Zack Snyder has literally zero chill. The details, the symbolism, the metaphors, the references to Christianity and art and mythology is unlike anything I have ever seen. He is criminally underrated as a film maker.
I think some people might get offended if I was to tell them "this movie is too smart for you", but honestly? I think it's too smart for me! But, I love that it's so challenging! I love that it has taught me things!
@Platigx you might want to take a look on more video essays about the movie. it's about the fall of batman and superman themselves and how they deal with it. it's about how they perceive each other without understanding the pasts, the values of each other. we can't expect someone like Batman be Batman forever, same as Superman. this is what happens when you throw superheroes into our real world, our society instead of creating the characters that are supposed to save the world like usual, like other normal superhero films. The movie is not an escape from reality for us, but to give a message that if you want to be something meaningful, you have to overcome your own problems first. and this is just one of the meanings.
I've stopped seeing MCU films after Ant-Man because I don't think those movies are for me and I don't much care for the way they make their films, but I'm sure if I sat down with someone to talk about why they love them, they might bring up deeper meaning that lands with them.
Sometimes, I shy away from using the "M" word with films because there are so few "perfect" movies, but in my opinion, BvS (especially, the Extended Cut/Ultimate Edition because of how it completes the horse motif and fleshes out Lex's manipulation of the public and government against Superman) IS a masterpiece.
Yeah Civil War was the biggest let down ever........its just an extended scene of the Avengers fighting. Civil War was such a big thing in the comics and they turned it into a family drama. Sorry its just that film really P'd me off. Civil War should have been a Phase on its own not just a set up film for the beginning of the next Avengers film...aararragh.
@Casanova Frankenstein I wanted to thank you as I've been feeling like this since the film came out(btw my brother and I predicted the inclusion of a certain web head when it was announced that BvS and avengers 2.5 would go head to head)
*BvS Ultimate Edition is definitely one of, if not the best superhero movie of all time in my opinion. It's the most underrated movie too. This movie is and always will be a MASTERPIECE!!! And this review video is one the best BvS videos I've seen on RUclips so far. Great work...*
Another awesome video and analysis. Still find it baffling how the critics seem to have missed all this and their critiques boil down to "Should have been more fun, like Marvel!"
I don’t think critics missed any of this. In fact it’s been one of the focal points of many people’s criticisms. The problem isn’t that Snyder makes these connections it’s that he doesn’t do anything deeper with them. Sure he establishes connections between Jesus and Superman but he doesn’t use that connection to say anything. I see all these parallels but I don’t know what Snyder is trying to say with them other than “hey isn’t Superman kinda like Jesus when you think about it? Isn’t that cool?” Like there are broad implications in that which you can run with. You could comment on the status of comics as a new American mythology or comment on the subconscious western desire for absolution from sin through any sort of messianic figure. You could comment on the way in which we deify and elevate political figures to the status of messiah/martyrs, you could do all SORTS of things with that connection. But Snyder doesn’t do any such thing, so the comparisons stay in the realm of shallow aesthetics either to play it safe or just out of ignorance of any of these possible implications. That’s one of the reasons why people are disappointed with these movies. Snyder wants these movies to be deep and to say something broad about American culture/politics, but he just doesn’t know what he WANTS to say in the first place so the film ends up all over the place and hollow as a result. The film really feels like a first draft in that sort of way, feeling around for possible ideas and avenues of interpretation but unable to decide for itself.
@@Glassandcandy What do you mean the Superman/Jesus comparison doesn't say anything? It's the entire driving force between Lex's animosity towards Superman, and Batman's fear towards him. Snyder is also not going to beat you down with what he thinks, he sets it up so that people can come away with different viewpoints on it. I have actually seen people say they agreed with Lex in this movie, because in real life Superman would actually be a potential threat and the way people react to him is genuine. And that's kind of the point, he sets it up so that you can make up your mind on it. If you are confused with what the movie is trying to say, then your torn on what you took away.
This is great. And why this annoys people that Zack does this and that "It's too on the nose" baffles me. Like you said Zack didn't create the idea of the parallels to Christianity, he just full on embraces it. Doing this is just one of the many things that bring gravitas to a movie/story that would otherwise be about guys running around in long underwear punching other guys. I'm not christian either, but I respect it and understand that it is woven in American culture. So to weave it in a movie featuring two of America's biggest fantasy icons, makes total sense to me.
Ahk Actually that’s untrue, he did create it, Superman NEVER had any Jesus parallels, he wasn’t the son of god, he was just a man, he never thought of himself as anything such. The only parallels there are the surface level “savior” parallel but even then that’s not even close to how Jesus actually was. And I think this is partly why these movies failed to capture the true essence of Superman. You say it adds more gravitas but it really doesn’t, it only gives the illusion of such while stripping away what made Superman such a great character, it was always his humanity that made him Superman. The problem with forcing it on Superman is that it betrays his rather humble nature to instead act like he’s truly above us mortals. It’s already what DC has done with Wonder Woman, act like she lords herself over others even though she doesn’t do that, she even worked at a restaurant and didn’t see the work as beneath her. People seem to fundamentally misunderstand that while the two have the powers to become gods, they aren’t and they don’t act like they are.
@@ryancarson6962 sorry my guy, Superman has been represented as a Jesus type character in SO many comics during his publication history, a quick google search will tell you that. Zack didn’t invent the parallels, he was just the director who was willing to weave that into his story.
People who say this film is bad have absolutely NO IDEA what they’re saying... It’s so deep we’re still trying to understand it in its entirety more than one year after its release
15:56 In the new Snyder Cut trailer when song goes "...the minor fall, the major lift..." it shows the scene of Bruce looking at a hologram of Superman. I think the message being conveyed here is that Superman had to fall, in order for Batman to rise again after his fall. But since Superman will be resurrected, his temporary fall is called a "minor fall".
I'm not even christian and I loved the movie. Thank you for bringing up the horse imagery, few people notice that even the ones that have analyzed the movie.
Yeah but some non-Christians freak out at any attempt to put religious imagery in movies. There are so many people who think man of steel and bvs are heavy handed and pretentious because of the Chrisitian imagery which they think has no point to the story. even though it does
Ian Levinson Man of Steel's Christian imagery didn't make sense to me except maybe when seen retrospectively after BVS, where they were an obvious fit. In terms of story MOS was more alien first contact than Christ, more sci fi than Biblical although the idea of 'Faith' plays a key role in Clark's turning point at the church scene. BVS fits it better because of the themes of persecution, sacrifice and redemption and the central motivation of its villain.
One of my college professors once told my class that if a teacher repeats something, you should probably pay attention to it...so when I kept seeing them pop up onscreen, I genuinely thought "What's up with all the horses in this movie?" I knew there had to be a reason for them. Turned out that there were many awesomely deep reasons for them!
I do think that comes into play, sometimes. Personally, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the imagery and references were handled so expertly and reverently.
It amazes me how I keep finding more ways to love this movie. BvS is so deep. True masterpiece and ahead of its time. Props to Snyder, Terrio and Goyer
Zack is Christian, he shared some of his playlist music in Vero before which was spiritual songs. MoS and BvS had lots of Christian imagery that some would find offensive because you know "people"
Cyber Valdez Even if he wasn’t Christian, I appreciated that he took the faith seriously when exploring it. I had read that Chris Terrio is Catholic and found his way into writing the story through the God vs, Man angle.
duckmilkprod movie is not hard to appreciate. Of course the movie will feel hopeless because all the characters are lost, that's like telling people with depression to be hopeful and happy or telling someone with trauma to "get over it", it just doesn't work that way. I guess critics couldn't get pass through it's "superhero" shell. But yeah Even with all the unnecessary hate, let's just be happy that a movie exists.
I loved the Christian Imagery in BvS to me it was just awe inspiring in the story of BvS that's how humanity would acted in real world where a being beyond power of humanity would make us question our purpose in the universe and know what's out there BvS portrays Humanity as a hopeless and cynical world much as similar as ours with war and xenophobia i wasn't uncomfortable with the imagery it was great storytelling to me when i watch this in front of my mom she doesn't like this movie because of the Christian Imagery but great video miss !
One detail I love in this movie is Lex’s painting. He refers to devils as coming “from the sky.” While it can be taken at face value how Lex is trying to flip peoples’ views on Superman as not being angelic, it gets more interesting at the end of the movie. When the painting is flipped it is a great visual foreshadowing of the impending Parademon invasion in Justice League.
Also, I think a case can be made for Lex being High Priest Caiaphas - who organized the plot to kill Jesus (Superman), and did his best to persuade Pontius Pilate (Senator Finch) to ruin his reputation.
Of all the criticisms of Synder, the one I find hardest to swallow is the idea that his symbolism is too heavy handed. Critics see the most overt examples ( the 'creation of Adam' shot for example), and smugly declare its lack of subtlety, unaware that 95% of the other imagery has flown over their heads. If they were honest with themselves how many of theses critics really grasped the full extent of the symbolic narrative on display here? It's more accurate to say there's a mix of overt and subtle allegory (both visually and in the screenplay), the more obvious stuff necessary to clue people in given how unwilling many are engage with a pop culture movie like BvS on that level.
The fact that fans who have seen the movie dozens of times are still discovering new revelations over a year since its release, surely proves there must be some subtlety right?
The unfortunate thing about film criticism these days, in my opinion, is that critics tend to gravitate towards buzz words and clickbait headlines than trying to actively engage in critical thinking. Maybe they do with other genres, but with BvS, virtually none of the deeper meaning in the film was explored in 38 reviews that I read from Top Critics listed on Rotten Tomatoes. As a film enthusiast, I find that to be a severely missed opportunity. I'm always excited to explore themes in movies so when there seems to be a total refusal to do so is baffling to me. I've found that with BvS, it's the FANS who have done by the best analysis.
I learned something even from the comments on THIS VIDEO and I can't tell you how many times I've seen this film and discussed it with others. BvS is many, many, many layers deep. I don't even know if we've uncovered everything yet!
Fantastic analysis! I would also like to add that Batman also has elements of the apostle Peter - who thrice denied Jesus when questioned, and then later was overcome with immense guilt. So too did Batman feel guilty after Superman's death, feeling that he had "failed him." But much like how Peter later went on the become one of the greatest spreaders of the Christian creed, so too did Batman go on to continue what Superman stood for by uniting and leading the Justice League.
To my understanding, that is the tradition, yes. Now that you mention it, Bruce's story could also be connected to Matthew 16:18 and how Peter is the rock that the Christian church is built on: "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it."
What I like about the DCU is that they don't let superman start as an icon, but let him go through the journey of becoming an icon. Even though I am not religious and have a personal opinion upon preaching religious messages in media, superman has always been associated with iconic figures like Jesus. Religious or not, the story of Jesus transformation to man to messiah is a very fascinating one, as it reflects human desire of having someone to follow and loo up to. I think the films do a good job to make Superman christ-like, but without never really claiming he is christ or a messiah figure. What he is an icon, beyond human. An ideal we can strive for. I like that Superman does mistakes, that (similar to Jesus story) his biggest burden isn't his power, but the expectation to be perfect in the point of view of humans. What seems to me people's problems are with Henry Cavils superman is that he's not perfect enough, he is not the icon. Similar to how the jews in the Jesus story did not consider him a messiah. What does turn Superman from a man in a cape and with god-like powers, is his sacrifice, death and resurrection. Similar to how it wasn't before Jesus sacrifice, death and resurrection, a majority of people considered him the son of god. If they follow the bible, Lois Lane (or somebody similar) will find his grave empty, and he will present himself humble in front of his 'deciples'. I assume in a situation where all hope seems to be lost. Justice League will be the mark where the true DCU starts, as for now we've only had introductions and set-ups
As much as I love the Christ figure imagery with Superman in the DCEU, I recognize that Superman/Clark doesn't WANT to be treated as a god. He is just a guy, trying to do the right thing. I, too, like that the DCEU has been building Cavill's characterization into being Superman. It makes sense to me that it would take him dying, resurrecting, and going through the full monomyth to fully embrace what it means to BE Superman. I agree that if they follow the New Testament, we'll get to see Lois' reaction to Superman/Clark's return. I imagine he'll appear to her first (or after he fights alongside the rest of the Justice League to defeat parademons, Steppenwolf, or even Darkseid) or she'll be the one to announce his return via an article in The Daily Planet.
I also watched Excalibur, one of Zacks inspiration for the DCU, and I do enjoy and understand more his influence in creating these characters mythological. A more grand view on superheroes than what audiences seem to be used to be watching. People seem to expect simple plots and character stories, instead of melodramatic poetry and legendary tales. I think Zack is trying to make Hamlet, or lord of the rings or even greek myths, More epic tales, and they often depict their characters as more as tools to the overall scheme and plot, than just picking a handful of individual character journeys. They also play more on metaphors, iconic storytelling and poetry, than simple 1 to 1 logic. I've considered watching the 7 samurai to prepare myself for the Justice League. Also more Epic tales of larger than life ledgends than what most other super hero films nowadays do.
MarkFilipAnthony Personally, I'd be more generous and say the DCEU already started with the solid films of MoS and BvS, but hopefully the success of WW would usher in the truly epic tales of JL.
MarkFilipAnthony Also: look up tumblr writer Pulpklatura and her two essays: "Batman v Superman: The Modern Revenge Tragedy" & (this one's a paraphrase) "Why Superman Had To Die".
I loooooooove this! This is such great analysis on the film Christian imagery. I didn't even notice these things, unbelievably great study on the film! Please do more of these for any DCEU film you find interesting! I'll watch all of them!!
you just blew my mind @_@ the disciples and the horses and the fall of man and devils. i had no idea how wide and deep the allegorical aspect of BvS went! so much appreciation for Snyder, Goyer, & Terrio and for you and your videos explaining it all! thank you!
Exactly what I'm thinking! Batsy is like Paul of Tarsus. He's a man who felt threathened by this powerful figure, went rough, hating Supes with all his heart, & persecuted him. He thought it was a good thing to do. Then his mind got opened by Supes himself, have faith in Supes, & became one of his followers who's very actively calling Supes' followers & others who walk the same way as him to come out & unite to save the world.
Not going to lie this video brought a tear to my eyes, and yes I have felt the same way when watching this movie. I just couldn't find the word like how you put it!! this deserves many more view!! bravo sister in Christ!!
Wow, thank you so much for this! Just what I needed before seeing the Snyder Cut of Justice League. With Wheedon's JL, there was a glaring disconnect with the themes and imagery of BvS. I know that Zack will not hold back, especially with Superman's anticipated resurrection!
The disconnect from themes from BvS to Josstice League was such a disappointment. I hope we get more layered writing and connective tissue in Zack Snyder’s Justice League!
Rebecca, just awesome. Keep it going This epic movie is Philosophy for me It changed my life. Learned something from you about this movie which I was unable to put into words. Thanks a lot...
Saw the Avengers ONLY one time, I had to watch BVS about 20+ times. This movie has so many layers I always find something I missed. Because you pointed out so much in this video, you gave me an excuse to watch it again 😛☺ Thanks for that!
Alongside all of this, Superman's origin is basically a sci-fi adaptation of the story of Moses, and in Hebrew, his name, Kal-El, even means "Voice of God"
Snyder's films are usually way ahead of their time. It took a decade for some folks to come around to "Watchmen" so I anticipate something similar for BvS. They'll get here...eventually.
Also, Batman is similar to Longinus, the blind Roman centurion who pierced Christ's side. When the blood of Christ hit the soldier's eyes, he could see once again. Similar to how the veil of Lex Luthor's deceit was lifted from Batman's eyes and he could see the error of his ways once he drew Superman's blood with the kryptonite spear.
I'm a fan of the outstanding videos of Samuel Otten and Alessandro Maniscalco so it was nice to come across yours, Rebecca. You have my thanks for these wonderful and heartfelt videos but most especially this one. As a Christian I too was delighted to see that Zack Snyder treated God, and my belief, with respect, especially in regards to mankind and the super godlike beings living among them. Your analysis brought so much more to light which added even more depth to an already incredible movie. I'm definitely a subscriber who is looking forward to your future projects. Have a blessed day.
I'm a huge fan of Sam and Alessandro, too! JLU Podcast is one of my go-to podcasts! My intent for this series was to share what *I* love about this movie so I hope that comes across. Thanks for watching and sharing about your faith!
You're very welcome. I'm not surprised that you're a fan of their work and I'm excited to hear that you're going to be doing something with them in the near future so I'm looking forward to that, as well. And, thank you. I, like yourself, love to share my faith and love for God. And I enjoy being a long time fan of DC. Can't wait for Wonder Woman and The Justice League to build further on Man of Steel and Batman v Superman, and to some degree, Suicide Squad. And that doesn't even cover the other venues. It's a wonderful time to be a DC fan.
I sent JLU Podcast a message for the BvS anniversary, but I'd love to partner with them on other projects! They're smart guys who offer intelligent analysis! It is a wonderful time to be a DC fan and thank you for sharing your faith!
My apologies, Rebecca. I may have confused your input on the podcast as an appearance on a future collaboration. Nonetheless, I'm glad to know that you're open to working with them. Hopefully, Samuel and Alessandro hear about it and make it so. Be blessed.
No problem, Elizabeth! If I can help them out in any way, I will definitely try if my schedule allows (which can be tough during the TV season). But, they are great at what they do and I'm always looking forward to a new JLU Podcast episode!
Wow wow I absolutely love your analysis. You came to very similar conclusions as I did when I first saw the movie. I also saw the Batman/Saul(Paul) comparisons. I definitely feel having knowledge of the Bible helps in understanding BvS.
BRAVA! Now this is an analysis! Thanks for doing this because as someone who watched BvS and actually loved it, I felt like adrift in the open ocean when the reviews hit and all the negativity came about! You literally couldn't go on IMDB (when they had message boards) or reddit without someone saying how BvS slayed their mom, cat or dog. Like dang. Wow that release week was something else! I felt like that lone person going : "hey guys, I liked the movie, I did...) and then I read all this intellectual stuff and I knew there was a reason I loved this movie! So here is some addons about the pagan aspects of Lex's personality...LEX AND BATMAN PARALLELS BVS's Lex is most superficially different from previous incarnations e.g. Hackman and Spacey's real estate Lex and Rosenbaum's suave-boy-billionaire Lex. Eisenberg is a more technocratic interpretation of the character. However, what really makes this Lex: is his perchance for wordplay and blatant contextual malapropism. On a surface level, deterrent justification against Superman-like beings is reasonable. It parallels Bruce’s own contingency plans though his is most blatantly flawed (it’s obvious during his chat with Alfred and his pill-popping). Lex’s real motive takes a bit more time to uncover and we get an inkling of that during his verbal showdown with the Senator at his home. Lex wants power and lots of it; he's got earthly power and now he craves godly power - thanks in part to Superman’s presence - and he doesn't care how he gets it. So when Lex asks the senator whether to call her June - mainly to reassert himself - and the senator seeing through his act slaps him down i.e. "You can call me whatever you like. Take a bucket of piss and call it granny's peach tea, take a weapon of assassination and call it a deterrent, you won't fool a fly or me. I'm not gonna drink it, " Lex quickly latches onto that: because guess what? Lex likes to use other people's words and actions against them. In effect, the moment the senator dared come to him in person and announce that that she’s onto him (the kryptonite clearly wasn’t an innocent deterrent) and that she understood exactly what kind of man he was; was her death knell. One cannot take the court room bombing in isolation; that entire sequence is a power play on Lex's part. Lex literally and figuratively played God like he’s some malevolent trickster deity. He even goes as far as to completely misrepresent Superman during that fabulous helipad scene, then creates Doomsday via desecrating Zod’s body and of course, encouraged batman’s neurosis whom he finally declared his knight - how wrong - though it’s initially easy to see why: 1.) They’re both orphans and from rich families 2.) They both run legacy companies and engage in philanthropy 3.) They both experience existential terror after the Zod/Superman battle 4.) They both try to mask their terror by justifying their psychological states to the people they speak to the most i.e. Bruce to Alfred with his 1% speech, and Lex with the Senator and his deterrent rouse 5.) They both reveal their real motive when they meet Superman Still, there are fundamental differences between them. Something Lex overlooked because he hasn’t properly experienced and seemingly lacks: that is the ability to form non selfish interpersonal/emotional attachments. BRUCE AND LEX DIFFERENCES Bruce, for all his parental anguish, he still has his trustee butler, Alfred. He also has close relationships with his employees and is profoundly upset at the injury, death and carnage after the BZE. Lex isn’t shown to have any personal relationships, yet alone to his employees. His closest aide, Mercy Graves was left for dead alongside all the Government officials during the senate bombing. We see how disposable human life is to him. Bruce is the most human. He’s also the most physical. Bruce feels things deeply and it is this emotional core that allows Superman to bring him from the brink during the Martha scene. Superman’s ability to connect with the man under the mask is a testament to Batman’s humanity. Batman may be far gone but he’s not that far gone and he still has a chance for redemption. Lex on the other hand is pure intellect. To Lex, knowledge is power. His entire being is tied with what knows and how he can use it. He has a pagan sense of morality; a morality where the strong outlive, out gun and outwit the weak. Superman is the embodiment of spirit/ soul/ heart, and this clashes with Lex’s pagan morality. Clark Kent is genuinely good. He has the best intentions despite being an alien and this is an affront to Lex. This all comes to a head during the helipad scene as Lex places Superman amongst the pantheon of sky deities: Horus, Apollo, Jehova, Kal-El. Lex isn’t so much angry at Superman but at his audacity to be good. Lex doesn’t mind powerful entities so long as they’re like Zod. The point is: Lex Luthor cannot accept Superman because he cannot accept the concept. A good Superman is a paradox to him. Lex wants and believes Superman should be more like a Randian Ubermensch or a tyrannical loathsome-deity not an altruistic, morally-good person because Lex doesn't believe people can be all good and all powerful, something's gotta give. He also doesn’t believe that power can be innocent as this hits too close to home; the implication being that if Lex ever got such power he wouldn’t be good, benign or moral thus Lex views Superman’s presence as a great failure since he considers Superman’s desire to save the weak as the antithesis of “A Superman.” Perversely, it is Superman’s same desire to protect that Lex is banking on when he creates Doomsday. He knows that if Batman or Superman fail at killing each other, “the devil will most likely do it” and regardless of whether Superman is inherently good or cosplaying at goodness, he’ll die to stop it, which actually happens! Overall, BVS! Lex is a man who wants to be divine albeit the tyrannical, fearsome ancient-divinity-type hence his affinity for Doomsday and Zod. Bruce is a man who doesn't want divinity but acknowledgement for his good works and Clark, who is mis-categorized as divine simply wants to be treated as a man despite his powers. This leaves Wonder Woman: who is divine, but left humanity because: A: that's what deities do B: humanity can make you give up but, she came back because she recognized the unnaturalness of Doomsday, the monster from the underworld, and like any good goddess has to fight to stop it.
I love your points about how LEX played the role of GOD in his master plan for power. Great points! The Bruce and Lex parallels/contrasts in BvS are wonderful because it highlights that their actions are a CHOICE. Bruce and Lex have the same goal (the death of Superman) for most of the movie, but when it comes down to it, Bruce moves towards redemption because he realizes Superman is more human than alien. Lex knows Superman has a mother, a girlfriend, a secret identity...but, he doesn't care. None of that stops him. But, it stops Bruce. And that's where the similarities between them end. "cosplaying at goodness" :) If you ever feel like you're the only person who loves BvS, MoS, or the rest of the DCEU, holla at me on Twitter: @derbykid Awesome comments!
I am surprised that not many people know that Clark was raised with Christian beliefs. I mean take a look at man if steel he went to a church for advice on how to handle the whole Zod situation.
I'm not christian. I don't believe in god. I actually reject the whole idea of god. And I love Batman v Superman. I love how it uses religion as a story-tool to convey it's ideas and themes. It makes it hauntingly familiar, probably because almost every faith or myth draws from similar ideas (Horus = Jesus etc.). I love how I don't feel preached to because they never convey that the characters draw power from god but from the abstract called "hope", symbolized by Superman's character.
I disagree that Horus = Jesus: coldcasechristianity.com/2014/is-jesus-simply-a-retelling-of-the-horus-myth/ But, BvS DOES mention Horus! But, like you, I appreciate how the movie used faith-based themes to tell this story. Nothing felt shoe-horned in to me and I'm glad to hear it wasn't too preachy.
Research deeper. Seriously. Both are messiah figures and have quite some similarities in their stories. Actually almost ALL messiah figures have similarities, especially death and rebirth.
What an honoring video to the Gospel! Not only an honoring video to the Gospel and the Lord but also to the Zack Snyder Batman V Superman film. I love the detailed input you put in for this video for each symbolism such as the crosses, Wonder Woman representing Peter, Bruce Fall of Man to changed man such as changed men in Christ. At first when I saw this movie, I thought it was an attack against the Christian faith. But after exploring it more, I realize what the multiple symbology that Zack Snyder put into this film it was actually honoring our Christian faith the whole time, just in a creative way that is outside the box. A huge thanks to Zack Snyder for honoring our faith and thank you for pointing out the Christian imagery and symbolism in one of the best superhero films ever.
I was worried about it when the trailers came out, but was surprised by how it preached the Gospel through metaphor and allegory! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
duckmilkprod I just realized that the "If You Seek His Monument..." line is written in chalk and not originally part of the S-shield plaza ground engrave thing. So it ~technically~ counts as a defacing even though the intent was anything but malicious. A brighter mirror to "False God!!1!!1!!"
In Lex's study there are several white horses that his father used to represent conquest. It was part of the messaging that shaped young Lex's belief system.
Seeing you on screen gives me Shelly Duval vibes and I dig it. More to the point of the video, I appreciate the added information from this video essay series that further makes me have a great love of this film and the work of those involved. Thank you.
I am convinced that the majority of people who hated this film (its not perfect) are only film but because 1. it was no than a popcorn marvel film (i like marvel btw) which we were not expecting 2.we are judging the DCEU film based on preexisting notions & what we think the characters are supposed be and were previously portrayed e.g TDK & Superman Returns BUT forgetting that this is a new universe with new characters ,put in a world with actions leading to real consequences *sidenote we judge the MCU not by previous version of the characters but we accept the new characters we are given so why not do the same with the DCEU *What we were to critic Marvel Civil War the same way we do with BvS and did not ignore all its flaw and nitpicked it to death
Reneiloé, while it may not be fair it's based on precedent. DC comics always had much more iconic superheroes than Marvel. Whether it was past movies before this DCEU/MCU era or animation (Old JL cartoon or countless good DC animated movies) a larger percentage of general audiences know the names of these characters. Outside of X-Men and Spidey, general audiences barely knew any of the MCU heroes we know today. Disney took a risk and it paid off (thanks in part to them talioring their movies to everyone and being popcorn fun) Bats and Sups are arguably the most popular heroes ever and have been in many classic storylines for decades. The large amount of judging (compared to Marvel) was bound to happen.
Reneiloé, while it may not be fair it's based on precedent. DC comics always had much more iconic superheroes than Marvel. Whether it was past movies before this DCEU/MCU era or animation (Old JL cartoon or countless good DC animated movies) a larger percentage of general audiences know the names of these characters. Outside of X-Men and Spidey, general audiences barely knew any of the MCU heroes we know today. Disney took a risk and it paid off (thanks in part to them talioring their movies to everyone and being popcorn fun) Bats and Sups are arguably the most popular heroes ever and have been in many classic storylines for decades. The large amount of judging (compared to Marvel) was bound to happen.
Just discovered this video. Wonderful job. It makes me sad and angry what WB has done to our beloved characters treating visioner such as Zack Snyder like this. Extended cut is wonderful movie. No questions about it.
Thank you, I already love this movie, now, I’m praising it more, I always see it as a requiem movie, now I see it as a hopeful, powerful, touching movie, a dawn of justice movie, can’t wait to see more of you videos, a big hug .
In religious myself but I love salvation stories! When I walked out of the theater I couldn't help but associate this with many Christian undertones! Thanks for the analysis! Enjoyed it thoroughly!!!
thank you for your work. this video is, tangentially, one of the greatest proofs that Dawn of Justice is a masterpiece on its own right. I've been hyped all day knowing it will have a proper sequel by the same team. who knows what will we find in it. cheers!
While I don't give a damn about Christianity all this is still very interesting. Also I don't think I can ever watch the movie again without focusing on the horses.
Im really late to this, I found this video making the same reasons why I think this movie is a masterpiece and sent this to him this Excellent breakdown. Great job.
Im willing to bet that at the end of Justice League, Superman (after rising from the dead) will tell the league (his apostles) to go out and be heroes and save the world (spread the good news). How awesome would that be?!?!
I really like this video. Zack Snyder had a religious upbringing, his family belonged to the Christian Science Church and attended the Daycroft School(A Christian Science School). Film critic Armond White has noted in his BvS critique that "Snyder has an eccentric interest in the spiritual expression of his characters’ conflicts" and another bit from White: "Luthor’s obsession with Superman (“He answers to no one. Not even, I think, to God”) reveals envy that is unmistakably demonic; a development that coheres with Snyder’s spiritual-social vision of post-9/11 grief and desire for salvation." So any form of Christian themes and allegories in Zack Snyder's films are very intentional.
Wonderful Video. This video is just wonderful. One of the things that perhaps I can add is how Diana and Bruce symbolize Dismas and Gestus. The Good thief and the bad thief beside Jesus Christ(Superman). Diana was the Good thief as she BORROWED Bruce's drive to get her picture back(even though she couldn't), and she returned it. Bruce was the bad thief because he literally stole Luthor's Kryptonite by breaking in and beating up his men. Just a small observation. They were both thieves because they both did what they did due to a lack of understanding and moral ideals.
I like the thought they both Bruce and Diana are thieves and how them, being metaphorically, on crosses with the Christ figure ties nicely into the DC Trinity. It's worth noting that one of the thieves on the crosses asks Jesus to remember him and Jesus responds “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” I like the idea that Bruce would be that thief who finally comes to the realize that Superman isn't as bad as everyone (including himself) thought he was and that maybe he WAS a hero who humbly and selflessly wanted to help the world.
duckmilkprod But from the Roman Authorities' PoV, they crucified Jesus next to the thieves to show that they just saw him as another "common criminal" to be put down, right?
duckmilkprod I know he was seen as a seditious guy, but the Romans still didn't view him as a threat that needed an exclusive execution to set an example or anything, and were just content to have him killed (so that his little following could die with him), right?
I think Snyder/Terrio's message is that if the people of Earth were closer to God, they wouldn't be in need of super heroes. Even the superpowers characters of DC are powerlessness to God and Jesus, and the people should follow God and Jesus, and that morality only makes sense in a religious view. We see Batman try to impose a false order on the world, realize he is a hypocrite, and start his redemption. Also, I don't think Lex is the devil, but rather an unknowing soldier of the devil who refuses God, Jesus, and redemption. I think the Superman Jesus parallels are supposed to be ironic imagery on how instead of worshipping someone who has as many flaws as Superman, we should instead worship God and Jesus.
I think its more that people of earth have twisted and obsessive views of God that cause them to act in a negative way. They are more focused on God than they are on his point/message just like how the pubic in the movie either fear superman or think he is a God while ignoring his humanity and message of hope
Oooh! I hadn't thought of that! Now, I'm going to have to get out my magnifying glass on the scene in his office! Lex being connected to the horse motif is awesome considering he is the one who orchestrates the death of Superman!
Another great video. It seems to me that a significant chunk of the hate for this movie was just anti-Christians who are obligated to hate every mainstream movie that acknowledges the concept of God in a way that isn't negative. Even though this film doesn't just use the comparisons as heavy-handed symbolism; it EMBRACES the discussion of "Hey, Superman is like a god-figure. What does this mean for the world?" and makes it a vital part of the plot because it's what a realistic society would think about a superpowered alien. But no, the movie sucks because the villain is someone who hates God. Oh, society... Anyway, keep on rolling out these awesome BvS vids!
Honestly, I do wonder sometimes if the acknowledge of God (and more specifically, Jesus) does play into people's reactions of a film like this. I've always been a fan of the use of Superman as a Christ figure because it opens up his story to be bigger than it is so BvS sang for me.
i wanna point to the last scene in bvs where lex (the man who sold his soul to the devil "darkseid" after entring the kryptonian ship and learning all the kryptonian to technology to create the beast ""doomsday"") was in the prison he reffered that the devil will rule this world now that the messiah "" superman"" is dead ....i found it a pretty interesting scene with the violin in the backround .
hi there, you took some of the BvS analysis vídeo out right? what happened? also so you plan on posting more of this? please do it cause, great quality material. also did you get to see Wonder Woman?
brenoarrais00 I haven't finished my BvS analysis yet. I have two videos left to make, but things have gotten busy for me here, lately. Hang tight! And yes, I've seen "Wonder Woman". You can listen to some of my thoughts here: www.suicidesquadcast.com/suicidesquadcast/106-angel-on-the-wing www.podomatic.com/podcasts/jluniverse/episodes/2017-06-04T05_51_57-07_00
And if you're also asking about my Cinematography video, it got blocked worldwide. I thought I had adhered to Fair Use in terms of commentary, but I guess I didn't.
While I am not a christian and don't subscribe to the Christian version of the God, this analysis of the movie is very smart and thoughtful. So congratulations.
The thing I love about your analysis is to me, this is not a new idea. Just prior to the release of Superman Returns(criminally underrated IMHO) WB did a documentary looking at the history of the Man of Steel. Bryan Singer in that documentary (at a point when they started talking about the 70s comic Superman becoming introspective) contends there's a Jeudeo Christian allegory that can be applied to Superman. It cuts to the showrunners of Smallville talking how like christ, Superman is seen 3 times(infancy, teenage years and at 30). Gene Simmons talks about the parallels between Superman and the story of Mosses. The very next person (his name escapes me at this time) talks about how Superman can be a modern mythology. As I've seen that documentary many times, I started to see that symbolism in MOS and into BvS. This is why I loved the film(Ultimate edition is obviously superior) as one of the greatest comic movies of all time(Watchtower level above Avengers 2.5 which came out that summer)
That's it though. The reason the movie was REALLY hated. Christian Imagery and themes. Having any connection to Christianity today, especially in Hollywood, is a big no no. The critics hated it for the same reason the movie is so layered and timeless.
I'm personally not a Christian. I'm an atheist. But I absolutely love this movie. It's a masterpiece. And even though I don't believe in Christianity, I love the Christian symbolism. It adds depth and beauty to the movie.
I'm glad you are able to appreciate the Christian aspects of the film. I would agree that the symbolism does add an extra layer of depth to the story and the characters and I think it's done is a truly beautiful and respectful way.
Snyder isn’t done yet with the Christian symbolism either, his first poster for justice league said “unite the seven” meaning seven of the future justice league. Acts 6:1-7 talks about how the early church appointed 7 deacons to oversee the care of “Greeks and widows” who had been neglected. Greeks were social outcasts compared to Jews and widows were considered a lost cause in that society. When forming the early church, they needed seven people to lead in protecting and caring for the lost and forgotten. Kind of like the superheroes doing the same thing in the justice league. I promise you the Snyder cut is going to be very similar to the book of acts and the forming of the early church.
There were so many references to the Bible in Man of Steel AND BVS. In BVS lex Luther was a Satan reference. Notice how lex constantly asks the question “ do you know what the oldest lie in America is ? “ . Who else would know all the lies? The father of all lies himself. Superman was an obvious Jesus reference. Batman/Bruce Wayne was a reference to Paul. Paul went from a Christian killer and hater of Christ to his most Adamant Supporter. Batman’s arc in this movie took the same route. Also the lex Telling Superman to kill Batman on the tower was an obvious reference to the devils temptation of Christ. You can also see in the rubble when Superman lies dead two pieces of fallen rubble shaped into crosses like the crosses on either side of Jesus’s cross. This movie had strong refercnes to the Christian faith. Brilliant movie.
DC Comics has always incorporated numerous mythologies and theologies into their universe. From the obvious Greek and Roman mythology represented by Wonder Woman, to Norse mythology, to Hindu mythology, and even Judaeo-Christian mythology, which is peppered throughout the DC Universe. The Spectre is the spirit of God's Vengeance. The Phantom Stranger is Judas Iscariot. The Justice League had a member who was an actual angle named Zauriel who once formed a team of magic users called the Justice League of Apostles. The Spear of Destiny which pierced the side of Christ has appeared multiple times in DC stories and most recently in the television show Legends of Tomorrow. God, called the Presence, has even appeared on Earth in the DC Universe in the form of a Scottie dog, when asked why it replied because dog is God spelled backwards, proving God has a sense of humor. As I wrote before in your video on Lex Luthor I stated that I believed that this Luthor embodied several key aspects of the philosophy of Frederich Nietzches, the Madman who proclaimed 'God is dead' and the Last Man. Going along with that I believe I found even more proof of Nietzches's philosophy in the DCEU, and I believe that the crew of filmmakers have combined them with Christian imagery. Superman in the DCEU is naturally Ubermensch, the archetypal hero that Nietzches developed as a goal for humanity to strive to become after releasing his 'God is Dead' ideology, which meant we as a society should not look to religion and Gods for moral virtue and should instead find them within ourselves. In the DCEU, as stated in the Suicide Squad novelization by Marv Wolfman (Crisis on Infinite Earths, Teen Titans: The Judas Contract) there was a creator God in that universe who has since left. So in a sense God is missing, presumed dead, and humanity is left defenseless from the greater threats existing in the cosmos. Thus enters Superman (Ubermensch) who in a sense takes the place that we reserve for God and for Jesus as our protector and our savior and strive to be more like him, as moral as him. And after his appearance we see others who also possess great power but have overcome the natural human flaw to misuse that power, the Justice League. Kal-El, more especially the suffix of 'El' is old Hebrew meaning God, makes sense because Jerry Siegal and Joe Shuster were Jewish, and created Superman at a time of high antisemitism. The Christian imagery is more I believe used as a means to convert people, by which I mean help people understand that in the DCEU the superheroes are taking over as the dominant mythos within their universe and often one ideology will adopt aspects of that of the people they wish to convert as to make it easier for them to accept the new ideology. Which is something Christians did numerous of times. And really that's the terrific irony of how a character named after an ideology that rejected Christianity as a source of morality is now being treated in a christian manner.
I would agree that DC Comics uses spiritual/religious/and often specifically Christian themes in many of their stories and with many of their characters. I think that's what draws me more into DC than to Marvel, honestly.
+duckmilkprod, I've actually gone on saying that Marvel takes a more cosmicist route. Where like the cosmic horror of H.P. Lovecraft, in a universe devoid of any truly divine presence humanity has no purpose in the vast cosmos and the universe wants to destroy us. Only unlike Lovecraft's work Marvel shows that humanity can overcome the greater cosmic threats that come to destroy us. DC actually places Earth and humanity at the center of the universe, in fact Earth is often told as the linchpin in the DC Multiverse and was the sleeping ground of the Entity, the being that created the White Lantern and who began all life in the universe.
Zack Snyder has literally zero chill. The details, the symbolism, the metaphors, the references to Christianity and art and mythology is unlike anything I have ever seen. He is criminally underrated as a film maker.
And it was released on Good Friday
this movie is just too deep for casual moviegoers, but no one will believe me when i told them that
I think some people might get offended if I was to tell them "this movie is too smart for you", but honestly? I think it's too smart for me! But, I love that it's so challenging! I love that it has taught me things!
@Platigx you might want to take a look on more video essays about the movie. it's about the fall of batman and superman themselves and how they deal with it. it's about how they perceive each other without understanding the pasts, the values of each other.
we can't expect someone like Batman be Batman forever, same as Superman. this is what happens when you throw superheroes into our real world, our society instead of creating the characters that are supposed to save the world like usual, like other normal superhero films. The movie is not an escape from reality for us, but to give a message that if you want to be something meaningful, you have to overcome your own problems first.
and this is just one of the meanings.
@Platigx There really isn't that much in the superhero genre
Platigx you didn’t pay atención brooo , lame
@Platigx dude you should watch the movie again and pay attention.
I had always thought DC material tended to cover broader and more timeless topics than Marvel
I've stopped seeing MCU films after Ant-Man because I don't think those movies are for me and I don't much care for the way they make their films, but I'm sure if I sat down with someone to talk about why they love them, they might bring up deeper meaning that lands with them.
Sometimes, I shy away from using the "M" word with films because there are so few "perfect" movies, but in my opinion, BvS (especially, the Extended Cut/Ultimate Edition because of how it completes the horse motif and fleshes out Lex's manipulation of the public and government against Superman) IS a masterpiece.
Yeah Civil War was the biggest let down ever........its just an extended scene of the Avengers fighting. Civil War was such a big thing in the comics and they turned it into a family drama. Sorry its just that film really P'd me off. Civil War should have been a Phase on its own not just a set up film for the beginning of the next Avengers film...aararragh.
Casanova Frankenstein "Frankly, it's a masterpiece." schoolofmovies.com/2016/05/captain-america-civil-war/
@Casanova Frankenstein I wanted to thank you as I've been feeling like this since the film came out(btw my brother and I predicted the inclusion of a certain web head when it was announced that BvS and avengers 2.5 would go head to head)
If these videos had millions of views, the world would truly be a better place.
*BvS Ultimate Edition is definitely one of, if not the best superhero movie of all time in my opinion. It's the most underrated movie too. This movie is and always will be a MASTERPIECE!!! And this review video is one the best BvS videos I've seen on RUclips so far. Great work...*
I agree! I think BvS truly is a cinematic masterpiece. No hyperbole on that. Thanks for watching.
Another awesome video and analysis. Still find it baffling how the critics seem to have missed all this and their critiques boil down to "Should have been more fun, like Marvel!"
They didn't miss it. They hated that it was in the movie.
Man Of Martin agreed. They hated Man of Steel for the same reason. I wish WB let Snyder finish his vision.
I don’t think critics missed any of this. In fact it’s been one of the focal points of many people’s criticisms. The problem isn’t that Snyder makes these connections it’s that he doesn’t do anything deeper with them. Sure he establishes connections between Jesus and Superman but he doesn’t use that connection to say anything. I see all these parallels but I don’t know what Snyder is trying to say with them other than “hey isn’t Superman kinda like Jesus when you think about it? Isn’t that cool?” Like there are broad implications in that which you can run with. You could comment on the status of comics as a new American mythology or comment on the subconscious western desire for absolution from sin through any sort of messianic figure. You could comment on the way in which we deify and elevate political figures to the status of messiah/martyrs, you could do all SORTS of things with that connection. But Snyder doesn’t do any such thing, so the comparisons stay in the realm of shallow aesthetics either to play it safe or just out of ignorance of any of these possible implications. That’s one of the reasons why people are disappointed with these movies. Snyder wants these movies to be deep and to say something broad about American culture/politics, but he just doesn’t know what he WANTS to say in the first place so the film ends up all over the place and hollow as a result. The film really feels like a first draft in that sort of way, feeling around for possible ideas and avenues of interpretation but unable to decide for itself.
@@Glassandcandy What do you mean the Superman/Jesus comparison doesn't say anything? It's the entire driving force between Lex's animosity towards Superman, and Batman's fear towards him. Snyder is also not going to beat you down with what he thinks, he sets it up so that people can come away with different viewpoints on it. I have actually seen people say they agreed with Lex in this movie, because in real life Superman would actually be a potential threat and the way people react to him is genuine. And that's kind of the point, he sets it up so that you can make up your mind on it. If you are confused with what the movie is trying to say, then your torn on what you took away.
This is great. And why this annoys people that Zack does this and that "It's too on the nose" baffles me. Like you said Zack didn't create the idea of the parallels to Christianity, he just full on embraces it. Doing this is just one of the many things that bring gravitas to a movie/story that would otherwise be about guys running around in long underwear punching other guys. I'm not christian either, but I respect it and understand that it is woven in American culture. So to weave it in a movie featuring two of America's biggest fantasy icons, makes total sense to me.
I'm glad you are able to appreciate the Christian and faith-related aspects of the film!
Ahk Actually that’s untrue, he did create it, Superman NEVER had any Jesus parallels, he wasn’t the son of god, he was just a man, he never thought of himself as anything such. The only parallels there are the surface level “savior” parallel but even then that’s not even close to how Jesus actually was. And I think this is partly why these movies failed to capture the true essence of Superman. You say it adds more gravitas but it really doesn’t, it only gives the illusion of such while stripping away what made Superman such a great character, it was always his humanity that made him Superman. The problem with forcing it on Superman is that it betrays his rather humble nature to instead act like he’s truly above us mortals. It’s already what DC has done with Wonder Woman, act like she lords herself over others even though she doesn’t do that, she even worked at a restaurant and didn’t see the work as beneath her. People seem to fundamentally misunderstand that while the two have the powers to become gods, they aren’t and they don’t act like they are.
@@ryancarson6962 sorry my guy, Superman has been represented as a Jesus type character in SO many comics during his publication history, a quick google search will tell you that. Zack didn’t invent the parallels, he was just the director who was willing to weave that into his story.
People who say this film is bad have absolutely NO IDEA what they’re saying... It’s so deep we’re still trying to understand it in its entirety more than one year after its release
I'm not a religious person, yet I love the religious perception in Zack Snyder's DCEU work.
Kal-El fan 49 Me too. Even "non-believers" who only view the bible as a big historical parable can still appreciate the plot and morals in it.
I'm glad you are able to appreciate it!
+duckmilkprod I'm glad watching your videos about it, keep up the great work.
15:56 In the new Snyder Cut trailer when song goes "...the minor fall, the major lift..." it shows the scene of Bruce looking at a hologram of Superman. I think the message being conveyed here is that Superman had to fall, in order for Batman to rise again after his fall. But since Superman will be resurrected, his temporary fall is called a "minor fall".
I'm not even christian and I loved the movie. Thank you for bringing up the horse imagery, few people notice that even the ones that have analyzed the movie.
Yeah but some non-Christians freak out at any attempt to put religious imagery in movies. There are so many people who think man of steel and bvs are heavy handed and pretentious because of the Chrisitian imagery which they think has no point to the story. even though it does
Ian Levinson Man of Steel's Christian imagery didn't make sense to me except maybe when seen retrospectively after BVS, where they were an obvious fit. In terms of story MOS was more alien first contact than Christ, more sci fi than Biblical although the idea of 'Faith' plays a key role in Clark's turning point at the church scene.
BVS fits it better because of the themes of persecution, sacrifice and redemption and the central motivation of its villain.
One of my college professors once told my class that if a teacher repeats something, you should probably pay attention to it...so when I kept seeing them pop up onscreen, I genuinely thought "What's up with all the horses in this movie?" I knew there had to be a reason for them. Turned out that there were many awesomely deep reasons for them!
I do think that comes into play, sometimes.
Personally, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the imagery and references were handled so expertly and reverently.
In retrospect, Man of Steel's Christian imagery is elevated by BvS. Though, Clark/Superman is referenced as a Christ figure many times in MoS, too.
Just speechless... wow this makes the movie so much more.
It amazes me how I keep finding more ways to love this movie. BvS is so deep. True masterpiece and ahead of its time. Props to Snyder, Terrio and Goyer
Zack is Christian, he shared some of his playlist music in Vero before which was spiritual songs. MoS and BvS had lots of Christian imagery that some would find offensive because you know "people"
Cyber Valdez Even if he wasn’t Christian, I appreciated that he took the faith seriously when exploring it. I had read that Chris Terrio is Catholic and found his way into writing the story through the God vs, Man angle.
duckmilkprod movie is not hard to appreciate. Of course the movie will feel hopeless because all the characters are lost, that's like telling people with depression to be hopeful and happy or telling someone with trauma to "get over it", it just doesn't work that way. I guess critics couldn't get pass through it's "superhero" shell.
But yeah Even with all the unnecessary hate, let's just be happy that a movie exists.
I loved the Christian Imagery in BvS to me it was just awe inspiring in the story of BvS that's how humanity would acted in real world where a being beyond power of humanity would make us question our purpose in the universe and know what's out there BvS portrays Humanity as a hopeless and cynical world much as similar as ours with war and xenophobia i wasn't uncomfortable with the imagery it was great storytelling to me when i watch this in front of my mom she doesn't like this movie because of the Christian Imagery but great video miss !
One detail I love in this movie is Lex’s painting. He refers to devils as coming “from the sky.” While it can be taken at face value how Lex is trying to flip peoples’ views on Superman as not being angelic, it gets more interesting at the end of the movie. When the painting is flipped it is a great visual foreshadowing of the impending Parademon invasion in Justice League.
Also, I think a case can be made for Lex being High Priest Caiaphas - who organized the plot to kill Jesus (Superman), and did his best to persuade Pontius Pilate (Senator Finch) to ruin his reputation.
Ooh! Nice point! I like this thought!
Yeah and the media representing the Roman Empire. The film is a modern take on the story of Jesus death.
JONALOTZRH "The Passion of Kal-El" :)
Good point about the media's role in the story.
In the words of a certain Arizona trash bag, MOTHER FORKER. I NEVER thought of that
These films are extremely underrated
And also Zack Snyder
Of all the criticisms of Synder, the one I find hardest to swallow is the idea that his symbolism is too heavy handed. Critics see the most overt examples ( the 'creation of Adam' shot for example), and smugly declare its lack of subtlety, unaware that 95% of the other imagery has flown over their heads. If they were honest with themselves how many of theses critics really grasped the full extent of the symbolic narrative on display here? It's more accurate to say there's a mix of overt and subtle allegory (both visually and in the screenplay), the more obvious stuff necessary to clue people in given how unwilling many are engage with a pop culture movie like BvS on that level.
The fact that fans who have seen the movie dozens of times are still discovering new revelations over a year since its release, surely proves there must be some subtlety right?
The unfortunate thing about film criticism these days, in my opinion, is that critics tend to gravitate towards buzz words and clickbait headlines than trying to actively engage in critical thinking. Maybe they do with other genres, but with BvS, virtually none of the deeper meaning in the film was explored in 38 reviews that I read from Top Critics listed on Rotten Tomatoes. As a film enthusiast, I find that to be a severely missed opportunity. I'm always excited to explore themes in movies so when there seems to be a total refusal to do so is baffling to me.
I've found that with BvS, it's the FANS who have done by the best analysis.
I learned something even from the comments on THIS VIDEO and I can't tell you how many times I've seen this film and discussed it with others.
BvS is many, many, many layers deep. I don't even know if we've uncovered everything yet!
Fantastic analysis!
I would also like to add that Batman also has elements of the apostle Peter - who thrice denied Jesus when questioned, and then later was overcome with immense guilt. So too did Batman feel guilty after Superman's death, feeling that he had "failed him." But much like how Peter later went on the become one of the greatest spreaders of the Christian creed, so too did Batman go on to continue what Superman stood for by uniting and leading the Justice League.
Good call!
duckmilkprod And wasn't St Peter the (unofficial?) first pope of the church? It would tie to Bruce being the unofficial first head of the JL.
+David W. Indeed, he was, according to Catholicism
To my understanding, that is the tradition, yes.
Now that you mention it, Bruce's story could also be connected to Matthew 16:18 and how Peter is the rock that the Christian church is built on:
"And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it."
duckmilkprod Yeah, that line was so "basic" it even made its way into Dan Brown's "Angels & Demons" 😅
What I like about the DCU is that they don't let superman start as an icon, but let him go through the journey of becoming an icon. Even though I am not religious and have a personal opinion upon preaching religious messages in media, superman has always been associated with iconic figures like Jesus.
Religious or not, the story of Jesus transformation to man to messiah is a very fascinating one, as it reflects human desire of having someone to follow and loo up to. I think the films do a good job to make Superman christ-like, but without never really claiming he is christ or a messiah figure. What he is an icon, beyond human. An ideal we can strive for.
I like that Superman does mistakes, that (similar to Jesus story) his biggest burden isn't his power, but the expectation to be perfect in the point of view of humans. What seems to me people's problems are with Henry Cavils superman is that he's not perfect enough, he is not the icon. Similar to how the jews in the Jesus story did not consider him a messiah.
What does turn Superman from a man in a cape and with god-like powers, is his sacrifice, death and resurrection. Similar to how it wasn't before Jesus sacrifice, death and resurrection, a majority of people considered him the son of god.
If they follow the bible, Lois Lane (or somebody similar) will find his grave empty, and he will present himself humble in front of his 'deciples'. I assume in a situation where all hope seems to be lost.
Justice League will be the mark where the true DCU starts, as for now we've only had introductions and set-ups
As much as I love the Christ figure imagery with Superman in the DCEU, I recognize that Superman/Clark doesn't WANT to be treated as a god. He is just a guy, trying to do the right thing.
I, too, like that the DCEU has been building Cavill's characterization into being Superman. It makes sense to me that it would take him dying, resurrecting, and going through the full monomyth to fully embrace what it means to BE Superman.
I agree that if they follow the New Testament, we'll get to see Lois' reaction to Superman/Clark's return. I imagine he'll appear to her first (or after he fights alongside the rest of the Justice League to defeat parademons, Steppenwolf, or even Darkseid) or she'll be the one to announce his return via an article in The Daily Planet.
I also watched Excalibur, one of Zacks inspiration for the DCU, and I do enjoy and understand more his influence in creating these characters mythological. A more grand view on superheroes than what audiences seem to be used to be watching. People seem to expect simple plots and character stories, instead of melodramatic poetry and legendary tales.
I think Zack is trying to make Hamlet, or lord of the rings or even greek myths, More epic tales, and they often depict their characters as more as tools to the overall scheme and plot, than just picking a handful of individual character journeys. They also play more on metaphors, iconic storytelling and poetry, than simple 1 to 1 logic.
I've considered watching the 7 samurai to prepare myself for the Justice League. Also more Epic tales of larger than life ledgends than what most other super hero films nowadays do.
MarkFilipAnthony Personally, I'd be more generous and say the DCEU already started with the solid films of MoS and BvS, but hopefully the success of WW would usher in the truly epic tales of JL.
MarkFilipAnthony Also: look up tumblr writer Pulpklatura and her two essays: "Batman v Superman: The Modern Revenge Tragedy" & (this one's a paraphrase) "Why Superman Had To Die".
it has started yes, but I mean more like act 1 starts, as MoS and BvS are more like introduction/establishing films
I loooooooove this! This is such great analysis on the film Christian imagery. I didn't even notice these things, unbelievably great study on the film! Please do more of these for any DCEU film you find interesting! I'll watch all of them!!
you just blew my mind @_@ the disciples and the horses and the fall of man and devils. i had no idea how wide and deep the allegorical aspect of BvS went! so much appreciation for Snyder, Goyer, & Terrio and for you and your videos explaining it all! thank you!
It can only be intentional. Great observations.
Exactly what I'm thinking! Batsy is like Paul of Tarsus.
He's a man who felt threathened by this powerful figure, went rough, hating Supes with all his heart, & persecuted him. He thought it was a good thing to do.
Then his mind got opened by Supes himself, have faith in Supes, & became one of his followers who's very actively calling Supes' followers & others who walk the same way as him to come out & unite to save the world.
Not going to lie this video brought a tear to my eyes, and yes I have felt the same way when watching this movie. I just couldn't find the word like how you put it!! this deserves many more view!! bravo sister in Christ!!
If only the majority of people thought like you did, I loved this movie. Both MoS and BvS were amazing.
Wow, thank you so much for this! Just what I needed before seeing the Snyder Cut of Justice League. With Wheedon's JL, there was a glaring disconnect with the themes and imagery of BvS. I know that Zack will not hold back, especially with Superman's anticipated resurrection!
The disconnect from themes from BvS to Josstice League was such a disappointment. I hope we get more layered writing and connective tissue in Zack Snyder’s Justice League!
Rebecca, just awesome. Keep it going
This epic movie is Philosophy for me
It changed my life.
Learned something from you about this movie which I was unable to put into words.
Thanks a lot...
Saw the Avengers ONLY one time, I had to watch BVS about 20+ times. This movie has so many layers I always find something I missed. Because you pointed out so much in this video, you gave me an excuse to watch it again 😛☺ Thanks for that!
Alongside all of this, Superman's origin is basically a sci-fi adaptation of the story of Moses, and in Hebrew, his name, Kal-El, even means "Voice of God"
I could listen to you talk DC, the DCEU and BvS all day.
Great video, once again!
It seems people are finally coming around in late 2019
Snyder's films are usually way ahead of their time. It took a decade for some folks to come around to "Watchmen" so I anticipate something similar for BvS. They'll get here...eventually.
Also, Batman is similar to Longinus, the blind Roman centurion who pierced Christ's side. When the blood of Christ hit the soldier's eyes, he could see once again. Similar to how the veil of Lex Luthor's deceit was lifted from Batman's eyes and he could see the error of his ways once he drew Superman's blood with the kryptonite spear.
Jon Andrew McIntire wow, didn’t even think about that!
Everyone: it's a terrible movie.
Me: in whedons own words, "I work with children."
I'm a fan of the outstanding videos of Samuel Otten and Alessandro Maniscalco so it was nice to come across yours, Rebecca. You have my thanks for these wonderful and heartfelt videos but most especially this one. As a Christian I too was delighted to see that Zack Snyder treated God, and my belief, with respect, especially in regards to mankind and the super godlike beings living among them. Your analysis brought so much more to light which added even more depth to an already incredible movie. I'm definitely a subscriber who is looking forward to your future projects. Have a blessed day.
I'm a huge fan of Sam and Alessandro, too! JLU Podcast is one of my go-to podcasts!
My intent for this series was to share what *I* love about this movie so I hope that comes across.
Thanks for watching and sharing about your faith!
You're very welcome. I'm not surprised that you're a fan of their work and I'm excited to hear that you're going to be doing something with them in the near future so I'm looking forward to that, as well. And, thank you. I, like yourself, love to share my faith and love for God. And I enjoy being a long time fan of DC. Can't wait for Wonder Woman and The Justice League to build further on Man of Steel and Batman v Superman, and to some degree, Suicide Squad. And that doesn't even cover the other venues. It's a wonderful time to be a DC fan.
I sent JLU Podcast a message for the BvS anniversary, but I'd love to partner with them on other projects! They're smart guys who offer intelligent analysis!
It is a wonderful time to be a DC fan and thank you for sharing your faith!
My apologies, Rebecca. I may have confused your input on the podcast as an appearance on a future collaboration. Nonetheless, I'm glad to know that you're open to working with them. Hopefully, Samuel and Alessandro hear about it and make it so. Be blessed.
No problem, Elizabeth! If I can help them out in any way, I will definitely try if my schedule allows (which can be tough during the TV season). But, they are great at what they do and I'm always looking forward to a new JLU Podcast episode!
Wow wow I absolutely love your analysis. You came to very similar conclusions as I did when I first saw the movie. I also saw the Batman/Saul(Paul) comparisons. I definitely feel having knowledge of the Bible helps in understanding BvS.
BRAVA! Now this is an analysis! Thanks for doing this because as someone who watched BvS and actually loved it, I felt like adrift in the open ocean when the reviews hit and all the negativity came about! You literally couldn't go on IMDB (when they had message boards) or reddit without someone saying how BvS slayed their mom, cat or dog. Like dang. Wow that release week was something else! I felt like that lone person going : "hey guys, I liked the movie, I did...) and then I read all this intellectual stuff and I knew there was a reason I loved this movie! So here is some addons about the pagan aspects of Lex's personality...LEX AND BATMAN PARALLELS
BVS's Lex is most superficially different from previous incarnations e.g. Hackman and Spacey's real estate Lex and Rosenbaum's suave-boy-billionaire Lex.
Eisenberg is a more technocratic interpretation of the character. However, what really makes this Lex: is his perchance for wordplay and blatant contextual malapropism. On a surface level, deterrent justification against Superman-like beings is reasonable. It parallels Bruce’s own contingency plans though his is most blatantly flawed (it’s obvious during his chat with Alfred and his pill-popping).
Lex’s real motive takes a bit more time to uncover and we get an inkling of that during his verbal showdown with the Senator at his home.
Lex wants power and lots of it; he's got earthly power and now he craves godly power - thanks in part to Superman’s presence - and he doesn't care how he gets it. So when Lex asks the senator whether to call her June - mainly to reassert himself - and the senator seeing through his act slaps him down i.e.
"You can call me whatever you like. Take a bucket of piss and call it granny's peach tea, take a weapon of assassination and call it a deterrent, you won't fool a fly or me. I'm not gonna drink it, " Lex quickly latches onto that: because guess what?
Lex likes to use other people's words and actions against them. In effect, the moment the senator dared come to him in person and announce that that she’s onto him (the kryptonite clearly wasn’t an innocent deterrent) and that she understood exactly what kind of man he was; was her death knell.
One cannot take the court room bombing in isolation; that entire sequence is a power play on Lex's part. Lex literally and figuratively played God like he’s some malevolent trickster deity.
He even goes as far as to completely misrepresent Superman during that fabulous helipad scene, then creates Doomsday via desecrating Zod’s body and of course, encouraged batman’s neurosis whom he finally declared his knight - how wrong - though it’s initially easy to see why:
1.) They’re both orphans and from rich families
2.) They both run legacy companies and engage in philanthropy
3.) They both experience existential terror after the Zod/Superman battle
4.) They both try to mask their terror by justifying their psychological states to the people they speak to the most i.e. Bruce to Alfred with his 1% speech, and Lex with the Senator and his deterrent rouse
5.) They both reveal their real motive when they meet Superman
Still, there are fundamental differences between them. Something Lex overlooked because he hasn’t properly experienced and seemingly lacks: that is the ability to form non selfish interpersonal/emotional attachments.
BRUCE AND LEX DIFFERENCES
Bruce, for all his parental anguish, he still has his trustee butler, Alfred. He also has close relationships with his employees and is profoundly upset at the injury, death and carnage after the BZE.
Lex isn’t shown to have any personal relationships, yet alone to his employees. His closest aide, Mercy Graves was left for dead alongside all the Government officials during the senate bombing. We see how disposable human life is to him.
Bruce is the most human. He’s also the most physical. Bruce feels things deeply and it is this emotional core that allows Superman to bring him from the brink during the Martha scene.
Superman’s ability to connect with the man under the mask is a testament to Batman’s humanity. Batman may be far gone but he’s not that far gone and he still has a chance for redemption.
Lex on the other hand is pure intellect. To Lex, knowledge is power. His entire being is tied with what knows and how he can use it. He has a pagan sense of morality; a morality where the strong outlive, out gun and outwit the weak.
Superman is the embodiment of spirit/ soul/ heart, and this clashes with Lex’s pagan morality. Clark Kent is genuinely good. He has the best intentions despite being an alien and this is an affront to Lex.
This all comes to a head during the helipad scene as Lex places Superman amongst the pantheon of sky deities: Horus, Apollo, Jehova, Kal-El.
Lex isn’t so much angry at Superman but at his audacity to be good. Lex doesn’t mind powerful entities so long as they’re like Zod.
The point is: Lex Luthor cannot accept Superman because he cannot accept the concept. A good Superman is a paradox to him. Lex wants and believes Superman should be more like a Randian Ubermensch or a tyrannical loathsome-deity not an altruistic, morally-good person because Lex doesn't believe people can be all good and all powerful, something's gotta give.
He also doesn’t believe that power can be innocent as this hits too close to home; the implication being that if Lex ever got such power he wouldn’t be good, benign or moral thus Lex views Superman’s presence as a great failure since he considers Superman’s desire to save the weak as the antithesis of “A Superman.”
Perversely, it is Superman’s same desire to protect that Lex is banking on when he creates Doomsday. He knows that if Batman or Superman fail at killing each other, “the devil will most likely do it” and regardless of whether Superman is inherently good or cosplaying at goodness, he’ll die to stop it, which actually happens!
Overall, BVS! Lex is a man who wants to be divine albeit the tyrannical, fearsome ancient-divinity-type hence his affinity for Doomsday and Zod.
Bruce is a man who doesn't want divinity but acknowledgement for his good works and Clark, who is mis-categorized as divine simply wants to be treated as a man despite his powers. This leaves Wonder Woman: who is divine, but left humanity because:
A: that's what deities do
B: humanity can make you give up but, she came back because she recognized the unnaturalness of Doomsday, the monster from the underworld, and like any good goddess has to fight to stop it.
I love your points about how LEX played the role of GOD in his master plan for power. Great points!
The Bruce and Lex parallels/contrasts in BvS are wonderful because it highlights that their actions are a CHOICE. Bruce and Lex have the same goal (the death of Superman) for most of the movie, but when it comes down to it, Bruce moves towards redemption because he realizes Superman is more human than alien. Lex knows Superman has a mother, a girlfriend, a secret identity...but, he doesn't care. None of that stops him. But, it stops Bruce. And that's where the similarities between them end.
"cosplaying at goodness" :)
If you ever feel like you're the only person who loves BvS, MoS, or the rest of the DCEU, holla at me on Twitter: @derbykid
Awesome comments!
great video thanks a lot. this movie is undoubtedly a masterpiece.
I am surprised that not many people know that Clark was raised with Christian beliefs. I mean take a look at man if steel he went to a church for advice on how to handle the whole Zod situation.
after a few years I come across this video and realize how BvS is in fact a spectacular movie
I just came here to type
#RestoreTheSnyderVerse
I always going to love the christianity reference on superman.
Well said. Always thought that how much biblical undertones Zack Snyder threw in there.
I'm not christian. I don't believe in god. I actually reject the whole idea of god.
And I love Batman v Superman. I love how it uses religion as a story-tool to convey it's ideas and themes. It makes it hauntingly familiar, probably because almost every faith or myth draws from similar ideas (Horus = Jesus etc.). I love how I don't feel preached to because they never convey that the characters draw power from god but from the abstract called "hope", symbolized by Superman's character.
I disagree that Horus = Jesus: coldcasechristianity.com/2014/is-jesus-simply-a-retelling-of-the-horus-myth/
But, BvS DOES mention Horus!
But, like you, I appreciate how the movie used faith-based themes to tell this story. Nothing felt shoe-horned in to me and I'm glad to hear it wasn't too preachy.
The "=" in my comment wasn't quite right, I admit. There are similarities (like the walking on water) but I simplified it too much.
Gotcha.
The Horus equals Jesus thing was a straight up lie. Please research deeper.
Research deeper. Seriously. Both are messiah figures and have quite some similarities in their stories.
Actually almost ALL messiah figures have similarities, especially death and rebirth.
What an honoring video to the Gospel! Not only an honoring video to the Gospel and the Lord but also to the Zack Snyder Batman V Superman film. I love the detailed input you put in for this video for each symbolism such as the crosses, Wonder Woman representing Peter, Bruce Fall of Man to changed man such as changed men in Christ. At first when I saw this movie, I thought it was an attack against the Christian faith. But after exploring it more, I realize what the multiple symbology that Zack Snyder put into this film it was actually honoring our Christian faith the whole time, just in a creative way that is outside the box. A huge thanks to Zack Snyder for honoring our faith and thank you for pointing out the Christian imagery and symbolism in one of the best superhero films ever.
I was worried about it when the trailers came out, but was surprised by how it preached the Gospel through metaphor and allegory!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Hollywood despises anything remotely pro christian. This video shines a whole new light on why the critics were so hard on this film. Love it!!
Another great one Rebecca. I'm so glad that we have been able to bounce these similar ideas and thoughts on these movies that we have had.
The movies open up a lot of great discussions and it's always fun to talk to you about them!
duckmilkprod I just realized that the "If You Seek His Monument..." line is written in chalk and not originally part of the S-shield plaza ground engrave thing. So it ~technically~ counts as a defacing even though the intent was anything but malicious. A brighter mirror to "False God!!1!!1!!"
It's so refreshing to hear from people that understand the depths of Snyder's genius...great video!
In Lex's study there are several white horses that his father used to represent conquest. It was part of the messaging that shaped young Lex's belief system.
I love this thought! Lex's father playing into the horse imagery fits with how his daddy issues drive his motivation to kill Superman! Awesome.
Seeing you on screen gives me Shelly Duval vibes and I dig it. More to the point of the video, I appreciate the added information from this video essay series that further makes me have a great love of this film and the work of those involved. Thank you.
I remember when you first released this video I still come back to it every once in awhile
I am convinced that the majority of people who hated this film (its not perfect) are only film but because
1. it was no than a popcorn marvel film (i like marvel btw) which we were not expecting
2.we are judging the DCEU film based on preexisting notions & what we think the characters are supposed be and were previously portrayed e.g TDK & Superman Returns BUT forgetting that this is a new universe with new characters ,put in a world with actions leading to real consequences
*sidenote we judge the MCU not by previous version of the characters but we accept the new characters we are given so why not do the same with the DCEU
*What we were to critic Marvel Civil War the same way we do with BvS and did not ignore all its flaw and nitpicked it to death
Reneiloé, while it may not be fair it's based on precedent. DC comics always had much more iconic superheroes than Marvel. Whether it was past movies before this DCEU/MCU era or animation (Old JL cartoon or countless good DC animated movies) a larger percentage of general audiences know the names of these characters. Outside of X-Men and Spidey, general audiences barely knew any of the MCU heroes we know today. Disney took a risk and it paid off (thanks in part to them talioring their movies to everyone and being popcorn fun)
Bats and Sups are arguably the most popular heroes ever and have been in many classic storylines for decades. The large amount of judging (compared to Marvel) was bound to happen.
Reneiloé, while it may not be fair it's based on precedent. DC comics always had much more iconic superheroes than Marvel. Whether it was past movies before this DCEU/MCU era or animation (Old JL cartoon or countless good DC animated movies) a larger percentage of general audiences know the names of these characters. Outside of X-Men and Spidey, general audiences barely knew any of the MCU heroes we know today. Disney took a risk and it paid off (thanks in part to them talioring their movies to everyone and being popcorn fun)
Bats and Sups are arguably the most popular heroes ever and have been in many classic storylines for decades. The large amount of judging (compared to Marvel) was bound to happen.
Just discovered this video. Wonderful job. It makes me sad and angry what WB has done to our beloved characters treating visioner such as Zack Snyder like this.
Extended cut is wonderful movie. No questions about it.
Oh my God. These videos are amazing! Why didn't I stumble upon you sooner!
Thank you, I already love this movie, now, I’m praising it more, I always see it as a requiem movie, now I see it as a hopeful, powerful, touching movie, a dawn of justice movie, can’t wait to see more of you videos, a big hug .
Awesome video! I'm a BvS lover as well!!
In religious myself but I love salvation stories! When I walked out of the theater I couldn't help but associate this with many Christian undertones!
Thanks for the analysis! Enjoyed it thoroughly!!!
How am I watching this video only NOW.
thank you for your work. this video is, tangentially, one of the greatest proofs that Dawn of Justice is a masterpiece on its own right. I've been hyped all day knowing it will have a proper sequel by the same team. who knows what will we find in it. cheers!
While I don't give a damn about Christianity all this is still very interesting. Also I don't think I can ever watch the movie again without focusing on the horses.
Right? The horse imagery/motif is one of my favorite things about the movie! So layered and creative!
Great Explanation....Great Video..... I'll show it to everyone
I love this. Thank you.
Im really late to this, I found this video making the same reasons why I think this movie is a masterpiece and sent this to him this Excellent breakdown. Great job.
Great! Thanks for making this!
Your videos are amazing, big congratsz
I hope you get something out of them!
you can save them all
Im willing to bet that at the end of Justice League, Superman (after rising from the dead) will tell the league (his apostles) to go out and be heroes and save the world (spread the good news). How awesome would that be?!?!
I loved loved loved this movie. And this video is excellent.
I really like this video. Zack Snyder had a religious upbringing, his family belonged to the Christian Science Church and attended the Daycroft School(A Christian Science School).
Film critic Armond White has noted in his BvS critique that "Snyder has an eccentric interest in the spiritual expression of his characters’ conflicts" and another bit from White:
"Luthor’s obsession with Superman (“He answers to no one. Not even,
I think, to God”) reveals envy that is unmistakably demonic; a
development that coheres with Snyder’s spiritual-social vision of
post-9/11 grief and desire for salvation."
So any form of Christian themes and allegories in Zack Snyder's films are very intentional.
I definitely think Snyder's background informs the way he sees the world. Thanks for sharing!
Good video.
You seem very knowledgeable
I learn so many amazing new things about this movie every time. A masterpiece.
Wonderful Video. This video is just wonderful.
One of the things that perhaps I can add is how Diana and Bruce symbolize Dismas and Gestus. The Good thief and the bad thief beside Jesus Christ(Superman). Diana was the Good thief as she BORROWED Bruce's drive to get her picture back(even though she couldn't), and she returned it.
Bruce was the bad thief because he literally stole Luthor's Kryptonite by breaking in and beating up his men.
Just a small observation.
They were both thieves because they both did what they did due to a lack of understanding and moral ideals.
I like the thought they both Bruce and Diana are thieves and how them, being metaphorically, on crosses with the Christ figure ties nicely into the DC Trinity.
It's worth noting that one of the thieves on the crosses asks Jesus to remember him and Jesus responds “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” I like the idea that Bruce would be that thief who finally comes to the realize that Superman isn't as bad as everyone (including himself) thought he was and that maybe he WAS a hero who humbly and selflessly wanted to help the world.
duckmilkprod But from the Roman Authorities' PoV, they crucified Jesus next to the thieves to show that they just saw him as another "common criminal" to be put down, right?
They executed him like a common criminal, but Jesus was seen as a threat to the Pharisees and the Romans.
duckmilkprod I know he was seen as a seditious guy, but the Romans still didn't view him as a threat that needed an exclusive execution to set an example or anything, and were just content to have him killed (so that his little following could die with him), right?
Spot on!
I think Snyder/Terrio's message is that if the people of Earth were closer to God, they wouldn't be in need of super heroes. Even the superpowers characters of DC are powerlessness to God and Jesus, and the people should follow God and Jesus, and that morality only makes sense in a religious view. We see Batman try to impose a false order on the world, realize he is a hypocrite, and start his redemption. Also, I don't think Lex is the devil, but rather an unknowing soldier of the devil who refuses God, Jesus, and redemption. I think the Superman Jesus parallels are supposed to be ironic imagery on how instead of worshipping someone who has as many flaws as Superman, we should instead worship God and Jesus.
I think its more that people of earth have twisted and obsessive views of God that cause them to act in a negative way. They are more focused on God than they are on his point/message just like how the pubic in the movie either fear superman or think he is a God while ignoring his humanity and message of hope
Yes, I think Lex is more similar to High Priest Caiaphas, rather than Satan himself.
Doesn't Lex have a broken horse statue?
Oooh! I hadn't thought of that! Now, I'm going to have to get out my magnifying glass on the scene in his office!
Lex being connected to the horse motif is awesome considering he is the one who orchestrates the death of Superman!
There was a horse statue in the senator's office as well
ahmed foud Also: Wallace was a lethal Trojan Horse. :)
Symbolic of HER death!
I like that! Fits well with the narrative, his character, and the horse motif!
Thank you for this video: 🙏
The Christian imagery was only something I knew a little bit about thank you for expanding on my faith and favorite movie LOL
Another great video. It seems to me that a significant chunk of the hate for this movie was just anti-Christians who are obligated to hate every mainstream movie that acknowledges the concept of God in a way that isn't negative.
Even though this film doesn't just use the comparisons as heavy-handed symbolism; it EMBRACES the discussion of "Hey, Superman is like a god-figure. What does this mean for the world?" and makes it a vital part of the plot because it's what a realistic society would think about a superpowered alien.
But no, the movie sucks because the villain is someone who hates God. Oh, society...
Anyway, keep on rolling out these awesome BvS vids!
Honestly, I do wonder sometimes if the acknowledge of God (and more specifically, Jesus) does play into people's reactions of a film like this.
I've always been a fan of the use of Superman as a Christ figure because it opens up his story to be bigger than it is so BvS sang for me.
duckmilkprod And like it or not, he was created by two Jewish artists who "at least" viewed him as a Moses figure.
I love BVS too
The layers are amazing
i wanna point to the last scene in bvs where lex (the man who sold his soul to the devil "darkseid" after entring the kryptonian ship and learning all the kryptonian to technology to create the beast ""doomsday"") was in the prison he reffered that the devil will rule this world now that the messiah "" superman"" is dead ....i found it a pretty interesting scene with the violin in the backround .
Also Batman V Superman Dawn of Justice came out on Easter weekend in 2016.
hi there, you took some of the BvS analysis vídeo out right? what happened? also so you plan on posting more of this? please do it cause, great quality material.
also did you get to see Wonder Woman?
brenoarrais00 I haven't finished my BvS analysis yet. I have two videos left to make, but things have gotten busy for me here, lately. Hang tight!
And yes, I've seen "Wonder Woman". You can listen to some of my thoughts here:
www.suicidesquadcast.com/suicidesquadcast/106-angel-on-the-wing
www.podomatic.com/podcasts/jluniverse/episodes/2017-06-04T05_51_57-07_00
And if you're also asking about my Cinematography video, it got blocked worldwide. I thought I had adhered to Fair Use in terms of commentary, but I guess I didn't.
The snyder cut is more align with this movie thank goodness we got to see it
Wow I missed the one at 5:40 thank you! And at 22:12 😂 thank you.
And perfect statement to end the video. God bless you and thank you for the video.
While I am not a christian and don't subscribe to the Christian version of the God, this analysis of the movie is very smart and thoughtful. So congratulations.
Thanks for your ability to hear someone out even if you don't agree with them. That is very rare and I appreciate your comment.
The thing I love about your analysis is to me, this is not a new idea. Just prior to the release of Superman Returns(criminally underrated IMHO) WB did a documentary looking at the history of the Man of Steel. Bryan Singer in that documentary (at a point when they started talking about the 70s comic Superman becoming introspective) contends there's a Jeudeo Christian allegory that can be applied to Superman. It cuts to the showrunners of Smallville talking how like christ, Superman is seen 3 times(infancy, teenage years and at 30). Gene Simmons talks about the parallels between Superman and the story of Mosses. The very next person (his name escapes me at this time) talks about how Superman can be a modern mythology. As I've seen that documentary many times, I started to see that symbolism in MOS and into BvS. This is why I loved the film(Ultimate edition is obviously superior) as one of the greatest comic movies of all time(Watchtower level above Avengers 2.5 which came out that summer)
That's it though. The reason the movie was REALLY hated. Christian Imagery and themes. Having any connection to Christianity today, especially in Hollywood, is a big no no. The critics hated it for the same reason the movie is so layered and timeless.
I love this like I really do
I'm personally not a Christian. I'm an atheist. But I absolutely love this movie. It's a masterpiece. And even though I don't believe in Christianity, I love the Christian symbolism. It adds depth and beauty to the movie.
I'm glad you are able to appreciate the Christian aspects of the film. I would agree that the symbolism does add an extra layer of depth to the story and the characters and I think it's done is a truly beautiful and respectful way.
This video blew me away. I love this movie 100 times more
Great analysis!!
A+ commentary.
Snyder isn’t done yet with the Christian symbolism either, his first poster for justice league said “unite the seven” meaning seven of the future justice league. Acts 6:1-7 talks about how the early church appointed 7 deacons to oversee the care of “Greeks and widows” who had been neglected. Greeks were social outcasts compared to Jews and widows were considered a lost cause in that society.
When forming the early church, they needed seven people to lead in protecting and caring for the lost and forgotten. Kind of like the superheroes doing the same thing in the justice league. I promise you the Snyder cut is going to be very similar to the book of acts and the forming of the early church.
This video is amazing
you rock!
There were so many references to the Bible in Man of Steel AND BVS. In BVS lex Luther was a Satan reference. Notice how lex constantly asks the question “ do you know what the oldest lie in America is ? “ . Who else would know all the lies? The father of all lies himself. Superman was an obvious Jesus reference. Batman/Bruce Wayne was a reference to Paul. Paul went from a Christian killer and hater of Christ to his most Adamant Supporter. Batman’s arc in this movie took the same route. Also the lex Telling Superman to kill Batman on the tower was an obvious reference to the devils temptation of Christ. You can also see in the rubble when Superman lies dead two pieces of fallen rubble shaped into crosses like the crosses on either side of Jesus’s cross. This movie had strong refercnes to the Christian faith. Brilliant movie.
great video.
DC Comics has always incorporated numerous mythologies and theologies into their universe. From the obvious Greek and Roman mythology represented by Wonder Woman, to Norse mythology, to Hindu mythology, and even Judaeo-Christian mythology, which is peppered throughout the DC Universe.
The Spectre is the spirit of God's Vengeance.
The Phantom Stranger is Judas Iscariot.
The Justice League had a member who was an actual angle named Zauriel who once formed a team of magic users called the Justice League of Apostles.
The Spear of Destiny which pierced the side of Christ has appeared multiple times in DC stories and most recently in the television show Legends of Tomorrow.
God, called the Presence, has even appeared on Earth in the DC Universe in the form of a Scottie dog, when asked why it replied because dog is God spelled backwards, proving God has a sense of humor.
As I wrote before in your video on Lex Luthor I stated that I believed that this Luthor embodied several key aspects of the philosophy of Frederich Nietzches, the Madman who proclaimed 'God is dead' and the Last Man.
Going along with that I believe I found even more proof of Nietzches's philosophy in the DCEU, and I believe that the crew of filmmakers have combined them with Christian imagery.
Superman in the DCEU is naturally Ubermensch, the archetypal hero that Nietzches developed as a goal for humanity to strive to become after releasing his 'God is Dead' ideology, which meant we as a society should not look to religion and Gods for moral virtue and should instead find them within ourselves.
In the DCEU, as stated in the Suicide Squad novelization by Marv Wolfman (Crisis on Infinite Earths, Teen Titans: The Judas Contract) there was a creator God in that universe who has since left. So in a sense God is missing, presumed dead, and humanity is left defenseless from the greater threats existing in the cosmos. Thus enters Superman (Ubermensch) who in a sense takes the place that we reserve for God and for Jesus as our protector and our savior and strive to be more like him, as moral as him. And after his appearance we see others who also possess great power but have overcome the natural human flaw to misuse that power, the Justice League.
Kal-El, more especially the suffix of 'El' is old Hebrew meaning God, makes sense because Jerry Siegal and Joe Shuster were Jewish, and created Superman at a time of high antisemitism.
The Christian imagery is more I believe used as a means to convert people, by which I mean help people understand that in the DCEU the superheroes are taking over as the dominant mythos within their universe and often one ideology will adopt aspects of that of the people they wish to convert as to make it easier for them to accept the new ideology. Which is something Christians did numerous of times. And really that's the terrific irony of how a character named after an ideology that rejected Christianity as a source of morality is now being treated in a christian manner.
I would agree that DC Comics uses spiritual/religious/and often specifically Christian themes in many of their stories and with many of their characters. I think that's what draws me more into DC than to Marvel, honestly.
+duckmilkprod, I've actually gone on saying that Marvel takes a more cosmicist route. Where like the cosmic horror of H.P. Lovecraft, in a universe devoid of any truly divine presence humanity has no purpose in the vast cosmos and the universe wants to destroy us. Only unlike Lovecraft's work Marvel shows that humanity can overcome the greater cosmic threats that come to destroy us.
DC actually places Earth and humanity at the center of the universe, in fact Earth is often told as the linchpin in the DC Multiverse and was the sleeping ground of the Entity, the being that created the White Lantern and who began all life in the universe.
That's a great distinction to make!
Just got the RUclips app ping!