Barry Turi A2 Film Studies F634

An exploration into how the portrayal of

protagonists has differentiated in the superhero
sub-genre
In my creative investigation, I will be exploring how the representation of protagonists
in the superhero genre has changed since the 1970s, where the genre first rose to fame
in Hollywood. In this essay, I aim to explore this statement using contemporary US
films and investigate the extent of the statement I have made. Throughout this
investigation, I will be using the macro of representation as a key framework, deeply
exploring the differentiating representations throughout the years. In this essay, I am
hoping to uncover stereotypical traits of superheroes such as patriotism, heroism and
how they are seen as inspirational figures for society to look up to.

More specific research questions I aim to address in this essay are:

Did Spider-Man set the tone for how main protagonists in superhero films should
be represented?

How do more recent superhero films handle their protagonists?

Discussion of findings

Did Spider-Man set the tone for how main protagonists in superhero films should
be represented?

Spider-Man (2002) was directed by Sam Raimi, and completely opposed the generic
convention, which was then established. Historically, superheroes typically served as a
symbolism of patriotism, much like how Superman is represented in Superman (1978).
One key factor, which associates Superman with America, is his symbolic costume,
which Christopher Reeve wore in the movie. His costume is largely blue and red the
same colours used on the American flag. Superman relates to a positive representation
of American values, as he serves as a powerful, hopeful hero a message which

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explicitly highlights this. The film also contains scenes where Superman, or Clark Kent
for this matter, works for a newspaper publisher called The Daily Planet, while juggling
his life as being Superman. This symbolizes a living dualism, and the urge for people to
be better than themselves. In the film, he represents American ideals to be strong,
independent, popular and admired for the person he is, all of which are ideologies in
America. Superman was a perfect example of how binary opposites were applied to
represent these ideologies. The character of Superman is essentially Clark Kent
balancing life with his alter ego. The binary opposite is prevalent it is man vs.
superhuman.

Consistent use of this portrayal of heroes, added to the true meaning of Superman, and
how audiences related to him and other superheroes as a major sign of patriotism
amongst the pop culture in the 1970s ad 1980s. After 1987, where Superman IV The
Quest for Peace was released, superhero began to take a different approach. Rather
than representing patriotism, directors like Tim Burton chose their own incarnations of
the hero Batman. An example of this is in Burtons Batman (1989), where Batman first
emerges to confront criminals on the rooftop. His costume blends in with the dark low-
key lighting, implying the unpredictability of the character and representing him as
one of the darkness, connoting that his methods of justice were darker than those of
Superman. Low angle shots looking up to Batmans menacing facial expression are used
as a direct reference to how the audience looks up to Batman as a superior character,
and that the audience also looks down on the inferior criminals. Burton took a grittier,
darker tone with Batman representing him as a full human challenging the depths of
crime, giving people the hope of standing up to darker reflections of society. Batmans
moral to challenge the criminals as an ordinary man complimented how crime was on
the rise in 1989. A typical day in America consisted of nine rapes, five murders, two-
hundred and fifty-five robberies and one-hundred and ninety-four aggravated assaults.
Rather than having someone to look up to, someone who was clearly superior in terms
of power, like how Superman was perceived by audiences, Batman gave the audience
inspiration to deal with situations themselves, challenging the rise in American crime
in the same year. Batman could be considered as a film which compliments Burtons
style, as it is quite dark but sometimes very upbeat. Other films which employ this same
style are Edward Scissorhands (1990) and Beetlejuice (1988).

Further analysing the rooftop scene, and how Batman is introduced differently to
Superman, he is represented as feared and mythological. One criminal uses diegetic
dialogue and says, That aint what I heard at all I heard the Bat got him in a
whimpering tone. This conforms to the audience that Batman has a right to be feared
the criminal says, Got him, implying that something dark and ruthless could have
happened to his victim. This scene represents Batman as someone who is a countertype
never has a superhero come across as ruthless as Batman, compared to the light-

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toned adaptations of Clark Kent in the Superman saga.

However, it wasnt till the 9/11 attacks on September 11th 2001, which foreshadowed
the future of how protagonists were represented in superhero movies, would we see a
change in how we see the superheroes on the big screen. The first major studio release
under the superhero genre was Spider-Man (2002), which truly explored the character
of Peter Parker/Spider-Man, and set a template which future releases such as Batman
Begins (2005) would follow to convey similar messages.

It was also very unusual for audiences to come to the fact that Sam Raimi was directing
the movie, starting off the Spider-Man trilogy, considering the director was most known
for his horror films such as The Evil Dead (1981) and Darkman (1990), and producing
additional horrors such as Evil Dead [Reboot] (2013) and more recently Dont Breathe
(2016) - films from a very contrasting genre.

Spider-Man follows the origin story, involving Peter Parker

getting bitten by radioactive spider, which results in him gaining
superhuman powers. He then uses these powers under the moral
message with great power, comes great responsibility to fight
crime as Spider-Man. Gauntlett's theory can apply here, which
states that "identity is complicated, as everybody has one". This is
the case for Spider-Man, as the character of Spider-Man shows a
much different interpretation of a protagonist. The character of
Peter Parker is used by director Sam Raimi, not only to
emphasise the sympathy of 9/11, but to also show struggles of a
teenager, especially with what happens in the films narrative,
and the themes it handles. This had never been used to deliver
such messages and values about American society and patriotism,
so Raimi's interpretation is original in its own sense.

The film changed its direction with representing Spider-Man in response to the attacks.
The film, in collaboration with the source material (comic books) gave to audiences the
impression that Peter Parker was amongst the New York citizenship, representing him
as more troubled than other superheroes in different movies. This felt more convenient
due to the lives lost and the long-lasting effects the attacks had on the American society,
especially New York, which is where the film is also set, adding to its relevance. While
at the same time, the film focuses to steadily develop the character of Peter Parker into
the patriotic superhero he becomes.

As opposed to other superhero movies, Peter Parker is

represented as a troubled young man. A scene that nicely
compliments this is Uncle Bens death scene. Close-ups are used
here to show Peters emotional facial expressions, used to show
tears dripping down his face. The use of cinematography helps
the audience to sympathise with Peter, as we can clearly see he
is in distress and emotional turmoil after what he has witnessed.
A non-diegetic soundtrack is used and it has a very slow pace

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and sombre tone to help emphasise Peters pain in response to Uncle Bens passing, and
create the effect of sadness amongst the audience. Never has a scene been so engulfed
in sympathy and sadness, and begins the characters development into a hero very
differently. In this same scene, Peter masks up and hunts down the man who allegedly
killed his uncle, in a fit of rage. This highlights the theme of anger within an average
teenager. He doesnt think twice about what hes doing, but also it makes his character
a lot more relatable as a teenage viewer, as many other people in this demographic
would go on to do the same thing, or at least be engulfed in anger.

Soon after the car chase scene, Peter confronts the antagonist, utilizing his new powers.
In this scene, Peter is represented as a stealthy protagonist, waiting to strike literal
fear into the criminal. The lack of sound, also known as ambient sound, used in this
scene creates suspense for the audience, as they steadily wait to expect Peter emerge
from the shadows. This can somewhat be referred back to Batman, how a lack of sound
is used up until his presence is known to create enigma and tension amongst the
viewers, as Barthes discussed in his theory concerning enigma. Sound gradually builds
however, when we see Peters shadow in the light on the roof it is almost like a sound
which comes across as enigmatic and bold, acknowledging the audience that he is
present in the scene. The sound, which appears mysterious, is a reflection of the
criminals reaction he is very confused and agitated towards the situation at hand.

Spider-Man shows a significant development, which symbolizes how America

recovered from the 9/11 attacks. Pre 9/11, superhero films with the exception of the
Batman series were very campy, simple plotlines, which saw the hero tackle the
villain's evil motives. The development in character is an explicit symbolism of
America's development and a sign that things would restore themselves. The final
swing at the end of the film presents his heroism as a sign of progress in reaction to the
attacks. The continuous shot, created by CGI ends with Spider-Man landing on a
flagpole that holds the America flag on top of The Empire State Building. This is very
patriotic and delivers the message that a guardian-watcher is looking over the city, and
that everything will be fine, as audiences have learnt from watching the film in its
entirety.

Raimi's adaptation of Spider-Man, alongside with the original comic-book source

material completely changed the representation of superheroes and rejuvenated the
franchise as a whole, considering the entire $800,000,000 that Spider-Man brought
from the worldwide box office. This drastic change compliments Steve Neale's theory,
that "pleasure would be deprived with repetition". The superhero genre was seeing a

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repetition in mainly plot and characters; Superman Superman IV The Quest for
Peace was a perfect example of recycling the then-conventional plot of 'hero tackles the
villain', without any real differences in plot. Raimis direction foreshadowed future
movies, especially Batman Begins (2005) and Man of Steel (2013), to tackle the origin
story to create a sympathetic representation of the protagonist, and make the audience
feel for and relate to them. This approach is all thanks to Sam Raimis film, and almost
every superhero movie has taken the same, if not, a similar approach to help the
audience relate and feel for the character.

How do more recent superhero films handle their protagonists?

As previously discussed in my creative investigation, 9/11 had an impact of society, on

almost every conceivable form of entertainment. Sam Raimis Spider-Man first shifted
the generic representation of superheroes to create a character who reflected the
emotions of a New York citizen of 9/11, while relating to the origin story of the
superhero. It started a renaissance in the superhero genre. After Spider-Man, many
superhero films followed the same formula to follow the origin story (in some
instances) and most importantly to create a relatable character who the audience
themselves can relate to.

Man of Steel (2013, Zack Snyder) was the start of DCs Extended
Universe, with Warner Bros. beginning to capitalise on how Marvel
and Disney established their own on-screen universe known as the
Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU. Regardless, Man of Steel
represented the character of Superman almost as a humanised
incarnation of the character, which was a very different take on
the character and something that had never been translated onto
the big screen in recent years. Instead of focusing on presenting a
man as a symbolism of American ideologies as much, it was intent
on creating a character that audiences would sympathise with. The
title of the film Man of Steel is a direct reference to Superman
essentially being a Man, and is a hint to how the film went about
his character.

One key scene in the film has an overt visual reference to the events of 9/11. Very
critically approached, CGI is used to show the audience the pure destruction of
Metropolis, with buildings collapsing in the background and forefront of the battle
between Superman and General Zod. Different perspectives which focus on the
situations that Perry White and Jenny Olsen are in; Zack Snyder attempts to recreate
the destruction from a civilians point of view, with extreme amounts of smoke and
rubble taking over the streets of Metropolis. Zack Snyder used this in the third act of
the film to capture the perspectives, directly from a civilians perspective,
implementing a sense of sympathy and the stakes that come from such power.

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The character of Superman in this movie is much humanised within the first two acts,
with the morals of two different fathers (Jonathon Kent and Jor-El) being understood
by audiences. Jor-El unveiling Clarks super suit, referencing to the iconic logo being a
symbol of hope encourages our protagonist to do right by his Kryptonian father,
further attempting to create a representation that the original Superman films had
successfully pulled off, about American ideologies, and being someone who people can
admire and look up to. Jor-El delivers an impacting message to his son Kal-El; When the
suit is first introduced, it is shown through the use of a wide-shot, positioned in between
Jor-El and Clark. This signifies that the symbol of hope is quite literally central to their
relationship; Jor-El wants his son to be someone people can look up to. I come to the
conclusion that Jor-El here represents people in need of the American society, and
some may say worldwide. He confesses the ideologies and hopes that people only dream

of, and Jor-El wants his son to accomplish that.

The other half of the argument is represented in the sense
that Jonathon Kent is the challenge to Jor-Els morals and
hopes. He thinks that despite his powers which can help
people, they will also make him hated by society. A key
scene to highlight Supermans inferiority and to highlight
Jonathon Kents morals is his death scene. A low-angle
shot is used when he is engulfed in the tornado to signify
the character is admirable and caring, someone who the
audience appreciate and understand. He stays close to his
morals, making him morally dominant and faithful. The
next shot shows a close-up of Superman, rather than both

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him and Martha Kent to signify that the events are hurting him emotionally more, also
placing the relevance and impact of Johns morals on him even further. While at the
same time, the use of the close-up captures the emotions of Clark Kent, devastated by
following his rules and watching his father swept away from him.

Characters like Lois Lane can be argued to be presented as the most vulnerable;
however, she doesnt relate to the attacks or deliver any valid messages which hint
towards them, only serving as a love interest and a damsel-in-distress that Superman
must save. She is very much conventional to the superhero genre. Relating to my case
studies, damsel-in-distresses are very common Batman has Vicki Vale, Superman also
has Lois Lane, and Spider-Man has Mary-Jane Watson. Some may agree with
Baudrillards theory, that frequent representations, which are repeated, have lost
meaning as a result, especially in this genre of film.

Personally, the last act of the movie takes away from Supermans character, which
would have made this movie one of the best portrayals, which followed the sympathetic
approach of Spider-Man. The last act of the movie involves Superman fighting General
Zod in the middle of Metropolis, collapsing buildings as a result of their incompetence
and powers. This doesnt exactly capture the emotions of the character, but rather the
events which, in the film, are almost constructed scenes directly resembling 9/11. This
makes the character of Superman not one who is sympathetic but destructive, taking
away from his overall portrayal. However, as pointed before, Snyder makes up for this
personally by showing more relatable perspectives from civilians in the film.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016, Zack Snyder) is a

film that was very controversial amongst fans and critics when
talking about the representation of superheroes, especially the
character of Batman. In my personal opinion, Director Zack
Snyder chose to portray Batman as a ruthless vigilante, who has
no remorse to killing criminals instead of letting them live. The
warehouse fight scene demonstrates this statement perfectly.
Batman uses props such as guns and knives to kill his criminals.
The main reason as to why people were angry relates to the
historical element of the characters comic book incarnations
Batman has always been a character who has come close to being a
criminal, however his villains such as The Joker force him to lean
back into the good side therefore influencing his morals not to kill
in the comics. This is also explored in The Dark Knight (2008,
Christopher Nolan) in a scene between Batman and The Joker.
This is countertypical for a superhero to do, as Batman
demonstrated immorality in his methods of justice in Batman v
Superman: Dawn of Justice. It is also countertypical for the
character of Batman too, as comic book fans are fond of Batmans
moral rule of No Killing. Further research can lead into a counter
argument to this critique. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is
heavily inspired by two graphic novels, one of which being The
Dark Knight Returns (1986, Frank Miller), which explores an

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older, intolerant Batman whose moral code has decayed further, making him a
psychopath. Psychopaths can understand the difference between right and wrong, but
choose to take wrongful actions anyway.

Easter Eggs in the film hint towards the fact that the process of serving as the Caped
Crusader has jaded him, experiencing heart-wrenching events. Fans of Batman would
identify Robins suit in the Batcave, which is a nod to the dead Robin Jason Todd, who
was taken away by The Joker, also hinted at with the graffiti on the suit reading
JOKES ON YOU BATMAN! Producer Charles Roven agrees with this he further
highlights dialogue from the movie, where Bruce Wayne says to his butler Alfred 20
years in Gotham, how many good guys are left? How many stayed that way. Batman
has been damaged by the past, only making it an incentive to exempt punishment the
same way his fellow companions have been taken away from him.

Superhero films have always

focused on protagonists who are
bold and bright; for example
Superman in Superman (1978,
Richard Donner), and Spider-
Man in The Amazing Spider-Man
2 (2014, Marc Webb). However,
Batman has always been
represented as a man within the
darkness - almost as a myth.
Batmans introduction scene in
this movie has the audience on edge, using suspenseful music and low-key lighting,
which creates a representation of eeriness towards Batman. In Batmans introduction,
he is represented as a myth the frightened woman in the cage says to the police officer
We saw him the devil. She refers to him as The Devil an entity associated with hell
and people are petrified of what it will do to them. She also shuts the cage door because
of her concern and fear over Batman. This scene captures the Batman that I know; one
within the darkness, and the reactions from two social classes (lower and middle) show
how society overall perceives him. This scene is comparable to Tim Burtons
introduction to Batman in his 1989 film people are clearly afraid, with the scene
aiding from suspenseful, uplifting music as well as low-key lighting to symbolise the
darkness and fear through visual components like colours. As a viewer, this scene kept
me at the edge of my seat, moulded with tension and invested in the overall feel that
Zack Snyder intentionally created to get the audience invested in his Batman.

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The change in gender representation is apparent in Batman
v Superman: Dawn of Justice however, breeding a fresh new
aspect of heroines for the first time for audiences to digest.
Wonder Womans appearance in the film is short but it gives
me enough to comment on her representation in the film.
The final fight against a resurrected General Zod (Doomsday)
compliments her representation as the most dominant figure
in the entire scene. She is the most proactive figure in the
fight by far, illustrating her power and her expertise when it
comes to combat, more advanced and complex than both
Batman and Superman. This is very unconventional, as
female superheroes have never been able to shine in a
massive blockbuster film such as this, but Wonder Womans
presence finally enables audiences to digest themes such as
feminism as well as enjoy themselves. Many people expect
women to serve as love interests and/or damsels in distress; however it is Wonder
Woman who actually saves Batman, who is in a vulnerable state as she appears
triumphantly on screen, with a boisterous, loud and intense-filled score by Hans
Zimmer to further emphasise this.

However, Diana Prince could be considered to

serve as a male gaze, stated by Laura Mulvey,
further considering that she is played by Israeli
model Gal Gadot. Frequently throughout the
first and second acts, her screen time is
dedicated to taunting Bruce Wayne while
maintaining that small extent of sexualisation
this is shown through her revealing clothing and
her dresses show her efforts to please any man
in the parties that she appears in. Her revealing costume, accompanied by the colour
scheme of red, orange and yellow in the second party scene to connote love and
flirtatious behaviour, helps audiences to understand that woman are still represented
as stereotypically sexualised, revealing and flirtatious, however director Zack Snyder
juggles her character well. This is an indicator that the superhero genre is advancing in
terms of diversity amongst genders, giving female heroines a heroic representation
rather than conventional supporting roles, which lack character and likeability. For
example, Lois Lane in this movie only really serves as a damsel-in-distress and a love
interest to Superman even less so than her stereotypical and oversaturated
representation in Man of Steel.

In conclusion to my investigation, I can specify exactly how protagonist

representations have altered from 1978 to present day. As the superhero genre started
to evolve and become its own, heroes such as Superman and Batman were seen as
figures of inspiration, with morals of independence, perseverance and bravery. In 2002,
the tone and genre changed forever as Sam Raimi took a sympathetic approach to
Spider-Man and saw a hero of the same social class step up for what he thought was
right. The genre has also seen some unconventional changes, such as introducing

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Wonder Woman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice as a dominant, independent
woman instead of following the conventional damsel-in-distress route.

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References

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/superman/critical-assignment-why-has-there-
been-a-shift-in-focus-of-superhero-a119965
- (2014, ComicBookMovie)

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090112102247AAigP22
- (2008, Pariah, Yahoo Answers)

http://www.vulture.com/2013/06/hollywood-blockbusters-cant-stop-evoking-
911.html#
- (2013, Kyle Buchanan, Vulture.com)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/aamir-hussain/the-man-of-steel-
represen_b_3446785.html
- (2013, Aamir Hussain, Huffington Post)

https://girloncomicbookworld.com/2015/02/17/batman-character-analysis-he-
aint-crazy-but-he-is-complex/
- (2015, NKAY96, Girl-On-Comic-Book-World)

http://www.cinemablend.com/news/Why-Batman-Kills-People-Batman-v-
Superman-Dawn-Justice-120837.html
- (2016, Charles Roven, CinemaBlend)

Media, Gender and Identity David Gauntlett

- (2008, David Gauntlett)

Visuals and Other Pleasures

- (2009, Laura Mulvey)

Simulacra and Simulation

- (2008, Jean Baudlirrard)

Genre and Hollywood (Sightlines)

- (1999, Steve Neale)

S/Z
- (1970, Roland Barthes)

The Dark Knight Returns

- (1986, Frank Miller)

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