Something divine
I was wondering if those of you who have seen Superman Returns were at all intrigued, perturbed, or even cognizant of the latent biblical themes presented throughout the film? The father/son language towards the end of the movie was so strong as to make me feel like I was back in my English 118 class, analyzing the subtle and revisionary relationship of the Son to the Father in John Milton’s Paradise Lost. Even Superman’s “return” (no, that’s not a spoiler; RTFTitle of the film!) can be construed as a sort of second coming without using too much license, or even some sort of resurrection corollary.
And we mustn’t forget the implications surrounding the world’s worship of Superman. Even I know the basic gist of the ten commandments, though Wikipedia clarifies:
I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me…
Of course, God seems to be twiddling his thumbs while the film’s villain (I’ll give you three guesses, and none of them have hair) is wreaking havoc upon the earth, so perhaps the throngs of supporters in the film haven’t misplaced their faith. Otherwise, they’ll be shit out of luck when they’re sitting pretty in the sixth circle.
Comments
I didn’t realize the biblical reference, but I did notice the quote that was used once near the beginning I believe, and near the end. “The father becomes the son, and the son becomes the father.” Something along those lines. It stuck with me but it didn’t make the movie better. It seems almost everything in movies can be associated with religion in some way or another. It’s to be taken with a grain of salt IMO.
TLS502 on 07/12/06 at 9:52AM