While surfing Hate Sexy the other day I read Jon's post about how excited he was about the new release of Superman.
I never really liked Superman as a character. I never understood why until I watched Kill Bill 2. Here's Quentin Tarentino's take on the issue, and I'm inclined to agree.
An essential characteristic of the superhero mythology is, there's the superhero, and there's the alter ego. Batman is actually Bruce Wayne, Spider-Man is actually Peter Parker. When he wakes up in the morning, he's Peter Parker. He has to put on a costume to become Spider-Man. And it is in that characteristic that Superman stands alone. Superman did not become Superman, Superman was born Superman. When Superman wakes up in the morning, he's Superman. His alter ego is Clark Kent. His outfit with the big red "S", that's the blanket he was wrapped in as a baby when the Kents found him. Those are his clothes. What Kent wears, the glasses, the business suit, that's the costume. That's the costume Superman wears to blend in with us. Clark Kent is how Superman views us. And what are the characteristics of Clark Kent? He's weak, he's unsure of himself... he's a coward. Clark Kent is Superman's critique on the whole human race.
2 comments:
Wow, I had to shake my head to understand that ... but okay.
In theme, I've decided that kryptonite is the immigration process, it brings many to their knees, overcome by the weakness brought on by discovering they are undesirables and that they do have materialistic urges.
It's probably a guy "movie quoting thing". But I was never into comic books. I always used to buy Mad Magazine from Corkins 4-Square Store; well at least until they stopped bringing in the US version and replaced it with the (less funny) Australian version.
Today I pretty much avoid Australian versions of mags, even to the point where i get the imported version of Empire from the UK. I don't understand why the local versions are so colloquial - and offputting when the UK version isnt. I mean you can only read so many articles about Heath Leger or Russell Crowe....
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