Superman and its link to spirit

[Emmalevine]

Recently I re-visted my childhood by ordering the boxset of the Superman movies. I watched the first one yesterday and what struck me most was how spiritual these movies are.

Take the words of Superman's father as he prepares him for his life on Earth with human beings:
"They can be a great people Ka-el, if they wish to be, they just lack the light to show them the way. That's why I've sent them you."

Superman is brought up by two beautiful, kind adoptive parents who find him in the field where his capsule crash lands, and while they know he is different, they take him in and love him, asking no questions. They provide a safe, supportive environment for him until he leaves on a search to find himself and what he is doing here. Before his adoptive father's death, he tells Superman 'You are here for a reason.'

Isn't that symbolising what we are all doing here? We all have human families, for better or for worse, but they only give us so much. Sooner or later the spiritual search is open to us. We can seek where we come from, who we TRULY are and what our purpose is.

There is something incredibly poignant (for me anyway) seeing Superman fly up a tower block and rescue the falling Lois Lane while the crowds down below first scream in terror then jump in joy and disbelief. It has sad connotations of 9/11 where those people had to jump but had no Superhero to save them, but it's also a symbol of hope, of rising above our limitations. It speaks of the desire to be more than what we are.

Superman also has rings of religious figures such as Jesus, another light to show us the way.

I hope I don't sound like I'm losing my marbles, but I watched this film and just felt so choked by the underlying theme.

I agree - Superman is very much a modern myth that embodies many of man's higher aspirations - and contemporary failings.

Of course, in this post-modern era, we have heroes like Neo of the Matrix and Jake Sully from Avatar, who must undergo a transformation to obtain their powers and fight greed and oppression, giving up all they had before, and sometimes everything else for the freedom of others.

[Silver]

What a beautiful post, Starbuck. Methinks you should be a writer, if you're not already! I agree wholeheartedly with your post. *shrug* I guess I'm so shallow, all I could remember foremost was how handsome he was, heh.

[Emmalevine]

Ah thanks for your kind words Silvergirl. I agree, Christopher Reeve had lovely eyes. RIP CR.

Humm - yes there are so many modern films that are based in spirituality. Harry Potter is certainly another.

[WhiteWarrior]

A MODERN myth? The shieldbearer of american conservative values and proud wearer of undies outside thighs, a wonderful contradiction in terms really, started airing his cape in 1932.