BvS The social commentary in BvS

[Mandon Knight]

Aquaman will definately bring an enironmental vibe with him...Greenpeace may want to jump on this at some point...

 

[Skrilla31]

If there's no deeper connotation underneath the surface I would be pretty disappointed. This is a big movie. A LOT of people are going to see it. If a Captain America movie can say something about our country's outlook on the world then surely a movie featuring our 2 greatest superheroes can do the same, especially if it is to be called 'Dawn Of Justice'.

Whatever they do my biggest hope is that by the end of the film Superman and Batman come together and fight for the same side. Whatever differences they have at the start of the film need to be put aside for the greater good of the world. I know it's bound to happen anyways seeing as in the next movie they're forming the Justice League but hopefully for the sake of this film it doesn't end with them as enemies.

 

[scifiwolf]

I feel like I should amend my previous post by clarifying not wanting political commentary in the movie. My big point was exploring parts of the human condition, and, being the social creatures we are, politics does play into that. My big fear is when a movie goes out of its way to make a statement. Watching the Star Wars prequel trilogies again a few weeks ago after not seeing them for a while, the overt political rhetoric really took me out of the films. That probably has more to do with crap dialogue and crap performances. Captain America has done a phenomenal job of not really lecturing as much as exploring political landscapes across time periods and ideologies. He's a character who's apolitical, but still absolutely patriotic, and on the side of what's right. My hope is that, if politics are to play a part in BvS, that both sides get a fair shake in the narrative.

 

[Bwahaha!]

No matter what the plot of the movie is, people will see some sort of social commentary in it, usually the one reinforcing their point of view. For example, I remember some libertarians saying that MOS was about how the government could not be relied upon or trusted so you had to look out for yourself (presumably like SM does). Point is, people will see what they want to see most of the time even if what they want to see isn't even there. (<- Did that make any sense?)

People actually do view art through their own unique lens. For sure.

 

[Rodrigo90]

What I see is this.

Superman can appear very heroic and positive. He's the greatest superpower, in the country with the greatest power there is. America's dominant power often causes tension around the world, resulting in them gaining enemies and "frenemies", if you will.
That's why I think it best if they created a storyline where Superman's patriotism to the US, causes great tensions in the East. Russia and maybe China have issues with him. Maybe they can create something with a fictional terrorist group that mirrors those that we have in the world, up the game in fighting the US.
Superman made it clear he doesn't want to get involved in government affairs, but how would the rest of the world take it or even believe it?
That's where I hope Wonder Woman becomes a spokeswoman for the metahuman department of the government. She smooths things over once the JL have formed...Because after all, they are the Justice League of America. Would that not cause further friction? America gaining more power than everybody else?

 

[jonathancrane]

It is unlikely China will be featured as an antagonistic entity, due to the economic hold they have over Hollywood (and the US, as a whole.)

 

[Rodrigo90]

Our lords and masters

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

I'd say my priorities are:

1) iconic/memorable scenes/dialogue

2) Social commentary or insightful allegory

3) well executed storytelling

Usually if a movie knocks 2 out of 3 of these out of the park I'll enjoy the movie endlessly.

So basically I see no harm in making an effort to implement any of the listed qualities into a new film. Especially social commentary. It doesn't hurt to add layers to a cut and dry action movie.

 

[Reiter]

It is unlikely China will be featured as an antagonistic entity, due to the economic hold they have over Hollywood (and the US, as a whole.)

Exactly. See how the new Transformers movie catered to them and it's doing great there as a result.

 

[sf2]

How much of that glorious Iraqi oil did America get in the end? I def am not for the Iraq war, felt hoodwinked into it by W and assumed oil was a motive. But if the US gov somehow got any oil out of it, I as an American never heard about it nor benefited from it (to my knowledge).

As for BvS, I do like themes of one man (SM) being too powerful to exist. It could be a metaphor for a well-intentioned and too-powerful nation.

wow, i would love to see the concept being explored in deep.

 

[MrsKent26]

Interesting query, OP.

The aim of true social commentary is identifying a social problem and rhetorically drawing attention to it. The focus there is the social problem. I'd rather this movie be character driven than driven by the film-maker's sociopolitical agenda. I think it would turn off summer movie goers hoping to see bats and supes to see instead a focus on heavy handed critique of society.

What they could do (and what I hope for) is keep the focus the characters and have them deal with a world that is similar to ours. There are certainly social factors that would come into play, but they are only being implemented because they make for character drama.

I think it's also important, considering that this movie needs an international and domestic audience in order to bring in maximum profit, to avoid demonizing any one nation. If they're going to show that certain nations want superman for their own military dominance, show a few nations, not just the USA or nations that are currently in opposition to the US. I don't think there's anything wrong with showing superman in war-like scenarios or even in Middle Eastern countries, but I hope they're sensitive to how each side is portrayed and remember that this is being shown to highlight how people react to Superman and not to admonish social conditions. There's no need to make things uncomfortably close to real-life. Let any social scenarios be inspired by things that really happen to give a sense of "This is a world like ours" but don't make exact parallels. This just isn't the movie for that.

Having said that, there's some really interesting places for them to go with these characters in terms of fantasy politics. A being like superman in particular would shift the world power balance in obvious and rapid ways that have never been encountered before. He's a free agent that reports to no one besides himself. There is no other being on the Earth that can say that. Everyone else is ruled in a sense. When Superman stands up for someone, it's like he's momentarily extending that invincibility and freedom to someone else because he rescues them from conditions imposed on them by individuals or rulers/governments. He gives power to the common people where governments and kings take it away. Such an ability would likely be simultaneously hated and revered. The leaders of the global super-powers are nothing more than figure heads to Kal-el and if he obliges them, it's in an effort to be kind and polite, but not to show subservience. It would be very interesting to see all the nations of the world either try to woo him or end him.

Certain corporations might not like superman interfering with long-standing kick-backs made to help the rich get richer and the poor to shoulder the burdens. These are things that happen across the world and could be easily addressed without the film appearing to advance any country-specific political agenda.

Superman is also a proponent of fairness and provides aid globally. It might make sense that some folks who assume (or know) that he's American may not take too kindly to him choosing to favor any one nation.

I can only imagine the kind of hateful dialogue they could write for Lex as he tries to spin superman's attempts at fairness against him:

"Does no one else see the irony in the idea that an alien who wears our colors and led destruction to our cities chose to side against us today?"

"He bends to no one. Some people treat him like a deity. Did you know that? He is a God and not one of those Gods that exists conveniently contained in temples and texts and has only as much power as humanity gives them. An living, breathing God that enforces his will on us and evades our punishments each day. Can you live like that? Do you remember freedom? Do you remember the days when humans decided for themselves what right and wrong means?"


"You're really out of place here, you know. Humanity neither needs nor can stomach a savior. Your image of us exists only in fairy tales. We simply do not have the fortitude to live next to our better. We will never be able to accept that we have someone living among that is willing to do what you do. We have to destroy such things because we can never be like you. We make war how we want, hate what we don't understand and even what we do understand on occasion. We most certainly hate anyone who dares invite us to walk a path requiring us to be something greater because that's when we learn that we were never as great as we always thought we were."

"We're really very similar, Mr. Wayne. Don't pretend that we're not so that you can sleep at night when we both know you already have may reasons to stay awake. You were right there with me, right there with all of them."

I can definitely see Lex using any negative reactions to Superman as examples of conditions and limitations that all humans are bound to. Naturally, Superman will focus on the opposite and knows that people are as capable of good as he thought they were.

 

[Psycho_Sith]

The Superman story has so many underlying tones of the entire Manifest Destiny from both sides as it is already; just let that **** roll. People don't trust him, they fear him, they idolize him, they hate him for it, he feels too pressured by these people no matter what...on and on

 

[Lencho01]

I don't hope or expect to see any social commentary from this film. And I don't agree with what Michael Caine said.

 

[Skrilla31]

So yea...

Anyone care to begin?

 

[Rodrigo90]

Donald Trump and Dick Cheney both tried working through Batman... And the power of SuperChrist compelled them

It definitely speaks volumes over America's extreme methods to tackling foreign dangers.

 

[Greens]

Lex taught me to always have a speech prepared.

 

[Rodrigo90]

Even when you know you're going to fumble through it.

Does he have aspergers or what?!