Superman is an Immigrant. Thoughts?
Graphic by Claire Arveson
What’s that noise? Is it a bird? Is it a PLANE?! Wait, no. It’s racist people screaming because everyone online is telling them they are racist. And those people online are right? Oopsie!
James Gunn’s newest box office smash, “Superman”, starring David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan, has completely taken over the minds of those with hyperfixative personalities and those with any semblance of knowledge on our current political landscape. A film with so many hidden (and very blatant) messages that was designed for children, so why has it been so wildly hated by the republican party? Claiming the name of “Super-woke”, I’m here to dissect why the title given to the newest installment of the classic hero is receiving such backlash from far-right groups.
Let me start by setting the scene of the film. We’re first introduced to Superman when he gets slammed into the ground during the ‘fight of his life’ described by mega-stud and actor, David Corenswet. Krypto, the super-dog, takes him back to his base, where he is healed by the sun (for whatever reason) and is shown a video sent with him from his parents. We get into his backstory. Superman is a metahuman, sent by his parents from Krypton down to a farm in Kansas to protect the planet Earth and all those who inhabit it. Clark is then raised by his Earth family, growing up to write for the fictional newspaper, The Daily Planet, and becomes Superman. A typical origin story for the world's first real, popular comic book superhero. He falls in love with Lois Lane and saves the world. It’s a wonderful movie, looking at the base plot in and of itself. So why the hell do people hate the movie? If it’s diving deeper into the origins of Superman and his lore, what could possibly be the issue?
That’s where James Gunn comes in. There are direct references to current political issues in modern America, and stretching to the Middle East. When asked in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, he says the movie is focused on the morality of Superman and the basics of human kindness. “This Superman does seem to come at a particular time when people are feeling a loss of hope in other people’s goodness… I’m telling a story about a guy who is uniquely good, and that feels needed now because there is a meanness that has emerged due to cultural figures being mean online.” With a quote like that, you find it hard to believe that people could hate this movie as much as they did.
There are a couple of moments in the movie that give me chills, so I wanted to break down each frame-by-frame and describe why. What makes a film like this so important? In times of adversity for the public when no man wearing blue spandex and a red cape is coming to save you, why does this movie say indirect ways to save each other?
1. That Stupid Squirrel.
During one of the most destructive fight scenes that I’ve witnessed in any superhero movie with Kaiju, there is a tiny squirrel that is parading around nonchalantly during this entire exchange. One thing about Superman: he will save every living BEING in the vicinity of an altercation. That includes the tiniest baby squirrel that I’ve ever seen. A lot of people who hunt thought this scene was dumb. “Just let the animal die,” they might say. Which, for one, I think it’s concerning to want to kill animals for fun, but to each their own. But two, this shows one of the largest examples of Superman’s humanity. The concept of him going out of his way during a massive fight to save an animal shows the morality within this alien being. Considering how he was treated by the world, which I will get to in a second, still saving everyone and everything?
2. The Message from Krypton.
The largest plot point, established within the first ten minutes of the movie, was that Clark was sent to save Earth. He is led to believe that it is true for his entire life; until Lex enters the Fortress of Solitude, finding the full video from his family. His mother and father say that he is the only hope to save Earth and dominate the human race… oops. This enrages the people of Metropolis. After Superman nearly shits himself, he walks through a crowd of people who throw things at him, calling him an alien. Sound familiar? We have many immigrants in the US right now that people won’t extend a hair of sympathy to. But when it’s a beloved, classic superhero, they start to feel bad. Until it’s revealed that the entire movie is an immigrant story, and it’s not something they can run away from or try to argue that it’s not, when it’s been stated by the film's director and the actor who played him. These people know the demographic coming in to see this movie. A bunch of comic nerds, or children. It’s a good chance to instill these people with empathy, and could potentially change the minds of people who assume immigrants are no good. James Gunn is yet again serving morals and humanity in more ways than one.
3. Boravia vs. Jarhanpur
This was it. The part that gave me a full-body chill and brought tears to my eyes. Boravia is about to invade Jarhanpur when young children lift a flag with the Superman logo. “Superman! Superman!” they chant, with the older civilians in the country joining them. A lot of people who are pro-Israel acted as if this wasn’t a direct reference to the conflict going on overseas. Those people are as blind as they are ignorant. This scene made that war all the more real. Children begging for help from a man who was sent here to help the people of Earth, for the violence in their country to stop. The beacon of peace was gone – they were left with nothing. Preparing for their home to be destroyed, they’re met by new heroes. The Justice League. Palestine was the direct reference to Jarhanpur. Their country is being stripped of its people, its buildings, everything. This scene was so raw and emotional that if you felt nothing, I would almost feel bad for you. There will never be words to explain why that made me feel the way I did. The freedom of people is never something you should have to see in a fictional movie to care about it.
Being the “too woke” friend is my biggest character trait. I’m proud to be too woke, because it means I’m deeply empathetic and kind. It means I can feel for those who suffer and are discriminated against.
It’s a privilege to feel the way I do. Nine times out of ten, I would take feeling everything over feeling nothing. Superman clearly feels the same way. To wrap it up with a quote from the movie, “Maybe caring is the real punk rock.”
Be kind to each other, and stay jerky. <3