1978, one year after Star Wars. The face of blockbuster cinema is changed forever and now we see more ambitious projects being made.
This year belonged to Superman. A huge film for its time as there had been nothing like this for a superhero film ever. It ended up getting 3 Oscar nominations, including receiving a special award for its visual effects, got nominated for 1 Golden Globe and won a BAFTA as well as four other nominations.
After years of directing numerous TV series and riding off the success of directing The Omen, Richard Donner was given the task of showing how Superman came to our world. One vital member of the crew that I was surprised to see be part of the writing was Mario Puzo. The main writer behind The Godfather trilogy was the head writer for the man from Krypton.
Already after the opening credits, your adrenaline is already running at a fast pace. The style of the opening credits has not been seen before and it is done during one of most recognisable piece of music in film history from John Williams.
The setting of the tone is crucial for something that on paper sounds ridiculous. The terrific open segment on Krypton with awesome model shots, well developed story to introduce into the world and of course the memorable performance of Marlon Brando, along with other notables such as Terrence Stamp, Trevor Howard, Sussanah York and Harry Andrews sets you in nicely for what is to come.
We then get a segment that I think does not get praised enough and that is Clark Kent's early years on Earth. Brilliantly played by Jeff East, his chemistry with Glenn Ford and Phyllis Thaxter as Ma and Pa Kent really developed well into when Clark grew up and Christopher Reeve took over for the rest of the film.
Then we get to see the Superman performance that a lot see say will not be toppled, and this is the late great Christopher Reeve. I much prefer Reeve's Kent then his Superman. His bumbling and clumsy nature to life is great to see.
Whilst Reeve is leading the way, the supportive cast manages to distinguish themselves really well. Gene Hackman is terrific as Lex Luthor. Despite his characters intentions being truly horrible, his character has a strange charm and warmth to it that makes him entertaining to watch.
Margot Kidder as Lois Lane overtime can get annoying. But there is enough of a charm that Kidder shows to make us still care for her. There are also great minor roles by Ned Beatty, Jackie Cooper and Valerie Perrine.
There are so many more positives to talk about. The whole sequence of seeing Superman for the first time always gives me chills. Just seeing the delight and shock on the peoples eyes and the use Williams' score is definitely one of those moments to not be forgotten in cinema history.
Sadly after that, it gets a bit dated as suddenly all these moments happen within Metropolis that need Superman's help. I know they're trying to show off his abilities and their film-making skills to show that. But I think it is too much of a coincidence.
The build-up and actual first encounter between Luthor and Superman is really well done and possibly the films biggest highlight.
The model shots used in the big final action segment is terrific to watch, and really makes you appreciate how hard it is create something like that without CGI. If you have seen this, then you will agree with me that their is one particular moment that is really emotional and you can feel the anger in Reeve's eyes as he tries to correct everything that is happening around him.
Despite a fair bit being dated, the magic is still there. I forget how good this film really is as I remember being introduced to Superman II before this one. Now after seeing this, it ties in nicely with its sequel. It is a shame that we won't see superhero films like this anymore. It relies on its writing and the development of the human element. Now, it relies on CGI to conduct the action, and does not have much depth to the rest of the story.
It goes without saying that John Williams' score is perfect. He has made one of the most iconic scores of all-time and it is the films strongest positive. Reeve's portrayal will never be forgotten and the supporting roles give that film really clever subtle amount of depth.
What this makes it so much better then the recent remakes was the lasting impact this had. It will be hard to see if any new Superman related films can surpass the early ones.
Rating: 8/10
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