But Don't Question Superman's Patriotism!
Dave Price
Apparently the modern incarnation of the Man of Steel feels the whole pro-America thing is anachronistic and passé.
But in the latest film incarnation, scribes Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris sought to downplay Superman's long-standing patriot act. With one brief line uttered by actor Frank Langella, the caped superhero's mission transformed from "truth, justice and the American way" to "truth, justice and all that stuff."Some people still feel that way about the American way.
"We were always hesitant to include the term 'American way' because the meaning of that today is somewhat uncertain," Ohio native Dougherty explains. "The ideal hasn't changed. I think when people say 'American way,' they're actually talking about what the 'American way' meant back in the '40s and '50s, which was something more noble and idealistic."
I think including "American Way" in the film wouldn't have hurt in the slightest, except we wouldn't allow ourselves to stand a let bullets ricochet in all directions while defending two people. A stray bullet might have hit a bystander and we'd be as at fault as if we had aimed the gun at them ourselves.
But everybody back then realized that in a war, your job was to be an American first. And that the war wasn't "Roosevelt's War," it was our war.
That sort of thinking seems to be quite alien to some people today. Mind you, it's not alien to me. It's an attitude I grew up with....
As for FDR, I've read plenty of accounts of people during that era who spit at the mention of his name. Usually on the nearest FDR supporter.
But when we're at war, we are all Americans first. Or used to be.
Hollywood types are brainless twits. This is news?
Not since Vietnam. Not before really, either: WW II just happened to have support from both sides of the spectrum.
Martin,
All true. But some of us are disturbed by the cinema's subtle slide into cynicism.
They want to live in a country where you can speak your mind, and not get arrested.
They want to live in a country where you can work hard, get ahead, and maybe even get rich; all without kickbacks to the local politicians and soldiers.
They want to live in a country where being the wrong color, wrong sex, wrong religion, or just being at the wrong place at the wrong time doesn't get you dead.
You know: life, liberty, and the pursuit of "all that stuff..."
I strongly suspect that a survey of Hollywood would show a strong majority which sees the "1950s American Way" as "Ozzie and Harriet for Straight White Republicans."
I have here in front of me, a "Treasury Edition-sized" crossover between Marvel and DC published in 1976. It was the first of its kind; a crossover between both companies flagship characters, Superman and Spider-Man. It was written by Gerry Conway, famous for the death of Gwen Stacy story, and drawn by Ross Andru, who was drawing Spider-Man at the time.
The story is pretty mediocre actually, but way back in '76 (when I bought it), I read something on the un-numbered page between pages 15 and 16 that caught my attention and I've never forgotten it.
The current discussion forced me to find the book and make sure I read it correctly. And as it turns out, I did.
This un-numbered page begins with "Now a pause for Hero Identification", and they proceed to give you an extremely abbreviated origin of The Man of Steel. An origin that ends with, "...in an everlasting fight against crime, for truth, justice, and the Terran way!"
This discussion is 30 years too late. They made him an international hero a long time ago. Its just been noticed now because of a line uttered in a 250 million dollar film seen by tens of millions of more people than read this somewhat historic crossover back in 1976.
Ironically, the comics themselves have always been ahead of the film versions even though the comics are considered a medium for kids.
I think about the first Spider-Man film. Mary Jane falls from the bridge and Spidey saves her, yet when Gwen Stacy takes the same fall in 1972 (which the MJ fall was modeled after), Spider-Man accidently kills her (by breaking her neck) when he tries to save her. How well do you think that would've gone over with the filmgoers? There probably would've been a few commentaries written about that.
And of course the scene where Mr. Hyde sodomizes the Invisible Man...to death, never made it to the film version of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. There would been no commentaries written about that scene if it had, because no one would've seen the film; it would never have been released.
You mean like (ugh) Superman IV: The Quest for Appeasement?
But even so, at the time they understood "the American way" was special in a way many Americans do not now understand.
As opposed to today, when its considered a choice.
Superman fights for truth, justice and the American Way...period! If he ain't fighting for those things, then he ain't Superman.
Of course we all lose our tempers now and then. Dean freely admits to being imperfect in this regard, which is why regulars to this establishment will generally be cut more slack than people who we don't know very well.
Still: behave like an adult, or go find somewhere else to play. Thanks.