video re-released Superman on Blu-ray in its 2013 Superman Triple Feature set, which includes Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut and Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns.

Video

• Codec: VC-1
• Resolution: 1080p
• Aspect ratio: 2.42:1
• Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Audio

English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)

French: Dolby Digital 5.1

Music: Dolby Digital 5.0

Subtitles

• English, English SDH, French, Spanish

Discs

• 50GB Blu-ray Disc
• Single disc (1 BD)

Playback

• Region free

Miscellaneous

•  
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• Blu-ray Release Date: November 28, 2006
• Run Time: 151 minutes