Today in theaters, “Superman Returns,” the new film adaptation of an American comic book by Bryan Singer (X-men). Still as handsome, still as strong, the superhero in tight-fitting costume, exiled for 5 years on his planet, returns to his adopted Earth. He performs feat after feat to save the new continent and its inhabitants, resumes his civilian life as reporter Clark Kent in Metropolis, and finds his beloved Lois Lane now married with a child. Superman is back, and a central question arises in the film: why would the United States still need Superman?
A major disaster threatens the United States. An impossible love story. A great “villain,” a great “hero.” A “happy ending.” An ever-impossible love story. The announcement of a sequel. Does this sound familiar? The American commercial formula is served up once again, and as a result, the film is far from a masterpiece of the genre. Additionally, the humor relies on repetitive gags, the monotonous portrayal of Superman by the young Brandon Routh, and resolutions as predictable as a “Tom and Jerry” fall…over more than 2.5 hours…it’s long. However, “Superman Returns” remains true to the spirit of the comic book and can satisfy fans of the genre with a plethora of special effects, which will primarily keep newcomers awake. Until now, Superman might as well have stayed on his planet.
The American Myth
Superman returns. Like Zinédine Zidane to the France national team. A savior from another land coming to bring hope to an entire people. Well, Zizou is aging while the American superhero does not, and he headbutts those who insult his family. Everyone has their weaknesses. For Superman, it’s kryptonite, his Achilles’ heel. And while he may be compared to our “Ziz” back home, he is also akin to older, equally strong heroes from Greek mythology like Achilles (whether Achilles could dribble as well as Zidane remains to be seen…). More seriously, Superman and all his costumed peers represent, in a way, American mythology. Known worldwide, Superman is the nearly invulnerable hero lacking in the new continent due to a lack of history. The director states: “I am sure that in five hundred years they will represent the mythology of the twentieth century, equivalent today to the legendary King Arthur, Merlin the magician… Because these stories refer to primitive myths. In Superman, themes of power, responsibility of power, ability to fly, solitude, dual identity, purity, and goodness are evoked. Due to his origins, Superman is part of the Judeo-Christian mythology. As a baby, he was sent by his father to earth to fulfill his destiny, to become a savior, a figure similar to Moses.”
Lex Luthor, the villain, well played by Kevin Spacey and on whom the entire film rests, is obsessed with the (yet another) myth of Prometheus: a god rejected by his own for giving fire to men. A legend more akin to the history currently being written by the United States…
