This is the second installment of our look into the new television adaptation of The Exorcist. This time we'll be talking about the auxiliary characters and their relationship to the overall story so far. At the end I will make a special appeal for your help. If you wish to watch this awesome series before checking out my blogs or videos on it, feel free to do so because, as before, there will be...
There are conspirators among us, devils in human form who scheme to undo all that the Creator has done and to replace it with their own unholy dominion. This is the plan of the Friars of Ascension in the new Exorcist television show. And they are a most determined bunch!
The Conspiracy of Darkness: The Friars of Ascension
Maria Walters, wife of millionaire George Walters, & devil worshipper
Evil never sleeps, thus the old saying goes. And, as another saying goes, sometimes evil wears a pleasant face. Maria Walters is the pleasant face of the dark side of The Exorcist. She is the "slush mamma of the slush funds" according to one of our other characters, and in her capacities as wife of the dying millionaire George Walters, Maria is using her family's money to finance a conspiracy to assassinate the pope of the Catholic Church and, amazingly, to introduce demonic entities into this world via a satanic ritual known as vocare pulvere, the Ceremony of Ash.
In vocare pulvere, demons are summoned to earth to possess a willing host. But in order to summon them a blood sacrifice must be offered. In this highly ritualized ceremony the sacrifice(s) are other human beings whose murder supplies the body parts necessary to assuage the demon(s) of their human worshippers' devotion and bring them from the spirit world to the material world. Maria Walters has used her money and considerable social influence to procure those citizens who won't be missed by society to become the victims of this ritual. Maria, bless her soul, is a woman of great power but not great potential, at least not according to the demon Pazuzu. And it is those who are full of such potential to be of great use to the fallen angelic brotherhood whom the demons seek out for possession. This is why, though she deeply desires it, Maria is ultimately passed over for possession in the episode, "Star of the Morning," and in fact not getting what she wants until the season finale, "Three Rooms."
Brother Simon. Note the demonic right eye.
But within the Friars of Ascension cult there are those already merged together as a union of human and demon - whom are called the integrated - and Brother Simon is one such individual. Brother Simon is a priest of the Catholic Church who has, long ago, betrayed his vows in order to gain power in this world under Satan and his host (we don't know how long ago but it has been at least six years). Simon has used his position to infiltrate the Church and find those priests disaffected enough by their present lot to want to serve the Friars in their plot to murder Pope Sebastian. Indeed, it is Brother Simon who reveals to Father Marcus that the Friars have approached Sebastian before only to be turned down and sent packing. Though Simon is integrated with a powerful demon he is not among the most powerful, and is made to submit himself to the authority of Pazuzu when confronted by him in Angela's body. Simon takes it upon himself to assassinate Pope Sebastian but is killed by Marcus before he's able to complete his mission.
Police Superintendent Jaffey
There is one other whom we know for sure is among the integrated within the Friars of Ascension, Police Chief Jaffey. We have no other name for him. However, he was assimilated into the demonic brotherhood in "Star of the Morning" and has plotted alongside Simon and Maria since then to undermine the Rance's efforts to find Casey when she goes missing in the story. In fact he enters the Rance's home before his integration in the service of the Friars in an effort to pretend to help them find their missing relative while covertly gathering information on Casey's whereabouts. He does it a second time once Angela is repossessed by Pazuzu, by which time he too is possessed. The two demonic kinsmen recognize each other and play off the Rances' ignorance of the fact. We don't know what other purposes Jaffey may serve at this point. But we do know he goes on to continue plotting with the now-integrated Maria Walters at the end of the season finale and will, more than likely, be back in season two.
The League of Light Aimed at the Friars' Conspiracy
Though the wrong may appear to be very strong and have many great allies in high authority to support its agenda, there is a league of light standing up to oppose its malice. Of course Tomas, Marcus, and Bennett form the nucleus of that league along with the Rance family as quasi-honorary members. But there are those who are in more direct combat against the forces of darkness in this story and whom deserve recognition.
Mother Bernadette
One such intrepid soul is Mother Bernadette who is the mother superior of a convent of nuns located in Chicago (incidentally where the series takes place in case you weren't aware). Bernadette's methodology of dealing with the forces of Satan is somewhat unique in the story. Where Marcus' actions are to compel and coerce the demon from a human host, Bernadette's is to
demonstrate God's love and forgiveness toward a fallen angel. It is a rather interesting position for her to take as a professional exorcist, one I have never really heard of as genuine, but in the TV show it actually does work as revealed in "The Moveable Feast." In a way Bernadette becomes something of a mentor to Marcus, teaching him another way rather than compulsion to invoke a demon's cooperation in releasing a human being from its control. Unfortunately Bernadette's ways are ineffective on the demon inside Casey after she is found and brought to the nuns' priory, and in the end, Bernadette decides to no longer participate in Marcus' effort to exorcise Pazuzu from Casey. Instead, she decides to euthanize Casey to stop the demon from continuing to torture Casey and destroy her body. Marcus naturally disagrees with this position and at first refuses to participate. But, just before they are about to carry out the action, Casey is spared death when her mother enters the priory along with Henry and Katherine after Tomas informs them that Casey is alive and tells them where she is.
Sadly, in a future string of events, Bernadette is killed by Pazuzu after he reclaims control over Angela's body in "The Griefbearers" and seeks revenge upon her and her nuns later in the followup episode "162" for their role in what the demon regards as his own torture when they try to exorcise him. She was a character who I believe died too soon in the series, but one portrayed with strength and brilliance overall. She will be missed.
Cherry and Lester Rego
The other dynamic duo in this league of light against the darkness is the married couple Lester and Cherry Rego. We learn of the Regos' association with Father Marcus where their knowledge of Catholic and occult lore becomes readily apparent. It is they who turn Marcus (and later Bennett) on to the vocare pulvere ritual and how Maria Walters is involved through the defunct company Tattersal Landscaping, which her money finances, and how it is all connected to the Friars of Ascension. Together, they help Marcus and Bennett flesh out how deep the conspiracy against the Church goes and who some of the key players are. Lester and Cherry are dogged in their investigations, even when Marcus tells them to back off, and pursue their leads all the way to finding out where Brother Simon and other members of the Friars of Ascension are and when they're planning to carry out their assassination attempt against Pope Sebastian. Unfortunately this gets them killed before the first season ends.
In a way Lester and Cherry remind me of the Lone Gunmen from The X-Files. Like that trio, Lester and Cherry are the backup for Marcus and Bennett, supplying them with inside information and insight, just as Frohike, Byers, and Langly were to Mulder and Scully during the life of that series. And like Lester and Cherry, those three die before The X-Files reaches its conclusive tenth season. But Lester and Cherry don't even make it to the end of the first, so let's hope whoever replaces them in season two of The Exorcist are just as cool as they were. The Regos, like Mother Bernadette, in my opinion, went way too soon.
An Appeal
The Exorcist has not yet been renewed for a second season as of its first-year finale. There are those of us who would without doubt love to see this show get another season! Personally, I have not found a program I enjoyed so much since... well probably since Star Wars: The Clone Wars was on television. Admittedly I am not much of a TV watcher, so when I do invest in a program it's because I really, really like it. And The Exorcist has undoubtedly been worth such investment. It has a marvelous cast - and I really, truly mean that! - great writing, and a vision of where it wants to go and lead its viewing audience. This is the type of storytelling modern television needs more of!
So how can you help let the executives at Fox know you'd like to see more of this series? Well, first be aware that they are in fact listening to fans of the show who've already told Fox they want another season of The Exorcist. Beyond that, though, what those who still want to have an impact can do is use the influence of social media to show Fox that there is a sizable and growing fan base out there who know quality TV when they see it and are willing to invest their time, not simply to watch, but to help garner notoriety by active participation in a series' growth.
So what can you do beyond watching The Exorcist?
Tweet about it. Get on your twitter feeds and write positive comments about how the show, the actors, the plot, etc, have made you feel. Has it caused you to think more about religion? Increased your curiosity about human psychology and interpersonal relationships? Has it caused you to want to know more about demonic possession? Oooooh. Well, "you little stink pot," let Fox know so they can see your devotion.
Second, become involved in the online community who support and love the show. #RenewTheExorcist and #theexorcistcongregation are two excellent twitter feeds of fans working to bring greater exposure and renewal of the story for another season.
Also, make your own videos to post to the Net be they on YouTube or some other platform. I've done so. In fact, The Exorcist is the first show I decided to record regular video reviews on each episode, some of them in multiple parts. Fox keeps tabs on these, people! And they note the reactions the show is getting from these individual reviews. Some of you may even be so inclined to make your own spinoff movies for others to view on the Internet. Do so and let the world see your interest!
Write Fox to thank them for producing such a quality series and for having the foresight to let the show's creators bring their vision to life in their own way without a lot of obstacles standing in the way. And, if you're so inclined, write an old-fashioned printed letter in the same sentiment. Yes, those old handwritten (or typed) letters still carry weight and significance! Perhaps you might even decide to join the Red Feather campaign.
Finally, jump on Fox's website and watch the series, post comments there, and share the show links with your friends.
Get creative and I, like you, have faith that we'll eventually see The Exorcist back for another stunning year!
A Bloody Good Show Indeed
I truly enjoyed watching The Exorcist from beginning to end. It provoked thought, curiosity, and questions about the role of religion and faith in my personal life and in the life of society. It linked me up with others who had a similar interest in the series and broadened my outreach. And it was quite refreshing to watch a solid story on TV that did not insult my desire for deep, considered material by substituting mindlessness and gratuitous dribble that refused to tackle serious issues, particularly with respect to religion, by sugarcoating them or shying away from them altogether. And so I commend this story to you and hope you'll join me in helping to renew and becoming a fan of The Exorcist.
I realize that this topic is not science fiction but horror. And, of course, SF is, generally, what we discuss at this blogpost. But
I wanted to talk about The Exorcist TV series because of what a
wonderful drama I found it to be. And, should you decide to take a
chance on watching it, I'm hoping you will come to appreciate this bit
of quality television to the same or greater depths than I.
On Friday, September 23, 2016 viewers began a ten-episode journey into the realm of the supernatural with a reinvigoration of events springing from the 1973 movie The Exorcist. Premiering on the Fox television network, the fresh, reimagined TV series of the same name brought to life new characters in a new situation who were forced into confrontation with a frightening demonic entity hell-bent - and that is the correct word - to possess and destroy them for its own tormented purposes.
At first I did not think I would like the program. I started off with it from the very beginning and found it a tad odd, slow, and (probably because I'm not really a horror fan) not much to my taste. But I kept watching - premiere episode, second episode - and by the time I'd reached the third show, well let's just say I was enthralled. So I kept going...all the way to the very end! And guess what, people?
I LOVED THIS FRIGGING SHOW!
The characters were compelling, and surprisingly well-developed. They were deep and able to relate to - to empathize with - because of the solid portrayals delivered by an impeccable cast of quality thespians who brought a magnificent A-game to each and every show week after week! And the program's overall plot was mysterious and complex enough to keep this guy on the edge of his seat waiting for the next twist to come round the bend. And boy did they, deliciously! So I was hooked, and ultimately didn't let the slow start discourage me from continuing to watch until the season finale.
With that being that, in this meditation on the TV series, I'm going to provide an overview of the storyline that weaves in some of my videos on The Exorcist (they're all conveniently available on YouTube), because during the first-season run I did a near episode-by-episode review, delving into the plot points and characters, and offering my takes and speculations on where the series was going and what it was evolving into. I'd like to share that with you now. So let's begin.
The Characters
Let's begin by highlighting the primary people that populate this new Exorcist incarnation (no puns toward any religious use of the word intended there) because this is where our foundation is and the launching point from whence we'll understand the story.
The Rance Family
Henry Rance
To the right is Henry Rance, patriarch of the Rance family, the man who tries to hold his fragile family together once things begin to go wrong. We don't know it when first introduced to him, but Henry is suffering from a brain injury that transforms a normally sharp and intelligent architect of man into a slow and dimwitted individual who is barely conscious of what is happening around him, including to his daughters and wife. However, over the course of the show, Henry begins to recover, and, as we come to discover, the mishap that caused his brain trauma is not an accident, but the calculation of deliberate provocation meant to confuse him and distract his wife with his condition so that others may become the target of the supernatural designs of the demonic entity at war with the Rances.
Angela Rance
This is mom Angela Rance, the feminine mystique of the program in whom is vested a number of matters. Angela, as we come to know her, is a dedicated wife and mother, in addition to having a thriving career in the hotel industry. She is a devout Catholic, guiding her family in the ways of upright religious discipline and ensuring their spirits are just as cherished as their mortal existence by taking them to weekly Mass. But there is more to Angela than meets the eye. And it is through the unfolding of the series that we come to find that Angela Rance is in fact actually Regan MacNeil - yes, thatRegan MacNeil - from the original 1973 Exorcist movie, who was demonically possessed as a young 12 year-old girl. After a series of strange events start to happen with her children and inside her home, Angela/Regan begins to suspect that one of her girls is demonically possessed, just as she was long ago. More on this later.
Katherine "Kat" Rance
This is one of the children of the Rance family, Katherine Rance. Known as the graceful one, Kat - as she's also called by her parents and sibling - is a ballet dancer. She's prone toward mild narcissism and self-absorption, especially after the tragic accidental death of her girlfriend and fellow dancer, another young woman we know only as Julia. Yes, Katherine is revealed to be a closet lesbian, or, at the least, experimenting in that direction. Upon Julia's death, Kat goes into a deep depression from whence she withdraws from the family and isolates herself in her room, also becoming very antagonistic, particularly toward her parents. She especially resents her mother for not accepting her sexual orientation and being unwilling to even speak the name of her girlfriend, and is angry at her father for effectively being a "potatohead" unable to care for himself or be wholly present in the family's affairs. However, this will change as it becomes more apparent that her sister's problems are actually greater than Kat's own.
Casey Rance
And this leads us to the younger sister of the family, Casey Rance. She is the tomboy of the two girls and whom might also be considered the wallflower. Where Katherine is elegant and beautiful, Casey is rugged and cute by some estimations, but far from the glamor girl. Because she's treated differently, and somewhat less, than her sister by others (possibly including her parents too), Casey is resentful of Kat and always searching for a way to distinguish herself from her superstar sibling and be noticed of her own merit. Her emotional discontent leads Casey on a journey toward demonic possession. Yes, you read it right. Though it is Mother Angela's Rance's original contention that it is her daughter Katherine who is demonically possessed, we come to learn (as does Angela) that it is in fact Casey who has been taken over by the seducing power of an evil spirit. The demon's segue into Casey's life is the promise of self-actualization separate and distinct from her sister's long shadow, and acceptance for her own innate beauty and talents. The demon leads Casey down a primrose path until it has burrowed deep enough into her psyche to take full control over her body and mind.
the demon, "The Salesman," Pazuzu
This is that demon. Calling himself "The Salesman," this otherworldly entity is on a singular mission when we first meet him to seduce Casey into his web and capture her soul for his own. He grants to her preternatural powers she's incapable of summoning by herself, such as superstrength, knowledge about others she can't possibly know, even the ability to injure others without actual physical contact - all classic signs of demonic infestation of a living human being's body. However, there is more to the Salesman than meets the eye, even for a demon, for we come to learn that this fallen angel is the very same evil spirit that once possessed Casey's mother, Angela/Regan MacNeil as a child! Yeah! Whoa! Later in the series he reveals himself as Captain Howdy, the exact same name he used when first contacting the young Regan in her mother's basement in the '73 movie incarnation. It is here, and through the revelation of Angela's real name as Regan, that The Exorcist TV series is not shown to be merely some spinoff of the 1970s movie, but an actual continuation, after a fashion, of those events! It is demonstrated that the Salesman/Captain Howdy is in fact Pazuzu, the exact same demon confronted by Fathers Lankester Merrin and Damien Karras in the film. It's also shown in the television story that this quite clever demon is singularly responsible for all the travails that have been happening to the Rance family over the life of the program - from Henry's brain injury, to Kat's car accident, to Casey's emotional problems - all in an effort to get revenge on Angela/Regan for beating it forty years ago. Man, what a determined fallen angel this one is! Even four decades don't stop it from wanting to reclaim Angela as its own.
But there's another angle, a late-comer to the struggle against Captain Howdy/Pazuzu that the new Exorcist creators introduce into this hellish mix, one I did not expect, but was pleasantly surprised to welcome.
Angela's mother, Chris MacNeil
We are treated to the presence of Angela's mom, the former actress Chris MacNeil herself, who shows up on the scene when she discovers that her granddaughter Casey has gone missing thanks to news reports. When Grandmother MacNeil appears she and her estranged daughter Angela, expectedly, don't get along due to Angela's perception of how Chris exploited her possession for greed and profit when she was a girl. This causes some strong disagreements as to how to go about finding Casey, and nearly scuttles said efforts when Angela asks Chris to leave when she erroneously invites a reporter into Angela's home to interview her. But, as time goes on, the two reconcile in part because of Henry's insistence that Chris can help them find Casey. Mother (Chris) and daughter (Angela/Regan) begin a slow climb toward mutual trust that is promising, but, unfortunately, will be cut short by tragic events.
But there's more still, other personae who play pivotal roles alongside these main characters.
The Holy Fathers
Yes, yes, I know this is a title generally reserved for the
Holy Father, the Pontiff himself, the Vicar of Christ, the Pope.
However, I am using the title a bit tongue-n-cheek to reference the
three manly and courageous Church priests of the TV series - Fathers
Tomas Ortega, Marcus Keane, and Devon Bennett. Each is a standup,
righteous man in his own way, and each deserving of respect in the
story. Let's explore why.
Father Tomas
This is one of our good men of integrity, Father Tomas Ortega. He is a modern priest just beginning his career as a man of the cloth. His outlook parallels that of Father Damien Karras from the 70s movie in that Tomas does not believe in demonic possession. As a man of modern times, Tomas relegates such arcane thinking to the medieval Church where he regards it to belong. Demons, he believes, are nothing more than metaphors, projections for the internal dispositions and psychological states of people, especially those who think themselves afflicted by the presence of such beings. However, Tomas gets a rude awakening to the reality of the intersection between the natural and supernatural when he's confronted by a possessed Casey inside the Rance family home.
But there is another side to Tomas, his old girl-flame, Jessica, whom he still exchanges occasional letters with and whom is still in love with him despite her status as a married woman. This leads to an inevitable affair (both emotional and physical) with the matrimonially dissatisfied Jessica, and, consequently, to a weakness in Tomas that can ultimately be exploited by the demon he will confront when he decides to help the Rance family. Tomas is also going rogue against Church orders by aiding Casey without the permission of his superiors. But despite all this, Tomas is a man of deep and abiding love for those whom he cares and a man striving in his heart to be the quality priest he believes God wants him to be. This makes him altogether a decent human being worthy of his position even considering his failures.
Father Marcus
Father Marcus Keane is the exorcist of the show, mimicking the experience and knowledge of Lankester Merrin in the original movie. But more, Marcus is a man of power and awesomeness on his own. My nickname for Marcus is "The Punisher" because he's proven himself willing to go toe-to-toe with the forces of darkness be they natural or supernatural. And he knows how to win when he does! Marcus' background has made him ideally suited to be a Catholic exorcist. Early in life he was confronted with the truth of human ugliness when he witnessed his own father murder his mother at the tender age of seven years old. He killed his dad in retaliation and self-defense but was orphaned as a result. The Church took Marcus in as a ward and, later, secretly trained him to become an exorcist when he showed the capacity to do so by confronting a demonically possessed man at only 12 years of age! For the last forty years since, Marcus has plied his trade from place to place, helping those who must be freed from the horrific devastation of demonic control. There's more to Marcus too. It's revealed in the show that Marcus is known to the fallen angelic brotherhood as a priest to be regarded, even feared. They in fact want Marcus with them and, in the past, have tried to tempt him to join them on the other side, against God's order. So far Marcus has resisted their siren song of treason against the Heavenly Father's celestial authority.
Father Devon Bennett
Father Devon Bennett is also a most intriguing character. The Prefect of Papal Outreach and Security, Devon is a politician of refinement and education. He's adept in different languages, diplomacy, negotiation, and he is a skilled fighter able to handle himself against Satan's mortal minions in combat. Devon is a hard fighting soldier who's faced the possessed before and beaten them. He is the first besides Father Marcus to realize there is a vast conspiracy underway to assassinate the reigning pope and destroy the faith of millions in the process. Devon goes undercover of his own recognizance to find the would-be perpetrators behind the plot and bring them to justice. In the process, he is captured by the enemy and tortured. He is even given the choice to die or become one of the demonically possessed and serve the satanic brotherhood. But he does not give in and survives to fight another day, and help keep his brothers Marcus and Tomas honest. He is a scholar-warrior and a superb addition to this group of staunch truth-seekers.
In our next installment on the new Exorcist TV series, more characters and a deeper look into the major plot themes of the series.
Two weeks after its debut, I got the chance to see the 2013 incarnation of "truth, justice, and the American Way." Man of Steel (MoS), in my opinion, was an entertaining and thought-provoking movie on multiple levels. The bottom line analysis: it was good. I liked it.
Now let's look deeper and I'll tell you why.
Action? Or Violence?
I have very few gripes with this movie. My chief "negative" was the excessive mega-violence of the last 30 minutes or so when Superman confronts his Kryptonian fellows after they come to Earth and are hell-bent on terraforming it into a second version of their destroyed homeworld, Krypton.
Naturally, Superman moves to stop them. And this precipitates an orgy of train-throwing, skyscraper-falling, and heat vision shooting that leaves tens, possibly hundreds of thousands of defenseless humans dead in its wake. And though this level of destruction is shown in the film, its true impact is not really dealt with. In fact, I believe that impact is sacrificed for the sake of more and more action. I indeed believe that MoS crossed the border from action into violence, and mega-violence at that. Something that, perhaps, is not necessarily befitting a Superman film.
I make this contrast because in Superman II, once our hero realizes that he cannot fight the murderous General Zod and his compatriots inside a major metropolis without sacrificing countless numbers of lives, he retreats from the city to the Fortress of Solitude to continue the fight there, thus removing a major tactical advantage from Zod's hands.
In fact, observe that from the opening moments of the conflict, Superman is already strategically calculating this in his mind. However, in MoS we are treated to a superfight of superfights, where beings of incredible, near god-like powers exercise those powers with absolute disregard for the mortals who are either crushed like cockroaches beneath their feet, or made to suffer horribly as collateral damage in the wake of their fiery battles for absolute supremacy.
This observation - and we shall not tarry on it much longer - is somewhat subjective, for indeed many other staples of SF/Fantasy depict just such carnage. And indeed the MoS version of Superman does attempt to limit, if not outright prevent, this level of mega-death. So I am not entirely judgmental of what was portrayed on screen. I do, however, believe it could have been toned down just a bit, and greater emphasis given to other, more worthy areas of the movie. And I will go into some of these as we further the review.
I will not discuss in this meditation certain parallels to 9/11/01 and the global violence it has unleashed throughout the world, its impact on the planet as a whole, or the greater sense of foreboding and uncertainty it has left in the human psyche. Nor will I discuss how modern films are taking advantage of that moment in portrayal after portrayal on the big and small screens.
I believe most of us are intelligent enough to sort out the implications of that assault on our collective humanity for ourselves. And I believe the parallels in MoS are evident for most of us to see.
Dialogue for the "English Language Challenged?"
My second gripe was the under-whelming nature of the dialogue. At several instances I felt that the writers were attempting to pander to those who simply are too ill-read to appreciate high English, or what some might call "the King's English." While I realize that Superman is not Shakespeare, and that we are not being treated to...say a screen adaptation of The Lord of the Rings by comparison, I still believe that the composition of dialogue in a film should be equal to, if not surpass, not only the expectation(s) for the film, but that it should rise to the level of the film's outlook on human events.
MoS failed to accomplish this and I quite frankly felt that I was being fed a mouthful of dumbed down dribble at several key moments, moments that should have risen to a higher standard. A few examples follow.
* The dialogue between the high council on Krypton.
* The conversation between General Zod and Jor-El in the council chamber.
* The battle dialogue between Zod and Kal-El in the superfight over the city.
* The dialogue between hologram Jor-El and Zod on Earth.
* The family conversation between Jor-El and wife Lara before parting from baby Kal-El.
There are more examples I could give, but I'll limit them to those above, for I think all of these key scenes should have left the viewer with an emotional high, an impact that could be delivered by the dialogue along with, or even without visual assistance. Let's take a look at one quick example of how this was accomplished in Superman II.
Observe the power and majesty of these character interactions delivered by two superbly trained and experienced thespians. But more, observe how the might of the dialogue itselfallows the actors to power punch this masterful, and very critical scene, into the viewers' minds.
Perhaps my criticism of MoS's dialogue is simply a throwback to my expectations for commanding presence as given in the Superman II performances of Terence Stamp and the late Marlon Brando. But your writer believes it to be more. In Hollywood today there seems to be a trend toward what some in the industry are euphemistically referring to as "natural acting," where the high drama of the Shakespearean style is being put aside for characters that are not "larger than life," but are instead perceived as closer to reality. They act and speak more real, more closely to the everyday, average person.
The Jainist questions this objective. Is this so-called "natural acting" what we go to the movie house to see? I think not, particularly with respect to science fiction and fantasy dramas. If this trend is true, then the Jainist says: CEASE AND DESIST before you forever reduce the brainpower of mass humanity to mental mush! High drama requires high dialogue.
Just as an example, The Lord of the Rings is still the standard for dialogue set by any group of modern SF/Fantasy movies I've seen in a long time. It rose to the level of the King's English and did not relinquish this standard for the sake of dumbing down its message so that the mere simpletons among us could understand it. It raised the bar and asked the audience to come up to that bar. It did not lower the bar so that we as the audience could feel good about our lack of ability to appreciate it. And this was a good thing. MoS should have given us a similar, but not necessarily equal emotional high. Unfortunately it left the Jainist flat at several critical instances.
"So What Did You Like?"
While the above criticisms may appear harsh, there was much to be excited about in MoS. First, I must give credit to the performances of the actors in this story. Even though I believe the dialogue weak at certain instances, and the focus of the story overcompensatory in the area of action and spectacle, I truly enjoyed the characters as a whole.
This is especially true of Kevin Costner and Diane Lane's Jonathan and Martha Kent. Supplementarily I also appreciated Antje Traue's Faora, and Henry Cavill as the centerpiece of the story, the Man of Steel himself. Indeed, while taking nothing as a whole away from any of the actors (who all performed well given the material), here I am simply pointing to those actors whose characters touched me most.
And in that rubric let's focus specifically on those whom I believe the real "heart" of the film - Jonathan and Martha Kent. While we are not treated to the same discovery of the "god-child" by the more aged couple seen in the 1978 Superman movie, we are given a similar emotional depth. And in the memories of the older and wandering Kal-El, we see the core of where his training in what it means to be human comes from. This is especially true of Jonathan Kent. Pa Kent teaches the young boy Kal-El (Clark Kent) that he is special, that he is the answer to humanity's long-standing hope to encounter other intelligent life in the universe, and most importantly, that he was sent to Earth for a reason. Papa Kent teaches the boy to hold his power with care, and that mastery of great power means, above all else, the ability to master one's self, and to restrain the impulse to abuse superior ability.
It is this discipline and restraint that Kal-El carries well into adulthood and manifests continually throughout the movie, even up to the point of the film's climax - the prevention of General Zod's world engine from terraforming an already living and populated planet, and most especially, in the killing of Zod himself.
Further, Jonathan Kent teaches his adopted son that he must hide his powers until the world is ready to accept him. This hard lesson is taken to its ultimate conclusion when, on the plains of Kansas, a tornado sweeps away Jonathan Kent's life. And though the young Kal-El possesses the power to save Papa Kent from the devastating storm, he honors Jonathan Kent's final request that he sacrifice his own father's life in order to fulfill that idea. The agony of this choice remains with Kal-El, and is one of the focal points of MoS.
Equally, Martha Kent is shown as the boy Clark's heart and anchor. It is she who teaches the child Kal-El/Clark to focus his ability, to see the greater scope of reality, not as a burden for the enlightened, but as a gift to understand the larger truths and scope of existence. This is showcased when a very young Kal-El realizes he has the ability to see through solid objects, such as human skin. He can see a heartbeat, blood pumping, he can perceive sounds inaudible to the human ear, and at farther distances. Martha Kent's instruction for her son: focus only on what you want or need to see, hear, know - to understand - at any particular moment in time. The brilliance, yet subtle love, of this simple lesson is a manifestation of the love of a mother for her child, and in the context of the story, of Martha Kent's deep understanding of the consequences of Kal-El's burgeoning powers.
Quite honestly, your writer loved these moments (and would rather have seen more of this than flying trains) because they demonstrated the humanity and positive upbringing we have all come to associate with Superman. They demonstrated that great power need not be abusive or predatory against those with lesser power. Indeed, greater power demands greater discipline and greater empathy for those who are weaker.
Further, these core lessons given by Jonathan and Martha Kent add validity to the notion that the 1937-38 version of Superman which we have today was clearly infused with Judeo-Christian values. And they add credence to the Biblical injunction of training "up a child in the way that he should go." The man Clark/Kal-El/Superman obviously did not depart from them.
"And What of the Other Characters You Liked?"
the megalomaniacal General Zod
Let's start with the main antagonist in MoS, General Zod himself. Michael Shannon's portrayal of the man trusted with the defense of Krypton in my opinion was a good, if not great one. Honestly I was somewhat underwhelmed by this Zod, but not because of the actor. As before, I believe the dialogue was not handled appropriately by the writers. That being said, I do believe Shannon brought further depth of motivation and personality to the character than was seen in Superman II with Terence Stamp. And this is chiefly because the writers took the time to focus more on motivation and character complexity than the more one-dimensional obsequious self-importance and quest for vengeance of S2's Zod. This, again, is a reflection, mainly, of writing, both of dialogue and of the character direction that does not show up in dialogue. Zod in MoS represents, to me, a completion of the Zod begun in Superman II. I liked him and regard him as a villain to be respected on screen.
the villainous villainess, Faora
And now to everyone's favorite MoS femme fatale, Faora. I regard Faora as a shadow, or extension of Zod. She is not only Zod's right hand, but his sharpened sword. She is what he cannot necessarily be under enlightened scrutiny - one who enjoys slaughter, death, and combat merely for their own sake. She is a ruthless, cold-hearted warrior who indeed believes that "a good death is its own reward." There is no remorse for the lives she takes other than, perhaps, the lack of efficiency, and maybe even the lack of sufficient slaughter in her acts of violence. She believes that morality is a weakness, and that strength comes with the total disregard for empathy, kindness, or concern for her enemies. I think this was effectively demonstrated when she tried (and failed) to punch Lois Lane's head off during her escape from the Kryptonian prison ship.
Antje Traue's portrayal of this sadistic female was spot on. And further, Faora's absolute dedication to victory, and to Zod, regardless of the consequences, and regardless of whether victory is attainable, made Traue's depiction of the character all the more satisfying. Callousness is unattractive enough in a man. And a woman who manifests such despicability is even more enjoyable from a dramatic sense. A++ to Antje for allowing me to feel utter disgust but utter enjoyment for her character's hatred of anything good and decent! And this is what a superb villain should do in drama-- present to us a contrast of an ideal good by showing its opposite and opposing characteristic in the form of an ideal bad. And I gotta say that in some ways Faora was a better image of this than Zod. But perhaps that too was deliberate on the part of the filmmakers, for as I said, she is an image or extension of Zod's will.
The Man of Steel Himself
Let us of course not overlook the Man of Steel himself. Henry Cavill impressed me with his portrayal of Superman with respect to the humanity and compassion of the character. This is most especially true when considering his dealings with the United States military and even in the confronting of his fellow Kryptonians themselves. We have already dealt with Superman's killing of General Zod in the final battle sequences. Let's deal then with Kal-El's confronting of humanity when he ultimately reveals himself in the face of Zod's threat.
It is obvious that Superman voluntarily and willingly surrendered himself to the authority of the U.S. government in the form of its defensive structures, and subsequently, and implicitly, to the scrutiny and subjugation of humanity as a whole. Naturally, while Superman was able to defy human authority at any time, unlike Zod and his minions, Kal-El deliberately wished to show himself a friend to the human species despite his superior ability and understanding of the universe as a whole. This is consistent with the Superman that has been portrayed for the last 75 years, and in such framework worked well in the movie.
We also cannot overlook the obvious Christ symbology inherent in Superman's appearance on Earth. In at least two critical scenes we are given this symbolism. The first is when young Clark agonizes over when and how to introduce himself to the world in the wake of Zod's threat to annihilate Earth if Kal-El does not surrender himself. Clark goes to a Catholic church and, with the image of Christ Jesus behind him, confesses to the resident priest that he is the one Zod and the U.S. government are looking for.
Let's bypass my disappointment with the lack of in-depth screen time this actually got - again, in my opinion, this is another moment where substance was substituted for engrossing but overcompensated for action - and focus instead on its meaning.
The second obvious Christ analogy is when Kal-El departs the Kryptonian prison ship after holographic father Jor-El tells him: "You can save her. You can save them all," referring of course to Lois Lane's emergency ejection from the prison ship inside an escape pod, and the human race's impending doom if Zod has his way at terraforming the planet into a new Krypton. Kal-El departs the ship into the vacuum of space, arms outstretched, his legs straight and together in a more than obvious crucifixion-cross pose.
The meaning of both these scenes is quite clear: Clark/Kal-El is a savior for mankind. And though he is not necessarily the ultimate one in the Christian sense, he is a figure, a shadow of the savior sent from Heaven to guide mankind and show them the way to preserve what they are, and what they are meant to be as a creation and expression of the Deity's will and power in the universe.
I also must given Henry Cavill credit for his portrayal of Superman, not as the more mature individual we are treated to in the Christopher Reeve incarnations, but as a Superman less comfortable and less knowledgeable of his power. In several scenes we observe a younger Man of Steel still in varying phases of discovery with respect to his superabilities. The flying scene is especially peculiar to this. Superman begins by realizing his ability to "leap tall buildings in a single bound" by indeed bounding over dozens, even hundreds of whole miles at a time until finally taking to the air in sustained flight that ultimately sees him crash headlong into a mountain - obliterating the mountain incidentally! - yet not being in full control of this astonishing capability to defy gravity! Then the Man of Steel takes full possession of this feat and soars into the very vacuum of space itself!
We'll not tackle the physics of how a man can endure the rigors of space without a suit or other supporting means, but leave that to the suspension of disbelief necessary to make the Man of Steel the man of steel.
Finally, he returns to Earth, flying at supersonic, even hypersonic velocities across land and sea! The pure excitement of these feats is spectacularly acted by Mr. Cavill, causing the viewer to share in the wonder of what it must be like, even in the storehouse of imagination, to realize such greatness. Indeed, as kids are want to do, it makes one want to put on one's red bedsheets, step out onto the front porch, and soar off into the sky!
There are other moments which punctuate Henry Cavill's Superman, such as his defense of his mother after Zod attacks her home, his first sustained uses of heat vision, and so forth that demonstrate the depth of the latest reincarnation of this iconic figure.
Yet suffice it to say, we are given a Superman who is indeed worthy of the character, not a boiled down, dumbed down one who merely demonstrates the ability to exert muscular fortitude, but one who proves that muscle alone does not win battles or hearts.
Yes, this version of the Man of Steel does justice to the Superman mythos. And it lives up to the Superman ideal that we at Epoc Enuma also share...
