Batman v Superman: SPOILERS Observation N°7: Lex Luthor

So, like I said, I'm just going to talk about what truly caught my attention in the movie. It's just flowing as it comes to my mind so forgive the lack of expertise. You don't have to agree with me of course, it's just me trying to explain why I love that movie.

Lex was really a hard piece of work. I went through various feelings while watching him but as the movie went on, I suddenly started to understand him and it all became different. I know that many people grew up with the Bruce Timm version of the character but, he wasn't always like that. He was campy and whammy in Superman movies. SOOOO campy. and he was ridiculous when he first appeared and later on. and he had hair (didn't always start bald. in fact when he first appeared he lost his hair because of Superman and became his enemy because of that, basically.)

Let's Go émoticône grin

so we all know he's a major sociopath, megalomaniac and selfish. We also know he loves knowledge, he's scientifically curious and well-versed and of course, power-hungry. A real control-freak.

3 major points I want to talk about:

-His relationship with men
-His relationship with women
-His relationship with Superman/God

* His relationship with Men:

We know that Lex has a deep hatred for men. He despises them. He wants to ridicule them. We know it all starts with his father, whom he hates because he abused him. You can tell by the way he speaks of his father that Lex didn't grow in a loving home. He feared the man (was he beating him? I don't know. Was he humiliating him? probably! I think it was more a mix of neglect and little to zero concern about his kid. His son was a failure and Lex felt powerless against him, humiliated, unimportant. He was afraid of his father and didn't even MOVE a single piece of his dad's room until he decided to step up and BE himself! He moved his father's favorite piece (the painting) in an act of rebellion, self-establishment and also major power-trip. He distanced himself from his dad and became his own man.

He also humiliates other men. Remember the way he fed the gummy bear to that old man? old enough to be his dad? he treated him like a child like he was nothing and forced him to do as he pleased. He also toyed around with Batman. Batman wasn't a rival, he was a pawn AND a nuisance, so of course he wanted to use him and get rid of him. He used and humiliated the disabled man (Maybe he didn't give him his cheques and maybe he wrote on them so Bruce Wayne could see them and be maaaaaad enough to go fight Superman?)

-His relationship with women

We don't know what his mother did to him. Did she die when he was a kid? if so, he both respects her memory (hence why he tried to be a dashing young man with that senator. He tried to seduce her but failed so he switched). but he also hates her. (if she died when he was young, then she abandoned him to his father. She left him behind. she betrayed him. She should have been there and protect him but didn't.) so he wants to make her pay for leaving him behind.

or Maybe, if she didn't die, she could have just left and abandoned him? maybe she was scared of his ways and rejected him? Maybe she's still alive but wants nothing to do with him. The result is the same though. he hates women. He hates his mom and wants to humiliate her. (Hence why he killed the senator and humiliated her at the same time. That also explains why he didn't hesitate to sacrifice Mercy. she was devoted to him but he killed her anyway to serve his purpose. he also kidnapped Martha and wrote on her forehead the word "Witch". he dehumanized her so she could be killed because she was nothing. Let's remind everyone that she's the perfect mom. She loves her son in spite of this difference, loves and protects him while his own mother is nowhere to be seen. she's the mother he might have wanted to have. and while he humiliated Lois and threw her off of the rooftop.

But he also wants them to have a chance. (so I think if his mother died, then he wants to find a way to forgive her and if she didn't die, then he wants to give her a chance to fix her mistake). Martha hasn't killed straight away. so she could have a chance to survive her assault? Lois although he knew she would survive because Superman would save her. it's fascinating to see him interact with women and think of an explanation.

-his relationship with Superman/God

I already said before that Lex has a HUGE grief against GOD and does represent the MAN. He has grieves against God because it allowed his father to abuse him because his mother is absent (dead or gone) because maybe some terrible other things happened to him and he blamed it on God. He wants to fix the messes God did to him and therefore has to "kill" him. Very Nietzsche if you ask me émoticône smile

He relates Superman to God. He came from the sky, he has powers. He has immense powers that Lex doesn't have. Of course, in Lex mind (and he quotes Dante in the movie and makes several references to God/the devil I don't have in mind right now) Superman is a god. (although he fully knows that Superman is alien)
so he has to bring him down and defeat God. avenge himself, and become stronger than him.

He embodies humanity's attempt at becoming something more. Lex wants to transcend humanity and become more than a god, maybe A god himself? (after all, he gave birth to an abomination: Doomsday and had access to 10 000 planets knowledge)

BONUS POINT:

At the very beginning, I didn't understand the mannerism (it vanished at the end when Lex becomes aware of a BIGGER threat than Superman would ever be). He was erratic, spoke really fast, was not able to stay put until he wanted to intimidate and overpower the senator, that other old guy. he's not a social animal but he's also a big brain with A million thoughts going there. him being erratic in the way he speaks only demonstrates that he's on several levels. he's thinking too much. in the end, he's focused. why? we don't know. what's going in his mind aside from fear of Darkseid? We? we don't know. he saw something and he decided to gather his thoughts into one very simple thing which is saving Earth. (that I am sure)

because he does love Earth and people, as long as they go his way. he doesn't like people who oppose him but he did a lot of things to rebuild metropolis, and presents himself as a philanthropist. it has a purpose but I do believe he cares a little bit for Earth. at least Earth. 

He is fascinating to say the least. Borderline creepy but I liked it. There is so much more than just the weirdo. Please reconsider this character. I am aware there were a couple of issues, but I am sure it's a problem of cuts and editing. or maybe he didn't have enough scenes. but that's what I got from the scenes I sawémoticône smile