Alright, bear with me for a while.
Those past few days, one of the things that really made me happy was to see people who weren't sensitive to Zack's way of storytelling, actually pick up things, mostly the symbolism part, and enjoying this movie. I love watching discussions about superheroes (from the big two to the third parties) and especially have them discuss personalities, struggles, victories, and the likes.
I can appreciate Snyder, Nolan, sometimes Shyamalan, or even Tarantino filmmaking because they make films that aren't following a formula nor are made into standard movies. their movies make you think and are always multilayered. (to this day I'm still discussing Inception and whether or not Cobb's dreaming, the hateful eight also have a piece of wonders, regarding Samuel L. Jackson's character, etc..)
I've loved Man of Steel and I remember the pieces I wrote explaining why I loved his Kal-El (the immigrant experience, which I share with him. Him being literally a god but immensely human too (and frankly when you know his creation and all the little details surrounding it -did you know EL meant God in Hebrew? did you know that Kal meant either Voice or Ship? did you also know that the Nazi in 1940 did see him as a Jewish superhero given he was very Jewish-coded? when I write a piece about him, I will share the sources I found in a very nice article about it.) He wasn't perfect, he was just starting, he had to choose between the old ways (or traditions of his birth culture and in his case a civilization made of conquerors) or the ways he was raised with (or the civilization of his adoptive parents/ the country he lived in). He was a man who was living a life made of challenges -inner conflicts, outside conflicts- and yet he still CHOSE to do the right thing. yes, he made mistakes (but in superman 2 he also did fucking kill Zod, so what's that argument anyway?) and it was done with pain. yes, I know the consequences weren't "showed" but, I guessed that he dealt with it and decided to do better from now on.
I loved BVS and all the little things it said about the characters he introduced. Again, you understood that Batman crossed the line, mostly due to a traumatic event that broke him down so much that all the unaddressed traumas in his life (cue, his family's death) couldn't be tucked down in his heart. he just snapped. and it was his journey from the old, tired, disillusioned man who had one too many bad days towards redemption and the light. he achieved it by the end of the film because he was inspired, he was confronted with his own loss of humanity and regained it come to the end of the film. (and the filter does tell that story too. since at the end of the movie, "colors" return). Wonder Woman, also inspired by Superman, came back to the world once again and was so effin good during the short screentime she had that I wanted more of her.
JL... JL was a feast. Without spoiling too much for those who have not seen it, it was a journey.
It was a movie about second chances, redemption, rebirth, and grief. there was so much diversity in it (we saw a lot of different ethnicities taking front and center and filmed respectfully. ) it was a movie about gods who walked among humans (the DC comics always had that vibe) BUT who are extremely humans too. (thus, flawed).
Batman's arc was so beautiful. we had him operating on faith, we had him opening up to others, we had him healing from the trauma he had been through, with companionship, selflessness, and Hope. the epilogue scene was so beautiful when you realize that the manor is under construction, we're in Autumn, the lake is calm (cause water is such a BIG element in those movies), he's at peace with himself, finally. someone said rightfully so, that he fulfilled a promise he made and gathered people not out of anger or grief or revenge, but out of hope. Besides, he's so boss when he fights! like;... he's the most batman that will ever Batman. besides at various point others rally around him to protect him (cause he's the non-meta, an only human person there, so the most vulnerable) and at the end, superman just pulls him up so he could join the other gods (the new gods that are the justice league). he's their equal, despite his humanity and because of it. that made me tear up.
Gotham City also has a personality in this movie... so much so that I wanted a Ben Affleck movie about Batman and Gotham... for Yesterday!
Lois Lane also had her little arc about grief. every scene she was in there was rain (up until Superman came back to life, then the rain had stopped, the ground was wet but she was moving forward, finally accepting to 'come back to the living', more at peace with herself and the idea that she would never see him again). She also anchors Superman to his humanity as soon as they see each other again. (and saves Batman from him, like she saved Clark from him in BVS). I loved her arc, mostly because that was intimate, elegant, sweet, and respectful.
Superman: needless to remind that this is literally Jesus's story, right? but aside from the obvious, (you know, the butterfly which are symbols for rebirth? the sky color which reminded us we were at dawn, the fact he was looking back at the swing from when he was a kid? what we got instead was a man at peace with himself finally embracing everything about him. the most vibrant moment of this was when he was preparing to fly again. this time with words from both of his fathers, pushing him through and forward. and then he took off and then we have this renaissance painting vibe when he's in outer space, gorging himself with the sun. with the beautiful music that reminded us of Flight in MoS. I don't know why some people refuse to see that he's far more than just muscles and had been portrayed as far more than this but, okay I guess?
Wonder Woman: I'm sorry but have you seen the lore we got for her? we saw her culture, we saw diversity, we saw her sisterhood. we saw her be both fierce and without compromise, (during fights), adventurous and clever (please more of Lara Croft Wonder Woman), confident, respected (nobody objectified her, nobody questioned her words as well and people listened to her), she was strong in a physical way, strong emotionally as well, and yet, kind (the scene at the bank afterward? in all of her interactions with her teammates as well). she had her struggles and mentioned them, but unlike the others who were trying to figure it out and had just started to figure themselves out, she was already ahead of them. in this rare place between regrets and doubts yet confident enough to move forward and try. she was trying. you could tell (and she was clumsy while doing it. cue scenes with Bruce at the computer and Alfred and the tea). Her new theme is so much more badass and organic! albeit, I can understand why some people would be irritated to hear it over and over again. I loved it because it was different each time. the way they sang it wasn't the same :) conveying different emotions :D
Aquaman: He wasn't that much here, but we could see his struggle. have you noticed how the sea outside (so not his underwater scenes) was agitated. he was drinking which indicated he was trying to numb his wild emotions. the guy wasn't at peace at all. After all, he's a bi-ethnic man, with one of the sides being superpowered. not accepted anywhere and with an absentee mother. he was rejecting his responsibilities because he wasn't connected to these people and was still angry at what happened to him. (he never asked for any of this) and you see him take responsibility, care for his fellow teammates (he is the one who shows a lot of empathy for Victor, for the villagers and concerns about the rest too), NOT SOME DUDEBRO, I was so happy that he wasn't. besides the song used for him (It goes there's a king and a kingdom etc;.) was very fitting... melancholic, close to how he was feeling at this moment. and at the end, you can see that the water next to him is very calm.. as if Arthur was appeased and ready to move forward (which he did anyway). I'm so happy many people noticed too :D
Flash: He was.. oh he was so touching. this funny, kind, caring, and awkward person. you know, speaking a lot to hide his anxiety -at least he was coded as neurodivergent to me and having anxiety which led to him speaking this fast and having a hard time connecting with people-, he was Brave, determined, I legit cried when he got shot and had to do his mini-flashpoint. his relationship with his father, the hope, the perseverance, the unbridled joy when he was able to have "his foot in it". I love how they respected him and didn't go "Ewww weirdo" because he's probably neurodivergent. they just took him in and that's it. he understands his powers, so he's not looking into mastering them, his arc wasn't so much about him as a meta-human but more about Barry Allen. what that man could do, (not if he could do it), why he would it, who he is. we got a glimpse of it and I want more now.
Cyborg: Okay, phew... first of all... he's the heart of this movie okay? there are so many things to say about him but he's a good-hearted kid okay? selfless and boss as hell. He's a stand-in for people with physical disabilities (Zack said so), who are often seeing their agencies reduced by able-bodied people. they are often seen as less, as "broken" (like in the movie), and helpless. Victor's journey is so fantastic. he went from self-loathing, self-imposed isolation, anger/ issues with his father (who was an absentee father, too engrossed with his work) to someone who worked through the pain to understand the body he was in, make his situation "his" and own his life and destiny. he had all this power in the world and what does he do when he first uses it? he helps others. he was willing to sacrifice himself to save the world. he's as heroic as they get and he inspires his other teammates too. he's a hero, he's their equal in all the senses in the world and visually you can see his transformation. (yes, bits by bits because you can't heal in one big swipe of the finger. Healing takes time and for him, we can visually see it since his armor isn't completed. at the end of the movie, his head is held high, he smiles and he flies.)
I used to be Steppenwolf (at least when I was working at this horrible place. always trying to please the boss and former supervisor before I became their supervisor) and only to be disrespected by them like Steppy was. I loved him here, I felt for him so much. I loved Darkseid, (I mean... he was done justice here), I loved Desaad as well and wish we could see more of Granny goodness.
Maybe next time, I'll tell you all the little things we see when it comes to Darkseid and the almost-religion of Hell that comes with him in the very short scenes we saw (cause he gave me king vibe and god vibes and it's fitting since he's a god and a king too)
Well, all that was just to say that the movie is multilayered, comic book accurate, an experience to live. something I am very happy I got to see and sad we won't be seeing anytime soon. :)
Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.
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