| Superman | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Richard Donner |
| Screenplay by | |
| Story by | Mario Puzo |
| Based on | |
| Produced by | Pierre Spengler |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Geoffrey Unsworth |
| Edited by | Stuart Baird |
| Music by | John Williams |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by |
|
Release dates |
|
Running time | 143 minutes[2] |
| Countries | |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $55 million[6] |
| Box office | $300 million[6] |
Superman (also marketed asSuperman: The Movie) is a 1978superhero film based onthe DC Comics character, portrayed byChristopher Reeve. It is the first of four installments in theSuperman film series starring Reeve as Superman. The film was directed byRichard Donner and written byMario Puzo,David Newman,Leslie Newman, andRobert Benton. The film features anensemble cast includingMarlon Brando,Gene Hackman,Ned Beatty,Jackie Cooper,Glenn Ford,Trevor Howard,Margot Kidder,Valerie Perrine,Maria Schell,Terence Stamp,Phyllis Thaxter andSusannah York. It depicts the origin of Superman, including his infancy as Kal-El ofKrypton, son of Jor-El (Brando), and his youthful years in the rural town ofSmallville. Disguised as reporterClark Kent, he adopts a mild-mannered disposition inMetropolis and develops a romance withLois Lane (Kidder) while battling the villainousLex Luthor (Hackman).
Ilya Salkind had the idea of a Superman film in 1973 and, after a difficult process with DC Comics, the Salkinds bought the rights to the character the following year. Several directors, most notablyGuy Hamilton, and screenwriters were associated with the project before Donner was hired to direct.Tom Mankiewicz was drafted in to rewrite the script and was given acreative consultant credit. It was decided to film bothSuperman and its sequelSuperman II (1980) simultaneously, withprincipal photography beginning in March 1977 and ending in October 1978. Tensions arose between Donner and the producers, and a decision was made to stop filming the sequel, of which 75 percent had already been completed, and finish the first film.[7]
Themost expensive film made up to that point, with a budget of $55 million,[8][9]Superman premiered atThe Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, on December 10, 1978, and was released in the United Kingdom on December 14, and in the United States on December 15. The film was a critical and financial success; its worldwide box office earnings of $300 million made it the second-highest-grossing release of the year. It received praise for Reeve's performance andJohn Williams's musical score.[10] The film was nominated forBest Film Editing,Best Music (Original Score) andBest Sound at the51st Academy Awards and received aSpecial Achievement Academy Award forVisual Effects.[11] Groundbreaking in its use ofspecial effects and science fiction/fantasy storytelling, the film's legacy presaged the mainstream popularity of Hollywood'ssuperhero film franchises. In 2017,Superman was selected for preservation by theLibrary of Congress'sNational Film Registry.
On the planetKrypton,Jor-El, a member of theKryptonian high council, sentences criminalsGeneral Zod,Ursa, andNon to thePhantom Zone. He warns the council that Krypton will be destroyed by its explodingred supergiant sun, but they dismiss his concerns. Before the planet's destruction, Jor-El and his wife Lara send their infant sonKal-El to Earth, where his unique physiology grants him evolving superhuman abilities. Kal-El's spaceship touches down nearSmallville, Kansas. Found byJonathan and Martha Kent, who are astonished when the infant lifts their truck, they adopt him, naming himClark. As he grows, hiding his powers, Jonathan believes Clark was sent to Earth for a special purpose.
Years later, after losing Jonathan to a fatal heart attack, a teenage Clark is contacted by a glowing green crystal from his spaceship that is hidden in the barn. This leads him to theArctic, where aFortress of Solitude, echoing Krypton's architecture, ascends from the ice. Inside, Jor-El's hologram reveals Clark's heritage and trains him for twelve years. Emerging in a blue-and-red suit bearing thecrest of the House of El, he is cautioned against changing human history.
Clark adopts a new persona as a mild-mannered reporter, and starts wearing glasses to disguise his true appearance. He is hired by theDaily Planet inMetropolis, where he meets investigative journalistLois Lane. Clark debuts his new costume by saving Lois from a helicopter accident and, over the rest of the evening, uses his powers in public acts of heroism, gaining immediate fame as the "caped wonder". Thanks to his disguise, Clark successfully keeps his true identity secret from Lois and his colleagues.Perry White, theDaily Planet's chief, seeks more information on this new hero; Clark arranges for Lois to interview his new alter-ego and, afterwards, takes her on a flight over the city, leading her to coin his name, "Superman".
Criminal mastermindLex Luthor discovers a jointU.S. Army/U.S. Navy missile test and plots to target theSan Andreas Fault with reprogrammed missiles, though one is misdirected by his bumbling assistant,Otis. Suspecting Superman's interference, Lex identifies a Kryptonian meteorite, lethal to Superman. With Otis and his girlfriendEve Teschmacher, Lex retrieves it and traps Superman in his lair, revealing his plan to sink the western U.S., making his desert land prime coastline. He weakens Superman using the meteor, now known asKryptonite, and informs him of the misdirected missile set forHackensack, New Jersey.
Concerned for her mother in Hackensack, Teschmacher frees Superman, urging him to first stop the eastbound missile. He sends it to space but misses the westbound missile, which triggers severe earthquakes in California, endangering landmarks like theGolden Gate Bridge andHoover Dam. Superman counteracts the devastation by mending the fault line. As Superman rescues others, Lois is trapped in her car by anaftershock, suffocating before he can save her. Distraught and enraged over his failure to save Lois, Superman disregards Jor-El's warning against altering history. Heeding Jonathan's belief in his purpose, he flies around Earth, reversing time to prevent Lois's death and the missile's destruction. After saving the West Coast, he imprisons Luthor and Otis, then soars into the sunrise.
Kirk Alyn andNoel Neill havecameo appearances asSam Lane and Ella Lane, the parents of Lois Lane, in a deleted scene that was restored in later home media releases.[21] Alyn and Neill portrayed Superman and Lois Lane in the film serialsSuperman (1948) andAtom Man vs. Superman (1950), and were the first actors to portray the characters onscreen in a live-action format. Neill reprised her role in the 1950sAdventures of Superman TV series.
Larry Hagman andRex Reed also make cameos; Hagman plays an army major in charge of a convoy that is transporting one of the missiles, and Reed plays himself as he meets Lois and Clark outside theDaily Planet headquarters.
Ilya Salkind had first conceived the idea for a Superman film in late 1973.[22] In November 1974, after a long, difficult process withDC Comics, the Supermanfilm rights were purchased by Ilya, his fatherAlexander Salkind, and their partnerPierre Spengler. DC wanted a list of actors that were to be considered for Superman, and approved the producer's choices ofMuhammad Ali,Al Pacino,James Caan,Steve McQueen,Clint Eastwood andDustin Hoffman.[19] The filmmakers felt it was best to filmSuperman andSuperman IIback-to-back, and to make anegative pickup deal withWarner Bros.[17]William Goldman was approached to write the screenplay, whileLeigh Brackett was considered. Ilya hiredAlfred Bester, who began writing afilm treatment. Alexander felt, however, that Bester was not famous enough, so he hiredMario Puzo to write the screenplay at a $600,000 salary.[23][24]Francis Ford Coppola,William Friedkin,Richard Lester (who later directedSuperman II andIII),Peter Yates,John Guillermin,Ronald Neame, andSam Peckinpah were in negotiations to direct. Peckinpah dropped out when he produced a gun during a meeting with Ilya.George Lucas turned down the offer because of his commitment toStar Wars.[15][22]
Ilya wanted to hireSteven Spielberg to direct, but Alexander was skeptical, feeling it was best to "wait until [Spielberg's] big fish opens."Jaws was very successful, prompting the producers to offer Spielberg the position, but by then Spielberg had already committed toClose Encounters of the Third Kind.[22]Guy Hamilton was hired as director, while Puzo delivered his script forSuperman andSuperman II in July 1975.[17]Jax-Ur appeared as one ofGeneral Zod'shenchmen, with Clark Kent written as a television reporter. Dustin Hoffman, who was previously considered for Superman, turned downLex Luthor.[19][23]
In early 1975, Brando signed on as Jor-El with a salary of $3.7 million and 11.75% of the box office gross profits, totaling $19 million. He horrified Salkind by proposing in their first meeting that Jor-El appear as asuitcase or a greenbagel with Brando's voice, but Donner used flattery to persuade the actor to portray Jor-El himself.[22] Brando hoped to use some of his salary for a proposed 13-partRoots-styleminiseries onNative Americans in the United States.[25] Brando had it in his contract to complete all of his scenes in twelve days. He also refused to memorize his dialogue, socue cards were compiled across the set. FellowOscar winner Hackman was cast as Lex Luthor days later. The filmmakers made it a priority to shoot all of Brando's and Hackman's footage "because they would be committed to other films immediately."[17][22] Though the Salkinds felt that Puzo had written a solid story for the two-part film, they deemed his scripts as "very heavy", and so hiredRobert Benton andDavid Newman for rewrite work.[26][27] Benton became too busy directingThe Late Show, so David's wifeLeslie was brought in to help her husband finish writing duties.[15]George MacDonald Fraser was later hired to do some work on the script, but he says he did little.[28]
Their script was submitted in July 1976,[17] and had acamp tone, including acameo appearance byTelly Savalas as hisKojak character. The scripts forSuperman andSuperman II were now at over 400 pages combined.[12][29] Pre-production started atCinecittà Studios in Rome, with sets starting construction and flying tests being unsuccessfully experimented. "In Italy", producer Ilya Salkind remembered, "we lost about $2 million [on flying tests]."[22] Marlon Brando found out he could not film in Italy because of a warrant out for his arrest: a sexual-obscenity charge fromLast Tango in Paris. Production moved to England in late 1976, but Hamilton could not join because he was atax exile.[29] Hamilton left the project as he was also ill.[30]
Mark Robson was strongly considered and was in talks to direct, but after seeingThe Omen, the producers hiredRichard Donner. Donner had previously been planningDamien: Omen II when he was hired in January 1977 for $1 million to directSuperman andSuperman II.[31] Donner felt it was best to start from scratch. "They had prepared the picture for a year and not one bit was useful to me."[31] Donner was dissatisfied with the campy script and brought inTom Mankiewicz to perform a rewrite. According to Mankiewicz, "not a word from the Puzo script was used."[29] "It was a well-written, but still a ridiculous script. It was 550 pages. I said, 'You can't shoot this screenplay because you'll be shooting for five years'", Donner continued. "That was literally ashooting script and they planned to shoot all 550 pages. You know, 110 pages is plenty for a script, so even for two features, that was way too much."[32] Mankiewicz conceived having each Kryptonian family wear acrest resembling a different letter, justifying the 'S' on Superman's costume.[31] TheWriters Guild of America refused to credit Mankiewicz for his rewrites, so Donner gave him acreative consultant credit, much to the annoyance of the Guild.[31]
It was initially decided to first sign anA-list actor for Superman before Richard Donner was hired as director.Robert Redford was offered a large sum, but felt he was too famous.Burt Reynolds also turned down the role, whileSylvester Stallone was interested and met with Donner, but he was more interested casting an "unknown" actor.Paul Newman was offered his choice of roles as Superman, Lex Luthor, or Jor-El for $4 million, turning down all three roles.[15][33]
When it was next decided to cast an unknown actor,casting director Lynn Stalmaster first suggestedChristopher Reeve, but Donner and the producers felt he was too young and skinny.[17] Over 200 unknown actors auditioned for Superman.[34]
Olympic championCaitlyn Jenner[nb 1] auditioned for the title role.[15]Patrick Wayne was cast, but dropped out when his fatherJohn Wayne was diagnosed with stomach cancer.[31] BothNeil Diamond andArnold Schwarzenegger lobbied hard for the role, but were ignored.James Caan,James Brolin,Lyle Waggoner,Christopher Walken,Nick Nolte,Jon Voight, andPerry King were approached.[15][22] Nolte wanted to play Superman as aschizophrenic.[35]Kris Kristofferson andCharles Bronson were also considered for the title role.[36]Warren Beatty was offered the role, but turned it down.[37] James Caan said he was offered the part but turned it down. "I just couldn't wear that suit."[38]
"We found guys with fabulous physique who couldn't act or wonderful actors who did not look remotely like Superman", creative consultantTom Mankiewicz remembered. The search became so desperate that producerIlya Salkind's wife's dentist wasscreen tested.[15][22]
Stalmaster convinced Donner and Ilya to have Reeve screen test in February 1977. Reeve stunned the director and producers. He was told to wear a "muscle suit" to produce the desired muscular physique, but Reeve refused,[18][39] instead undertaking a strictphysical exercise regime headed byDavid Prowse. Prowse had wanted to portray Superman, but was denied an audition by the filmmakers because he was not American. Prowse also auditioned forNon. Reeve went from 188 pounds (85 kg) to 212 pounds (96 kg) during pre-production and filming.[40] Reeve earned only $250,000 for bothSuperman andSuperman II, while his veteran co-stars received huge sums of money: $3.7 million for Brando and $2 million for Hackman forSuperman.[41] However, Reeve felt, "Superman brought me many opportunities, rather than closing a door in my face."[42]Jeff East portraysteenage Clark Kent. East's lines wereoverdubbed by Reeve during post-production. "I was not happy about it because the producers never told me what they had in mind", East commented. "It was done without my permission but it turned out to be okay. Chris did a good job but it caused tension between us. We resolved our issues with each other years later."[14] East also tore several thigh muscles when performing the stunt of racing alongside the train. Technicians applied 3 to 4 hours ofprosthetic makeup daily to increase his resemblance to Reeve.[14]
Principal photography began on March 28, 1977, atPinewood Studios for the Krypton scenes, budgeted as the most expensive film ever made at that point, which was $55 million.[6][43][44] BecauseSuperman was being shot simultaneously withSuperman II, filming lasted nineteen months, until October 1978. Filming was originally scheduled to last between seven and eight months, but problems arose during production.John Barry served asproduction designer, whileStuart Craig andNorman Reynolds worked asart directors.Derek Meddings andLes Bowie were credited asvisual effects supervisors.Stuart Freeborn was themake-up artist, while Barry,David Tomblin,John Glen,David Lane,Robert Lynn and an uncreditedPeter Duffell andAndré de Toth[43] directedsecond unit scenes.Vic Armstrong was hired as thestunt coordinator and Reeve'sstunt double; his wife Wendy Leech was Kidder's double.Superman was also the final complete film bycinematographerGeoffrey Unsworth, who died during post-production while working onTess for directorRoman Polanski. TheFortress of Solitude was constructed atShepperton Studios and at Pinewood's007 Stage.[45][46] Upon viewing the footage of Krypton,Warner Bros. decided to distribute in not only North America, but also in foreign countries. Due to complications and problems during filming, Warner Bros. also supplied $20 million and acquiredtelevision rights.[24][45]
New York City doubled for Metropolis, while theNew York Daily News Building served as the location for the offices of theDaily Planet.Brooklyn Heights was also used.[47] Filming in New York lasted five weeks, during the time of theNew York City blackout of 1977. Production moved toAlberta for scenes set inSmallville, with the cemetery scene filmed in the canyon ofBeynon, Alberta, the high school football scenes atBarons, Alberta, and the Kent farm constructed atBlackie, Alberta.[48][49] Brief filming also took place inGallup, New Mexico;Lake Mead; andGrand Central Terminal.[10] Director Donner had tensions with the Salkinds and Spengler concerning the escalating production budget and theshooting schedule.Creative consultantTom Mankiewicz reflected, "Donner never got a budget or a schedule. He was constantly told he was way over schedule and budget. At one point he said, 'Why don't you just schedule the film for the next two days, and then I'll be nine months over?'"[45]Richard Lester, who worked with the Salkinds onThe Three Musketeers andThe Four Musketeers, was then brought in as a temporary co-producer to mediate the relationship between Donner and the Salkinds,[22] who by now were refusing to talk to each other.[45] On his relationship with Spengler, Donner remarked, "At one time if I'd seen him, I would have killed him."[24]
Lester was offered producing credit but refused, going uncredited for his work.[45] Salkind felt that bringing a second director onto the set meant there would be someone ready in the event that Donner could not fulfill his directing duties. "Being there all the time meant he [Lester] could take over", Salkind admitted. "[Donner] couldn't make up his mind on stuff."[22] On Lester, Donner reflected, "He'd been suing the Salkinds for his money onThree andFour Musketeers, which he'd never gotten. He won a lot of his lawsuits, but each time he sued the Salkinds in one country, they'd move to another, from Costa Rica to Panama to Switzerland. When I was hired, Lester told me, 'Don't do it. Don't work for them. I was told not to, but I did it. Now I'm telling you not to, but you'll probably do it and end up telling the next guy.' Lester came in as a 'go-between'. I didn't trust Lester, and I told him. He said, 'Believe me, I'm only doing it because they're paying me the money that they owe me from the lawsuit. I'll never come onto your set unless you ask me; I'll never go to yourdailies. If I can help you in any way, call me."[32]
It was decided to stop shootingSuperman II and focus on finishingSuperman. Donner had already completed 75% of the sequel.[50] The filmmakers took a risk: ifSuperman was abox office bomb, they would not finishSuperman II. The originalclimax forSuperman II hadGeneral Zod,Ursa, andNon destroying the planet, with Supermantime traveling to fix the damage.[15]
Donner commented, "I decided ifSuperman is a success, they're going to do a sequel. If it ain't a success, acliffhanger ain't gonna bring them to seeSuperman II."[31]
 | This sectionneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.(February 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
.jpg)
Superman contains large-scalevisual effects sequences. TheGolden Gate Bridgescale model stood 70 feet (20 m) long and 20 feet (6 m) high. Other miniatures included the Krypton Council Dome and theHoover Dam.Slow motion was used to simulate the vast amount of water for the Hoover Dam destruction. TheFortress of Solitude was a combination of a full-scale set andmatte paintings. The car crashes on the Golden Gate Bridge were a mixture of models and stunt drivers on a disusedrunway.Young Clark Kent's long-distancefootball punt was executed with a wooden football loaded into anair blaster placed in the ground. The Superman costume was to be a much darker blue, but the use ofblue screen made ittransparent.[51]
As detailed in theSuperman: The Movie DVD special effects documentary "The Magic Behind The Cape", presented by optical effects supervisorRoy Field, in the end, three techniques were used to achieve the flying effects.
For landings and take-offs, wire flying-riggings were devised and used. On location, these were suspended from tower cranes, whereas in the studio elaborate rigs were suspended from the studio ceilings. Some of the wire-flying work was quite audacious—the penultimate shot where Superman flies out of the prison yard, for example. Although stuntmen were used, Reeve did much of the work himself, and was suspended as high as 50 feet (15 m) in the air. Counterweights and pulleys were typically used to achieve flying movement, rather than electronic or motorized devices. The thin wires used to suspend Reeve were typically removed from the film in post-production usingrotoscope techniques, although this was not necessary in all shots (in certain lighting conditions or when Superman is distant in the frame, the wires were more or less imperceptible).[52]
For stationary shots where Superman is seen flying toward or away from the camera, blue screen matte techniques were used. Reeve would be photographed suspended against a blue screen. While a special device made his cape flap to give the illusion of movement, the actor himself would remain stationary (save for banking his body). Instead, the camera would use a mixture of long zoom-ins and zoom-outs and dolly in/dolly outs to cause him to become larger or smaller in the frame. The blue background would then be photochemically removed and Reeve's isolated image would be inserted into a matted area of a background plate shot. The zoom-ins or zoom-outs would give the appearance of flying away or toward the contents of the background plate. The disparity in lighting and color between the matted image and the background plate, the occasional presence of black matte lines (where thematte area and the matted image—in this case, Superman—do not exactly match up), and the slightly unconvincing impression of movement achieved through the use of zoom lenses is characteristic of these shots.
Where the shot is tracking with Superman as he flies (such as in the Superman and Lois Metropolis flying sequence), front projection was used. This involved photographing the actors suspended in front of a background image dimly projected from the front onto a special screen made by 3M that would reflect light back directly into a combined camera/projector. The result was a very clear and intense photographic reproduction of both the actors and the background plate, with far less image deterioration or lighting problems than occur with rear projection.
After several failed attempts to use amotion control system for the flying scenes, which did not work because Reeve's movements could not be precisely repeated for automated multiple exposure,[53] a technique was developed that combined thefront projection effect with specially designedzoom lenses instead.[51] The illusion of movement was created by zooming in on Reeve while making the front projected image appear to recede. For scenes where Superman interacts with other people or objects while in flight, Reeve and actors were put in a variety of rigging equipment with careful lighting and photography.[51] This also led to the creation of theZoptic system.[54]
The highly reflective costumes worn by the Kryptonians are made of the same 3M material used for the front projection screens and were the result of an accident during Superman flying tests. "We noticed the material lit up on its own", Donner explained. "We tore the material into tiny pieces and glued it on the costumes, designing a front projection effect for each camera. There was a little light on each camera, and it would project into a mirror, bounce out in front of the lens, hit the costume, [and] millions of little glass beads would light up and bring the image back into the camera."[31]
A tornado sequence, which was cut from the final product, was made by using fans for moving the air inside a round tank withdry ice in it, most of it filmed with 120 frames per second.[52]
TheClio Award-winning opening titles were made with traditional optical animation using an innovative technique that combined amotion control camera withslit-scan photography.[55]
Jerry Goldsmith, who scored Donner'sThe Omen, was originally set to composeSuperman. Portions of Jerry Goldsmith's work fromPlanet of the Apes were used inSuperman's teaser trailer. He dropped out over scheduling conflicts, andJohn Williams was hired. Williams conducted theLondon Symphony Orchestra to record the soundtrack.[56] The music was one of the last pieces to come into place. Williams' "Theme from Superman (Main Title)" was released as a single, reaching number 81 on the U.S.BillboardHot 100 and number 69 on theCash Box chart.[57] Williams liked that the film did not take itself too seriously, and that it had a theatrical camp feel to it.[15]
Kidder was supposed to sing "Can You Read My Mind?", the lyrics to which were written byLeslie Bricusse, but Donner disliked it and changed it to a composition accompanied by a voiceover.[10]Maureen McGovern eventually recorded the single, "Can You Read My Mind?" in 1979, although the song did not appear on the film soundtrack. It became a mid-chart hit on theBillboard Hot 100 that year (number 52), spending three weeks at number five on the U.S.Adult Contemporary chart, as well as making lesser appearances on the correspondingCanadian charts. It was also a very minor hit on the U.S.Country chart, reaching number 93. Both Williams' and McGovern's singles contained theme music from the score. The score earned John Williams an Academy Award nomination, but he lost toGiorgio Moroder's score forMidnight Express.[58]
The soundtrack was originally released as a 2-LP set in December 1978, and the same recording was issued on CD for the first time in 1987 (with the tracks "Growing Up" and "Lex Luthor's Lair" omitted to fit the recording onto one disc).
A re-recording of the score, conducted byJohn Debney and performed by theRoyal Scottish National Orchestra, was released byVarese Sarabande records in 1998. In 2000, an expanded edition of the original score was released on a 2-CD set byRhino Records.
In February 2008,Film Score Monthly released an 8-CD boxed set titledSuperman: The Music, including a newly restored complete score on the first two discs, as well as alternates and source cues on disc 8. As part of the film's 40th anniversary in February 2019, La-La Land Records released the fully expanded restoration of Williams' score on a 3-disc set, including the previously issued alternates and source music.[59]
"You will travel far, my little Kal-El. But we will never leave you, even in the face of our deaths. 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 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 is divided into three basic sections, each having a distinct theme and visual style. The first segment, set on Krypton, is meant to be typical ofscience fiction films and lays the groundwork for an analogy that emerges in the relationship between Jor-El and Kal-El. The second segment, set in Smallville, is reminiscent of 1950s films, and its small-town atmosphere is meant to evoke aNorman Rockwell painting. The third (and largest) segment, set mostly in Metropolis, is an attempt to present the superhero story with as much realism as possible (what Donner called "verisimilitude"), relying on traditional cinematic drama and using only subtle humor instead of acampy approach.[10]
In each of the three acts, the mythic status of Superman is enhanced by events that recall the hero's journey (ormonomyth) as described byJoseph Campbell. Each act has a discernible cycle of "call" and journey. The journey is from Krypton to Earth in the first act, from Smallville to the Fortress of Solitude in the second act, and then from Metropolis to the whole world in the third act.[60]
Many have noted the examples of apparent Christian symbolism. Donner,Tom Mankiewicz and Ilya Salkind have commented on the use ofChristian references to discuss the themes ofSuperman.[10][15] Mankiewicz deliberately fostered analogies with Jor-El (God) andKal-El (Jesus).[29] Donner is somewhat skeptical of Mankiewicz's actions, joking "I got enoughdeath threats because of that."[10]
Several concepts and items of imagery have been used inBiblical comparisons. Jor-El casts outGeneral Zod from Krypton, a parallel tothe casting out ofSatan fromHeaven.[10] Thespacecraft that brings Kal-El to Earth is in the form of a star (Star of Bethlehem). Kal-El comes toJonathan and Martha Kent, who are unable to have children.Martha Kent states, "All these years how we've prayed and prayed that the good Lord would see fit to give us a child", which was compared tothe Virgin Mary.[10]
Mirroring Biblical accounts of Jesus, Clark travels into the wilderness to find out who he is and what he has to do. Jor-El says, "Live as one of them, Kal-El, to discover where your strength and power are needed. But always hold in your heart the pride of your special heritage. They can be a great people, Kal-El, and they wish to be. They only lackthe light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you, my only son."[10] The theme resembles the Biblical account of God sending his only son Jesus to Earth in hope for the good of mankind. More were seen when Donner was able to completeSuperman II: The Richard Donner Cut, featuringthe fall,resurrection and hisbattle with evil. Another vision was that ofThe Creation of Adam.[10]
The Christian imagery in the Reeve films has provoked comment on the Jewish origins of Superman. RabbiSimcha Weinstein's bookUp, Up and Oy Vey: How Jewish History, Culture and Values Shaped the Comic Book Superhero, says that Superman is both a pillar of society and one whose cape conceals a "nebbish", saying "He's a bumbling, nebbish Jewish stereotype. He'sWoody Allen."[61][62] Ironically, it is also in the Reeve films that Clark Kent's persona has the greatest resemblance to Woody Allen, though his conscious model wasCary Grant's character inBringing Up Baby. This same theme is pursued about 1940s superheroes generally inDisguised as Clark Kent: Jews, Comics, and the Creation of the Superhero byDanny Fingeroth.[61][62]
In the scene where Lois Lane interviews Superman on the balcony, Superman replies, "I never lie." Salkind felt this was an important point in the film, since Superman, living under hissecret identity as Clark Kent, is "telling the biggest lie of all time".His romance with Lois also leads him to contradict Jor-El's orders to avoidaltering human history,time traveling to save her from dying. Superman instead takes the advice of Jonathan Kent, his father on Earth.[15]
Superman was originally scheduled to be released in June 1978, the 40th anniversary ofAction Comics 1, which first introduced Superman, but the problems during filming pushed the film back by six months. EditorStuart Baird reflected, "Filming was finished in October 1978 and it is a miracle we had the film released two months later. Big-budgeted films today tend to take six to eight months."[45] Donner, for his part, wished that he had "had another six months; I would have perfected a lot of things. But at some point, you've gotta turn the picture over."[32]
Warner Bros. Pictures spent $6–7 million on marketing the film.[24]Superman premiered at theUptown Theater in Washington, D.C., on December 10, 1978,[63][failed verification] with director Richard Donner and several cast members in attendance. Three days later, on December 13, it had a European Royal Charity Premiere at theEmpire, Leicester Square in London, withQueen Elizabeth II andPrince Andrew in attendance.[64]
Superman set a new all-time U.S. industry record for business during a pre-Christmas week with $12 million, and set new records for Warner Bros. for their best opening day ($2.8 million) and three-day weekend ($7.5 million).[65] For the week of December 22–28, it set an all-time U.S. weekly record of $18.5 million.[66] It also set a record single day gross for Warner Bros. with a gross of $3.8 million.[67] In its third weekend it grossed $13.1 million for the four-day holiday weekend setting a record 18-day gross of $43.7 million.[68]
Approximately 120 million people saw Superman in the opening theatrical run in 1978.[69] Including re-releases, it went on to gross $134.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $166 million internationally, totaling $300.5 million worldwide.[6]Superman was the secondhighest-grossing film of 1978 in North America. It was alsoWarner Bros.'s most successful film at the time.[45]
Superman received mostly positive reviews from critics. According toRotten Tomatoes, 88% of 120 critics gaveSuperman a positive consensus, with an average rating of 8.1. The website's critical consensus reads, "Superman deftly blends humor and gravitas, taking advantage of the perfectly cast Reeve to craft a loving, nostalgic tribute to an American pop culture icon."[70]Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 82 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[71] The film was widely regarded as one of the top ten films of 1978.[72][73][74]Superman creatorsJerry Siegel andJoe Shuster, in tears, thanked Donner[75] and gave a positive reaction.[19] Shuster was "delighted to see Superman on the screen. I got chills. Chris Reeve has just the right touch of humor. He really is Superman."[12] Siegel beamed, "It's exactly as I imagined it."[76]
Roger Ebert gave the film four out of four stars. Although describing the Krypton scenes as "ponderous" ("Brando was allegedly paid $3 million for his role, or, judging by his dialogue, $500,000 a cliché"), Ebert wrote that "Superman is a pure delight, a wondrous combination of all the old-fashioned things we never really get tired of: adventure and romance, heroes and villains, earthshaking special effects, and – you know what else? Wit". He praised Reeve, stating that he "sells the role; wrong casting here would have sunk everything", and concluded that the film "works so well because of its wit and its special effects".[77] Ebert placed the film on his ten best list of 1978.[78] He would later go on to place it on his "Great Movies" list.[79]Gene Siskel of theChicago Tribune gave the film three stars out of four, calling it "a delightful mess. Good performances. Sloppy editing. Cheap nonflying special effects. Funny dialog. In sum,Superman is the kind of picture critics tear apart, but still say, 'You ought to see it.'"[80]
James Harwood ofVariety called the film "a wonderful, chuckling, preposterously exciting fantasy", and he further added: "As both the wholesome man of steel and his bumbling secret identity Clark Kent, Reeve is excellent. As newswoman Lois Lane, Kidder plays perfectly off both of his personalities and her initial double-entendre interview with Superman is wickedly coy, dancing round the obvious question any red-blooded girl might ask herself about such a magnificent prospect."[81]Vincent Canby ofThe New York Times wrote in a mixed review, "The Superman comic strip has been carefully, elaborately, sometimes wittily blown up for the big-theater screen, which, though busy, often seems sort of empty." He did however praise the performance of Kidder, calling her "most charming".[82]Charles Champlin of theLos Angeles Times called the film "a big letdown", praising Reeve as "the salvaging strength of the film" but referring to the matter of the villain as "an essential problem", finding that "even in a succession of wigs, Gene Hackman is not preposterous, funny or dementedly menacing, and what he's doing here is not evident."[83] Gary Arnold ofThe Washington Post wrote in a positive review, "Despite a lull here and a lapse there, this superproduction turns out to be prodigiously inventive and enjoyable, doubly blessed by sophisticated illusionists behind the cameras and a brilliant new stellar personality in front of the cameras—Christopher Reeve, a young actor at once handsome and astute enough to rationalize the preposterous fancy of a comic-book superhero in the flesh." He felt that Kidder was "a good actress and a phenomenal screamer, but she looks a little exhausted."[84]
Writing in a retrospective review,James Berardinelli believed "there's no doubt that it's a flawed movie, but it's one of the most wonderfully entertaining flawed movies made during the 1970s. It's exactly what comic book fans hoped it would be. Perhaps most heartening of all, however, is the message at the end of the credits announcing the impending arrival ofSuperman II."[85]Harry Knowles is a longtime fan of the film, but was critical of elements that did not represent the Superman stories as seen in the comics.[86]Neal Gabler similarly felt that the film focused too much on shallow comedy. He also argued that the film should have adhered more to the spirit of Mario Puzo's original script, and referred to the first three Superman films collectively as "simply puffed-up TV episodes."[87] After Kidder'sdeath in 2018, Sonia Saraiya ofVanity Fair retrospectively praised her ability to balance Lois's ditzy nature with her ambition and no-nonsense attitude, calling her a worthyfoil to Reeve and writing that "Kidder played a human woman who could believably both attract and deserve a man who is canonically perfect, with the physique of a Greek god and the moral compass of a saint."[88]
Superman was nominated for threeAcademy Awards:Best Film Editing (Stuart Baird),Best Original Score (John Williams) andBest Sound (Gordon K. McCallum,Graham V. Hartstone,Nicolas Le Messurier andRoy Charman)[89] and received aSpecial Achievement Academy Award for itsvisual effects. Donner publicly expressed disgust thatproduction designerJohn Barry andcinematographerGeoffrey Unsworth had not been recognized by theAcademy.[31]
Superman was also successful at the32nd British Academy Film Awards. Reeve wonBest Newcomer, while Hackman, Unsworth, Barry, and thesound designers earned nominations.[90] The film won theHugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.[91] At theSaturn Awards, Kidder, Barry,John Williams, and thevisual effects department received awards, and the film wonBest Science Fiction Film.[92] Reeve, Hackman, Donner,Valerie Perrine, andcostume designerYvonne Blake were nominated for their work as well.[citation needed] In addition, Williams was nominated at the36th Golden Globe Awards and won theGrammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media.[93]
| Organization | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | Best Film Editing | Nominated | [94] |
| Best Original Score | Nominated | ||
| Best Sound | Nominated | ||
| Best Visual Effects (Special Achievement) | Won | ||
| British Academy Film Awards | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Nominated | [95] |
| Best Cinematography | Nominated | ||
| Best Production Design | Nominated | ||
| Best Sound | Nominated | ||
| Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles | Won | ||
| Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award | Won | ||
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Original Score | Nominated | [96] |
| Saturn Awards | Best Science Fiction Film | Won | [97] |
| Best Director | Nominated | ||
| Best Actor | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | ||
| Best Costume Design | Nominated | ||
| Best Music | Won | ||
| Best Special Effects | Won |
| This sectionneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.(February 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
While, by contract, Richard Donner had major editorial control over what was theatrically released, the Salkinds had editorial control on what was shown outside of theaters. This was the result of deals that had been made between the producers and theABC television network prior to the film's release. Financially, the more footage that was restored for television, the more revenue that could be made for the broadcast (the producers charged by the minute for every bit of footage added back in). During production of the film, Alexander and Ilya Salkind found themselves in the position of having to sell more and more of their rights back to Warner Bros. in exchange for financial help,[98] which is why Warner Bros. had theatrical and home video distribution rights. By 1981, when the television rights reverted to the Salkinds, the producers had already prepared a 3-hour-and-8-minute version that actually had been the first version of the film visually locked down prior to being re-edited for theatrical release. This extended cut, which would be used for worldwide television distribution, reincorporated some 45 minutes of footage and music deleted from the theatrical cut. Networks and stations could then re-edit their own version at their discretion. This edit is commonly known as the "Salkind International Television Cut".
ABC aired the broadcast television debut ofSuperman over two nights in February 1982, with a majority of the unused footage. The 182-minute network cut (which was slightly cut down for content) was repeated in November of that same year, this time in its entirety in one evening. ABC presented the original theatrical version of the film for the two remaining broadcasts.
When the TV rights reverted toWarner Bros. in 1985,CBS aired the film one last time on network television in its theatrical version. When the movie entered thesyndication[99] market in 1988 (following a play-out run on pay cable[100][101]) TV stations were offered the extended cut or the theatrical cut. The stations that showed the extended cut[100] edited the second half to add more advertising time and "previously on ..." cutback scenes just as ABC had done in 1982.
In 1994 (following a pay-cable reissue and its obligatory run onUSA Network),Warner Bros. Television syndicated the full 188-minute international television version, most famously on Los Angeles stationKCOP. The most notable additions unseen on U.S. television were two additional scenes never seen before, in addition to what had been previously reinstated.[13] This version also surfaced outside of Los Angeles. For example,WJLA Channel 7, an ABC affiliate in Washington, D.C., aired the extended cut in July 1994. Because its first known airing was on the aforementioned KCOP, it is also known in fan circles as the "KCOP Version".
There were various extended TV versions each broadcast in various countries. Most of these are inpan and scan, as they were made in the 1980s, when films were not letterboxed to preserve the theatrical aspect ratio on old TVs.
Until 2017, it was thought the quality of the extended network TV version was inferior to any theatrical or previous home video release because it was mastered in16mm (using the "film chain system") and amono sound mix done, as by the time the extended cut was prepared in 1981, stereo was not available in television broadcasts (16 mm television prints were, in fact, made and mastered on NTSC Standard Definition video for the initial ABC network broadcasts). However, during an inventory of the Warner Bros. library, anIP master of the full 188-minute television version was discovered. This eighteen-reel master was not marked with an aspect ratio, but the print was inspected and, as it turned out, was in the proper 2.35:1Panavision ratio. This was the source of theWarner Archive Collection Blu-Ray release of what would officially be called the "Superman: The Movie Extended Cut", issued on October 3, 2017.[102] The video release was visually restored by WB's imaging department, and, other than the opening and end credits (which are in true stereo), the film is presented in an enhanced version of the mono TV sound mix. This particular release also includes another version discussed below.
Richard Donner was critical of this extended cut of the film. He called this version of the film "terrible," saying it "was nothing more than an assembly." He said he cut the bad material out of the movie and that the producers and Warner Bros. added it back in just "to make a buck."[103]
When Michael Thau andWarner Home Video started working on afilm restoration in 2000, only eight minutes of the added footage that had been used in the TV cut could be considered restored into a version that director Richard Donner called his preferred version of the film. Thau determined that some of the extra footage could not be added because of poor visual effects. Thau felt "the pace of the film's storyline would be adversely affected [and there were] timing problems matching [footage] with John Williams' musical score, etc… The cut of the movie shown on KCOP was put together to make the movie longer when shown on TV as the Television Station paid per minute to air the movie. The "Special Edition" cut is designed for the best viewing experience in the true spirit of movie making."[104] There was a special test screening of the Special Edition in 2001 inSan Antonio, Texas, on March 23 with plans for a possible wider theatrical release later that year, which did not occur.[105] In May 2001, Warner Home Video released the special edition on DVD.[106] Director Donner also assisted, working slightly over a year on the project. The release includedmaking-of documentaries directed by Thau and eight minutes of restored footage.[107]
Thau explained, "I worked onLadyhawke and that's how I really met Dick [Donner] andTom Mankiewicz. I used to hear those wonderful stories in the cutting room that Tom and Dick andStuart would tell aboutSuperman and that's how I kind of got the ideas for the plots of 'Taking Flight' and 'Making Superman'".[107] Donner commented, "There are a few shots where Chris [Reeve]'s costume looked green. We went in and cleaned that up, bringing the color back to where it should be."[108] Thau wanted to make the film shorter: "I wanted to take out the damn poem where Lois is reciting a poem ("Can You Read My Mind") when they're flying around. I also wanted to take out a lot of that car chase where it was just generic action... It was like a two-minute car chase. But Dick didn't want to take [that] out [or] the poem."[107] It was followed by abox set release in the same month, containing "bare bones" editions ofSuperman II,Superman III, andSuperman IV: The Quest for Peace.[109] In November 2006, a four-disc special edition was released,[110] followed by anHD DVD release[111] andBlu-ray.[112] Also available (with other films) is the nine-disc "Christopher Reeve Superman Collection"[113] and the 14-disc "Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition".[114]
On November 6, 2018 (following year-long worldwide revival theatrical screenings to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the film's original release), Warner Bros. Home Entertainment released anUltra HD Blu-ray ofSuperman presented in a newDolby Vision transfer of the original theatrical version straight from the original camera negative, with its original70mm/six-track stereo mix rendered in 5.1 surround, in addition to the 2000 remix inDolby Atmos. This new release also includes a standard Blu-ray Disc of the theatrical cut, plus select bonus features carried over from previous video releases.
In 2007, theVisual Effects Society listedSuperman as the 44th-most influential use of visual effects of all time.[115] In 2008,Empire magazine named it the 174th-greatest film of all time on its list of 500.[116] In 2009,Entertainment Weekly ranked Superman 3rd on their list ofThe All-Time Coolest Heroes in Pop Culture.[117]
With the film's success, it was immediately decided to finishSuperman II. Ilya and Alexander Salkind andPierre Spengler did not ask Donner to return because Donner had criticized them during the film's publicity phase.[15] Donner commented in January 1979, "I'd work with Spengler again, but only on my terms. As long as he has nothing to say as the producer, and is just liaison between Alexander Salkind and his money, that's fine. If they don't want it on those terms, then they need to go out and find another director, it sure as shit ain't gonna be me."[32] Kidder, who portrayed Lois Lane, was dissatisfied by the producers' decision,[45] and also criticized the Salkinds during publicity. Kidder said that as a result, she was only given acameo appearance forSuperman III, and not a main supporting role.[118]Jack O'Halloran, who portrayedNon, stated, "It was great to work with Donner. Richard Lester was as big an asshole as the Salkinds."[119] Two more films,Superman III (1983) andSuperman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), were produced. Donner's vision forSuperman II was eventually realized nearly three decades later, when he supervised the editing ofSuperman II: The Richard Donner Cut, which was released in 2006.[46] In the same year, Donner and writerGeoff Johns wrote "Last Son", a comic book story arc in Action Comics featuring Superman.[120] Unused footage of Marlon Brando as Jor-El, discovered during the restoration ofSuperman II: The Richard Donner Cut, was used inSuperman Returns (2006).[46]
BecauseSuperman went into production prior to the releases ofStar Wars (May 1977) andClose Encounters of the Third Kind (November 1977), some observers credit the three films collectively for launching the reemergence of a large market forscience fiction filmsin the 1980s. This is certainly the view ofSuperman producer Ilya Salkind and some who have interviewed him,[15][22] as well as of film production assistant Brad Lohan.[121] Other observers of film history tend to credit the resurgence of science fiction films simply to the Lucas and Spielberg productions, and seeSuperman as the first of the new cycle of films launched by the first two.[122] Ilya Salkind denies any connection betweenSuperman—which began filming in March 1977—and the other films, stating that "I did not know about 'Star Wars'; 'Star Wars' did not know about 'Superman'; 'Close Encounters' did not know about 'Superman.' It really was completely independent—nobody knew anything about anybody."[22]Superman also established thesuperhero film genre as viable outside the production of low-budget Saturday matinee serials. DirectorChristopher Nolan cited Richard Donner's vision and scope ofSuperman whenpitching the concept forBatman Begins to Warner Bros. in 2002.[123] The film's influence can also be seen in films of the genre including theX-Men films,Sam Raimi'sSpider-Man (2002), andPatty Jenkins'Wonder Woman (2017).[124]
In 2021, DC Comics revived thecontinuity of the 1978 film with theirSuperman '78 comic book series, emulating the look of the Christopher Reeve films. The series picks up where the first two films left off, thereby acting as a direct sequel.[125]
After the first screening of theDC Extended Universe (DCEU) filmThe Flash (2023) to the attendees of theCinemacon 2023, directorAndy Muschietti and producerBarbara Muschietti revealed that acameo appearance of Brando's Jor-El fromSuperman was considered for the film, but was left in the "cutting floor room" due to not fitting in the story.[126]
The film inspiredThe Kinks' 1979 song "(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman", when the band's main songwriter,Ray Davies, watched the film in late 1978.[127]
The film is recognized byAmerican Film Institute in these lists:
In December 2017, the film was selected for preservation by the United StatesLibrary of CongressNational Film Registry, for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".[129]
{{cite AV media notes}}:Missing or empty|title= (help)
| Films |
|
|---|---|
| Novels |
|
| Video games |
|
| Other media |
|
| Characters | |
| Music | |
| Related | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
