Batman v Superman has been an extremely divisive movie, with a ridiculously low Rotten Tomatoes score of 28%, and a strongly divided fanbase. While far from being perfect, personally, I loved how ambitious the movie was. It was not just another summer blockbuster. I loved how Zack Snyder, in typical fashion, attempted to deconstruct two of the most iconic fictional characters of all time.
This was my favourite movie of 2016, and by a huge margin. I concede that there were better movies (having not watched Moonlight or La-La Land, Arrival currently tops THAT list). However, Batman v Superman will be the movie that stays with me for a long time, as I watch it over and over again, re-discovering the joy of experiencing some of the greatest comic-book scenes ever, while discovering new easter eggs and hidden layers of meaning, with every watch. Let’s dive right into some of the scenes that I absolutely loved to bits, and keep rewatching. It was quite difficult to narrow it down to these 8 amazing scenes.
Must there be a superman?
This scene is one of the best examples on how the DCEU stands apart from the other comic book movies. The movie does not just follow the exploits of superheroes, but also contextualises them in our world, the real world in which you and I exist. It attempts to believably portray, how we would react to gods living among us. Through the use of real world talk-show hosts and bloggers, we get the feeling of watching a real-world debate on the existence of a god-like being and his role in our society.
The Day of the Dead scene at the start is also noteworthy. As Clark saves the little girl and hands her to the mother, he is doing so with a smile. This is who Superman is. He saves people with a re-assuring smile – “I’ve got you”. The smile quickly fades when he realizes that they see him as a god, and desperately try to touch him. Henry Cavill conveys well, the dismay their adulation brings him.
“Maybe he’s not a devil or Jesus character. Maybe he’s just a guy trying to do the right thing.”
The warehouse fight
The Dark Knight trilogy gave us an amazing set of movies, that not only shed off the stigma caused by Batman and Robin, but set a new bar for comic book movies, with The Dark Knight still considered to be one of the greatest movies ever made. As amazing as those movies were, they still left Batman fans yearning for a more comic-accurate version of Batman, with Nolan’s version being more grounded in reality.
Ben Affleck shines in his portrayal of a weary, bitter Batman, who’s drained of hope and positivity. We see the Dark Knight at his darkest, constantly obsessing over the loss of his parents and one of his Robins (at the hands of the Joker). Consequently, he has become crueler, which is a major theme in the movie.
In this scene, however, we get to see the engine of perfection that is Batman, take on a small army in his quest to save Superman’s mother. Regular people in the DC Universe, always assume that the Batman is a vampire or a demon from another dimension (the DC universe has many!). This scene shows us why even hardened criminals would believe that about him. We get to see how unstoppable the Batman is in a fight, by combining elements from the books, the animated universe and the Arkham games.
Watch as he takes on multiple armed opponents and destroys them with ease. Notice how the fight avoids the common trope of enemies attacking in turns, as the caped crusader adeptly fights multiple opponents at once, coming out on top despite a few hiccups. The nod to The Dark Knight Returns (“I believe you…”) at the end, was great too.
Knightmare
Though this scene disrupts the pacing of the movie, there is no denying that this is one of the most visually surreal set pieces in recent times. From the unique styling and costumes, to the long single-take shot in the mid, to the parademons, this is a scene that leaves your jaws on the floor.
Heavily inspired by the Injustice storyline, this nightmare is a realisation of Bruce’s worst fears, of Superman turning evil and ruling the world with an iron fist. The omega symbol, coupled with the appearance of parademons to help Superman, indicate Darkseid’s hand behind Superman’s dark turn. In the comics, we have Superman turning authoritarian after the Joker tricks him into killing Lois Lane and their unborn child. This version seems to share some parallel with that, since we have Superman saying “She was my world, and you took her from me”.
We also get a nice Flash cameo, with the Flash (from a possible future) popping out of the speedforce to warn Bruce that he was right about him (ah, the pronoun game), and that Lois Lane is the key. It would be interesting to see how all this plays out in the DCEU. For those who didn’t notice it, the papers flying about at the very end, serve as an indication that Flash’s appearance wasn’t a dream.
Rooftop
Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor was divisive even among fans who loved the movie. This scene, however, doesn’t need any defense, as Jesse Eisenberg finally shines as the god-hating Lex Luthor. All credit to Terrio for knocking it out of the park with Lex’s lines in this scene. Lex finally unleashes his fury at Superman, both as an embodiment of God who failed him, and a god who makes him feel powerless.
Also, note how Superman is hovering above Lex at the start of the scene, with Lex progressively getting the upper-hand in stature over the course of his monologue. At the end, he strokes Superman’s hair, further asserting his dominance and power over a god. There are so many amazing lines in this one scene, including some of my favourite in the entire movie.
“If God is all powerful, then he cannot be all good. And, if he’s all good, then he cannot be all powerful. And neither can you be. They need to see you for the fraud you are.”
“Mother of God! Would you look at the time? When you came here, you had an hour. Now it’s less.”
“Boy, do we have problems up here! The problem of evil in the world, the problem of absolute virtue, the problem of you, on top of everything, you above all.” – This is also a clever nod to the DCEU God (usually referred to as One-Above-All), the in-universe representation of the Abrahamic God.
“The mother of a flying demon must be a witch. And the punishment for witches, what is that, that’s right, death by fire!” – One of several literary references by Lex, here possibly referring to the witch and her flying demons from The Wizard of Oz.
The Trinity vs Doomsday
In a movie about Batman and Superman meeting for the first time ever, it is Wonder Woman who steals every scene she is in. It is unbelievable that it took 76 years for the most popular female superhero to appear on the silver screen. The casting in DCEU has been exceptional for the most part, and Gal Gadot is no exception.
Though chaotic, this fight is gorgeous. Doomsday takes on the DC Trinity, who we see assembled together for the first time ever. There was so many great shots, not to mention the hilarity of Batman just looking so out of place, and desperately scrambling to survive Doomsday. Superman gives it his all, but fighting with more brute power than finesse or technique. Wonder Woman is the one who shines here, valiantly leaping into battle, and expertly dodging and weaving through Doomsday’s onslaught. Apart from the Kryptonite spear, she’s the only one who manages to harm Doomsday in any significant way.
A beautiful lie
Zack Snyder does intros really well, and this is no exception. We are treated to an incredibly poetic potrayal of the Wayne murders, which ends with Bruce Wayne being carried up by the bats, symbolically, as he ascends into “a beautiful lie”. This is the first of many (some say, too many) dreams/nightmares that plague Batman throughout the movie, showing him slowly slipping into insanity. There’s a scene where he wakes up from a nightmare, and immediately pops a few pills, and washes them down with alcohol. This intro is a great way to establish the kind of Batman we are getting.
The Batmobile chase, followed by ‘Do you bleed?’
The BvS Batmobile is almost as impressive as the Batman himself. The bad guys throw everything at it, and it just keeps coming, like an unstoppable juggernaut. We see the Batmobile effortlessly go through ships, vehicles and buildings, in it’s tireless pursuit of the bad guys. It is nigh unstoppable.
That is, until it bounces off Superman like a toy car! What an amazing way, both to show how badass the Batmobile is, and how much more powerful Superman is. Also, it is followed by one of the most badass lines in the movie, when a man looks up defiantly at a god, and asks:
Tell me, do you bleed?
He is not our enemy
The disagreement between Bruce and Alfred come to a head, in this scene, as Alfred points out that he knows Bruce is lying and asks him what he’s really after. What follows is an intense argument between these old friends, as Alfred tries to reason with an angry, frustrated Bruce, who has already made up his mind, to kill Superman.
Both Jeremy Irons and Ben Affleck are amazing here, as we see the true depths of Bruce’s cynicism. Also, note how Bruce’s backdrop is red, symbolising his anger, and Alfred’s backdrop reflects the water, indicating his calmer and more level-headed nature.
20 years in Gotham, Alfred. We’ve seen what promises are worth. How many good guys are left. How many stayed that way.