My SPOILER-full thematic analysis of the Batman V Superman film
Overall I was surprised liked the film because I usually agree with critics when they hold a negative opinion of a film. I think Batman V Superman was a good film that had extra stuff that dragged it down from being a great film. It's a bit difficult to tell what this film is about since it has so much going on it but after I really thought about it, I learnt to really appreciate it. I've done a thematic analysis on what I believe this film was about. It's full of spoilers so I suggest you don't read it until after you've seen the film.
Batman V Superman Thematic Analysis
The main theme of this film is prejudice. This concept is explored primarily through the character of Batman.
Some people dislike the fact that the film showed Batman's origin again but I think it was important to emphasise it because it plays a large role in how Batman is characterised in this film. This is because it relates to what Alfred says in this trailer.
Alfred:
'That's how it starts. The fever. The rage. The feeling of powerlessness that turns good men cruel.'
Alfred is talking about Batman's birth here. When Batman was a kid he was powerless and that's why he could do nothing to protect his parents. That caused him to become frustrated and this is depicted by how young Bruce chooses to run through the forest right before his parents' funeral. After that we see symbolism that depicts young Bruce becoming Batman. This is what Alfred was referring to when he said 'The feeling of powerlessness that turns good men cruel.' It's young Bruce's feeling of powerlessness that turned him into the dark hero Batman.
However the interesting thing about this film is that it takes this idea further by having Batman go through the process of becoming Batman all over again. What do I mean by this? I'm referring to the opening. Compare the opening of Bruce in Metropolis and then compare it with Alfred's quote again:
Alfred:
'That's how it starts. The fever. The rage. The feeling of powerlessness that turns good men cruel.'
It's true that in the present Bruce is an old and experienced Batman. This should normally mean that he should be capable of taking on any threat. However he was completely powerless to stop the destruction that Superman and Zod caused. The opening did a good job of showing us how weak Bruce was in comparison with them. He only managed to save one of his employees.
However I think the most important part about the opening was the little girl. Batman rescues the little girl and then tells her that he's going to find her mother. Then he asks her where her mother is and then the girl points to the building that was destroyed by Zod's lasers. Then we see Bruce glare at Superman and Zod.
I think the reason people under appreciated the significance of the scene with the little girl because she didn't appear later in the film. However she didn't need to because the scene with her already served it's purpose 
* it mirrored the opening that showed Bruce losing his parents.**
Bruce became Batman because he was powerless to stop his parents. That frustrated him. It angered him. All those negative emotions were channeled into giving birth to Batman; a figure which he could use to bring peace to his mind and to the rest of the people of Gotham. In the present, Batman has been around for 20 years and is probably famous and successful. He feels powerful and confident.
However all of this shatters during the opening scene in Metropolis. Batman was powerless to not only save his employees but also in saving the girl's mother. Once of the reasons why Bruce became Batman in the first place was so no other child had to go through what he did. However he failed to do that during Superman's battle with Zod. That little girl's mother was killed and that little girl was orphaned no different from how young Bruce was orphaned in the opening scene. It's true that Bruce wasn't there nor did he have his Batman gear when it happened but even if he did what could he have possibly done? Nothing that Batman had could compete with what Kryptonians had.
So for the first time in roughly 20+ years, Bruce felt powerless again. He felt exactly like how he felt when that criminal shot his parents dead. And as this scenario made Bruce feel like his young self when the criminal shot his parents dead, it also caused him to project the criminal's persona onto Superman and Zod. Zod was killed later but Superman survived so all of Bruce's projections fell onto him. Batman couldn't help but see the criminal who shot his parents in Superman. Why? Because just like the criminal, Superman was almighty compared to Bruce. There was nothing that Bruce could possibly do to stop Superman's destruction in Metropolis. Superman's battle with Zod had caused the little girl to lose her mother so he had was in a way responsible for the separation of a mother and their child. Bruce hates mighty people who separate mothers with their children so he can't help but feel animosity towards Superman. He can't help but feel that Superman is no better than the criminal who killed his parents.
Anyway this feeling of powerlessness made Bruce frustrated. It enraged him. It angered him. So Bruce began to evolve again. But Bruce is already Batman at this point so he undergoes a different metamorphosis. Instead of his transition being from normal person to Batman, this time he evolves from Batman into a more cruel and dark Batman.
A big question that many people have about this film is why is Batman going out killing people when traditionally Batman has followed a strict no-kill policy. Well I think it's because the Batman that we see in this film isn't the 'real Batman' but rather a Batman that has evolved in response to the sense of powerlessness he felt when he saw how outclassed he was with Superman and Zod. There is evidence in the film to suggest that Batman wasn't always as cruel as we see him today. It's not just Alfred's shock with his actions but also with how Batman is reported in the newspapers.
After Batman brands the criminal (which is practically a death sentence), it's reported that this is the second time that he branded someone with the Bat symbol. So cruel things like branding are something Batman has only recently started doing. What caused him to start doing them? What caused him to change? Well considering that this film is set shortly after Man of Steel, I think it's fair to say that it was his experiences in the battle between Superman and Zod.
Anyway take a closer look at Alfred's quote:
Alfred:
'That's how it starts. The fever. The rage. The feeling of powerlessness that turns good men cruel.'
I think the last line explains why the Batman we see in the film is okay with murder. When Bruce saw how outclassed he was against Superman and Zod, I think he tried to catch up. He probably trained really hard but at the end of the day he was just a human so his abilities just couldn't compete with a Kryptonian. That angered him but Batman isn't a guy who would like to admit defeat so he just kept trying and trying. That resulted him in going overboard with what he was trying to do and this culminated in him abandoning his no-kill rule.
Batman kept thinking, 'What can I do better? What can I possibly do to compete with super powered aliens?' Well what was the one thing that Batman didn't do that Kryptonians could do easily? Kill people. So Batman gradually became accepting of murder over time. The convenient thing about murder is that it has no limits. If you're trying to stop a criminal and you want to ensure that they're not killed then you have to keep a level head. You have to be careful enough to ensure that what you do won't cost them their life. However this Batman couldn't keep a level head because he was frustrated that he couldn't compete with Superman despite all his years of experience. He took out his frustrations on his enemies and since he grew to accept murder because murder presented the easiest means for him to funnel all his anger out.
This is similar to how some people may not be strong enough to become a wrestler but they're too stubborn to admit it so they just keep training and training until they burn themselves out and get all agitated.
To me, this explanation makes a lot of sense because it really fits how Batman and Superman are characterised. Batman is old and experienced but Superman is young and is still new to the scene. When Batman sees a young guy like Superman outperform him in pretty much everything, it's only natural that he'll feel flustered. He'll feel it's unfair that someone so young and so inexperienced is so above him in everything that he wouldn't stand a chance if they ever duke it out. It also works because Superman is a guy who's always in the spotlight of everyone's attention unlike Batman who's always in the shadows. Batman can't help but notice Superman where ever he goes so it's only natural that he can't help noticing him and thinking about him.
So overall I think the opening is close to perfect. The only flaw I'd say it has is that it depicts Bruce Wayne's feeling of powerlessness while in reality Batman, and not Bruce Wayne, is supposed to be the fighting/active/powerful form he takes in battle. I think this scene may have been more powerful if Bruce Wayne had donned his Batman outfit and gear and had found himself so outclassed by the Kryptonians. However I can understand why they didn't do that. Batman is a hero who operates by night rather than day and the battle was set in the day. However the film does compensate for this by later showing us how powerless Bruce as Batman is against Superman during the end of that chase scene. Superman easily kicks the Batmobile aside, rips open the cover and warns Batman to discontinue his efforts. Batman is powerless in that scene. All he can do is give some tough talk.
Anyway I think this idea of powerlessness leading to cruelty ties into the primary theme of prejudice. Another common question about this film is why does Batman believe that Superman should be killed? I think the answer is not because Batman has any solid evidence that Superman is bad or anything. It's just that Batman wants Superman killed because he wants to believe that Superman is evil.
What do I mean by this?
Well the Batman we see in the film is a really insecure Batman. He knows how outclassed he is by Superman and he knows that if Superman were to ever become Zod then none of his gadgets would be able to stop him. Not to mention he does have a personal vendetta against Superman as he blames Superman for recklessly engaging with Zod in Metropolis that resulted into the death of his employees and the little girl's mother. Above all this there are a lot of people who don't trust Superman and that reassures Batman that he's not just paranoid when actually he kind of is. So Batman is falling for the bandwagon effect.
All of this causes Batman to suffer from information confirmation bias. Luthor notices all of this and adds to it by putting provocative statements on Wallace' checks and using that bomb plot in court to kill everyone but Superman. So Batman is largely being influenced by his biases in this film. Batman is even in denial about it. He first tells Alfred that he's tracking some criminals because they have a dirt bomb but Alfred figures out that's not telling the truth. When Alfred confronts him, Batman replies that what he's actually tracking is kryptonium. He's not tracking it because he wants to keep it out of Luthor's hands. He's tracking it because he wants to use it to reach and a level in which he can compete with Superman. He wants to use it to remove his insecurities. He wants it to assure himself that he can defeat Superman if Superman were to ever become Zod.
I know that none of this is solid evidence that Superman is going to do anything wrong but that's kind of the point. Batman is still depicted to be a great detective in this film. I mean we see him investigate kryptonite. However Batman refuses to use his detective skills to investigate Superman. Batman lets his emotions get the better of him and that causes him put his objective mind aside. Batman knows this. This is why Batman initially lies to Alfred that he's tracking a dirt bomb rather than kryptonite. Batman is conflicted. Deep down his objective detective mind tells him that he's being unfair to Superman but Batman's insecure emotional side shoves those desires away. He also knows that a more mature person like Alfred will be able to identify that he's making bad decisions so he decides to hide his true intent from him.
So what we have here is a more insecure Batman, a more emotional Batman and a more flawed Batman. This film's version of Batman brings a level of humanity to the character that most Batman media don't. There aren't many stories in which Batman allows his biases and emotions to get the better of him. Normally Batman is very level headed and objective so it's difficult to buy a scenario in which he really would lose his composure. I think Batman V Superman does present a plausible scenario, however. Batman strongly feels he has to do something because if he doesn't then Superman may be able to orphan as many children as possible if he wants. Batman has a very strong personal connection to not wanting to see kids become orphans so I can really buy him getting frustrated enough to become more darker and sadistic for that very reason. That's why I like how psychological this film is for Batman. There are dream sequences for Batman and they do a good job of depicting his insecurities, fears and frustrations of not being strong, fear of Superman etc.
So in the end Batman just deceives himself into thinking that Superman is evil. He deceives himself into thinking that Superman is somehow responsible for the death of people in court, the people in Africa etc. He has no evidence for this but he can't help himself. He's only doing what any human who has been indoctrinated by their prejudice would do.
Some people thought that the ending of the battle between Batman and Superman was cheesey but I thought it was quite clever and very relevant to the main theme of prejudice. There were several layers of meaning to the scene in which Superman told Batman to save his mother 'Martha'. It humanised Superman by showing that he had a mother who he cared for as well. This made Superman look more like young Bruce Wayne who couldn't save his mother rather than the criminal who killed his mother. This also made Batman think that now he had become the criminal who had killed his parents. After all Batman was about to kill Superman, thus separating a mother and her son which is exactly what the criminal did to him when he was young. When Batman comes to his senses and tells Superman 'I'll save Martha' he just doesn't mean he'll save Superman's mom. Rather Batman sees this as another chance save his own mother. Sure Superman's mom isn't actually Batman's mom but their common name is used symbolically here. Batman sees this as a chance to go back in time and prevent the criminal from separating the mother and child. He was powerless to do this before but he's more than capable of doing it now.
I think it's appropriate to bring up Alfred's quote again:
Alfred:
'That's how it starts. The fever. The rage. The feeling of powerlessness that turns good men cruel.'
It was Bruce's feeling of powerlessness that made him cruel. The powerlessness that he felt when he couldn't save his parents. The powerlessness he felt when he couldn't save the little girl's mother. The powerlessness he felt was when he failed to prevent a separation between a parent and child. He was very personally invested in all this. It created a void in his heart.
However the opportunity to rescue Martha gave him a chance to at least partially fill in that void (Martha Kent is not really his mom so he can't fully fill in the void). That's why the Batman we see post-battle seems a lot more human than the one we saw earlier in the film. He doesn't use the Batwing's guns to take down all his opponents. He just beats them up and just indirectly resorts to possible murder when he has no other way to save Martha. After he saves Martha he talks to her and this is a big difference compared to how he saved those girls at the start of the film. It didn't look like Batman even talked to the latter. It even looked like the girls were scared of him because they refused to leave their cell and referred to Batman as a 'devil'.
Batman is also depicted less brutal at the end of film when he confronts Luthor in his cell. Instead of branding Luthor on his skin like he did with the other criminals when he started his branding process, Batman just brands the cell wall. I'm pretty sure that this is done to show that Batman has overcome his insecurities with Superman so is no longer as cruel as he was post-Metropolis battle. He accepts that people like Superman can be heroes like Batman and not just the criminals who separate children from their mothers.
Despite being a great Batman story, Batman V Superman does have a number of issues and most of them result from it trying to be more than just a great Batman story. I'll just address those issues now.
I honestly think most of the Justice League set-up stuff was irrelevant to the primary theme of prejudice and should have been cut or minimised. The Flash time travel scene was incomprehensible and should have been cut. I like the Knigtmare scene but I don't think they should have had Superman start accusing Batman of taking Lois away from him. That just makes Superman sound reasonable and what that scene should be focused on is showing us an evil unreasonable Superman because that's how Batman perceived him.
I understand that in these cinematic universes you need to do at least some set up for the following films. I think the set-up for the other Justice League members could have been done in a more organic fashion in this film. I think Bruce's discovery of them could have easily fit into the theme of prejudice. Basically when Bruce is searching through Luthor's database, he finds out that Luthor has been doing research on metahumans (human or human-like beings with super powers like Superman, Wonder Woman etc).
The funny thing is that Batman doesn't seem to express any frustration when he discovers metahumans. He just seems to be confused or surprised by them when it would probably make more sense for him to be shocked. I mean metahumans are just like Superman which means that there might be more people out there he could pose a threat to humanity like Superman could. I think it would have made sense for Batman to get really frustrated when he discovers the metahumans and say something like 'There are more like him (Superman) out there. I have to start taking them out one by one or they might band together and be too much for me to handle.' Strangely, Batman never expresses any kind of hostility to the other metahumans like Wonder Woman. He even tells Superman that he thought him and Wonder Woman were on the same side but Batman never shows the same contempt that he has for Superman towards Wonder Woman. If he did then it would have fit in better with the theme of prejudice.
I also think all the stuff with Doomsday and the Death of Superman was lacked substance because it had nothing to do with the main theme of prejudice. This took up about 45 minutes which I honestly think could have been better spent. I think it should have been cut and the ending of the film should have just been Batman teaming up with Superman (and maybe Wonder Woman) to rescue Superman's mom. Since the film starts with Batman falling to his prejudices then I think it would be fitting for it to end with Batman conquering his biases.
As for Luthor, I thought he was okay. I can kind of see what they were going for with him. Batman is supposed to be the character struggling with prejudice while Luthor is supposed to be the guy who has already been indoctrinated by his prejudices. He has this huge grudge against Superman and he just can't get over it. He wants to do everything to defame Superman and get him killed. I thought that court bomb plot he did was ingenius. In personality, Luthor's similar to Batman and that's why I think that's why they opted to give him a more whimsical Joker-esque personality. If they gave him a personality that was all serious then Luthor would be too similar to Batman. We already spend a lot of time with Batman in this film so the other characters have to feel different from him.
It should be noted that I did find Luthor to be a bit incomprehensible. He talks like a character from a Shakesperean play. He uses way too much imagery and symbolism when speaking. It's difficult to follow along with what he's saying. I think the writers should have toned down the amount of figurative language that Luthor used. This movie has a lot of stuff going on it already so making dialogue unnecessarily complex is a no no. I'm not entirely sure why Luthor seems to be prejudiced against Superman. It has something to do with his father, god, angels etc.
As for Superman, he did serve his purpose in the film. The primary difference between him and Batman (and Luthor) is that he doesn't let his biases get to him. A lot of bad stuff happens to Superman in this film but he's still able to stay level-headed and doesn't start lashing out in anger like Batman. Even when Batman wants to fight him, Superman first tries to reason with him. I think that's an interesting way of portraying Superman in this film. The thing that really makes Superman powerful, that really makes him super aren't all his superhuman abilities but rather his ability to stay calm and collected even in high pressure scenarios. Superman's ability to stay reasonable and not let his emotions get the better of him are what really make him powerful. Even when Batman is about to kill him, Superman doesn't start insulting him or anything. He humbly asks Batman to save his mother. It's Superman's level headedness, his ability to look for the best in even the worst people that allows him to achieve difficult goals like rescuing his mother.
Some people dislike the fact that we get so little of Superman and the fact that he doesn't develop as a character in this film. I can kind of understand that but this film isn't really about Superman. This isn't a Batman and Superman film. It's a Batman film with Superman in it. Superman isn't really a major character. He doesn't need an arc in this film and his main purpose is just to push Batman's story further. Even things like the anti-Superman protests aren't really about Superman. Rather they're supposed to be a part of Batman's story. When Batman sees these anti-Superman protests, it reinforces his bias. It makes him think that his pre-concieved biases about Superman are correct because a lot of people hold similar views to him.
I'm not saying that all of these ideas were executed perfectly. Overall I think the concept of this film was good but it's the execution which holds it back. I think Bruce's biases taking control of his mind could have been better portrayed. Like maybe he could visit that little girl in an orphanage later in the film. Bruce also didn't physically interact with Wallace ever since the opening. If he did then then Wallace's death could have been more tragic and it would have made more sense for Bruce to blame what happened to Wallace on Superman. There are also heaps of editing and pacing issues. If they cut out all the Doomsday stuff (which was about 45 minutes) and just stretched out the substance of some of the other scenes then I think it would have resulted in a better film overall.
I also think some of the marketing of the film was misleading. The trailers made the film look like there was going to be some strong ideological conflict between Batman and Superman when it was basically just a misunderstanding on Batman's part. I don't know if they did this to get as many viewers as possible or if they just didn't want to give what the film was actually about away. What I can say is that I do think they achieved the latter. Yes it's true that almost every scene had a clip extracted from it that was later placed in a trailer but the way I see it the substance of a film isn't in its scenes alone. The substance of a film relies on the themes, the kind of message it wants to convey. Batman V Superman was a story about Batman falling for his prejudices due to his character and the manipulations of Luthor. Batman is saved indirectly in the end by Superman, a man who refuses to let his prejudices get the better of him. I don't think anyone could have discerned that by just watching the trailers.
As for future films like the Justice League, well I think Snyder shouldn't be the only one to direct. I think Snyder doesn't seem to get Superman. I mean he said in an interview that the reason he killed Superman off is because he wanted to get him out of the way so Batman is the one to assemble the Justice League. This implies that Snyder isn't interested in doing Superman justice (pun intended) and instead wants to put the spotlight on Batman which has been done to death for the last decade.
Final Score - 7.5/10
Comments
This is a good review/analysis of the film. I'm glad I am not the only one who thought the scene where Batman sparred Superman was appropriate for this Batman's arc.I'm not surprised by Zack's reasoning for killing off Superman, after all he did say that this was to be more of a Batman film than a Superman film from the beginning. I'm off to see this film again tomorrow morning. Hopefully I will like this film even better the next time.
I read part of your review, and thought you had some interesting points.
I just saw the film, and I think it was okay. I wasn't exactly fond of the fact that violence was the main thing in the movie. Personally, I like to have a movie where the main course is the story, with violence being a side dish.
Unfortunately, this movie seem to be all about violence, with the story as a side note. So from that perspective, I can understand why this movie is not doing so well.
But I did like a few things about the movie, and here they are...
Ben Affleck's portrail of Bruce Wayne/Batman was exactly what I always envisioned Batman to be. I like the fact that we got to see a more mature Batman in this film. Batman here looks to be around 45 - 50 years old, and given that Superman looks to be in his mid thirties, it would make sense that Bruce would call Clark "son" when they first meet.
I like how they expanded upon what the film Batman Forever showed originally, and that was showing Bruce Wayne suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, due to seeing his parents murdered right in front of his eyes. It gave it a very relatable realness to it!
I thought the stubble beard that Affleck had in the film gave the character a darker and rougher look. Personally, I think that Christian Bale's portrayal of Batman was too clean-cut.
And I also liked that voice Gizmo or whatever it was he had hooked up to his suit so that his voice sounded like something straight out of hell, was a really nice touch!
I like Jeremy Iron's portrayal of Wayne manor butler Alfred Pentyworth. I think that Jeremy did the role Justice, and in some ways I preferred him two Michael Caine's version of the character.
Though I think Michael Caine brought more of a fatherly feel to the role, where as Jeremy's was more of a plain smart-ass. Nevertheless I liked Jeremy in the film.
I was not necessarily fond of Superman dying in the film, but I like that it showed what caring about someone is all about. If you truly care about somebody, then you will be willing to go so far as to give your life for that person.
And in this film, Superman not only gave his life for Lois Lane, but he gave his life for Batman, Wonder Woman, and quite frankly the rest of humanity. I guess they were trying to make him out to be to a Christ-like figure!
I love Amy Adams portrayal of Lois Lane in the film. One big reason is because Amy Adams is cute as hell - which goes without saying. Lol!
Plus, Amy Adams gave the character a real inner strength - a strength and toughness of character. And she did it without having to look or act like a guy in order to prove it.
I thought the introduction of Wonder Woman was quite interesting. Personally, I never expected a woman to look so hot and sexy going into battle! And she managed to kick ass, while still looking feminine.
(Personally, I am not a fan of women who look and act like men, but still insist on being treated like a woman.)
Lex Luthor's portrail was nothing like what I was expecting. To be honest with you, he seemed to be more like the Joker from The Dark Knight, as in comparison to the somewhat dignified, yet unscrupulous criminal- businessman that he has been portrayed as another films. With that said, I love the Joker reference that Bruce Wayne made in the film!
I do not know the name of the actor who portrayed Lex Luther in this film, but he will never top Gene Hackman's performance as Lex Luthor, back when the role of Superman belonged to the late Christopher Reeves.
Totally agree with you. Even though I thought the movie was a little better than you thought it was. If you still want to know who portrayed Lex in this movie, it was Jesse Eisenberg. I also agree that Amy Adams is cute as hell too!
"Say my name." - Lex Luthor.
"Your Eisenberg." - Superman.
"You're goddamn right!" - Luthor.
I personally ended up loving the film, at first I only liked it but surprisingly enough, it didn't bore me at any point unlike allot of other movies I've watched, nearer to the end, however, when the fight begins is when I started to love the movie, I didn't cry and only really chuckled a couple of times but I enjoyed it.