If the astronaut Bowman is a latter-day Odysseus and outer space the tempest-tossed Mediterranean, the classical references nevertheless remain intentionally incomplete and undeveloped. The astronauts do not undergo the variety of adventures that kept the Greek hero and his crew from returning home. So too with other stories that are invoked, such as Nietzsche’s Superman, called forth by the leaping chords of Richard Strauss’s Also Sprach Zarathustra, which is played at the beginning; when ape-men first use the tool/weapon they have been inspired to discover during the first section of the film; and in the birth of the star child at the end. As Alexander Walker paraphrases this theme, the film is Kubrick’s story of the nature of intelligence: “He roots intelligence in the mythological past, before man has begun to use it, then ends intelligence in the metaphysical future, where man cannot yet grasp its latest
The evolution and differences in the superhero genre in cinema through the example of Superman Introduction The superhero genre in cinema is a category that includes all the films which involve at least one superhero. A superhero is a costumed character who possesses special powers, such as the power to fly, and tries to make something good out of it, like fighting villains and protecting people. The first real superhero movie is Superman and the mole men, directed by Lee Sholem and released in 1951. The latest is Logan, directed by James Mangold. Most superhero movies are based on superhero comics.
Odysseus is not parallel to any set of villains or even a single villain. He just winds up in complicated circumstances where he suffers the wrath of Poseidon for killing his son, Cyclops in the attempt to escape. He uses one of his similarities with Batman; ingenuity, by telling Cyclops his name is Nobody. By doing so, when Cyclops calls for help, everyone in the surrounding area would ridicule him, for instance on page 224 line 455 when Cyclops yelled, ‘Nobody’s killing me now by fraud and not by force!’ Batman is faced with numerous trials, but still persists in his goal of fairness for all. Similarly, Odysseus just wants to return to his island home, but still treats his obstacles with as much as respect as possible.
However, emphasis on the male body is only given in scenes which highlight the body in (violent) action. Shots of Wayne’s body in the trilogy and Bane’s body in The Dark Knight Rises always highlight scars and bruises as proof of the active role of men in patriarchal ideology. Moreover, The Dark Knight Rises provides an example of gender as “a performance with clearly punitive consequences” (Butler 522). In the cinematic world of Nolan’s Batman, soon-to-be Commissioner Foley tries to avoid fighting to stop anarchy in Gotham after Bane has declared martial law. When he finally joins the re-established police forces, his character gets killed by the anarchist
He covers a wide range of mental illnesses such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), phobias, obsession, etc. However, the most intriguing topic concerning Batman’s mental stability was the evaluation of Batman’s love life. Batman has fallen in love but he lives a life of mystery and interacts with a false identity. To keep Gotham citizens unaware that Batman is Bruce Wayne, Bruce wears a bat-suit which is a dark outfit that includes a night bat-like mask while fighting crime. To further conceal his identity from the world, Bruce gave his real name an alter-ego that has the personality of a wealthy playboy while he acts out his true identity as Batman.
Well in Batman Arkham Asylum you have these amazing skills that easily trump the ability to fly or leap tall building! You will be embracing millionaire play boy by day and vigilante detective by night Bruce Wayne, or better known as Batman in this ultimate gaming experience. So I know what your thinking, “Batman is lame”, right? I hate to break it to you but you are so very wrong if you think so, as this game will change your mind indefinitely. In Batman Arkham Asylum you
Superman represents the ideas of the “American Dream” as he embodied a character who was the last son of a dying race. Superman ideologically, was the ultimate immigrant who aspired to be more than just a man, thus donning the superhero identity. In Batman’s case, the caped crusader was a man without power which directly contrasts Superman. Batman represents the peak of humanity in terms of intellect and physicality. Similarly, Wonder Woman represents the spirit of feminism as she was introduced in the 1940s.
I have chosen Batman as the superhero I have conducted my research on. Batman is of course a fictional superhero owned by DC Comics. He first appeared in a detective comic in the May of 1939, written by Bill Finger. He was first known as The Bat-Man and later, the Dark Knight and world’s greatest detective. Batman is the secret identity of Bruce Wayne, who lives in Gotham, who is a billionaire philanthropist and industrialist.
As pointed out by Reynolds the superheroes in Watchmen “exist at the mercy of contingent factors, which limit their actions … The superhero in Watchmen has become just another facet of society” (108-109). The superheroes in Watchmen are engulfed in the ideologies of the world (religion, education, media…) unlike those of superheroes abilities and from fantasy worlds. Moreover, Batman, Superman, and the other traditional superheroes became superheroes due to intrinsic responsibility, but the superheroes in Watchmen choose it for mundane reasons like power, fame, money, or promote self-proclaimed ideologies (Van Ness, 41). Ideally, pursuing self-proclaimed ideologies, becoming superheroes for a mundane reason like fame and other factors of the heroes in Watchmen goes contrary to the common concept of the traditional hero who does what it does for the benefit of all and not personal gains or fame. Ideally, Watchmen reduces the
It’s meant to wind, like a river. It comes and goes. My….. A man I knew, once told me it’s like car keys. Easy to lose, but……..” Superman said before he was cut off by the boys little sister. “Did you ever fight a hippo?” She says.