Superman (1978): 44 years later, Christopher Reeve still soars as the Man of Steel

Chad’s Grade: A-

For the last 20 years, the cinema has seen a deluge of superhero movies. The Batman film series has produced many iterations since Tim Burton’s 1989 original with Michael Keaton. Ditto for Spiderman and the X-Men franchises that have been cranking out films since the early 2000s. And watching Disney/Marvel’s MCU release hit after hit with alarming speed has been both ominous and impressive at the same time. 

Yet, back in the 1970s, the idea of doing a compelling and dramatic film version of a comic book character, much less Superman, was considered crazy. Until then, the only screen versions of the Man of Steel were the 1940s Saturday Matinee serial shorts and the 1950s “Adventures of Superman” TV series starring George Reeves. Not to mention the groundbreaking Fleischer animated Superman shorts that aired in the 1940s.

But the infamous producing duo of Ilya and Alexander Salkind saw enormous screen potential in the Superman character and secured the rights from DC. They found great success in their swashbuckling all-star “Three Musketeers” films, directed by Richard Lester. A film they controversially split into two separate movies. Using that same template, they commissioned Richard Donner, hot off the success of the horror hit “The Omen,” to direct the first two installments of their superhero extravaganza. 

Bringing on Richard Donner to direct was a masterstroke. He knew the film would only work if they approached the material in a grounded and serious way. Donner brought on acclaimed screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz (credited as a creative consultant) to rework the screenplay’s many drafts, including the infamous Mario Puzo version (whose reported take was a campy Adam West iteration) into a cohesive narrative. And the production’s verisimilitude approach would be one of the film’s many strengths.

The 1978 “Superman” is an epic take on the Man of Steel, recounting his unique, immigration-themed upbringing with the teachings of two very different father figures. The film shows his journey from the planet Krypton to Earth, where he’s found by the warm, salt of the earth and childless Kents, who secretly raise little Kal-El as their own. The film then jumps to the city of Metropolis, where Superman makes his presence known while also donning his secret identity as the bumbling reporter Clark Kent. There he falls for his co-worker, the feisty and fast-talking Lois Lane, and struggles to balance his dual existence. But complications arise as Superman’s arch nemesis Lex Luthor hatches a dangerous scheme that could destroy California’s west coast. Along with Superman’s lethal reaction to the remnants of his home planet: Kryptonite.

The tone for “Superman” is immediately set by the thrilling credits sequence, with names of the all-star cast and production team zooming toward the screen, all set to John Williams’s triumphant fanfare theme. The first section of the film, showing the doomed planet of Krypton, is easily my favorite. The production design by John Barry has a lovely retro feel, with impressive model work showing the elegant, crystal-like structures. And the opening trial sequence featuring Marlon Brando as Jor-El facing off against Terence Stamp’s General Zod plays like a Shakespearean drama. And the shot of that massive dome, where Zod and the other two villains, Non and Ursa, are sentenced to the phantom zone, is still awe-inspiring. 

Marlon Brando received criticism for his ridiculous payday and top billing, but he brings a solid gravitas to his performance. There’s a resigned tone as he pleads with the other elders who refuse to believe Krypton’s true fate. And that moving monologue with his wife Lara as they prepare to send their infant son to Earth forms the first pillar of Superman’s origin, that of a powerful god-like figure that can help the people of earth discover their true potential.

The film’s second section is set in Smallville as we watch a teenage Clark Kent struggle to hide his true nature and majestic powers. Here we get the flip side to Superman’s Krypton origin, that of the practical teachings of Pa Kent that encourage Clark to embrace his human side. Glenn Ford is excellent as Pa Kent, and he shines as he tells his adopted son that he wasn’t sent to Earth to score football touchdowns or show off his powers but for a higher purpose. And the tragic moment where Pa Kent dies of a heart attack, where Clark realizes the limits of his abilities, forms the second pillar of his origin.

From there, the film moves to 1970s-era New York, standing in for the great city of Metropolis. Here we are treated to the secret ingredient that makes this film work: the performance of Christopher Reeve as our Superman. Reeve easily anchors the film, giving what could be considered a dual performance. His Clark Kent is like a clutzy Cary Grant circa “Bringing up Baby,” bespectacled with large glasses and a goofy, mild-mannered tone. It’s a complete 180 from his tall, grand, and gorgeous god-like Superman, wearing that primary-colored suit like it was tailor-made for him. It’s a clever twist on the secret identity trope of the character, where you almost buy that no one would recognize that they are the same person.

And Reeve’s Superman is matched by the equally impressive Margot Kidder as Lois Lane. I would argue Kidder is just as strong as Reeve, as her Lois is feisty with a dash of that Rosalind Russell “His Girl Friday” energy that perfectly complements Reeve’s Clark Kent. The early scenes at the Daily Planet have that fast-talking tone of a classic Howard Hawks comedy with an excellent Jackie Cooper playing a gruff Perry White. The Superman-Lois Lane romance is essential to the movie’s narrative, particularly the climax and the 1980 sequel. And my heart still melts during Lois Lane’s interview/first date with Superman, as he takes her flying through the clouds, complete with her “can you read my mind” monologue.

It’s the Lex Luthor subplot that’s a mixed bag. Gene Hackman, an out-of-the-box casting gamble, is deliciously campy, giving Luthor an air of genuine menace with a light comedic touch. He’s written as a James Bond-style villain, complete with a secret underground lair, a busty bad girl Eve Teschmacher (a wonderfully sharp Valerie Perrine), and a bumbling doofus henchman Otis (a gloriously goofy Ned Beatty). Luthor’s master scheme, where he atom bombs the San Andreas fault, causing the west coast of California to fall into the ocean, is ludicrous to believe (not to mention scientifically implausible.)

The California section makes up much of the film’s last 30 minutes, where Superman manages to escape the Kryptonite trap set by Luthor (with the help of Ms. Teschmacher). This is the film’s weakest spot, mainly due to the arcane model work and the era’s visual effects limitations. It’s great fun to watch Superman fly around California and help people during the quake’s massive aftershocks, but there is no sense of geography as he’s everywhere at once. The California sequence culminates with Superman failing to save Lois Lane. Watching the broken superhero let out a dramatic scream and fly into the air, confronted by the twin pillars of his dueling father figure philosophies, is a powerful moment. But much of it is undercut by the utterly ridiculous sequence where Superman spins the Earth backward, magically turning back time and saving Lois Lane from her fate.

And I must mention John Williams’s triumphant score that elevates the dramatic beats of the film. Williams was on a tear in the late ’70s, composing the music for “Star Wars” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and then immediately working on “Superman.” I dare say “Superman” is his most iconic score, as the main fanfare is one of the most recognizable superhero themes in film history. Then add the almost Biblical-sounding Krypton composition and the sweeping romantic love theme between Clark & Lois. And I still get goosebumps when I hear the building action beats during the thrilling helicopter crash sequence, where Superman first makes his appearance to the citizens of Metropolis.

“Superman” is one of those rare movies where all the pieces perfectly fit together. Richard Donner brought an epic scale to the material but kept things grounded and compelling without much razzle-dazzle. It’s an earnest, respectful retelling of the premier American superhero and would set the template for all future comic book-based films. It’s very much the Citizen Kane of the superhero genre.

The movie had the perfect tagline, “You’ll Believe a Man Can Fly,” and did it fly at the box office. “Superman” was a big hit, raking in $134 million domestic and $300 million worldwide. While the film has aged in the intervening years, much of it still holds up today. There’s a tendency to make Superman more aggressive and violent, which was very much the tone of Zach Snyder’s flawed but underrated “Man of Steel.” I say leave the aggression to Batman and his rogue cast of villains. I prefer my Superman hopeful, dedicated to helping people and encouraging us to be better. We need that guiding example more than ever in these troubled times.