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 SUPERMAN
The 1978 movie, Superman, is really the story of Jesus Christ. Original
inventors, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, made their Superman resonate
with their Jewish roots.
-Review By David Bruce |
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Directed
by Richard Donner
Screenplay by Mario Puzo, David Newman, Leslie Newman & Robert
Benton
Comic: Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster
Marlon
Brando .... Jor-El
Gene Hackman .... Lex Luthor
Christopher Reeve .... Clark Kent/Superman
Ned Beatty .... Otis
Jackie Cooper (I) .... Perry White
Glenn Ford .... Jonathan Kent
Trevor Howard .... First Elder
Margot Kidder .... Lois Lane
Jack O'Halloran .... Non
Valerie Perrine .... Eve Teschmacher
Maria Schell .... Vond-Ah
Terence Stamp .... General Zod
Phyllis Thaxter .... Ma Kent
Susannah York .... Lara
Jeff East .... Young Clark Kent
Marc McClure .... Jimmy Olsen
Sarah Douglas .... Ursa
Produced
by Charles F. Greenlaw (associate producer), Richard Lester (producer),
Alexander Salkind (producer), Ilya Salkind (executive producer),
Pierre Spengler (producer)
Original music by John Williams
Cinematography by Geoffrey Unsworth
Film Editing by Stuart Baird and Michael Ellis
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1.
Theme from Superman (Main Title) 2. The Planet Krypton 3. Destruction
of Krypton 4. The Trip to Earth 5. Love Theme from Superman 6. Leaving
Home 7. The Fortress of Solitude 8. The Flying Sequence & Can You
Read My Mind 9. Super Rescues 10. Superfeats 11. The March of the
Villains 12. Chasing Rockets 13. Turning Back the World 14. End
Title
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Superman
(Special Edition)
DVD
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Superman-
The Movie
Video Tape
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The Complete Superman Collection
DVD
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The Complete Superman Collection
Video Tape
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BOOK:
Superman, the Complete History: The Life and Times of the Man of Steel by Les Daniels, Chip Kidd (Illustrator) |
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You'll
Believe a Man Can Fly!
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Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, both Jewish, invented Superman in the
late 1930's as a typically Jewish mythical hero. Jews were being oppressed
by Adolph Hitler at that time and Superman or Super-Jew was their
answer to Hitler. The "S" on Superman's shirt also stands
for the last names of his creators. Superman comes from the planet
Krypton -which sounds like "Tikkum olam" a Hebrew concept
of restoring the world's wrongs. Joanne, the wife of the late Jerry
Siegel, says she had often heard about the Jewish connection to Superman.
Jerry Siegel is listed in the book Jewish 100 as one of the 100 most
influential Jews of all time. He is listed along with Moses, Henry
Kissinger and Steven Spielberg.
The Jerusalem Post quotes Daniel Schifrin
of the US National Federation for Jewish Culture as saying, "The
older I got the more I saw there was something profoundly Jewish about
Superman, that he was one of us." He further states, "Like
Clark Kent we've been Diaspora Jews for so long, being viewed as timid
and bookish when underneath there are fierce Hebrew warriors doing
God's work."
The 1978 movie was an 80 million dollar blockbuster
- a phenomenon in its day. It was written by Mario Puzo (The God Father)
and David Newman (Shena) and, of course, based on the comic book series
by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
The movie Superman essentially retells the
life of Jesus Christ -the ultimate Super Jew. Richard Donner,
the director of Superman, had just completed filming The Omen (1976)
which was a film about the Antichrist.
When Superman was released in Communist China
in 1985 the Worker's Daily called Superman "a brave hero of incomparable
strength who clearly distinguishes what to love and hate and culls
strength from weakness." Sounds very Christ-like to me.
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The story begins on the planet Krypton, which is now destined for
destruction. There are also three criminals who are tried and found
guilty by the ruling elders and are cast out from the planet.
There is similarity here with the unholy trinity of Revelation:
the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet (Rev. 16:13). Also
note the similarity in "the casting
out of Satan from heaven" (Luke 10:18).
Before the tragic end of the planet, baby Kal-El,
is sent to earth to escape the approaching doom. Kal-El is part
of a family of three (trinity): Jor-El
(played by Marlon Brando, the God Father himself), the mother (Virgin
Mary/Holy Spirit), and baby Kal-El (Jesus). It is interesting to
note that the Hebrew word for God is EL and both Superman and his
father have EL in their names. In the comic books "Kal-El"
is Kryptonian for "Star Child" -which ties into the Child
of the Christmas Star.
In the above scene Jor-El blesses his son with
words that sound very Biblical: "We will never leave you...All
that I have, I bequeath you, my son...You'll carry me inside you
all the days of your life...the son becomes
the father, and the father the...the son."
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The birth of Christ was announced by a special star (Matthew 2:2)
and so it was with Superman. Christ was Virgin born (Matthew 1:23).
Superman has no earthly father. Superman is "virgin-born"
out of a womb-like cave (stable) created by the "birth-star"
space ship. (The womb-cave is a concept of writer David Newman.
He used this image in Shena when she emerged as the savior
of Africa from a womb-like cave.)
Superman, like Christ, is both human and divine.
He is "God with us" (Matthew 1:23). He has both a human
family and a heavenly origin. He is Clark Kent/Superman.
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There is no mention of the death of Jesus' stepfather in the Bible.
However, scholars agree that Joseph probably died when Jesus was a
youth because we have no mention of him in the later years.
Jesus is referred to as Mary's Son, rather than Joseph's son, probably
because Mary was a widow. (Mark 6:3) |
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Jesus entered his ministry he went into the wilderness for solitude
(Mark 1:12-13). It was the beginning of his journey. (Special note:
the Cheerios cereal box on the table as Superman begins his journey
is considered one of the best done commercial tie-ins in a film.)
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1. Following the solitude experience, Superman, as did Jesus, begins
performing super-human miracles. Many connections to Christ.
2. Superman works with writers at the Daily Planet
newspaper. Jesus, also, associated with Matthew and John the Good
News (Gospel) writers.
3. The flight in sky with Lois Lane is
a take off on Peter's walk on water
(Matthew 14:28-29). Both Peter and Lois slip downward.
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Superman has an enemy, Lex Luthor, (sounds like:
Lucifer) who lives underground -the mistaken traditional location
of Satan. Lex Luthor presents to Superman a worldly kingdom. This
is similar to Satan's temptation of Christ with a worldly kingdom
(Matthew 4:8-10). |
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Jesus died on a cross. Today believers wear
crosses around their necks. And so it was in Superman,
except the cross around Superman's neck was Kryptonite.
Following his crucifixion on the cross, Jesus
was placed in a tomb. Water baptism is a symbol of Christ's burial
(Romans 6:4). Superman was placed in a watery grave. Superman experiences
a resurrection that is witnessed by Eve Teschmacher. Eve is a woman
with a fallen nature much like Mary Magdalene who witnessed Jesus'
resurrection. Eve is also the Bible name of the first woman. Jesus
is called the second Adam in the Bible.
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The Apostle's Creed states Jesus descended
into Hades following the cross. Superman also descends into the underground
hell-fires. The Gospel of Matthew mentions the earthquakes that happened
with the death of Christ (Matthew 27:54). Matthew's account also mentions
people who were raised to life out of tombs (Matthew 27:51-53). In
Superman Lois Lane dies in her tomb-car and is resurrected
by Superman. |
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In order to raise Lois Lane from her tomb, Superman has to alter
time, which he accomplishes by spinning around the earth reversing
the rotation of the earth. He succeeds in reversing time.
Time is measured BC and AD. Christ altered time too.
Superman delivers Lex Luthor and his
cohorts to prison. The Bible says that, "God disarmed the
evil rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory
over them on the cross of Christ" (Colossians 2:15).
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Like
Jesus, like Superman
Luke 24:50-53
"Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven,
he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was
taken up to heaven. They worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem
filled with great joy. And they spent all of their time in the Temple,
praising God."
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Scripture
cited:
Satan
Falling. Luke 10:18 -NLT
"Yes," he told them, "I saw Satan falling from
heaven as a flash of lightning!
The
evil three. Rev. 16:13 -NLT
And I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs leap from
the mouth of the dragon, the beast,
and the false prophet.
The
star ship. Matthew 2:2 -NLT
"Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We have seen
his star as it arose, and we have come to worship him."
Virgin
(cave) born. Matthew 1:23 - NLT
"Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and he will be called Immanuel."
(meaning, God is with us).
Father
died. Mark 6:3 -NLT
"He's just the carpenter, the son of Mary
and brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters
live right here among us." They were deeply offended and
refused to believe in him.
Solitude.
Mark 1:12-13 -NLT
Immediately the Holy Spirit compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness.
He was there for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was out
among the wild animals, and angels took care of him.
Walking on water (clouds). Matthew 14:28-29
-NLT
Then Peter called to him, "Lord, if it's really you, tell
me to come to you by walking on water."
"All right, come," Jesus said.
So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water
toward Jesus.
The
temptation. Matthew 4:8-10
Next the Devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and
showed him the nations of the world and all their glory. "I
will give it all to you," he said, "if you will only
kneel down and worship me."
"Get out of here, Satan," Jesus told him. "For
the Scriptures say,
'You must worship the Lord your God; serve only him.' "
Water
baptism = burial. Romans 6:4
For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as
Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father,
now we also may live new lives.
The
earthquake. Matthew 27:54 -NLT
The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were
terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said,
"Truly, this was the Son of God!"
Women
raised to life. Matthew 27:51-53
At that moment the curtain in the Temple was torn in two, from
top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs
opened. The bodies of many godly men and women
who had died were raised from the dead after Jesus' resurrection.
They left the cemetery, went into the holy city of Jerusalem,
and appeared to many people.
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Go
to BULLETIN BOARD here
Comments page 2 Aug 2000 to present
Comments page 1 Oct 1998 to Summer 2000
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Superman
™ and © DC Comics, Warner Bros., Time Warner Entertainment
Co. All rights reserved. Superman has associations
with Tri-Star Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Live Entertainment,
and Ilya Salkind/Canthaurus Productions N.V.
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