Superman is my personal Lord and Savior

June 30th, 2006 | Comments (7) | Trackbacks (0) |

I just accepted him (Him?) into my heart at the local movie theatre.

Superman-Jesus comparisons and their respective puns are rampant: Jesus Christ Superman, The ‘Savior’ Returns, and Superman Returns as Jesus are three of the many a simple Google search reveals.

Sitting in the theatre, it was evident early on that Christ imagery would abound in the film, but when Superman said to Lois, “You said the world doesn’t need a savior, but I hear people crying for one every day,” there was no looking back. Craig Detweiler at HollywoodJesus says:

Much has been written about the Christ imagery soaring through Superman Returns. Director Bryan Singer connects this thrilling update to 1978’s esteemed Superman: The Movie by incorporating footage and voiceover of Marlon Brando as Jor-El. He advises his son, “Even though you’ve been raised as a human being, you’re not one of them. 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.”

The parallels to the Christ story are striking. Singer and his crack screenwriting partners, Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris, push the analogies even further with Superman’s physical suffering. A slight trace of the song, “He’s got the whole world in his hands,” becomes a lived reality. Superman carries much more than the Daily Planet on his back. As he summons all his strength to save humanity, Superman falls to earth, arms outstretched, a living sacrifice for us all.

If you’re still interested, check out The Incredible Biblical Connections of the 1978 Superman, an extensive, illustrated overview.

I could point out many more blatant Christ references – as I was doing in the theatre – but I won’t. And for all of the youth pastors out there, in this interview director Bryan Singer says “I grew up as a relatively secular Jewish kid in a Catholic neighborhood. I went to a Christian youth club as a kid, ’cause I liked the sports.’”