Welcome to Part 2/3 of my Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice analysis. If you are new to this blog, please read the introductory details and notes in the Method section of Part 1/3.
By the way, if you find the following research impressive and are looking to hire someone who can do journalism, you can find me on Discord on the DC Films server by Dantius87#1417.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (Scene-by-Scene - Part 1/3): First hour analysis.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (Scene-by-Scene - Part 2/3): Second hour analysis.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (Scene-by-Scene - Part 3/3): Third hour analysis.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (Overview): Story, character, production.
Reminder that what you see here is constantly being updated and improved with new material. Please forgive any typos or barren areas.
Museum Gala
"So apparently, Superman--" says the voice of former Daily Show host Jon
Stewart at the end of the prior scene, making a cameo as himself:
Cut to Stewart on his show
on television as we pull out to a shoulder shot from the slacking waiter (Marcus Goddard) whose feet are on the table.
"--doesn't want us to think of him as American anymore, and really,
why would we? I mean, aside from the red and blue costume and... I
don't know, the fact that he has one-third of the USA's initials
on his chest! I assume the only reason he's not wearing the
Declaration Of Independence as a cape is... he thinks it's too
on-the-nose."
- From this we learn Superman has had interactions with the press to an extent, though likely through transcribed interviews, possibly with Lois Lane, since we know he is camera shy.
- This is likely a reference to the controversial Superman story The Incident in Action Comics #900, which made headlines for Superman renouncing his American citizenship.
- This is yet more of an attempt by the media to make Superman a political figure, though Stewart does have a point, albeit a poorly-worded one. The motif of Superman as a distinctly American character or American symbol is present throughout the story.
- As Vikram Gandhi said a few minutes ago, "We have always created icons in our own image. What we've done is we project ourselves onto him." This is precisely what Stewart is doing here.
Startled, the waiter hurries to his feet. We are in a back room, the manager approaching the multiple slacking waiters as they frantically stand from their seats and put on or adjust their white jackets.
"Guys, come on, let's go!" urges the manager.
Goddard's waiter lifts a tray of champagne glasses from a table while the others waiters
work in the background.
"Get yourselves together and get out there. Get those glasses on those
trays. We got thirsty people out there."
We follow Goddard's waiter carrying his tray into the museum, where crowds of well-dressed guests are socialising amid display cases of ancient artefacts. The waiter passes by the museum curator (Graham Beal, credited as James Harmon), who takes a glass from the tray, and we break off to track him through the crowd, passing by a marble statue of Alexander the Great, which Zack Snyder had in his office and Michigan gym, and it appears in a few of his Vero photos.
The music that begins here is Dmitri Shostakovich's Suite for Variety Orchestra: VII. Waltz No. 2, often mistakenly attributed to Suite for Jazz Orchestra No. 2/Jazz Suite No. 2 instead of Suite for Variety Orchestra. This is one of Shostakovich’s most famous works. It plays as background music for the gala, presumably played over speakers. There does not seem to be any significance to this piece with respect to the film, but it completes the upper-class atmosphere of the event.
The curator finds Diana, now wearing a shimmering gown and speaking to several other
guests. He asks of them, "I wonder, would you excuse us?"
To Diana, he says, "There's something I'd like to show you."
"I'm sorry," she says to the other two guests, bidding them farewell to accompany the curator away.
We follow their stroll out of the cavernous central hall into a side hallway, watching them through glass display cases. One contains a sword and shield, yet another subtle indicator of her true warrior identity.
"I'm sorry," she says to the other two guests, bidding them farewell to accompany the curator away.
We follow their stroll out of the cavernous central hall into a side hallway, watching them through glass display cases. One contains a sword and shield, yet another subtle indicator of her true warrior identity.
As they walk, the curator says to her,
"Now, some scholars insist that it never happened, but I believe it's
the action perfectly in keeping with a king who was also a psychopathic
killer." Since he is talking about Alexander the Great, it is appropriate that his statue can be seen between them in the background as they leave the main hall. "For me, it's the culmination of forty years curating. And I
can't believe it, but I've finally got it here. It's the sword of Alexander. It's the blade that cut the Gordian Knot."
We circle around the two as they come to a glass case containing an aged
sword. As we push on it, a careful eye can spot Bruce approaching from
down the hall in the right frame, his reflection appearing briefly in the
glass to stand above the ancient weapon, before we close to fill the
screen with the blade.
The curator finishes, "It's a triumph."
"Yes," says Diana.
"Enjoy." Then he leaves her alone, stepping away.
"Thank you."
"Enjoy." Then he leaves her alone, stepping away.
"Thank you."
The actual sword is fictional, but the Gordian Knot is a known legend. In
the city of Gordium in ancient Phrygia, an ox cart of special
significance was tied to a post via cornel bark, so tightly that an oracle
declared that whoever could untie the "Gordian Knot" would rule over all
Asia. After entering the city, Alexander the Great cut the Knot with one
swift move of his sword, using simplistic brute force to overcome a
problem. There are many points to be made here...
- This is precisely fitting for Batman's goals in the film, later emphasised by his words, "the world only makes sense if you force it to."
- Further corroborating this relation, in the reflection on the glass, just as we approach, Bruce can be seen standing perfectly over the sword, also standing in the right background. This subtle introduction of Bruce to the scene before his main appearance may associate him visually with the sword, positioning him as Alexander.
- Lex, who certainly is a psychopathic killer, is referred to by his full first name of "Alexander" once in this film, possibly tying the reference to him.
- Samuel Otten pointed out that this might foreshadow how Superman is later placed in a no-win situation that he breaks out of with an unorthodox solution, namely discovering the goodness in Batman, the very man who wants to kill him.
- The Gordion Knot is also mentioned in Watchmen by Ozymandias when he discussed Alexander the Great and how he followed the conqueror's footsteps across the world. Ozymandias also applied the Gordion Knot solution to saving the world. To prevent World War III, he executed a catastrophe that killed millions to unite the world against another threat.
- In this film, Superman has to die for humanity to see him as the truly human hero he really is, a blunt solution to the problem of humanity turning against him.
Behind the Scene: Editor David Brenner explained that this shot was originally even longer, following the waiter from the kitchen and into the main room...
"The opening shot was constructed with a much longer introduction. A oner, starting close on a tray of champagne glasses, we follow a waiter out with the tray into a museum gala... an art curator takes a glass off the tray and we follow him as he interrupts Diana Prince from a conversation, and walks her through the party giving her an elaborate introduction to the Sword of Alexander.... and finally we come to the sword. This beautifully timed shot was one of the first things we had to cut because, as I said we were well over 3 hours and I guess the shot itself had little to do with story..." (David Brenner, ProVideo Coalition, 10 April 2016)
Low-angle shot of Diana from within the glass case. Over her shoulder,
Bruce walks into view, eyes set on her, having tracked her down.
He looks at the sword. "It's a fake," he says, likely trying to
impress her with his knowledge.
"The real one was sold in '98 on the black market. Now it hangs--""Over the bed of the Sultan of Hajar," says Diana, finishing his sentence. We immediately know from this that she has known about the sword since long before the curator introduced her to it. With Bruce thrown off by her educated response, she turns to smile at him and says, "Excuse me," and she steps away to leave.
Bruce, no longer as suave as he was, follows and takes her by the arm as they walk back to the main hall side-by-side. Diana is surprised by the sudden grab, but goes along with it, brushing him off as a non-threat as Bruce says, "Excuse me, Miss. The other night, you took something that doesn't belong to you. Stealing's not polite."
"Is it stealing if you steal from another thief?" Daina asks, denying him the moral high ground.
Bruce glares at her for a moment, as if offended that she would compare him to the people he puts in jail. She does not return his gaze. Looking forward again, Bruce finally asks, "Who are you?"
"Someone interested in the same man you are."
Now they stop. Bruce moves to stand in front of her, letting go of her arm. "Is that right?" he asks.
More serious now, Diana says, "I believe Mister Luthor has a photograph that belongs to me."
"Did you get it?" he asks, sounding legitimately curious.
"As it happens, no, I didn't. The data you copied has military-grade encryption." Diana moves off right past Bruce without another word.
Bruce turns after her, audibly grabbing her arm yet again. Over her shoulder, he drops his voice somewhat to say into her ear, "You know, I bet with that dress, nine out of ten men would let you get away with anything." Here, he is accusing her of using her own charms to manipulate men, an assumption possibly built on experience with the coming mention of women like her.
Beat before she asks, "But you're the tenth?"
He whispers on, "I'm guessing I'm the first... to see through that babe-in-the-woods act. You don't know me, but I've known a few women like you." The term "babe in the woods" refers to a naïve and/or innocent person who is inexperienced with their new environment. Bruce is establishing himself as a man who will not bend, but he also recognises that there is more to her than she lets on. Also, in referencing the other women he has known in his life, this potentially implies Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and Talia al Ghul.
Diana turns to face him and smirks. "Oh, I don't think you've ever known a woman like me." Indeed, being an immortal Amazonian demigoddess, she is absolutely right. She smooths his bow-tie and finishes, "You know, it's true what they say about little boys: born with no natural inclination to share."
Now Bruce grins, clearly amused by her sharp tongue and somewhat flirtatious responses. He is finally realising that they are equals in this encounter.
She continues, "I didn't steal your drive. I borrowed it." She leans forward and whispers into his ear, "You'll find it in the glove compartment of your car." Then she turns to leave again, heading into the crowd as she remarks loudly, "Mister Wayne."
The Diana Prince motif plays as Diana walks away from Bruce, again associating her with a mystery tone. This overlaps with Waltz No. 2.
Bruce watches her leave before looking
down thoughtfully. The scene ends on the beeping of Bruce's leech
device.
Cold, hollow, almost metallic ambience as we cut to Bruce in the Batcave trying to decrypt Lex Luthor's data.
Close-up on Bruce's leech device, displaying "Connected" on its little screen.
Shoulder shot from Bruce sitting at the Bat-computer, push in on the large screen switching to display the words "Initiating Decryption" as Bruce puts the device on the desk.
Medium shot pushing on Bruce as we hear him type. Then we hear a beep.
Return to the computer, now displaying the decryption progress for "LEECH_01" starting at 1%. A few seconds later and another beep as it reaches 2%. Knowing that the Bat-computer can break such an advanced encryption certainly speaks volumes about Batman's technological resources, and the time required says a lot about Lex's.
Return to push closer on Bruce, eyes fixed on the screen. Hold for a few seconds. We hear the hum of the World Engine, building before cutting to black on the machine's buzzing, once again reminding us of the traumatic experience for Bruce on that fateful day.
Scene Overview
Scene Analysis
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| Official Promotional Image |
Diana's quick-witted responses to Bruce's words show her ability to one-up him verbally. Suave and smooth though he might be, Bruce has met a woman who does not so easily fold to his subtle intimidation, his flirtations bouncing off her nonchalant hide, and his confident demeanour rises and falls throughout the scene before looking legitimately impressed by her. This helps put both characters on even terms to build their understanding of each other and prepare us for their coming alliance.
The museum is dominated by Greek and Roman motifs, along with religious murals and stained glass windows, a thematically fitting location that also makes the perfect meeting environment for the affluent.
"Shot 2 is a reverse, Diana takes in the sword and Bruce enters into a 2 shot. No coverage here... so the task here is just to choose the best take. She comments on the fact that the sword is a fake, turns away and then we cut to shot 3. That's a long Steadicam shot that takes them from the sword case to the floor. It starts medium wide on them and then naturally gets closer as they move forward. It's the only coverage until just before they stop and Bruce turns to face her. So again, that was about choosing the best take. From that point on, that master shot becomes a single of Diana, and Bruce is in a reverse CU. They talk about Lex. Then Diana moves to leave him but he catches her arm and swings around... so her angle becomes a very close 2 shot where he whispers to her. Can't cut away from this. Finally she breaks off, faces him, and then the scene finishes with 2 reverse close ups. Generally, it's a scene with not many cuts, that starts with scale focuses down to a very intimate point, and then settles in to something still close, but with a little more air." (David Brenner, ProVideo Coalition, 10 April 2016)
Behind the Scene
This scene was shot in the Detroit Public Library, 5201 Woodward Avenue, Detroit. The scene was shot on the 11th and/or 12th of August 2014. Base camp was set up in a parking lot on the South side of the Library.
Knightmare
Post-Apocalypse
A brief couple seconds of silence fades into growing dissonant, swirling choral figures.
Close-up on barbed wire. The camera elevates to see Batman emerge ahead of us from the bunker door as we rack focus to him. The background sharpens, revealing the obliterated ruins of Wayne Manor in the left frame and a plume of fire in the right.
Choral figures grow.
Elevating wide establishing shot of Batman stepping onto an
outcropping of dirt and concrete slabs to witness a ruined city in the
distance on the far side of a drained lake, indicating the
Earth's oceans have boiled away. In the middle of the vast field is
the deep indentation of the Omega symbol: the insignia of Darkseid. In
the sky are larger structures, as if partially encasing
the Earth in a membrane. Enormous pits of fire, scattered far off into
the distance, ascend up from the ground into the sky machines. On the
edge of a cliff to the right we can see the remains of
Bruce's lake house. This shot might be inspired by the
painting Wanderer above the Sea of Fog by German artist Caspar David Friedrich, in keeping with Zack
Snyder's experience as a painter and other such references in the
film.
"There's a culture here where Batman's running the show and defending, I would say, probably what's underneath us. This is the lake and below us is the caverns of the Batcave that they've used to turn into their headquarters." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Watch Party, 29 March 2020)
Percussive beat to highlight the post-apocalyptic nightmare.
The chilling, high-pitched, keening, wailing chorus reaches its peak here. These figures are likely another reference to Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) through its use of the climax of the Kyrie section of Hungarian composer György Ligeti's Requiem. It is a deeply haunting sound.
Medium close-up on Batman. He lowers the binoculars, and the
lighting makes his eyes appear totally black and sinister beneath the
scowling cowl. Yet again, something has clearly changed in Batman. Plus, Bruce's continued adherence to the Batman persona at this point implies he has either succumbed to the Batman identity fully or is using the identity as a symbol to boost the morale of his soldiers.
Low-angle shot of a school bus, modified with plates of armour for cover,
possibly referencing the armoured school buses from Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead (2004). Indicative of a loss of innocence, it rumbles by us.
Percussive elements are introduced resembling a slow-motion march.
Interior side shot on two people aiming machine guns
through slits in the armour, their faces covered.
Low-angle exterior shot
of the bus clearing the frame to reveal the compound entrance. The
armoured convoy rolls in.
Top-down shot of a truck driving through the
concrete entrance and its barbed wire lining.
Ascending wide shot of the compound from a guard position to watch the
vehicles pile in.
Medium side shot on the truck driver in sun glass,
shifting gears.
Low-angle shot on an armed guard above a bunker entrance. Pan down to see
Batman emerge, now carrying the assault rifle in his hands.
Keening, unnerving choral figures return to accompany the marching.
Ground-level shot under the truck to see the driver's feet land on the
sand, exiting the vehicle.
Return to Batman, coming up to a shoulder shot as he observes the truck,
the driver up ahead walking to the rear of the trailer, giving Batman a
glance while he approaches.
Medium backwards tracking shot on Batman, heading the trailer.
Ground-level rear tracking shot on Batman,
his coat trailing against the ground, possibly referencing a similar shot
in Zack Snyder's 300 (2007) and Man of Steel.
Side shot of the trailer entrance. The driver climbs in while another opens
the other half of the door. Batman walks into view from around the trailer. "Did you get it?" he asks, still using his electronic voice. "The rock?"
The percussive elements and keening cease as dialogue enters.
Sunglasses off and standing in the open trailer doors, the driver nods and responds, "Yeah, we got it." Zack Snyder said this line, dubbing over the actor -- a verbal
cameo in addition to his hand cameos. The driver turns and heads deeper into the trailer.
What sounds like modulated low strings and synthesizer adds another eerie element foreshadowing the imminent danger.
Cut to the resistance soldiers observing the offloading,
faces partially concealed by masks and goggles. We move right to look
between them, racking focus to a hooded
character standing behind them.
Low-angle shot from beside a crate inside the trailer, the entrance
up ahead, where Batman climbs in and steps towards us. "LexCorp" is
written on the crate.
High-angle shot of the crate from Batman's
perspective as the driver opens the lid. A green light glows out from
within as we get nearer, and we immediately think Kryptonite.
Low groans on synthesizer, building louder.
Batman steps over the crate, the green light bathing his
face.
We close to a high-angle shot of the contents, only to see two green lightbulbs hooked up to a battery. The expectation of Kryptonite also sets up the approaching
reveal of Bruce's true goal in the present day.
Synthesizer comes to an abrupt stop, and all goes silent.
We hear a gun cocking, and Batman looks up from the bait.
We hear a gun cocking, and Batman looks up from the bait.
The driver, now aiming a SIG-Sauer P226R pistol at Batman, solemnly says,
"I'm sorry." We can thus assume that he was forced to betray Batman.
Again, Zack Snyder recorded this line.
Outside, the hooded figure rips off his cloak to reveal a black
military uniform He angrily points a machine gun at
the freedom fighters, yelling at them, "Get down!"
Percussive burst followed by metallic sounds vibrating steadily.
Several other soldiers in identical uniforms pour from the other convoy vehicles to aim their guns.
"Get down now!" yells the first soldier as the fighters fall to their knees.
Another
vehicle's doors burst open as yet more armoured troops pile out. They are all armed with Heckler & Koch G36C assault rifles, Kel-Tec
KSG shotguns, and Glock 17 sidearms. Each one has a Superman shield patch on their shoulder.
In the truck, one of the soldiers points his rifle at Batman from behind. Raising his hands, he looks over his shoulder to face the trooper holding him
up. The fact they have not killed him yet tells us that Batman was lured into this vulnerable position in the truck to take him alive.
Back outside, the first soldier suddenly raises his G36C and starts
firing in an arc, executing all five kneeling fighters.
The synthesizer changes frequency erratically with each cut as the soldiers are executed.
One trooper
shoots up to kill a guard on the "walls". Then he turns
and joins his comrades firing on the five fighters lined up against a
freight container.
Further erratic changes in tone.
Looking towards the trailer entrance with hands
still raised, Batman yells, "No!" in horror.
Suddenly, he
swats aside the troop's machine gun, causing him to fire wildly. Then he kicks the LexCorp container into the
driver to stun him before revealing his sidearm, a Colt MK IV Series 80
pistol, and fires three shots into the driver, killing him.
Frantic, repeating synthesizer and string figures to transition the helpless execution into a desperate battle.
Batman grabs the soldier's G36C before getting elbowed in the face and pinned against the wall.
Batman headbutts the soldier before whacking him with the stolen G36C, spinning him around and shoving him against the wall with one arm before shooting him in the stomach with his pistol in the other.
Then he emerges into the daylight, firing twice with the pistol. We begin circling the scene as Batman engages the troops in combat.
Then he emerges into the daylight, firing twice with the pistol. We begin circling the scene as Batman engages the troops in combat.
He whacks one soldier in the face with the rifle, knocking him out.
He ducks and trips up another with the same rifle, dazed.
He fires the pistol at a soldier ahead of him before knocking him down.
A soldier behind him trips over the tripped soldier briefly before preparing to fire on Batman, who whips around the whack the soldier in the face with the rifle.
Another soldier kneels and takes aim at point-blank range. Batman knocks his weapon down with the rifle before hitting him in the face with it.
He trips up another soldier running at him with the stolen rifle.
He fires his pistol off-screen before turning and tosses the spent weapon at another approaching soldier's face, knocks his weapon away, and holds him down before firing a few shots with the rifle, killing a soldier running at him.
A fellow resistance fighter falls at his feet. Batman shoots and kills her attacker who falls beside her before Batman throws his hostage aside.
With her own pistol, the fighter shoots another soldier before Batman grabs her arm, trying desperately to pull her to safety and showing concern for his comrades. She finishes the fallen troop beside her.
Winged Parademons then emerge from the distant sky, descending to begin snatching bodies from the ground and flying them away for some nefarious purpose.
Frantic synthesizer makes way for deep choral elements to accompany the Parademon arrival.
Then she gets shot, but Batman fights on, shooting two more soldiers. One gets close and hits him in the face, but he retaliates with a rifle to the soldier's helmet.
The distraction gives two soldiers the opportunity to grab him from behind. One seizes Batman's rifle and hits him in the stomach with it, but he responds by kicking him in the knee and breaking his leg. He elbows the other soldier in the face, snatches his rifle, ducks to trip him, and whacks him in the stomach with the weapon.
As helicopters begin to fly by, a spindly Parademon lands nearby and ominously stalks toward a live downed freedom fighter before charging and snatching him in its feet, flying away.
He redirects another charging soldier trying to grab him, using the soldier's momentum to send him flying before another hits Batman in the back with his rifle.
Visibly pained, he deflects the sweeping rifle of another soldier before turning to mow them both down.
Another soldier grabs his rifle and they wrestle. The soldier steals it, but Batman grabs him by the head and slams him into the dirt.
Two, three, then four soldiers surround Batman, grabbing him and punching him in the stomach. One's head he shoves into his knee, knocking him out. The other he forces down with the strength of his arm. He gets punched in the face before breaking the downed soldier's neck.
We arrive in a low-angle shot of the struggle. By now, the air is filled with a vast swarm of Parademons and helicopters from which more soldiers rappel down to thoroughly secure the area. Batman being subdued here heavily resembles Rorschach being subdued in Watchmen.
All targeting his face, one punches him, another hits him with a rifle, and another kicks him.
Finally, Batman collapses forward. One Parademon, bulkier than the others, lands behind Batman to approach. Batman tries to force himself up, struggling with the two troopers at his shoulders, when the Parademon punches him in the back of the head.
Cut to black.
Music ends abruptly.
She Was My World
Medium shot on Batman, suddenly waking up with his arms raised above
him, gasping. He looks to his left.
Percussive beat. Silence.
Wide shot of Batman chained by the
wrists to the ceiling, two more freedom fighters chained on either side
of him, possibly representing the penitent thief and the impenitent thief in Biblical lore. He
looks at them both.
Medium shot pushing on Batman. We hear a sonic boom,
and his eyes turn forward.
Waist-level shot of the bunker corridor ahead of him. Four troopers line
the hallway to the surface ladder. With a whoosh, Superman descends through the hatch and
lands hard, sending up a cloud of dust and sand that obscures our vision
and blurs him as the troops obediently drop to one knee. The backlighting hides his face to remove his humanity yet again.
- He is silhouetted here by the light on the wall behind him that stands out as the brightest illumination in the environment, resembling a light beam that once again implies a descent from Heaven, possibly into Hell, Superman assuming the feared devil role.
- This might be a callback to the Nairomi scene. He arrived similarly to save Lois, especially considering the desert compound, but now he has come for very different reasons. As Amajagh said, one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter, and now Batman is the one whose desert compound is being assaulted by Superman and enemy soldiers.
Medium shot on Batman, looking anxious.
Suspenseful and dissonant synthesizer and strings textures fade in, slowly building to generate new tension.
Wide shot of Superman, blurred. Still shadowed, he steps forward
leisurely, bringing us into a medium backwards tracking shot. He does not
acknowledge the soldiers, and the ceiling openings above
highlight his shield and partially illuminate his face, blackening his
eyes and revealing a hateful scowl. He has has never looked so intimidating. Everything about this tells us that Superman is not as we know
him. All this imagery, as this analysis points out, creates a feeling of oppression. Then he is blackened out again as he passes the light.
Return to wide shot of Batman, pushing in to give us Superman's
perspective and emphasise his nearing the Dark Knight.
Return to Superman. Entering a dim light, he turns to his right as
his eyes begin to glow. Then he fires his heat vision.
Shoulder shot
from the furthest prisoner from Batman as the fiery beam cuts through
him below frame.
Return to wide shot of Batman, looking to his left as
the adjacent prisoner is eviscerated. The beam terminates.
The higher layer of the synthesizer terminates, and a lower thread comes in to begin growing anew.
Medium
close-up on Batman frantically turning to his right.
Shoulder shot
from the next further prisoner, sliding left to watch Superman
eviscerate them both before ending the beam for good. We arrive into a
shoulder shot from Batman as Superman ends his stride, glaring at
Batman.
Return to medium close-up on Batman, looking terrified now.
Medium shot on Superman. He reaches forward to us.
Shoulder shot from
Superman to see him rip off Batman's cowl. Bruce is panting, hair soaked in sweat, but he tries
to look defiant. Samuel Otten pointed out how this is very symbolic of Superman stripping away the Batman persona, indicative of Bruce's total failure before his execution.
Medium shot on Superman, holding the cowl out as he
turns to look at it, and we push in.
Side shot on Superman to focus on
the cowl. He lowers it and turns back to Batman.
Return to medium
shot. Firmly and ominously, Superman says, "She was my world... and you took her from me." We can assume he is talking about Lois Lane, especially since
Superman calls Lois "my world" before his later sacrifice. By this time, Lois was murdered by Darkseid, weakening
Superman's psyche enough to be controlled by the god-villain's use of
the Anti-Life Equation, convincing Superman that Batman was
responsible for her death.
Medium shot on Bruce, still panting with fear. Superman extends his arm, and
we pan down to see him place his hand against Bruce's chest.
Growing intensity in the soundtrack to emphasise something terrible is about to happen.
Medium close-up
on Superman, looking up at Bruce before exerting.
Return to Bruce, pushing
in rapidly to emphasise the moment.
Return to Superman, suddenly moving
forward rapidly.
Return to Bruce, who screams in agony. The implication is Superman shoved his hand through Bruce's chest,
possibly referencing Superman's execution of Joker in the Injustice
universe.
Fear Him
Tense strings terminate for a new, a low, vibrating rumble on percussion. However, this is hardly audible over the electricity and other noise.
Someone calls, "Bruce!"
Bruce is slumped against his chair and barely able to keep his eyes open from the bright light. Before him is a spectacle of light and electricity, right there in the Batcave. Within the anomaly,
reaching for him in red armour, is a person, screaming into their crimson
helmet.
"Bruce! Listen to me now!" His helmet opens, revealing a young man with light facial
hair, his face partially obscured by a red cowl. He yells, "It's Lois! Lois Lane! She's the key!" Darkseid murdered Lois, weakening Superman's psyche enough to become susceptible to the Anti-Life Equation, allowing the villain to brainwash him and effectively conquer the Earth. In that sense, Lois is the key, and saving her will save humanity.
"…Or if someone lost someone close to them they might be susceptible to a certain Equation and might blame a certain Bat..." (Zack Snyder, Vero, 2018)
"Because [Flash] had to jump back [in time] right before Darkseid Boom Tubes into the Batcave to murder Lois." (Zack Snyder, ArtCentre, 24 March 2019)
Barry pauses for a moment before realising,
"Am I too soon?!" With a burst of light, he seems to shriek
in pain for a moment. "I'm too soon!"
Bruce still looks confused and stressed as the wind
rustles his shirt and hair, but he is listening.
Barry continues, "You're right about him! You've always been right about him!" Who the Flash is talking about is not entirely certain. It is implied to be Superman, but since he was brainwashed and is is not mentioned by name, we know there is more to it, as storyboard artist and friend of Zack Snyder Jay Oliva confirmed (36:18). Flash begins to fade away into
the light. "Fear him! Find us, Bruce! You have to find us!" Flash is
most likely referring to the various members of the Justice League,
telling Bruce to assemble them as soon as possible.
Then the light grows ever brighter and consumes the frame.
As Bruce begins decrypting the drive, his fears are visualised by a premonition of a dark future where humanity is on the brink of extinction, the Earth is a ruined wasteland, and Superman is a tyrant served by obedient soldiers and flying insect-like monsters. Seemingly waking, he is then visited by the future Flash bearing an ominous, yet cryptic warning. The events of proceeding films have been set up and Batman's motivations are represented clear as day with this scene reminiscent of classic dream sequences, which also puts more energy into the film's pacing with an exciting action set piece.
Medium side shot of Bruce waking up off the Bat-computer desk with a
gasp of terror, hand over his heart yet again.
Percussive rumble abruptly ends with this cut.
We pull out as he looks
around him, towards where his visitor was. In doing so, he fails to
notice the papers falling in the background behind him, telling us that what he
saw was very real.
Scene Overview
 |
| Official Promotional Image |
Scene Analysis
This nightmarish future may be inspired by the Injustice DC story. Superman arriving to confront Batman bears resemblances to prime Batman's capture in Injustice: Gods Among Us, his execution of Batman resembles his execution of Joker, and the Superman soldiers resemble the regime soldiers. It might also be inspired by the final story arc of Superman: The Animated Series, where Darkseid brainwashes Superman into being his general who leads an invasion of Earth. Batman's resistance may be inspired by the Sons of Batman from The Dark Knight Returns (1986). Snyder confirmed on Vero the Knightmare also has roots in Clark's dream sequence in Man of Steel where he sinks into an ocean of skulls amid a ruined Earth.
From the moment the screen goes black to the frame before Bruce wakes up for the last time, the Knightmare sequence is exactly 5m4s.
The Knightmare is the culmination of the dream motif throughout the film.
After the prior two dream sequences, the viewer would normally assume
that this was a dream sequence too -- a misdirect which also helps the scene fit with the story by playing that same role,
easing the viewer into something with a more mundane, less dramatic
explanation. So it fits one of the film's motifs while
serving another goal preparing events to come and giving the film more energy after the film's pacing has slowed so much.
"There are little Easter Eggs that get populated along the way. What's that city he's looking at? It's really Gotham. And when you look behind Batman when he's [peering] out past the camera, you can see Wayne Manor. And then if you look in the direction he's looking, you can see the remains of his glass house up on a hill. You can kind of piece together where the Omega symbol is (where the lake used to be where the Batcave was located down below)." (John "DJ" DesJardin, IndieWire, 30 March 2016)
"Even though Bruce knows it's dangerous to occupy the old Batcave, it has to do with time travel from one point to another, i.e., Flash travels from cave in the future to cave in the past, but he is 'too soon', meaning he went too far back, also meaning he will have to step off the 'Cosmic Treadmill' one more time." (Zack Snyder, Vero)
"It's 100% scientific. You're acting like it's a movie or something and we made that up! That's science! If you jump back through time, you create a vortex in which the reality of that world can be projected through subtly into the mind of the person who is directly in contact with the vortex that is created. That's science. It's pretty obvious. I mean, hello!" (Zack Snyder, Ping Pong Flix, 16 November 2020)
Batman's execution may be a parallel to the film's conclusion. Here, Batman is the messianic figure who dies from impalement through the chest. At the end of this film, it is Superman who sacrifices his life with impalement through the chest, becoming the final messianic figure of the film.
One of the trucks bears four symbols resembling the Superman shield in black, white, and red, arranged around each other into a swastika-esque shape. This is fascist symbology indicating that the trucks were stolen from the brainwashed Superman's regime.
As potentially foreshadowed
by Lex's Prometheus speech earlier, Batman has essentially taken the role
of Prometheus as Lex described and was guilty of trying to steal
Kryptonite like Prometheus stole fire from gods. Like Prometheus, Batman is chained up, and Superman shoving
his hand through Bruce's heart may reference the vulture that
eats Prometheus' liver.
Zack Snyder's storyboards depict a very different ending for this valiant resistance of post-apocalyptic fighters. Joker's mention of alternate timelines in Zack Snyder's Justice League suggests this is one of many possible endings that await Batman, perhaps one where Flash died, rendering their mission to change history pointless.
The fight sequence is likely another reference to The Wizard of Oz, specifically a scene where a swarm of winged apes descends on the protagonists to begin snatching them up. I doubt this was unintentional considering all the other references to that film.
@kennysama_d on Twitter pointed out the bullet holes on the logo on Batman's chest. This damage cannot be found anywhere on his suit until the warehouse fight. This is a nice consistency detail.
kingofthesevenseas on Tumblr pointed out that Flash's appearance might be a reference to the Archangel Gabriel, who regularly appeared to Joseph and Mary in a bright light to warn them of impending future events. Furthermore, these meetings were initially believed to be dreams.
"I guess it's boring waiting for it to decrypt, so he fell asleep, maybe? I'm not sure, or I'm not sure whether it's a byproduct of Flash cracking on the Cosmic Treadmill, whether it creates some sort of rift that allows Batman to see into the future. Could be a combo of those things." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Watch Party, 29 March 2020)
The sequence of the Flash appearing to Bruce from the future may be taken inspired by Crisis on Infinite Earths, where Flash appeared to Batman to impart a cryptic warning of impending future events before he mysteriously disintegrated.
According to Zack Snyder's throughout the years and the official storyboards for the originally planned Justice League 2 and Justice League 2A, Flash goes back in time to save the life of Lois Lane, whose death weakens Superman's will enough that Darkseid -- now in control of the Anti-Life Equation -- can control him. As the Earth needed to be in the correct place in space before Flash can time jump on the Cosmic Treadmill, lest he appear in space or inside the Earth, two windows were available, and this was the wrong one. Realising the mistake, Flash tells Bruce what little he can, and this event will inform Bruce's decision in this new timeline that has been created from this moment.
"And so this is the Flash running through time, coming back to warn Batman not to kill Lois Lane, I guess? Or that Lois Lane is the key. I'm not exactly sure what he's supposed to do with that knowledge at this point." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Watch Party, 29 March 2020)
"I also had this idea that, in the future, when they're talking about sending Flash back in time to warn him, that Cyborg -- who's doing the calculations to send him back -- would say, 'I have two possibilities for where to send Flash back in time. The numbers point to two moments to warn you, and you really want the warning to be closer to the moment where Bruce needs the information.' Like, if it's right near the moment where this event might happen, where Lois might get killed, or Bruce isn't able to stop it, however that's happening, it would be important if Flash came closer to that moment so that Bruce could understand the reality of it. And so, in the future, Bruce says to Cyborg, 'What time would you send me back?' 'I'm leaning toward this one.' Then Bruce says, 'Do the other one because you already sent me that one. It was too early, so send me the other one.' Because in the new timeline he goes to a different point in time that's closer to the event we haven't seen yet in this film." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Watch Party, 29 March 2020)
About Flash's appearance, Snyder had this to say on Vero, providing a quote from German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche's collection, The Gay Science: "'What were we doing when we unchained this Earth from its sun?' Flash is the madman whose time is not yet and heralds a future where God is dead." Superman and the sun are heavily related in these films, and he is later compared to Apollo by Lex. Nietzsche is also possibly referenced by Lex when he says before Doomsday's birth, "If man won't kill God, the Devil will do it. Now God is good as dead." It was Nietzsche who said, "God is dead, and we have killed him," in the same collection.
The music in this scene is Post Apocalypse. There seems to be no discernible "theme" to this track, instead serving purely as ambience. The Flash is not given a theme or motif. This track corresponds to Must There Be A Superman? in the commercially available versions of the score, however, there are some minor differences: 1) The first 33 seconds of ambience and silence from Post Apocalypse are not present; 2) The 13-second silence between Batman being knocked out and waking up in Superman's prison is shortened to having almost no pause (much closer to the film's timing); 3) The "rumbling" segment accompanying the Flash is shortened by nearly half.
Behind the Scene
According to The Art of the Film (p153), the outdoor setting for the Knightmare future was filmed at a sand and gravel pit in Oxford, Michigan. Addressing down rumours at the time, Peter Fredericks, co-owner of Koenig Sand & Gravel, denied in a Clarkston News article that the film was shooting at his property on 1955 East Lakeville Road. If he was truthful, the only alternate location is the American Aggregates site directly North on 275 Ray Road. No other source for the location exists that I can find. Shooting evidently took place between 31 July to 3 August 2014.
"Zack and I love happy accidents! Unexpected ideas and spontaneity are welcome on our sets and we encourage crew to contribute. There is a desert sequence where the camera follows people fighting, then jumping out the back of a trailer, then encompasses a complex fight in a large 360-degree move, all in one take – shot with an IMAX camera. Zack came up with this concept pretty late in the schedule, and there would have been no way to accomplish this without the brainstorming and enthusiasm of many departments working together." (Larry Fong, British Cinematographer)
"I told Zack and Damon, 'Let's add some more guys up on the wall and add more demons that come down. And then add some helicopters, including one that blows up a gun turret.' With such a virtual clean slate, you can keep adding elements." (John "DJ" DesJardin, IndieWire, 30 March 2016)
Zack Snyder posted a multitude of Kightmare Batman photos [1/2/3/4/5/6/7]. At the time, he also took this photo of a miniature meeting between Batman and R2-D2, and Clay Enos took this photo of Snyder taking the shot. Larry Fong took photos of Heaven and Snyder posing. Other set photos were posted by Kate Altair [1/2] and Doug Stewart [1/2/3/4/5]. The scene was added to the script during shooting as a late addition and filmed on short notice. Batman's giant one-shot fight sequence, composed of multiple elements digitally stitched together, was performed by Ben Affleck's stunt double, Richard Cetrone, who struggled to sleep the night before and filmed tired and sweaty. He is not proud of his performance. This scene was shot in IMAX.
"[The scene was added] fairly late. I'm thinking, probably mid-way through shooting is when I heard about that. We didn't have much time to shoot that. If I remember right, we shot that in... two days? A day and a half, I think it was? Because, if you look at it, it's not a lot of coverage. It's a lot of long shots, and that's what it came down to. We just didn't have time for the coverage. It would've been a lot cooler sequence if we could've covered it the way it should've been covered, but we just didn't have the time. They really wanted to put it into film." (Richard Cetrone, Holy Batcast, 17 April 2017, 37:52)
"I had a little issue the night before back home. So, I didn't get much sleep that night, and that was probably going to be the toughest day of shooting for the whole show for me, so I end up getting about an hour of sleep. When I got on the set I was just wiped out. So we start rehearing, and getting up into this truck, I'm like, 'Oh, my gosh.' I can barely get up into the truck. I'm, like, how am I going to get through this day? I was really getting concerned because I had no energy at all. Every time I watch that sequence, I kind of cringe. I can tell from the way I'm moving. You can see I'm just out of it. I have no energy whatsoever and I'm just trying to power through it. ... I'm my own worst critic." (Richard Cetrone, Holy Batcast, 17 April 2017, 39:07)
"I have mentioned this before that I got one hour of sleep that night, so I was exhausted. I had a family emergency back home and I just couldn't sleep, so I managed to squeeze on hour in, and I showed up to the set I was exhausted. ... It was a struggle for survival. Trust me, I was just completely wiped out. But I got really lucky that it worked for the scene, because in reality that would be a really tough thing to pull off, having all these guys coming at you from different directions in that heat, trying to save your people and trying to survive it at the same time. So, for the first few times I watched this sequence, it was hard for me to watch it because I was so sloppy and I was so exhausted. I was just going through the motions really." (Richard Cetrone, Light Cast, 24 July 2020)
"We kept moving people around and putting dummies on the ground to be replaced. It's hard to match all those things up so we pieced the three sections together editorially to get a sense of the action and scope. We knew we had to cover it a certain way to do what I knew we were going to inevitably do, which was erase everybody out of the frame and keep Batman live as much as we could." (John "DJ" DesJardin, IndieWire, 30 March 2016)
"The enviro-cam is a really neat way of capturing the entire set or location from a certain camera point of view, and I did that for each of technocrane start and end positions. There was a lot of dynamics going on that we had to respect and they all eventually get turned into CG people." (John "DJ" DesJardin, IndieWire, 30 March 2016)
"We had this crazy 360-degree fight to do, which is nuts, because when you shoot it on location like that it's hard to make all the stitches work - the camera positions don't match up no matter how well you planned it. We had to put it together editorially to make Batman work throughout the three camera positions, then we had to go through and take everybody else out. A lot of people are going to be CG guys, running in and out, fighting each other and fighting Batman. It was a pretty big reset to get the shot done right. We used enviro-cam to record a sphere of the set where the camera was. Batman fights right in the middle of all these guys fighting him, so it's a perfect virtual environment." (John "DJ" DesJardin, The Art of the Film, p150)
During this scene, we see two types of Parademons. The first is
highly insect-like and skinny, with spindly digitigrade legs. Concept
art for Justice League confirms that these were
originally going to be the main grunts of Steppenwolf's Parademon
legions. The second type we see are plantigrade and larger. Weta has some concept art for the Parademons here and here on ArtStation. Check here for a turntable video of a design by Jerad Marantz, a VFX
artist who worked on JL.
"These are the Parademons. Different kinds of Parademons too. We have the normal ones and then we have the more locust-looking ones, the scarier ones which I like." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Watch Party, 29 March 2020)
The interior bunker was a set constructed on a sound stage, presumably at the late Michigan Motion Picture Studios along Centerpoint Parkway, Pontiac, Michigan. Zack Snyder posted this photo of Batman in the bunker with the description, "On this date in 2014," confirming the scene was shot on 15 August 2014. A few days later, Larry Fong posted this photo of the entrance ladder on the 17th.
Ezra Miller's Knightmare Flash costume is digital, and the actor wore a motion-capture suit to film the cameo. Ironhead Studio, the costume design company that crafted many of the film's costumes, posted this photo to their Instagram first revealing Flash's Knightmare suit in full as a model.
The White Portuguese
From the previous scene, pan left to the Bat-Computer. We catch a glimpse of the decryption progress changing from 99% to 100% before the screen indicates that the decryption is complete. This might be symbolic foreshadowing of Bruce's "1% chance" logic, as what started at 1% has become 100% after Bruce's terrifying vision of a world where Superman is the villain.
Cut to the screen. The LexCorp logo appears as the drive's data becomes available to Bruce. This is the LEX/OS, the official LexCorp operating system. It even had its own trailer for viral marketing purposes.
Hollow, metallic ambience fades into a quiet Batman Theme A.
Wide shot of the Daily Planet, Clark at his desk as mail delivery comes by, hanging him an envelope. Low-angle medium shot on Clark. He opens the envelope. High-angle shoulder shot from Clark as he empties its contents onto his desk to reveal a newspaper page and some photographs. The headline of the newspaper reads...
BAT BRAND OF JUSTICE!
HUMAN TRAFFICKER GETS THE MARK OF BATMAN
High-angle medium shot on Bruce, readying the keyboard below frame as he
gets to work.
Close-up on the LEX/OS logo. It vanishes, replaced by a search bar. Bruce types in
"White Portuguese".
Low-angle medium close-up on Clark, looking at the newspaper. He looks aside at the photographs.
Close-up on the photos. Clark flips
through them, each one showing a dead body from different angles, and each
one is marked with a one-word message written in red ink. We see "Judge" and "Jury".
Batman Theme A replaces Batman Theme B to associate Batman with this brutality, almost immediately joined by a rising, dissonant synthesizer texture.
Return to Clark, looking disturbed by what he is seeing.
For Clark, these messages seem like someone anonymous trying to encourage
his fight for justice in Gotham against the Batman. This also sets up
Clark's second visit to Gotham to research the fate of Cesar Santos before
meeting his widow.
Return to the
photos. "Executioner".
Return to Clark, holding on this one photo for a moment.
Return to the
photos. Clark pulls aside the photo to reveal one focusing on the Batman
brand on the body's shoulder. "Justice?"
Synthesizer textures reach their speak, resembling the unnerving, agonised scream used earlier in Branding.
Low-angle Shoulder shot from Bruce on the Bat-computer, sifting through files of schematics and digitised documents. He opens one of the photos.
Synthesizer textures fade.
Full-screen shot to show the file open to reveal a boat
with the name "White Portuguese" across the bow.
With this discovery, Batman Theme A comes in on high piano keys over sustained strings.
Medium close-up on Bruce,
leaning forward at the reveal.
Close-up on the photo to emphasise the
discovery.
We hear Bruce say, "The 'White Portuguese' is not a man. It's a ship."
Batman Theme A terminates.
Wide shot of the Batmobile garage, the Batmobile in the foreground
lower frame. A semicircle of red screens displaying technical data
surrounds the garage. Alfred is wearing a mechanic's jumpsuit as he
places a cable on a work table. Bruce is circling
right around the vehicle as Alfred removes more tools.
After a beat, Alfred responds, "Master Wayne, since the age of seven, you have been to the art of
deception as Mozart to the harpsichord. But you've never been too hot of lying to me." Alfred
stops his work and turns to face Bruce, saying this line firmly and
with a hint of anger. The rippling waters below the platform reflect on the dark rock background behind him. "The White Portuguese isn't carrying a dirty bomb. What is it carrying?" Despite Bruce's ability
to deceive others, Alfred always sees through him, reinforcing how
well they know each other.
Bruce is looking down, finally exposed. After a few moments, he decides to come clean. Turning to Alfred as the data readouts on the crimson screen behind him vanish into pure red, he starts to approach Alfred as he explains, "It's a weapon. It's a rock. A mineral. Capable of weakening Kryptonian cells. The first sample big enough to mean something turned up in the Indian Ocean three months ago. It is now aboard the White Portuguese being delivered to Lex Luthor... who I am going to steal it from."
- Behind Bruce, the screens have become a blank red. Recall Alfred's earlier words, "That's how it starts, sir. The fever. The rage. The feeling of powerlessness. It turns good men cruel." Now, behind Bruce, is a field of red to accompany his angry monologue, contrasted against Alfred's soft black background. Rage has driven him here.
- This puts all his previous actions in a new light and, at last, combines the separate threads of Batman and Superman onto the same path to their clash, making Bruce's goals fully clear.
- This gives us some context for dates, telling us that the Indian Ocean scene took place three months before now, and since that scene took place eighteen months after Black Zero, that would put it around August 2015, with this scene being set in November.
- This tells us that, after being denied government support for use of the Kryptonite, Lex is having the mineral smuggled into the US.
Music returns with Bruce Wayne Motif on low strings to paint the realisation of Bruce's true goals with a sinister brush.
Alfred asks,
hopefully,
"To keep it out of Luthor's hands? To destroy it?" If that
were the case, it would be more in line with the classic, more noble
Batman, and Alfred's words carry a very classically noble superhero
tone.
With an unsettling look, Bruce whispers, "No."
Bruce Wayne Motif transfers from low strings to an eerie lone trumpet. Rage becomes something darker.
Alfred takes a step closer. He
cannot believe what he is hearing, and asks incredulously,
"You're going to go to war?"
Angry, Bruce responds, "That son of a bitch brought the war to us two years ago." His use of "us" draws a contrast between Superman and the human race, making Superman the other. "Jesus, Alfred, count the dead. Thousands of people. What's next? Millions? He has the power to wipe out the entire human race, and if we believe there is even a 1% chance that he is our enemy, we have to take it as an absolute certainty. And we have to destroy him." Note his use of the word "destroy" instead of "kill", further embedding the idea that Bruce does not see Superman as a man to kill.
This argument is a political reference. Almost word-for-word, Bruce is quoting Dick Cheney's rationale for the War on Terror as laid out in journalist Ron Suskind's non-fiction book The One Percent Doctrine. This rationale was a driving force behind post-9/11 thought, where fear and paranoia reigned supreme. The same is true here. The "brought the war to us" line is also highly evocative of 9/11.
"But, he is not our enemy!" Alfred insists, the voice of reason here, and reminds us that the film is not supporting the logic behind Bruce's crusade.
Calmer now, Bruce replies, "Not today. Twenty years in Gotham, Alfred. We've seen what promises are worth. How many good guys are left? How many stayed that way?"
This alludes to Batman's history with characters like Harvey Dent (Two-Face), white knights who did not stay on the side of good for long. This closing argument from Bruce also confirms that he sees Superman as another betrayal waiting to happen, having totally lost faith that people can be trusted to be good. After everything he has seen, he simply cannot trust Superman to not abuse his power. His words also apply subtly to himself, a good guy gone bad who has failed to save so many lives.
Bruce steps away, saying, "Fourteen hours."
Alfred is left standing where he is, looking miserable. He is not happy with where his young master has ended up.
With an unsettling look, Bruce whispers, "No."
Bruce Wayne Motif transfers from low strings to an eerie lone trumpet. Rage becomes something darker.
Angry, Bruce responds, "That son of a bitch brought the war to us two years ago." His use of "us" draws a contrast between Superman and the human race, making Superman the other. "Jesus, Alfred, count the dead. Thousands of people. What's next? Millions? He has the power to wipe out the entire human race, and if we believe there is even a 1% chance that he is our enemy, we have to take it as an absolute certainty. And we have to destroy him." Note his use of the word "destroy" instead of "kill", further embedding the idea that Bruce does not see Superman as a man to kill.
Bruce Wayne Motif is joined by Batman Theme A and Batman Theme B layered over each other. In a way, the character's themes come together as his true goals do.
This argument is a political reference. Almost word-for-word, Bruce is quoting Dick Cheney's rationale for the War on Terror as laid out in journalist Ron Suskind's non-fiction book The One Percent Doctrine. This rationale was a driving force behind post-9/11 thought, where fear and paranoia reigned supreme. The same is true here. The "brought the war to us" line is also highly evocative of 9/11.
"But, he is not our enemy!" Alfred insists, the voice of reason here, and reminds us that the film is not supporting the logic behind Bruce's crusade.
Calmer now, Bruce replies, "Not today. Twenty years in Gotham, Alfred. We've seen what promises are worth. How many good guys are left? How many stayed that way?"
This alludes to Batman's history with characters like Harvey Dent (Two-Face), white knights who did not stay on the side of good for long. This closing argument from Bruce also confirms that he sees Superman as another betrayal waiting to happen, having totally lost faith that people can be trusted to be good. After everything he has seen, he simply cannot trust Superman to not abuse his power. His words also apply subtly to himself, a good guy gone bad who has failed to save so many lives.
Bruce steps away, saying, "Fourteen hours."
Alfred is left standing where he is, looking miserable. He is not happy with where his young master has ended up.
All thematic elements and motifs cease and are replaced with descending low brass chords, fading out as we cross into the next scene.
Scene Overview
After his terrifying vision, Bruce finds the decryption complete and learns the "White Portuguese" he seeks is a ship on its way to Metropolis. At the same time, Clark receives some disturbing photos that will prompt him to head back to Gotham to persist in his investigation of Batman's brutality. Alfred then confronts Bruce, knowing he has been lying to him this whole time, and Bruce reveals his goal all along has been to find the Kryptonite and destroy Superman, finally connecting Bruce and Clark's respective stories. Explaining his paranoid motivations, we get insight into Bruce's distrust built up over two decades of crime-fighting.
Scene Analysis
The first sequence in this scene cuts between the Batcave and Daily Planet, but they are connected with similar elements. Clark and Bruce are both sitting at desks, looking at photographs that, though we may not know it yet, have both been provided to them by Lex. In hindsight, this has the effect of making this scene appear like Lex further enacting his manipulation of the two characters, showing them what he wants them to see. Also, in the previous scene, Bruce built up his motivation to hate and fear Superman, and now we see Clark further developing his own animosity towards Batman.
"In the script there were more story lines than you see in the movie today. That was probably our biggest editorial issue in trying to get the cut down to a reasonable length. For us, the trickiest section was the beginning of the film, until the point where Bruce Wayne tells Alfred the truth about what is on the 'White Portuguese' ship... the truth about his plan. This moment set into motion everything until the end of the film really. Until that point the movie was always tracking many solo paths, some intersecting, some not. Finally in this scene, the paths fork into one road." (David Brenner, ProVideo Coalition, 10 April 2016)
The first track in this scene is Quaker Steak And Lube, presumably referencing the restaurant company of the same name. Like certain other tracks, this was probably an in-joke by Hans Zimmer or Tom Holkenborg that we may never get. This track mainly illustrates (when Bruce is on screen) that even without the suit, Bruce is operating as Batman, and highlights (when Clark is on screen) Clark's growing resentment of Batman. This track is not on any commercially-available version of the score.
The second track in this scene is The White Portuguese. The shift in prominence in the Bruce Wayne Motif when Bruce reveals his intent to weaponize the Kryptonite highlights a bit of a twist in the character of this iteration of Batman, something more sinister -- war-weariness eroding Batman's moral boundaries to the point where he would pre-emptively eliminate Superman to eliminate even the possibility of him wiping out humanity. This track is not in any commercially-available version of the score.
Behind the Scene
The Batcave was constructed across two soundstages at the late Michigan Motion Picture Studios along Centerpoint Parkway, Pontiac, Michigan. Production designer Patrick Tatopoulos in the Art of the Film and Tech Manual described it as "oppressive" with how the roof of the cave is very low, as though you "barely have the space to live in there." The blocky, minimalistic, concrete aesthetic of the Glass House above is reflected in the design, which is arguably a reflection of Bruce's anti-social attitude. The intention with the architecture was to make everything suspended from above to be "reminiscent of the concept of a bat," and work tables in the lab are attached to a gantry system on the ceiling for moving them around. You can see the official Batcave behind-the-scenes featurette on YouTube. A 360-degree virtual tour was once available before being removed, but you can still see videos of the tour. The sequences here were shot in June or July 2014 when the crew were filming in Pontiac.
"The first time I saw the Batmobile, I was awestruck, and that was on the outside set. But when it was sitting in my workshop in the Batcave, well... that was very cool. I wanted to try a few donuts in the Batmobile and see if I could get the front wheels off the ground, but I was conscious that I should hand it back in reasonable condition. So I restrained myself; but nevertheless I had a blast!" (Jeremy Irons, Press Release, March 2016)
"There was a lot of material for that scene, I remember. Ben did it very well from a lot of different angles. But the best delivery of the main final speech (from 'That son-of-a-bitch brought the war to us...' until 'How many good guys are left') was in a tight medium close-up over Alfred... not the tightest shot on Ben. We had to use that. However, dramatically, and for the best performance we needed to be closer before that, when Ben talks about the real meaning of the rock and why he intends to steal it. So we were ending the scene not as tight as we began. What helped make this size change, without feeling a loss of intensity, was using this dolly move into Alfred, when he steps forward and says 'You’re gonna go to war?' This camera shift helped the size change on Bruce's side, so the change didn’t bump." (David Brenner, ProVideo Coalition, 10 April 2016)
Adriana Santos
The desk officer looks away, clearly not fond of the press. An officer
standing beside him, focused on some papers, gives Clark a glance. Clark
turns to him, and the officer steps away to leave, also clearly
disinterested in journalists.
Awkwardly, Clark continues talking to the officer behind the desk: "I'm trying to find out what happened to an inmate. A Santos."
"I can't give out that information," responds the officer. Then she walks off too, leaving Clark with no one to talk to.
Awkwardly, Clark continues talking to the officer behind the desk: "I'm trying to find out what happened to an inmate. A Santos."
"I can't give out that information," responds the officer. Then she walks off too, leaving Clark with no one to talk to.
|
|
"This is the newspaper cartoon taped to the desk of police station when Clark is asking questions in BvS." Zack Snyder, Vero, 14 April 2018 |
Shoulder shot from Clark looking down to see a drawing taped to
the table. It depicts a police officer about to strike a thief with the
Bat-signal, which resembles a baseball bat. The image includes the text
"Gothamville Slugger" and "BAT'er up!" It represents the Gotham
Police Department's relationship with the Batman, tacitly endorsing this violent vigilante. Zack Snyder said the image was done by "Jared", likely referring to storyboard
artist Jared Purrington.
Clark, shakes his head yet again at the decadence of Gotham City.
Then we hear the crying of a small
child to add a layer of negativity. Clark
looks up to see another
officer further along the desk (Patrick O'Connor Cronin). Looking at Clark, he silently nods his head in a direction behind the
reporter.
Clark turns. In the seating area, a Hispanic woman carries her crying and yelling child, standing from the seats to take a plastic bag of items from an officer handing
it to her. The bag contains what appears to be a belt, wallet, and roll of cash -- presumably her late partner's belongings. As the officer steps away, the woman takes her hasty
leave as her child continues wailing.
With the clue from the officer, Clark guesses she
is Cesar's wife, Adriana Santos (Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel), and he follows her.
Wide shot of the exterior entrance of the building. Adriana descends
the steps when Clark emerges from the doors behind her,
calling, "Misses Santos."
Adriana turns to look up at
Clark, her son continuing to cry.
"May I ask you a few questions?" Clark asks.
After a moment, she responds, "He wasn't my husband. But I know what he did." She puts her crying son down.
Clark looks down
sorrowfully at the weeping kid.
Adriana continues,
"But he was a father. He was that too. They took him out of Gotham
Central. They moved him to Metropolis. But inside they know. They know the mark
all over. Guards don't care. Bat's the judge. One man decides who lives.
How is that justice?"
She becomes visibly more angry as she says this, looking downright
hateful.
No one is ever just one thing. Even someone as vile as Cesar Santos was a
father to his child. Adriana does not make excuses for him, but nor are
there excuses for what Batman has done. In fact, much like Batman, Cesar
may once have been a good man. These are all people, and things are not so
simple, nor can society's problems be solved through brutality by men of
rage.
Full of nobility, Clark says, "Talk to me. Help me change it."
"With what? Your pen?" Adriana asks, loudly. Starting to tear up, she continues, "A man like that, words don't stop him. You know what stops him? A fist." Remember these words. Also recall that, instead of trying to reason with Joe Chill, Thomas Wayne struck out at him with a fist, very likely leading to his death. Perhaps Thomas made the same mistake that Clark will make by refusing to pursue diplomacy with Batman, much less try to understand him. Clark has taken the wrong lesson from this encounter, but in her grief and anger, Adriana is no more rational.
Full of nobility, Clark says, "Talk to me. Help me change it."
"With what? Your pen?" Adriana asks, loudly. Starting to tear up, she continues, "A man like that, words don't stop him. You know what stops him? A fist." Remember these words. Also recall that, instead of trying to reason with Joe Chill, Thomas Wayne struck out at him with a fist, very likely leading to his death. Perhaps Thomas made the same mistake that Clark will make by refusing to pursue diplomacy with Batman, much less try to understand him. Clark has taken the wrong lesson from this encounter, but in her grief and anger, Adriana is no more rational.
Then she turns away to leave with her son. Clark is left alone, looking thoughtful.
"Kent, I want to talk to you," we hear Perry say.
Cut to Clark's desk at the Daily Planet. The sun is setting beyond the
windows in the foreground. Perry walks into view behind the desk,
holding his Daily Planet coffee mug and looking angry as we rise to a
medium shot on him. He glances around for the unreliable reporter.
"Kent!" he yells. Then he sees Jenny walk by, and asks, "Where does he go? Where does he go, Jenny?" This suggests that Clark tends to disappear a lot, no doubt on
his excursions as Superman.
"I don't... I don't know," she awkwardly responds, heading to
work.
"Clicks his heels three times, goes back to Kansas, I suppose."
Gritting his teeth, he then walks off, humorously mumbling,
"Son of a..." This is another reference to The Wizard of Oz in this film. In that film, the protagonist Dorothy learns she can return home simply by clicking her heels together three
times.
Scene Overview
In Gotham, Clark meets with the partner of the murdered Cesar Santos, Adriana. Grieving, she imparts upon him a simple fateful notion: the Batman cannot be reasoned with or stopped by the power of the press, and only understands violence. This is the last straw for Clark, who will put his foot down on the Batman front, setting up their first meeting in costume. All this in further defiance of his irate boss.
Scene Analysis
Meeting with Mrs Santos personally allows Clark to develop a closer, more personal connection with the people he believes Batman has wronged. It further endears us to Clark to see him so driven towards the goal of fighting injustice that he keeps frustrating his boss. He is missing from his job yet again, off trying to right a wrong.
Before the coming
chase scene, this final brief sequence at the Daily Planet adds a little levity to the film
with Clark's angry boss to lighten the tone. I speculate this sequence was originally meant to occur
immediately before Clark returns to Smallville seeking his mother's
advice later. Perry's The Wizard of Oz reference here
would certainly lead into it. That would in turn set up Perry becoming
concerned for Clark's whereabouts after the Capitol bombing. Here, however,
this sequence is instead setting up his encounter with Batman, allowing us
to feel anticipation for Clark's next appearance as Superman.
There is no music in this scene.
Behind the Scene
The Gotham City Jail was shot in and outside the former Detroit Police Headquarters,
1300 Beaubien Street, Detroit, Michigan, directly across the street from the Old Wayne County Jail where the holding cells were filmed. The entrance was outfitted with a Gotham City Jail sign and GCPD logos. GCPD police cars and Gotham taxicabs were placed outside. Bananadoc has many photos of the set. The shoot evidently took place on the 27th of August 2014. Base camp was set up across the street in the parking lot on 421 Macomb Street.
"This was a cool sequence. When we shot it, that baby really was crying the whole time, and I felt really bad, and so we had to do it in just a couple takes, except where you see she puts the baby down out of frame and then we just added the crying over the top of it, like the baby's just standing down there. She did have him by the hand in the first couple takes, and then we had to let him go to his real mum because he was really upset, so it's hard." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Watch Party, 29 March 2020)
Based on physical evidence and quotes, the Daily Planet was shot in a retrofitted office space at 2000 Centerpoint Parkway, Pontiac, Michigan, in the late Michigan Motion Picture Studios, a former General Motors building just across the street from the location used for LexCorp. Those with a keen eye for set design may notice a significant number of changes since Man of Steel, implying the building has been heavily remodelled. Updates were inspired by old photographs of the Chicago Tribune. A row of televisions across the walls makes current news updates a constant presence in the scenes here. Lois and Clark can see each other from the placement of their desks. Electrician Erica Kim got a photo from inside. The location was sold to Williams International in 2017, when the studio held a garage sale for props.
Batmobile Chase
Cut to the bow of the White Portuguese, it's name written in white
against the dark hull. The sound of a ship horn sets the port
environment. The camera elevates to see a crane lift a pallet of cargo
off the vessel's deck and over to the loading dock below. Armed guards
are patrolling as the transfer takes place.
Low string and synthesizer rumbles, uneasy but maintaining an ambience.
A suited man (Richard Burden)
approaches from the dock to watch the unload, seeing the workers yell at each other while the crane operator works. He glances at someone and head signals his associates to collect the cargo as we
hear the pallet touch down on the dock. Then he walks out of
the shot. Burden last appeared during the Indian Ocean scene as the
Westerner seeking the Kryptonite. Connecting him with the mercenaries indicates that Lex was having the World Engine site searched for any
other fragments of Kryptonite.
Behind the Scene: This scene was shot long before the Indian Ocean sequence. Burden's character was not originally meant to be there until, while filming this sequence, Snyder had the idea to make Burden the operative who discovers the large fragment.
"[Richard Burden] got to come down with us. You'll see later, we see him at the dock when the Kryptonite's being offloaded from the ship, and I was like, 'Oh, you could be the guy who discovers [the Kryptonite]!' Even though he's just a stuntman who was there for a day, we ended up taking him to Bora Bora, [laughs]. He was like, 'This is awesome!'" (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Watch Party, 29 March 2020)
"Okay, see? There's [Richard Burden] again. It was this moment here where he points up at the thing that ended him up in Bora Bora five months later. It was in reverse. We shot that like, 'Okay, so now you're with us the rest of the journey.'" (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Watch Party, 29 March 2020)
Men unhook the ratchet straps securing the cargo -- a wooden crate and a container marked with
the warning text, "Rocket ammunition with explosive projectile." Two henchmen carry away the weapons container while Burden beckons a forklift truck towards the wooden crate.
Rumble from the low synthesizer.
Aerial view of the dock. Down below, the forklift wheels the crate away from the White
Portuguese towards the nearby trailer of a truck, surrounded by an
escort of black vehicles. In the foreground is a dockside container crane, and the camera ascends to reveal Batman at the top,
cape flowing in the wind as he watches the operation unfold. We push on him, obscuring the events unfolding through his black silhouette. This is Batman's first present-day appearance in-costume since the
branding scene, having been devoted to detective work as
Bruce Wayne between then and now.
Fade into a fast variation of Batman Theme A repeating on percussion over a rising string figure joined by intense choral elements, reaching a crescendo as we close on Batman. Then dropping silent.
Two men help guide the forklift's cargo inside the trailer, then push the crate deeper. As they slide the crate in, we focus on the
LexCorp sticker to remind us who is really pulling the strings here and
give us a clue of where the Kryptonite is located.
Through Batman's scope, we see two thugs carry the black munitions container
into the trailer after the wooden crate. Red
targeting brackets track Knyazev as he follows his men inside. He
signals and yells, "Move out!"
Percussive beat for dramatic effect.
Wide rear shot of Batman against the evening sky. We circle around
him, revealing the barrel of a Remington 700 rifle aimed down at the
operation below. Zack Snyder confirmed this references panels from The Dark Knight Returns to imply he is about to assassinate someone.
Another percussive beat to accompany the image of Batman with a rifle.
Low-angle shot of Batman from beside his scope, and
we pull back to rack focus to the barrel to emphasise him taking
aim as he looks through the sight. Considering the thematic similarities between the two films, this may be a reference to a shot from Terminator 2: Judgement Day, where Sarah Connor aims a rifle at the home of Miles Dyson with the
intent of killing him to prevent a dystopian future, making this one
of several possible references to that film.
Knyazev reaches up to pull down the trailer door. Just as it
closes, Batman fires a shot. Close-up
on the exterior of the trailer as Batman's tracking device hits the
metal, flashing a little red light. This indicates a move timed to ensure the device hits the trailer coinciding
with the door closing to go unnoticed. Fortunately, and to our relief,
Batman has not performed an assassination here, but as we shall see,
it makes little difference considering the destruction to come.
Rising tension in the music builds anticipation to Batman taking the shot before a driving (no pun intended) percussive drum beat begins over a grungy, growling low synthesizer when the tracker hits.
The mercenaries hurry to their cars, followed closely by the camera to build excitement. They splash puddles as they
sprint. At the same time, the truck begins moving out, and the vehicles
form a convoy:
- At the head of the convoy is the 2014 Iveco Stralis Hi-Way truck.
- Flanking its left is a 2014 Dodge Durango (Durango #1).
- Flanking its right is a 2015 Dodge Challenger (Challenger #1).
- In the middle of the convoy, another 2014 Dodge Durango (Durango #2).
- In the left rear, a 2015 Dodge Charger (Charger #1).
- In the right rear, another 2015 Dodge Challenger on the right (Challenger #2).
A car driving through a puddle sprays dirty water on one of the other vehicles. A security guard pushes open the chain link gate. Just as the semi leaves the dock, a passing tanker truck halts their advance momentarily.
Music terminates.
Cut to a different, more predatory vehicle lurking in the dark. Then its headlights flash on and the engine revs up, and at long last, we get our new Batmobile.
As the lights come on, a very strong Batman Theme A begins with intense choral elements.
A thug (Albert Valladares) in the back right seat of Charger #1 (driven by Burden) looks out his window at the sudden light.
The Batmobile's rocket thruster
fires up, propelling the vehicle forward with a start.
Cut to the plastic
covers beneath a sign that reads, "Nicholson Terminal & Dock Company".
This might have been chosen as a reference Jack Nicholson's Joker from Tim
Burton's 1989 film Batman, but the company is very real. The lights of the Batmobile illuminate the plastic sheets.
Valladares frantically yells, "Go, go, go, go!" while hitting the driver's seat.
Batman looks focused inside the Batmobile. We then see the vehicle plough through the plastic sheets and out onto the road, heading straight for one of the cars.
The driving beat from before resumes, intertwined with occurrences of Batman Theme A / Bruce Wayne Motif together and low growls from brass and synthesizer with the occasional repeating figure on higher synthesizer.
 |
| Albert Valladares, Instagram, 20 November 2017 |
Valladares emerges from
his window to begin firing a machine gun, and his car moves out
of the Batmobile's path.
Batman's vehicle collides with another car, Challenger #2, as the Batmobile turns to follow the convoy
down the street. We hear the infamous Wilhelm
Scream as the car hurtles into a trailer, crushing it.
Pursuing the fleeing convoy, Batman activates his
vehicle's harpoon, tethering the crashed Challenger #2 and dragging it along with a cable like a flimsy toy. Valladares frantically looks over his shoulder with terror as the Batmobile follows over the train track with its improvised wrecking ball.
The convoy takes a left, and Valladares uses the opportunity to fire at Batman again from Charger #1 with a
Heckler & Koch MP7A1 submachine gun. Bullets spark harmlessly against the Batmobile's armour.
Then Charger #1 pulls off the road behind a concrete barrier to ambush their pursuer. A thug in the front passenger seat (using a M249 SAW
Paratrooper machine gun) and another in the rear right seat both focus their fire on Batman now.
Batman taps a button, releasing the cable. The inertia of the abused Challenger #1 carries it
through the air over Charger #1. The thug in the passenger seat screams,
"No!"
Then the vehicle crashes down upon them, pinning the car in place.
With two cars down, Batman rounds a corner and continues following the convoy, revving up the engine.
The semi truck and its three remaining escorts race down a road through a Marathon oil refinery. The Batmobile gives chase.
A slow but dramatic Batman Theme B.
Durango #2 hangs back from the rest of the convoy to delay Batman. The rear cover is suddenly torn open, revealing a
threatening mounted Dillon Aero M134 Minigun. The thug in control begins
shooting at the Batmobile with it, but the barrage of bullets bounces
harmlessly off the black vehicle's exterior.
Batman pulls the trigger on a
joystick and begins firing the Batmobile's forward mounted machine gun
turret, ripping the vehicle to shreds before a rear wheel collapses. The SUV loses balance and begins tumbling down the street before the Batmobile
drives through the wreckage in a blaze of fire.
"I'm sure these guys are fine. They're gonna be a hundred percent okay. They're not at all dead, those guys in the car there. They're a hundred percent fine. We should have done an A-Team shot of them like, 'Augh...' on the side of the road, getting up like, 'Ugh, that hurt...' But they're fine. Just for the PG-13 of it all." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Watch Party, 29 March 2020)
A train horn blares as the truck travels under the train overpass over East Milwaukee Avenue. The Batmobile follows when Batman notices a thug shooting him from the passenger seat of Durango #1 in the adjacent line, yelling as he fires his weapon.
Soundtrack breaks into a more subdued, repeating string and synthesizer pattern.
The truck emerges from under the bridge and takes a sharp left turn down Hastings Street. Challenger #1 turns after it, followed by Durango #1. Batman turns hard on the wheel and drifts around the corner in pursuit, the two cars flanking the left and right of the truck yet again.
The trailer opens, revealing two thugs with
machine guns and Knyazev carrying a FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile
launcher, having retrieved it from the weapons crate set up earlier. He begins aiming the weapon while the other two men fire their machine guns.
Repeating string figures to highlight the new threat, leads into a percussion break.
Seeing the advanced weapon, Batman turns to get behind Durango #1. From his targeting interface,
Knyazev can no longer get a lock on the Batmobile.
A Gotham City Gas tanker truck comes down the road, and Challenger #1 hastily switches lanes to avoid a collision. The tanker is a sign of things to come.
Down the road, the semi makes a sharp left turn onto another street, the three men in the trailer fighting to stay balanced.
Batman is closely tailing Challenger #1, taking a sharp turn off Chene and up Guoin Street.
String figures give over to a more subdued drum beat.
Down the road, the semi and Durango #1 pass by another Gotham City Gas tanker, which then drives into the road, blocking it.
Seeing this, Batman pulls on the controls and turns right, trying to pass Challenger #1. The vehicle's driver is distracted by the manoeuvre. Then he sees the tanker ahead and shields his face in panic. The car ploughs right into the tanker, consumed in a tremendous fireball.
Batman Theme A hits hard with another dramatic chorus.
Batman squints in the light of the blast. His route blocked, he is forced to drive through a building's brick wall and up a ramp, into a warehouse.
Chorus backs off to make way for another synthesizer figure, giving a break in the intense action.
At the semi, Knyazev gawks at the billowing fire. The semi makes another right turn into the Russel Industrial Centre as Knyazev looks around frantically. "Where is he?!"
he yells. He and his associates glance around.
Inside the large warehouse, Batman steps on the accelerator and fires the rocket thruster.
A moment later, the Batmobile
bursts through the second-floor wall of a building, emerging directly above the
semi in slow-motion, flattening a portion of the rear of the trailer. At the very least, one of the thugs was flattened.
Brass, choir, and strings join back in while Batman Theme A is played repeatedly on percussion in a blaze of destructive glory.
Coming in for a landing, the Batmobile knocks Durango #1 off the road, tumbling away. Batman seems to lose control before careening into three grounded wooden boats, shattering them. Then he collides with a much larger vessel, breaking the supports, and the hull collapses on top of the Batmobile.
Music cuts out, providing a sudden and abrupt pause in the action with the possibility that Batman has been crushed.
The semi makes another right turn. From the roofless trailer, Knyazev and one other thug have survived the collision. Knyazev watches.
The semi makes another right turn. From the roofless trailer, Knyazev and one other thug have survived the collision. Knyazev watches.
Cut back to the crashed boat. After a pause, bullets tear through the ship's hull from within, and the Batmobile flies out unscathed and unstoppable. It speeds down the road after the truck.
Percussive drum beat continues, the Batmobile's theme billowing on undeterred.
While the thug beside him fires a machine gun, Knyazev finally has a clear view. He aims and fires the rocket launcher at Batman's vehicle.
Hearing a missile warning, Batman flips a switch, firing off a hail of flares, intercepting the missile and detonating it prematurely in a fireball. The Batmobile drives right through the roiling fire, undeterred. At this point, one might presume that, with the escort dealt with and anti-tank rockets useless, nothing can stop Batman's assault.
Batman Theme A on a mighty chorus, further bolstering the dramatic carnage as flames do nothing to stop this onslaught.
The truck takes a right corner, and Batman follows with a tight turn, only to find Superman standing in his way, the Batmobile's headlights gleaming on the Man of Steel in slow-motion.
Batman Theme A is replaced with what resembles a dramatic choral rendition of Bruce Wayne Motif.
Batman looks awed at the unexpected sight for a moment before stepping on
the breaks.
The vehicle collides with Superman's knee. He does not budge an inch, but the Batmobile careens
out of control and crashes, igniting some oil tanks. After
everything the Batmobile has just endured, bouncing against Superman like
this only highlights how hilariously outmatched Batman is. Samuel Otten pointed out that this might be visual foreshadowing of Batman's future downing
in the Batwing at Doomsday's hands, as both vehicles are totalled by
a Kryptonian.
Sudden break in the monstrous soundtrack coinciding with Superman's abrupt end to Batman's rampage.
Again in slow-motion, Superman approaches the Batmobile, his flowing cape blown back in our direction and almost making
it look like he is flying.
Percussive beats.
"As far as I remember, there was going to be a beginning and an end. The Batmobile needed to be this vehicle of destruction that just was unstoppable and create all this mayhem until it comes into contact with the Man of Steel, so that juxtaposition had to be really evident, that it was blasting through semi trucks, it was going through walls. Just wasn't even hesitating when it was smashing through this stuff, and at the end when it runs into Superman it stops dead and is damaged. The might of the Batmobile had to be on display so it was really significant when it hits Superman at the end." (Tim Rigby, BvS: By The Minute, 13 November 2020, 20:11)
Inside the Batmobile, the cockpit fills with smoke. A damage alarm is beeping urgently. Batman looks around frantically. He stops struggling when he hears the sound of footsteps against the vehicle's chassis and looks up from the controls.
Shoulder shot from Batman to see Superman through the smoke, reaching down and ripping the two halves of the canopy off the vehicle. He looks down at Batman for a moment before tossing them aside.
Wide ground-level shot of the scene as half the torn canopy clatters by us. Left with no escape, and yet fully aware of just how helpless he
is, Batman rises and stands defiantly before Superman. The leaking smoke finally ceases, and the two titans are finally together on screen the big screen for the first time in cinematic history. Samuel Otten pointed out that Superman here stands in Batman's way both literally and
figuratively, an obstacle preventing him from carrying out his
goals. Otten also mentioned how Batman rising from the
smoke-filled cockpit could also be symbolic of him
rising up from Hell to meet the Heavenly Superman.
Dramatic percussion, strings, and vocals sound to herald the moment before terminating to let dialogue take over under a quiet, ambience rumble.
Looking disgusted, Superman warns, "Next time they shine your light in the sky, don't go to it. The Bat is dead. Bury it." Samuel Otten pointed out this might tie into Bruce's later explanation to Alfred regarding how he feels Batman has left no meaningful impact on Gotham by fighting crime in Gotham, which in turn reinvigorates him to confront that which makes him feel helpless, like Superman here. Then Superman turns his back to the vigilante, finishing, "Consider this mercy."
Ominous growl from the music as Superman makes his threat.
Batman watches Superman turn away.
With Superman's back turned, Batman suddenly says in his synthesised voice, "Tell me."
Superman stops in his tracks, turning his head to look back over his shoulder at Batman.
Another growl.
Totally calm, Batman asks, "Do you bleed?" This question positions Superman as something so "other" than he cannot relate to humanity, or even an animal, showing how far Batman has dehumanised him as something unworthy of moral consideration.
Superman glares at Batman for a moment. Superman abruptly shoots into the sky, and we pan up to see
him disappear into the night.
Glaring after him, Batman angrily remarks, "You will." He will make good on this promise. This is a likely reference to Leonidas' threat to Xerxes in Zack Snyder's cinematic adaptation 300 (2006), promising to show the world that even a god king can bleed, so the themes of man triumphing over god are present between both films.
Glaring after him, Batman angrily remarks, "You will." He will make good on this promise. This is a likely reference to Leonidas' threat to Xerxes in Zack Snyder's cinematic adaptation 300 (2006), promising to show the world that even a god king can bleed, so the themes of man triumphing over god are present between both films.
Bat Ostinato as Batman watches Superman leave.
Possibly Deleted Dialogue: In The Art of the Film (81), an altered version of Superman's words to Batman here is presented, likely from an earlier draft of the script: "Your light in the sky will be my signal. Next time they call you, don't go to it. Because I'll be there. No talking next time."
Possibly Deleted Dialogue: In The Art of the Film (81), an altered version of Superman's words to Batman here is presented, likely from an earlier draft of the script: "Your light in the sky will be my signal. Next time they call you, don't go to it. Because I'll be there. No talking next time."
Cut to the lake. The waters part to
reveal a hidden entrance beneath. The Batmobile, led by
its headlights through the trees, emerges from the forest to leap over
an embankment, soar through the air, and into the tunnel in the lake. The Glass House can be seen on the far side of the
lake as the waters close once again. It is an extremely elaborate, but also incredibly intense method of
escaping into the Batcave.
Bat Ostinato explodes into Batman Theme A on percussion, rising throughout the dramatic sequence.
The Batmobile speeds down a spiral tunnel deeper underground, sparking to indicate the damage from
its recent collision with Superman.
Cut to a large metal hatch, a heavy
locking mechanism unlatching to pull the doorway up. The Batmobile comes
through, driving right over us.
High-angle shot of the vehicle speeding down a long causeway suspended from the ceiling over a subterranean lake, adhering to the new Batcave's hanging motif. The Batmobile comes to rest in the garage, trailing smoke.
Having reached its peak, the music comes to a sudden halt.
"It was Zack's idea that he wanted the Batmobile to come out of the lake. If you have the car coming out of the lake, you don't know what the origin of the Batcave is. You can't see it. A vehicle disappearing in water leaves no trace. So we had the concept that the last part of the tunnel is mechanical, that it lifts just at the edge of the water and the water drains off when the cage rises. The tunnel opens and the car can actually jump and land further into the forest so you don't have any tracks." (Patrick Tatopoulos, Tech Manual, p146)
"You could have a car that goes under water, but that's a little James Bond for me. We never want to be in sci-fi world with Batman. Whatever happens, Batman is a very real man and everything he has should feel very real." (Patrick Tatopoulos, Tech Manual, p148)
High-angle
shot on the Batmobile, and we watch Batman jump out. As the vehicle
rotates on its platform to face the exit, Batman heads for the stairs
and removes his cowl, briefly disappearing behind the concrete walkways
between us and him.
Bat Ostinato continues, though everything else drops out except a soft Batman Theme A on timpani.
Behind the Scene: This is a Texas Switch. Removing the cowl messes up the black eye makeup, so after Affleck's stunt double Richard Cetrone exited the Batmobile and passed under the concrete, Ben Affleck continued from there without the makeup.
"We were having a lot of fun with that because we hadn't had any shots in the film where [Ben Affleck and I] were both in the same shot as Batman. So, I jump out of the Batmobile, rip off the cowl, walk behind a wall, start walking up the steps, Ben's standing there, and he takes the rest of the way up to the Batcave. We had a ball doing that. We just had so much fun." (Richard Cetrone, Holy BatCast, 17 April 2017, 01:18:45)
"This is a Texas Switch, so it was Rich [Cetrone] getting out of the [Batmobile] and then Ben coming there. Because the cowl, when you take it off, it completely messes you up, so we thought we would take it off with that. That way you could take it off and come upstairs and still be in great shape." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Watch Party, 29 December 2020)Cut to the Bat-computer. Bruce walks in and gets straight to work, standing at the keyboard to begin typing. A satellite map appears across the multiple screens displaying the flashing text, "Searching for transponder signal," accompanied by a beeping sound.
Batman Theme B joins on French horn and trombone.
Cut to black.
Cut to see the crate withdrawn via forklift from beside the truck,
descending below the torn metal to draw our attention to the beeping
tracking device that has managed to cling to the vehicle still. In the
background, Lex directs the forklift with his hands, commanding it to
approach before halting it right in front of him, again exercising his
powers for the pure satisfaction of it.
Batman Theme A and Batman Theme B cut out, building on Bat Ostinato, a bit of musical foreshadowing that Batman will eventually get what he was after.
Medium shot on Bruce, closing to a medium close-up as he looks at the
screen.
On the crack of wood, close-up on crowbars wrenching open the lid of the wooden crate. It
is lifted open, and we pan up to see Lex place his hands on the rim. The container within sits on a bed of straw.
Codex Motif to emphasise the Kryptonite's presence, still layered over the Bat Ostinato.
Lex opens the lid, and
green light illuminates his face.
The music terminates abruptly when Lex sees his prize.
Mercy and Knyazev stand beside each other nearby. Mercy steps forward to approach her boss, and we see a mercenary and LexCorp guard in
the background looking over the damage to the truck.
The Krypton Motif comes in under a slow, partial variation of Lex Luthor Theme A.
When Mercy stops to look at the Kryptonite below, Lex
looks up from the emerald mineral, at her.
Then Mercy looks up at Lex from the Kryptonite and smiles at him triumphantly, the Kryptonite reflecting in her
glasses, perhaps to represent what she cannot unsee.
Lex Luthor Theme B on low keys, then on strings.
Lex continues looking at her and sighs. Indeed, Lex is no doubt disappointed that he feels compelled to do
away with her. She stepped away from Knyazev's more obedient position and
got too close, literally, sealing her fate.
As if emphasising Lex's dark intentions, we hear the ominous sound of
lightning, leading us to the next scene.
Scene Overview
At the docks, we are introduced to the new Batmobile as Batman pursues the Kryptonite with limitless savagery and destructive power before literally running into Superman -- putting the two titans together in the same scene for the first time -- who gives the vigilante a stern warning that puts a temporary stopper on Superman's side of the hero-hero conflict, allowing him to focus on humanity in preparation for the Capitol scene without awkwardly forgetting his resentment for Batman. However, Batman tracks the escaped shipment to LexCorp, setting up his eventual theft of the mineral.
Scene Analysis
Some of the imagery in this scene may reference the comic Batman: War on Crime (1999) by Alex Ross and Paul Dini.
This scene is approximately 7m10s down to the frame. The action sequence is 4m3s from the frame we cut to the Batmobile and the last frame on Batman after he says, "You will."
This scene plays a major role in the movie, accomplishing many essential goals...
- It allows Batman to exhibit his destructive and reckless brutality.
- It sets up the first in-costume meeting between Batman and Superman to draw out their conflict.
- It sets up the fight between the two characters: "Next time they shine your light in the sky, don't go to it." - "Well, here I am."
- It allows Superman to put his resentment for Batman on the back-burner as we return to the controversy and approach the Capitol bombing.
- It introduces us to the incredible new Batmobile.
- It explains why Batman is using the Batwing instead of the Batmobile when it gets trashed.
- Batman needs to learn where the Kryptonite is in order to steal it, so he obviously needs to pursue it while he has the chance. The alternative is to assume the Kryptonite is at LexCorp, assault the building, plough through all the guards, and hope it is still there.
- We need to see that Lex has smuggled the Kryptonite into the country with Knyazev's help, and we need to see Lex acquire it.
- Batman wants the Kryptonite, so he necessarily needs to pursue it when he gets a good opportunity. He is doing the thing he logically needs to do.
The first track in this scene is Chase. It is a medley of nearly all of Batman's themes and motifs, rearranged in a way that tonally fits the scene, conveying his rage in sync with the movements of the Batmobile and beats of the spectacle. This track corresponds to Do You Bleed? in the commercially-available versions of the score with minor changes.
The second track in this scene is Do You Bleed. It is mostly just a musical backdrop for the scene. The frantic, explosive Batman music in the beginning reflects the Batmobile barely making it back to the Batcave in one piece. The latter third of this track is extended into the next scene. This track is not on any commercially-available version of the score.
Behind the Scene
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| "Everything about the Batman v Superman Batmobile impressed me." Clay Enos, Twitter, 6 June 2016 |
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| Official Promotional Image |
The White Portuguese was shot at the Nicholson Terminal and Dock Company, 360 East Great Lakes Street, River Rouge, Michigan, along
the Detroit River. The location was first reported by OLV on 12 May 2014. It was formerly a location for Transformers: Age of Extinction, The Double, Real Steel, and Kill the Irishman. The building from which the Batmobile dramatically emerged no longer exists. Filming was around 4 September 2014. The car the Batmobile punts was filmed for real, but the second shot of the vehicle flying into the office was done with springs. Set photographer Clay Enos took these two beautiful photos from the location. Base camp was set up nearby.
The Batmobile mounted minigun sequence was filmed at the Marathon Petroleum Corporation site at 12800 Toronto Street. The company logo can be seen on the oil containers in the film. MLive.com first reported the location, and it was possibly filmed on 3 September. Set photographer Clay Enos posted a Twitter photo of furnaces and pipes with the sly text, "The plain of Marathon."
Afterwards, the Batmobile chases the convoy West under the elevated railway over Milwaukee Avenue before making a sharp turn South down Hastings Street when the truck opens and mercenaries fire at the Batmobile. The chase then turns onto Piquette Avenue. This sequence was filmed on the night of the 16th of September, and the fake gunfire was heard by concerned citizens living nearby. The shoot and its bright lights could be glimpsed from Rivard Street. On Instagram, @shiva_honey posted footage of the sharp turn and gunfire.
The Batmobile takes a sharp turn off Chene and onto Guoin Street. Down the road, the exploding oil tanker was shot at 3049-901 Guoin Street, where a fake wall was built into the garage door of 1370, and a Gotham City Gas billboard was built on the wall of 2679, above where the tanker emerges in the film. The explosion was fully practical, and multiple tankers were brought in for retakes of the blast, each with visible telephone numbers: 335-012-8643. The sequence was filmed the night of the 15th. The stunt Batmobiles were parked on the empty lot at 2674 Wight Street, and a destroyed tanker was left on 2200 Franklin Street. Director of photography Larry Fong photographed the sky above.
The boat destruction, missile explosion, and Superman encounter were shot at the Russell Industrial Centre, a textile warehouse on 1600 Clay Street, Detroit. The location was likely scouted on 19 July based on this photo by key second assistant director Misha Bukowski. The location was closed from the 2nd to the 18th of September for the duration of filming. On the 7th, a notice was posted warning locals that shooting for Sage & Milo would occur on the 9th to the 12th and that heavy pyrotechnics would be employed on the 10th for the missile explosion. The boats were destroyed for real using a proxy car. One YouTuber took this video of the Batmobile performing the leap from the wreck of the (CGI) boat with a tracking shot of the damaged truck with Knyazev, and this video of two models getting prepped. Director of photography Larry Fong posted a small behind-the-scenes clip to Vero of Superman's entrance. Base camp was nearby at 2611 Chrysler Drive. Bananadoc got many photos of the boat set and the roof from which the crew filmed the explosion. Local resident Jimmie Nitrez got some good photos.
Zack Snyder showed off the new Batmobile again on the 11th and posted a photo of the GCPD arresting a Stormtrooper on the 13th to combat a rumour of the vehicle getting stolen, later crediting @arturoseeker for playing the Stormtrooper, a Star Wars cosplayer who got a photo with Zack Snyder and the GCPD cops. Channel 7 documented the shoot here and here, and Autoblog got many clear spy shots of the Batmobile.
"For the Batmobile chase the desire was to try and film as much as possible in camera with the real Batmobile and practical effects. Where necessary we would augment the real Batmobile an example being the backfire from the large central exhaust pipe and the rear mounted cable/harpoon. When the scene required a stunt that would damage the real Batmobile we would use the proxy version (that we affectionately referred to as the smashmobile) to collide with objects and replace the smashmobile in post with the CG Batmobile.
Lastly came the category of shots that were unachievable with either vehicle and those comprised of a mix of putting the CG Batmobile into live action plates and full CG shots. One complication for the chase was that while it appears as a continuous chase in the film it was filmed over multiple weeks in various locations throughout Detroit. To try and maintain the sense of continuity we would look for ways to integrate details from the previous cuts/locations into the backgrounds of subsequent shots. Additionally we needed to remove iconic Detroit landmarks and add additional gritty industrial detail to the background to help it feel like Gotham." (Bryan Hirota, Art of VFX, 11 April 2016)
Possibly Deleted Footage: According to Detroit News, the Batmobile was filmed speeding along Vernor Highway under the train tracks beside Michigan Central Station (where the Batman/Superman fight was shot). It may have been a deleted sequence from this scene.
"It's really important that we have [real] locations and cars that work; that everything isn't just [CG] virtual world. The key is keeping it grounded. We shot this practically as much as we could, down to the explosions, to the car flips. There's something really exciting about that. And then when we needed to, we enhanced it with CG, [but] those moments you can't tell what's real and what's CG, that's when it's most exciting and most effective." (Deborah Snyder, Tech Manual, p10)
Click here for a featurette on the creation of this scene. BvS: By The Minute did an interview with stunt coordinator Tim Rigby across three episodes that I recommend viewing here, here, and here. According to him, the previsualisation for this scene was as simple as several grown men on their hands and knees using toy cars to plan out the sequence, which they found very comedic. Stunt performer Gene Hartline drove Knyazev's truck.
"There was a full size Batcave built on one of the stages at the studio in Michigan. It looked great but only covered 180 degrees and for the shot where the Batmobile returns needed more like 360 degrees of coverage and had to be much larger. Scanline extended the environment by creating the cavernous space that housed the Batcave and continued the ramp that extended out past the hydraulic door through the tunnel and to the large doors that let the Batmobile in or out through the lake." (Bryan Hirota, Art of VFX, 11 April 2016)
The Batmobile began as a sketch by production designer Patrick Tatopoulos on a napkin in a coffee shop. From this simple silhouette, an epic vehicle began to grow. The design is more aggressive and predatory than past iterations, yet still retains a militaristic element, armed with missile launchers, grappling hook, and the gun turret that Snyder wanted to be a very visible. The bat motif is represented in the wing-like opening of the canopy doors. It was designed with modularity in mind, allowing for new components to easily be added in the future. The built vehicle is a fully capable stunt car.
"It is phenomenal. This thing is so bad-ass and it runs like you would not believe. It sounds incredible. The Batmobiles done in the past were super cool, so how do you top it? But it really is a work of art. It's militaristic, it looks battle-beaten. It's just a magnificent vehicle in so many ways." (Deborah Snyder, Press Release, March 2016)
The Batcave was constructed across two soundstages at the late Michigan Motion Picture Studios along Centerpoint Parkway, Pontiac, Michigan. Production designer Patrick Tatopoulos in the Art of the Film and Tech Manual described it as "oppressive" with how the roof of the cave is very low, as though you "barely have the space to live in there." The blocky, minimalistic, concrete aesthetic of the Glass House above is reflected in the design, which is arguably a reflection of Bruce's anti-social attitude. The intention with the architecture was to make everything suspended from above to be "reminiscent of the concept of a bat," and work tables in the lab are attached to a gantry system on the ceiling for moving them around. You can see the official Batcave behind-the-scenes featurette on YouTube. A 360-degree virtual tour was once available before being removed, but you can still see videos of the tour. The sequences here were shot in June or July 2014 when the crew were filming in Pontiac.
The LexCorp Research Park cargo dock was shot at a cargo dock on the West side of 2011 Centerpoint Parkway, Pontiac, Michigan, a former General Motors building. During his time there, director of photography Larry Fong posted these photos to Instagram. On 12 May 2014, Jesse Eisenberg said he would begin filming in exactly one month, so this was likely one of his first scenes shot for the movie, and interior LexCorp filming was scheduled for around the 12th and 13th of June before rescheduling to the 16th and 17th.
What Is Good?
Low strings from the previous scene, carrying on from here throughout the rest of the scene.
"I don't have a halo over me, Mister Secretary," says Lois. "I went into the desert, people died. It keeps me awake. It should." This confirms she feels a degree of responsibility for what happened in Nairomi due to her presence. Had she never been there, neither would Superman. Then she hands the little plastic bag containing the bullet to Calvin.
"I don't have a halo over me, Mister Secretary," says Lois. "I went into the desert, people died. It keeps me awake. It should." This confirms she feels a degree of responsibility for what happened in Nairomi due to her presence. Had she never been there, neither would Superman. Then she hands the little plastic bag containing the bullet to Calvin.
He takes it, pulling the bag out of sight.
Lois continues, "If you think that Superman is a murderer, then throw it away... but I don't believe you think that."
Calvin turns, puts the bullet in his coat pocket, and walks away. This wordless act implies that Lois' gamble has failed, and Calvin has taken the last shred of evidence she had that might have exonerated Superman.
As Calvin exits the frame, we hear Finch ask, "How do we determine what's good?" This further ties into the very direct theme of Superman taking morality into his own hands.
Senator Finch is behind a podium furnished with press
microphones. She continues, "In a democracy, good is a conversation, not a unilateral decision."
This is one of the prevailing themes of the film, and is juxtaposed
against the contrasting perspective of Adriana Santos: "A man like that,
words don't stop him. You know what stops him? A fist."
Wallace Keefe is there, looking up at Finch from down beside her in his new wheelchair as the press takes photos. He looks thoughtful and calm, but there is a sadness about him.
Wide shot of the scene from above the photographers and reporters paying Finch their full attention in an elegant marble hall. Behind her is the statue of Andrew Jackson, who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. It is located in the real US Capitol, not the Wayne County Building where this sequence was shot, and so was likely added to represent Superman with its cape and hands-on-hips pose.
Finch continues, "So I urge Superman to come to this Hill of the people tomorrow." This indicates we are set somewhere within the US Capitol.
Cut to Lois sitting in a taxi. It is still raining outside, carrying along the mood of the previous sequence and making us assume this is the morning after. The conference is playing on the small television below. Outside, a local "metrobus" in red, white, and blue passes by through the rain outside, prominently putting American colours in the scene to associate with Finch's words. The bus's number is 3112, possibly referencing Proverbs 31:12 from The Virtues of a Noble Woman: "She brings him good and not harm all the days of her life."
Cut to the screen showing Wallace. "To see those who have suffered." This associates Finch's words with him, representing Keefe as one of Superman's indirect victims. CNN is reporting live with the headline, "Sen. Finch Press Conference." It
is 3:11 PM Eastern Time.
Cut to Lois. "The world needs to know what happened in that desert." This associates Finch's words with her, who naturally shares Finch's desire to uncover the truth of the Nairomi incident.
Cut to the television screens on the wall of the Daily Planet
office from Clark's shoulder, focused on the CNN report. Finch goes on,
"And to know what he stands for."
Cut to Clark, looking troubled as he watches the conference. A
co-worker watching over his shoulder tells us the Daily Planet is
collectively focused on this announcement. Finch asks, "How far will he take his power?" This associates Finch's words with Clark, the target of her questioning, unbeknownst to those around him.
Cut to Lex in his laboratory. The automatic doors close, leaving him alone in the darkness. As he turns to us, focused on something below frame, Finch's words echo as they fade: "Does he act by our will, or by his own?" This associates Finch's words with Lex, creating a more apparent question of whether he actually cares to defend humanity from Superman or if he has more personal motives.
Lex Luthor Theme A on distant a piano, very quiet and almost inaudible, but his presence is looming over the scene.
Lex steps towards us, and we back up over the glass container. We descend opposite Lex to see him through the two panes. Then the Kryptonite comes into the foreground between us and him. Lex puts his hands on the glass, looking especially villainous behind his new weapon of assassination as the green light illuminates his face.
Also in association with Lex, we Martha Kent say softly, "People hate what they don't understand," to lead us into the next scene. Lex hates that people perceive Superman as a benevolent deity, but cannot comprehend (like Batman) that Superman is little more than a simple man who wants to help people.
Scene Overview
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| Official Promotional Image |
While Lois takes a gamble on giving Calvin Swanwick the bullet, Senator Finch announces a hearing with an official invitation to Superman to explain his actions in Nairomi, diverting Clark's attention and putting him back on the question of Superman's controversy.
Scene Analysis
The first sequence has a very noir tone to it, giving Lois' investigation an atmosphere of its own. Lois' gamble is smart as Calvin has a history with Superman, having spoken to him personally in Man of Steel, and even reached out to Calvin in an attempt to foster trust.
The music in this scene is the latter third of Do You Bleed extended in from the previous scene. This track is not on any commercially-available version of the score.
Behind the Scene
"This was a cool sequence we shot, again, in Detroit, under the town hall. Where we shot was the old town hall where the senate hearing chambers were. It was a cool building, and then this was just under the stairs, we found this little set." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Watch Party, 29 March 2020)
The meeting between Calvin and Lois was filmed beneath the front steps
of the Wayne County Building, 600 Randolph Street, Detroit,
Michigan. It was most likely shot around the 22nd of August 2014, when the "metrobus" was present at the location, so it was likely shot back-to-back with Lois in her taxi. Rain machines were used.
June Finch's press conference in the US Capitol was filmed in the interestingly named Wayne County Building, 600 Randolph Street, Detroit. Finch's announcement was likely shot on 20 August 2014, based only on this photo of Scoot McNairy in what looks like his brown trousers. Base camp was set up in the parking lot of 700 Randolph Street, just across the road.
Deleted Dialogue: As heard in the teaser trailer and the Comic-Con trailer, June Finch has the lines, "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely," and, "That kind of power is very dangerous." Presumably, they were somewhere around here or during Finch's interview with Charlie Rose in the Day of the Dead scene.
Capitol Montage
"People hate what they don't understand," says Martha, echoing
Jonathan Kent's words from Man of Steel: "People are
afraid of what they don't understand." In that sense, one could
say Man of Steel is a story about fear and Batman v Superman is a story about hate.
Martha continues, "But they see what you do, and they know who you are." This line puts some context behind Superman's lack of excessive dialogue in this film, like a reminder that actions speak louder than words. Superman is defined by his actions, but perhaps that is the problem?
Shoulder shot from Superman on Martha, looking up at her son as she advises him. "You're not a killer, a threat." She visibly scoffs at these notions. Samuel Otten pointed out that this might be meta-textual, and how killing Zod to save
humanity is not the same as making Superman a bad person.
Clark looks down at her.
He takes in every word, but not speaking himself. He only listens.
That might also be a theme here, where Clark always listens to others, rather than telling others
what to think. Also, since this sequence only has Martha speaking, this
puts some extra emphasis on her as a character to amplify the importance
of her role, whereas she has been basically ignored until now, save for
one brief appearance earlier when Clark calls her.
"I never wanted this world to have you," continues Clark's mother. She sighs. "Be their hero, Clark. Be their monument. Be their angel. Be anything they need you to be. Or be none of it. You don't owe this world a thing. You never did."
"I never wanted this world to have you," continues Clark's mother. She sighs. "Be their hero, Clark. Be their monument. Be their angel. Be anything they need you to be. Or be none of it. You don't owe this world a thing. You never did."
Clark Kent Theme, joined by strings instead of the usual solo piano, giving the moment the additional emotional weight.
"I'll be happy with whatever decision you make as long as you're happy making it. Even if you decided that all you wanted was to be the best banjo player in the world. Because I love you, son." (Martha Kent, Superman: Earth One #1, 2010)
She gives him an encouraging push, and he flashes a grateful smile.
This puts him in such a child-like position, further contrasting
public perception of Superman when he is getting an encouraging talk
from his concerned mother.
Indeed, this visitation is in response to Finch's request for
Superman to defend himself, and he has come to Martha seeking advice
and wisdom. Martha has reinforced that he has a choice, which gives weight
to his decision to appear at the Capitol.
"I always liked the idea that Superman, from a mythological standpoint, his mother is his confidant and moral compass, and it's cool to see him reconnect with her, whether it be a phone call or in person. She's able to give him a perspective on the world that he sometimes is missing." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Director's Commentary, 2021, 1:22:45)
Cut to on Kahina Ziri in her bus seat. It is day. The driver says on the announcer, "This is DeNiros. Transfer available to Kane Avenue. Please mind
your step." This is a likely reference to Bob Kane, co-creator of
Batman.
The Clark Kent Theme gives way to more eerie strings, playing half of the ticking melody from Half a Man. This carries from here.
Kahina stands as the bus slows, and we follow closely
behind her towards the front of the vehicle.
"Please mind your step," reminds the driver.
Reaching the door, the bus comes to a stop. The doors open when Kahina
notices something out the corner of her eye and she turns to look across
the street. Outside the dingy apartment, the elderly man Clark met earlier
is sitting on a bench, and Knyazev is standing over him in conversation.
One of Knyazev's underlings stands waiting beside their black
car.
Kahina is suddenly looking extremely shaken and tense. Immediately
we know something is amiss, as she does, implying she recognises Knyazev
too. She turns and walks out of frame.
We zoom on Knyazev and the resident. Then the bus starts moving
again, and we pan left as we move up the aisle of seats to keep our focus
on the scene across the street. For a few frames, Knyazev turns to face
the bus before he leaves the frame, subliminally building the paranoia of
the scene. Then Kahina comes into view, sitting with her back against the
window to conceal her face. As the streets pass by over her shoulders, she
looks thoughtful. Wisely, she has correctly assumed that he is here to wrap up loose ends.
A mysterious, droning sound (likely synthesizer) plays a few times, interspersed with the ticking melody.
Cut to Senator Finch at her office desk, in glasses and buried in
paperwork. Over her shoulder is a golden horse head bust, another
reference to the horse motif. It may also reference Francis Ford Coppola's
1972 crime film
The Godfather, where Jack Woltz wakes up to find the severed head of his
prized stallion in his bed after refusing to accept an offer from the
mob. The comparison would be apt, as Finch has also refused Lex's
offer and now her fate is fast approaching. So multiple layers of a
bad omen sit behind her.
"I have to speak to the senator today," we Kahina say outside the room.
This gets Finch's attention. She stops writing and raises her head to the commotion outside.
"You cannot see the senator today," responds the receptionist (Sandra Love Aldridge).
Kahina insists, "I need to speak to her before the hearing! Do you understand how important this is?"
Finch stands, removes her glass, and hurries to the door. We see on the wall behind her desk several photos, including what appears of be two taken at a premier for a Holly Hunter film.
The receptionist repeats, "I cannot let you see the senator."
Kahina continues, "Please, I need to speak to her. Please, madam. I beg of you! Please, don't do this! This is so important!"
"Come with me," says a male, a security officer.
"Don't touch me!" yells Kahina.
Finally, Finch emerges in the lobby outside, where we see Kahina is surrounded by two security officers and the receptionist.
Kahina continues, "Please, I need to speak to her. Please, madam. I beg of you! Please, don't do this! This is so important!"
"Come with me," says a male, a security officer.
"Don't touch me!" yells Kahina.
Finally, Finch emerges in the lobby outside, where we see Kahina is surrounded by two security officers and the receptionist.
Kahina sees Finch and begs, "Please!"
The receptionist tells her boss, "I'm sorry, she wouldn't leave."
Finch glances at the receptionist and gives Kahina a moment to speak.
The receptionist tells her boss, "I'm sorry, she wouldn't leave."
Finch glances at the receptionist and gives Kahina a moment to speak.
Kahina, looking remorseful, says, "I didn't tell you the truth."
Wide shot beside Arlington Memorial Bridge over the Potomac River in Washington DC, a landmark built to symbolise the reunification of the North and the South after the American Civil War. The Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument are visible on the far side, again filling a scene with distinctly American imagery to not only establish the setting, but to associate the United States with the subject of the sequence. In this case, the US government keeping dark secrets sullies the meaning of the iconic landmarks. Lois and Calvin sit together on a bench overlooking the river.
The four note Half A Man melody plays in its full form on low brass.
Calvin says, "CI thinks the desert was a setup. Somebody wanted Superman to look guilty."
Lois sighs and asks, "The bullet?"
Flashback. Knyazev's mercenaries shooting the Nairomi rebels. The bullet hitting Lois' notebook. This is a visual reminder of where she found the bullet that sets up the following exchange.
Present. Calvin discreetly passes Lois the plastic bag containing the bullet. Now in a nondescript casual outfit and cap to stay low-profile, he says, "The metal was developed by a private company."
Lois shuffles around to put the bag away below frame. Not looking at him, she asks, "What company?"
"LexCorp."
Lois pauses and turns to him. After a beat, she asks, "Lex Luthor?"
"He also had private security contractors in the desert compound."
Flashback. Knyazev nods to a subordinate. He fires the first shot of the betrayal.
Present. Focused on Calvin, Lois says quietly after a beat, "Go on record."
He smiles. "Not a chance. It's classified." He stands and walks around beside the bench. "I happen to like my job."
Lois stands as well, facing him. "It doesn't make sense. You said that the ambush was arranged to frame Superman, but how could they know that he'll show up in the..." She gasps, and we hear a sonic boom.
Flashback. Lois held hostage by General Amajagh. Superman crashing through the ceiling. Lois smiling. Superman raising his head.
Fade out into a more high-pitched, uneasy variation of the Krypton Motif, overlaid over a briefly repeating synthesizer figure.
Present. Realising she was used as bait, Lois finishes. "...In the middle of the desert." She collects her things and says, "Thank you," before turning and leaving in a hurry.
"Now we see this growing relationship between Lois and Swanwick. When Swanwick comes back to her in Justice League and we find out he's Martian Manhunter, it makes sense that he realises, of course, what Lois is capable of and the change she's able to bring to the world as a bringer of truth, realises that she's needed to change the world in the way that people can not like these Meta-Humans." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Director's Commentary, 2021, 1:24:21)
Cut to Wallace Keefe's lap, now in a grey suit. Indistinct
chatter. A security officer is waving a metal detector across his
body, beeping softly. We slowly ascend to see his arms are raised
aside in a security checkpoint. The scene is busy with reporters and cameramen to indicate the important event currently unfolding.
A rapidly pulsating low synthesizer is joined by the same synthesizer melody, which is then overlaid by the Half A Man melody. The synthesizer pulses and the melody alternates back and forth. This highlights the shift in the narrative as we speed towards an essential moment.
One cameraman aims his weapon at Soledad O'Brien, a real news anchor with a cameo as herself here. Into her microphone, she explains, "The Senate hearing is expected to get underway any minute now. And, of course, the big unknown in all of this is, will Superman
show up? That is what they're really waiting to see."
Wallace wheels out from the checkpoint behind O'Brien. He rolls by her.
O'Brien turns to ask him, "Mister Keefe. Mister Keefe. Soledad O'Brien, In The Moment. Quick question
for you. You're heading in to meet with the Senators. What will you
tell them?"
Cut to a conference room. Bruce stands beyond the far end of
the table, hands in his pockets. An assistant types on a laptop
nearby, the centre of Bruce's focus. An array of screens behind him
shows the interview with Keefe playing out. The live report is titled, "Former Wayne employee to testify".
"I've come here to tell them to wake up," says Keefe on the screens.
This prompts Bruce to turn and watch. A painting of Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Thomas Wayne can be seen on the far wall.
Wallace continues,
"This is flesh and blood. He has delivered a war here. And this..."
The news camera aims down to look at the man's missing legs.
"This is what war looks like. I have nothing." These are Bruce's words from earlier: "That son of a bitch brought the war to us two years ago."
O'Brien responds, "There are plenty of people, sir, who would say he's their hero."
"He is not a hero!" responds Keefe, noticeably unhinged.
Bruce looks like he has just seen a ghost. Without looking at her, he says to his aide, "Grace, can you get Greg up here, please? Right now." Notice, Lex's assistant is Mercy, whereas Bruce's assistant is Grace. Lex is about to kill Mercy.
O'Brien responds, "There are plenty of people, sir, who would say he's their hero."
"He is not a hero!" responds Keefe, noticeably unhinged.
Bruce looks like he has just seen a ghost. Without looking at her, he says to his aide, "Grace, can you get Greg up here, please? Right now." Notice, Lex's assistant is Mercy, whereas Bruce's assistant is Grace. Lex is about to kill Mercy.
The squealing of a subway train transitions us.
Cut to opening subway train doors. Lois, phone to ear, steps off the
train in a hurry to leaves the station, saying,
"An anonymous source can verify everything I told you about what
happened in Nairomi."
An unnerving synthesised vibration from the soundtrack.
"Run it," responds Lois over the phone. She begins ascending the steps out of the subway station. "Luthor engineered the desert. It was an ambush for Superman. Trust your reporter. Think Watergate."
Over the phone, Perry responds, "Yeah, and you need to think litigate. If you're wrong, Luthor will sue the paper out of existence."
As he says this, Lois recognises Kahina walking down the
adjacent flight of stairs. She turns to watch her descent, and so fails
to notice Knyazev following behind the African woman. He turns his head
away from Lois to avoid being recognised. This is a warning
that Kahina's life is in imminent danger, and perfectly sets up her
impending murder.
Then Lois
continues up the stairs while Perry finishes, "You need proof."
"No. It needs to run now," says Lois.
"No. It needs to run now," says Lois.
Now Perry is standing in a restaurant's kitchen to give us some clue as to where
he is.
Lois continues over the phone, frantically,
"Before the hearing. If Superman knows, it might change what he
says."
Perry responds condescendingly, "I am not going to risk the paper so that you can pass notes in class to the man that rescued you."
We hear Finch's aide (John Seibert, credited as McGraw) say, "He paid her?" This carries us back to the Kahina subject and the next sequence.
Perry responds condescendingly, "I am not going to risk the paper so that you can pass notes in class to the man that rescued you."
We hear Finch's aide (John Seibert, credited as McGraw) say, "He paid her?" This carries us back to the Kahina subject and the next sequence.
Cut to Finch and McGraw, walking down a hallway in
Capitol Hill. She whispers, "No, not only paid her. He threatened her. Gave her a script to learn. Her parents are alive back home. But the girl's got a conscience." Her tone is full of disbelief. "He's been using the committee as his puppet theatre!"
Another unnerving synthesised vibration from the soundtrack. We know Lex's villainy, but now that Finch does too, this cue highlights the alarm of seeing him again.
Finch and McGraw both come to a sudden
stop. Finch has been very composed thus far, but here, that composure has
finally fractured slightly and she jumps a little.
"Hi, you," says the young billionaire, outside the open doors to the hearing room. Then he points at her.
"Don't go anywhere. I want to talk to you." He turns to Mercy,
gestures to the chamber, and says,
"Uh, you know what? Mercy, you go in and make sure no one takes my
seat." This is a cruel joke when he never plans to take it himself.
Finch approaches around Lex. "So what you been up to?" she asks, looking sceptical and cautious. McGraw has disappeared, likely skidding along. However, this may be an editing detail, and he might have had an extra purpose that was removed in post-production.
Lex responds, "I'm just here to tell my story. That I was willing to finance a Kryptonian deterrent, but a certain junior Senator from Kentucky decided to block it." He says this while Finch shoves by him, slowly circling around to the door. "Yes, the Chair of the Committee on Superman is soft on security," he says with a sneer. He is being extremely passive-aggressive here, criticising Finch for refusing to heed his warnings. He is basically explaining why he has chosen to kill her.
Finch approaches around Lex. "So what you been up to?" she asks, looking sceptical and cautious. McGraw has disappeared, likely skidding along. However, this may be an editing detail, and he might have had an extra purpose that was removed in post-production.
Lex responds, "I'm just here to tell my story. That I was willing to finance a Kryptonian deterrent, but a certain junior Senator from Kentucky decided to block it." He says this while Finch shoves by him, slowly circling around to the door. "Yes, the Chair of the Committee on Superman is soft on security," he says with a sneer. He is being extremely passive-aggressive here, criticising Finch for refusing to heed his warnings. He is basically explaining why he has chosen to kill her.
Cut to Bruce looking at the screens in his conference room. He turns to face Greg the accountant (Chris Newman) who enters. Gesturing to the screen, he asks, "Greg, why hasn't he been getting our checks?" Samuel Otten pointed out that Bruce using the names Jack, Wally, Grace, and Greg puts him on a first-name basis with his employees, further saying a lot about him as an affable employer despite being more formal and traditional in comparison to Lex.
Greg responds, "He is, Mister Wayne. He gets a check from the Victims Fund every month." He sets some papers down on the table and hands some to Bruce. "He returns them."
Each one is vandalised with a message written in red ink, the same handwriting and colour on the photos that Clark received anonymously. They read...
"Bruce Wayne: Open your eyes"
"B. WAYNE, I AM YOUR GHOST"Bruce looks troubled as he sifts through the documents. At the same time, we hear real news anchor Dana Bash making a cameo as herself, explaining, "...an employee of Wayne financial who lost both his legs in those horrific events in Metropolis that happened two years ago." These words accompany the imagery we are seeing, relating these unstable messages with the man being discussed by Bash and reminding us of the character's motivations.
Bruce flicks through them faster and mutters, "Jesus."
"Wayne won't win"
"Bruce... no truce"
"B. Wayne I haunt you"
"Bruce Wayne = blind"
Bruce is indeed blind to the truth, not realising these messages were written by Lex, who is using them to manipulate Bruce as we speak. He is blind to how his values are lost. He is blind to the humanity in the man he seeks to murder. He was blind to Keefe's desperate pleas for help.
Bruce throws the papers down on the table as Greg responds, "I'm sorry. I'll get to the bottom of it."
Then Bruce turns to look at the screens behind him in response to a chorus of cheers and curses. The news camera outside the Capitol building pans up to see Superman in the sky, cape flowing in the wind.
Dana Bash says, "And there he is. Superman is here. He's actually at the United States capitol."
An uneasy variation of the Krypton Motif sounds the god-like superhero's arrival, carrying through the next sequence.
Wide shot from behind the counter of a humble Kansas diner. On the right
frame is Martha Kent, wearing a waiter's apron, turning to the
television. Her Christianity is indicated by her cross necklace. Every customer has their attention on the television
too. Their town was saved by Superman, so naturally they especially
care about this. In the centre frame is Ayman Hariri, founder of social media
platform Vero and personal friend of Zack Snyder, sitting at the
counter and wearing a cap for
his cameo. Some Christmas
decorations have been set up as Winter approaches.
 |
| Official Promotional Image |
"This is really a historic moment," continues Bash,
connecting this sequence with the last at Bruce's conference room.
Shoulder shot from Martha on the television up in the corner, displaying
Superman hovering in the sky above the Capitol. Cinematographer Larry Fong
(who is also a magician) hides his favourite card, a Three of Spades, in
at least one shot of his films, which can be seen here above the kitchen window in
the lower left corner of the television.
"Now, we expect that Superman will give some kind of a statement to the Senate, to the American people, and of course, to the world."
Martha is breathing heavily, looking anxious yet hopeful.
Cut to McGraw, looking down at his phone beside the doors to the hearing chamber. He says, "He's here. He came. He's above the Capitol." He does not say this with much enthusiasm, and there is a hint of trepidation in his tone, but the fact that he emphasises Superman's arrival so much makes the Man of Steel out to be so much larger than life.
Krypton Motif ends as we return to the unsettling ambience.
As he says this, Finch shoves her way past Lex yet again. "Ah," he exclaims, still not offended and hands still on his hips. He turns to watch her leave and responds happily, "You are going to be on the hot seat in there, Junebug." Being on the "hot seat" refers to a position of great responsibility, but of course, this is a cruel joke about Finch's impending death via explosion. It is also slang for the electric chair method of execution.
As he says this, Finch shoves her way past Lex yet again. "Ah," he exclaims, still not offended and hands still on his hips. He turns to watch her leave and responds happily, "You are going to be on the hot seat in there, Junebug." Being on the "hot seat" refers to a position of great responsibility, but of course, this is a cruel joke about Finch's impending death via explosion. It is also slang for the electric chair method of execution.
Finch confidently slips on her white jacket in the doorway to the chamber. "I grew up on a farm. I know how to wrestle a pig."
"Do you know the oldest lie in America, Senator?" Lex asks, the same question he never got to answer during their last meeting in his father's study. Then he stops smiling. "It's that power can be innocent." Since Lex knows Finch is about to die, he is essentially telling her his core motivation that he wishes the world to know. Since Capitol Hill is a seat of American power typically attributed some degree of moral authority, Lex might also be rationalising blowing up the building.
Finch finishes straightening out jacket. She gives Lex a glare before turning to enter the chamber beside McGraw.
Lex waves. "Good luck," he says enthusiastically. He watches her leave.
Shoulder shot from Knyazev, tracking him through a crowd in the subway
station. Ahead of him, on the edge of the platform, is Kahina. Knyazev
stops and looks over his shoulder, averting his face just as Kahina
turns to glance left. Then he turns back to her when she looks
away.
Suspenseful, repeating string texture, gradually building.
Medium shot on Kahina in the left foreground, Knyazev approaching in
the right background. He stops over her shoulder and looks both ways,
settling on the direction of an approaching train. A horn signals. Kahina turns to see it.
Close-up side shot on Kahina, the
lights of the train growing larger in the blurry left background.
Return to medium shot on Kahina. Her expression shows she feels the
presence behind her. She turns to look over her shoulder. Knyazev
glances between her and the train and they make eye contact for a split second.
Return to side
shot to see the train right upon us, rolling up right over Kahina's shoulder.
Return to medium shot as Knyazev
shoves her onto the tracks forcefully.
With a scream, cut to the
train rushing by, loud and unstoppable to seal Kahina's
fate. Lex has tied up one of his loose ends.
Scene Overview
Lois' gamble comes around as Calvin reveals to her Lex Luthor's involvement in the Nairomi incident, and she pieces together that she was used as bait to set up Superman. Meanwhile, fearing for her life, Kahina Ziri returns to Finch and reveals that she lied in her testimony. Our characters are now closer to uncovering the extent of
Lex's villainy, giving us a spark of hope that their essential information could turn the tide and undo everything Lex has
orchestrated. However, Kahina is murdered, developing an ominous atmosphere as we build to the anticipated moment of truth.
Scene Analysis
"It's funny because, as this sequence intensifies, and we start to get to the trial and Superman appearing on Capitol Hill, we realise that, of course he's going to go because he believes in truth. It's not that he's naïve. It's almost the reporter in him that believes that the truth will be transcended. That's why I love Superman so much, because even in his darkest moments he has this optimism, even that we don't have." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Watch Party, 29 March 2020)
Every character in the film is represented in this scene, all tied together through connective elements. It has the following structure...
- At the Kent Farm, Clark seeks advice from his mother, who reinforces that he has a choice.
- Kahina arrives at her apartment to find Knyazev speaking to a resident. Realising she is in danger, she goes to Washington to reveal the truth to Finch. Presumably, when Lex threatened her,
- Along the Potomac river, Calvin's conscience wins out, returning the trust Superman placed in him by making a stand for Superman's innocence in the hopes of absolving him of what Calvin knows is a crime he never committed.
- As Keefe arrives for the hearing, Bruce watches from his company's boardroom, disturbed to see what has become of his employee.
- Lois exits her subway train on the phone, asking Perry to run her new findings immediately to help inform Superman at the hearing. At the same time, Kahina descends into the subway station, tailed by Knyazev.
- Outside the hearing chamber, Finch encounters Lex, now aware of his malicious activities.
- At the boardroom, Bruce learns Wallace has returned all his checks, each vandalised with messages for him. That is when Superman arrives above the Capitol on the television.
- At the diner where she works, Martha sees her son has made his decision.
- In the Capitol, Superman's arrival is acknowledged while Lex gives a final word to Finch, who enters the chamber with an ironic "Good luck!" from Lex.
- Now waiting for her train, Kahina is murdered by Knyazev.
The restaurant where Martha works is Ralli's Diner, a location from a story in Superman #9 (1987) named Metropolis 900 Mi. Lex Luthor offers a waitress named Jenny Hubbard a million dollars to live with him for a month, giving her ten minutes to decide, only to leave before then, and he gloats that she will be forever tormented by never knowing what her decision would have been.
Snyder confirmed one motif is the presence of places where people work and life goes on as usual, emphasising the people who keep the world moving in their own smaller ways...
"I also like that this thematic keeps continuing of the kitchen as always a place where they end up. Chris [Terrio] and I were always talking about this idea that the movie has this underlying theme of how the world is kept going, every man and every woman works, the people that make the world turn, and that thematic is constantly being reinforced." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Director's Commentary, 2021, 1:25:55)
The first music track in this scene is Capitol Montage (Part A). This track is not on any commercially-available version of the score.
The second music track in this scene is Capitol Montage (Part B). The sequence where Knyazev pushes Kahina into the path of an oncoming train is accompanied by a suspenseful, repeating string figure never used anywhere else. It cannot be found in any version of the soundtrack, only in the film. The Half A Man melody or "Humanity Theme" serves its greatest purpose at this point: its sceptical, suspicious sound is connected to the public's scepticism and even rejection of Superman, questioning his motives.
Behind the Scene
"I love this little scene we shot with Ma Kent at the Kent Farm. We went back to the real Kent Farm. We had held it since Man of Steel, so we shot this in Illinois, and it was cool to go back there again. I don't know if it's there now. It might be gone, but I don't know." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Watch Party, 29 March 2020)
The Kent Farm was shot at 5498 Schoolhouse Road, Yorkville, Illinois. The house was constructed for Man of Steel and then demolished after principal photography. In late October 2013, lights were spotted at the location, and on 26 November, the Yorkville Patch confirmed the farm was being reconstructed for the film's sequel. There are progress photos for November and December 2013, and Heather Westmoreland photographed the finished house. Chicago Tribune reported that filming in Illinois would begin in fall, and Reel Chicago confirmed "winter scenes" would be shot in November for "one to two weeks." Base camp was set up at the Whitetail Ridge Golf Club during filming. At the time, one resident claimed she was unable to reach her local polling place to cast her vote on election day due to road closures for filming. While there, set photographer Clay Enos photographed this atmospheric tree, Kate Altair photographed the farm, and Larry Fong recorded Snyder throwing corn at his camera. By 4 October 2016, the house was sadly demolished yet again, presumably after filming at the site for Justice League.
The rundown Gotham apartment complex was shot at 475 Peterboro Street, Detroit, Michigan. Kahina in her bus was likely shot on 28 October 2014 when the Gotham Transit Authority bus was present at the location. In late October, one base camp was set up in the parking lot behind the Masonic Temple on 500 Temple Street, which can be seen in the foreground of the apartment's establishing shot. Another base camp was constructed in the parking lot of 3160 2nd Avenue right beside the Peterboro building.
Like the senate committee room, June Finch's office was filmed in the interestingly named Wayne County Building, 600 Randolph Street, Detroit. The sequences were likely shot on 22 August 2014, as Scoot McNairy in his blue suit was photographed that day in base camp, and an extensive lighting system was rigged up aiming into one of the rooms. That day, set photographer Clay Enos uploaded this atmospheric photo of the sky. Base camp was set up in the parking lot of 700 Randolph Street, just across the road.
The Arlington Bridge sequence was shot beside the MacArthur Bridge,
Detroit, Michigan. The bridge connects to Belle Island, which was closed for nine hours on 29 September 2014 while the sequence was filmed. Snyder confirmed in the director's commentary (1:24:04) that the Bridge was layered with a digital recreation of the Arlington Bridge. The distant Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument on the other side were also digitally added in post-production.
The Wayne Enterprises boardroom was shot in the executive boardroom of the Guardian Building, 500 Griswold Street STE 1600, Detroit, Michigan. Shooting may have occurred around 7 August 2014, when the set's prop painting of Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Thomas Wayne was spotted by Detroit locals. This was also the first indication that Morgan would be in the film.
The Senate Committee Chambers were filmed in the interestingly named Wayne County Building, 600 Randolph Street, Detroit. The committee sequences were evidently shot on the 18th and 19th of August 2014. Base camp was set up in the parking lot of 700 Randolph Street, just across the road. @Bananadoc snapped multiple photos of Henry Cavill in-costume outside the South entrance with suit partially concealed, and at base camp, plus some photos of Holly Hunter, Scoot McNairy, and Tao Okamoto. Photographer Randy Chiang took countless photos of Henry Cavill, Tao Okamoto, Holly Hunter, Scoot McNairy, and Jesse Eisenberg around the building. Patrick Leahy was also seen arriving for his cameo.
"It has this amazing old-world but government feel to it that they just don't build anymore." (Bill Doyle, Production Supervisor, The Art of the Film, p51)
"It was a big, beautiful building that gave us a lot of the interiors... It was a great resource for us, because it was such a large space and gave us so many different shots, and we only had to concentrate on what we had to add to it." (Patrick Totopoulos, Production Designer, The Art of the Film, p51)
"The room was literally 6 different colours of marble and designated historical, so we could not use a nail or screw. To visually elongate the room, I added blue velvet drapes on the opposite wall." (Carolyn Loucks, Set Decorators Society of America, 9 May 2016)
The Washington subway scene was shot on
6 November 2014
inside the Washington station blue line stop under South Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois. The station was retrofitted to resemble Capitol South metro station in Washington, DC. The location was possibly scouted by key second assistant director Misha Bukowski around 24 March. Amy Adams signed autographs and took photos outside. Interior photos of the set can be found here. Lois ascending the escalator was shot elsewhere at an unknown location.
The Capitol exterior and crowd of protesters was shot on an outdoor green screen set at the late Michigan Motion Picture Studios along Centerpoint Parkway, Pontiac, Michigan. The building was digitally inserted into the scene, but half of the North wing steps were constructed for real for Henry Cavill to ascend. The sequences here were shot in July 2014 when the crew were filming in Pontiac.
Ralli's diner was shot at the Hygrade Deli, 3640 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, Michigan, where the owner
Stuart Litt and waitress
Linda Holmes
served as extras, both visible in the scene behind the counter. The
humble restaurant was
transformed into Ralli's Diner with a new sign and Kansas-themed interior
decoration. The sequences were shot on 28 August 2014 from 2 PM to 2 AM EST. Across the street, Mike's Famous Ham Place was closed for the duration of the shoot and supposedly
helped feed the crew. After shooting, Litt was asked
if he wanted to keep the props, which he did. @D3T0N8R snapped several photos for Twitter, including of the vehicles used to kidnap Martha
parked out back.
The Capitol
Cut to Lois moving through the crowd gathered outside the Capitol. A US park officer (T J Martinelli) stops her, "Oh, miss..." but Lois quickly shows her press pass, and the officer says to his partner, "Rudy, she's good to go." Lois proceeds into the vicinity.
The solemn Superman Theme C variation from Day of the Dead returns, completing this sad imagery of an iconic hero hated and reviled by the paranoid masses.
Low-angle shot of the sky above the Capitol, panning down to follow Superman's descent as news cameras in the foreground also track his movement. This imagery might be a parallel to Superman's descent on the military base in Man of Steel. Guns aimed at his front, cameras at his back, both weapons in a sense. Also of note, in MoS, he is silhouetted by the sun, whereas in BvS, the light is obscured by clouds. As he lands, we rise above the cameras to get a good look at the crowd of fans and protesters roaring in adoration and hate, holding signs. This resembles imagery from Watchmen and Grant Morrison's Action Comics #3 (Vol. 2, 2012). Among the protesters, some of theirs signs read...
Low-angle shot of the sky above the Capitol, panning down to follow Superman's descent as news cameras in the foreground also track his movement. This imagery might be a parallel to Superman's descent on the military base in Man of Steel. Guns aimed at his front, cameras at his back, both weapons in a sense. Also of note, in MoS, he is silhouetted by the sun, whereas in BvS, the light is obscured by clouds. As he lands, we rise above the cameras to get a good look at the crowd of fans and protesters roaring in adoration and hate, holding signs. This resembles imagery from Watchmen and Grant Morrison's Action Comics #3 (Vol. 2, 2012). Among the protesters, some of theirs signs read...
EARTH BELONGS TO HUMANS
ALIENS DOOM NATIONS
SUPERMAN = ILLEGAL ALIEN
ALIENS ARE UN-AMERICAN
GOD HATES ALIENS
THIS IS OUR WORLD. NOT YOURS!
TELL US THE TRUTH ABOUT ALIENS!
WHEN INVASION BECOMES REALITY REVOLT BECOMES DUTY
SUPERMAN WAS SENT TO DESTROY
YOU CAN'T BE CHRISTIAN & PRO-ALIEN
THANKS FOR THE "HELP"
RETURN TO SENDER
DEPORT SUPERMAN
Countless civil rights and social activism movements, outrage responses, conspiracy theories, and general phrases related to fear and hate can be alluded to here. Some far less subtle than others. One depicts the diamond Superman shield with a swastika inside. This is, however, exactly what one should expect if such a scenario like this were real. Virtually every phrase associated with protest and outrage would be recycled and represented in the Superman age.SUPERDEATH
"I was also always really happy with all the different placards. I remember doing a drawing of the drone and they painted it the colours of Superman, which I thought was a really interesting way of thinking about the way people would think about Superman in the context of having the ability to invade our space in a similar way to the way people were thinking about drone strikes and how drones had this kind of power outside of a manned aircraft, that they were this entity that would come into your life and drop a bomb on you or something, and I thought that was a really interesting way to link Superman to some kind of foreign policy concept in that context." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Director's Commentary, 2021, 1:31:13)
The supporters
appear to be outnumbered, though it is interesting how they blend in so
well with the protesters. Among them, some of their signs read...
Medium shot on Superman, pushing in as he looks solemnly up at the Capitol building. His shield is prominent here, though dulled, complementing the souring of the magical, iconic imagery of Superman's descent by the angry protesters behind him. Then he steps forward out of frame.
Medium shot on Lois, dejected and helplessly separated from the man she loves with a look of despair. Recall her old words from the bathroom scene: "I just don't know if it's possible... For you to love me and be you." Now the world has come between them as Clark tries to stand up in defence of the idea Superman represents. The screaming crowd around her also indicates that her voice would be drowned out as one of many, and so Superman would not think to single her out with his honed senses. "Get out! Get out!" further yells the bigot on her right, as if desperate and afraid.
Wide shot of the Capitol steps to watch Superman ascend them, showing respect for existing structures and humbling himself before humanity, rather than flying through the front door or a window. As we pan up to take in the large structure, you may notice a single solitary autumn leaf falling from above. It is both in keeping with the falling motif of the movie and a reminder of the autumn leaves that accompanied the opening logos preceding the Wayne funeral. As such, this is subtle foreshadowing of the death and ideological fall about to occur.
Full waist-level backwards tracking shot of Superman walking with a purpose through the halls of the Capitol building. He passes several people in suits who stand aside and let him pass, staring as this god-like being strolls through the marble hall. This shot might be meant to resemble a nearly identical shot from Man of Steel where the soldiers are leading him down the hall of the military base. This would also corroborate the previous visual parallel to Man of Steel, where soldiers with guns have been replaced by reporters with cameras, and Superman's surrender to the military has become a surrender to government. In both cases, he is bringing himself down and submitting to humanity.
SUPERMAN SAVES
WE ARE SAFER WITH SUPERMAN
MARRY ME SUPERMAN!
Wide shot of the crowd where Lois emerges, unable to progress
any further with the many guards and barricades keeping
everyone at bay. Beside her are screaming fans, crying in love
for a celebrity with "Superman saves" on their jumpers, and an
angry mob, screaming in abject rage at an alien invader. Both
camps are difficult to distinguish on first viewing, blurred
together in a singular mob of unwanted obsession, but both are
juxtaposed against each other as two different yet radical
perspectives of Superman. "Get out!" yells the
angry man beside Lois to Superman (Sam Logan Khaleghi).
Medium shot on Superman, pushing in as he looks solemnly up at the Capitol building. His shield is prominent here, though dulled, complementing the souring of the magical, iconic imagery of Superman's descent by the angry protesters behind him. Then he steps forward out of frame.
Medium shot on Lois, dejected and helplessly separated from the man she loves with a look of despair. Recall her old words from the bathroom scene: "I just don't know if it's possible... For you to love me and be you." Now the world has come between them as Clark tries to stand up in defence of the idea Superman represents. The screaming crowd around her also indicates that her voice would be drowned out as one of many, and so Superman would not think to single her out with his honed senses. "Get out! Get out!" further yells the bigot on her right, as if desperate and afraid.
Wide shot of the Capitol steps to watch Superman ascend them, showing respect for existing structures and humbling himself before humanity, rather than flying through the front door or a window. As we pan up to take in the large structure, you may notice a single solitary autumn leaf falling from above. It is both in keeping with the falling motif of the movie and a reminder of the autumn leaves that accompanied the opening logos preceding the Wayne funeral. As such, this is subtle foreshadowing of the death and ideological fall about to occur.
Full waist-level backwards tracking shot of Superman walking with a purpose through the halls of the Capitol building. He passes several people in suits who stand aside and let him pass, staring as this god-like being strolls through the marble hall. This shot might be meant to resemble a nearly identical shot from Man of Steel where the soldiers are leading him down the hall of the military base. This would also corroborate the previous visual parallel to Man of Steel, where soldiers with guns have been replaced by reporters with cameras, and Superman's surrender to the military has become a surrender to government. In both cases, he is bringing himself down and submitting to humanity.
"A lot of these symmetrical shots, there's a lot of reference. I always keep in mind in my drawings the way you shoot Superman, like when he's put in chains coming down the hallway in Man of Steel, I like the similar size and speed and cadence, like he's captured again, and he's given himself up again. I think those parallels are really important." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Director's Commentary, 2021, 1:28:22)
Waist-level shot of the television screens in Bruce's
conference room, where we can see Superman march through a hallway from
a dramatic low-angle. Focused in the foreground is Greg's arm extending
from the right, handing Bruce an envelope, which he reaches from the
left frame to take. Greg is saying,
"Another one came this morning, Mister Wayne."
Cut to Bruce, looking up from the envelope to focus on the television as the moment of truth finally approaches.
Cut to Bruce, looking up from the envelope to focus on the television as the moment of truth finally approaches.
Wide shot of Finch behind the hearing chamber podium amid indistinct
conversation with "Senator Purrington", played by life-long Batman
fan and real-life US Senator Patrick Leahy, who has made cameos
in Batman Forever (1995), Batman: The Animated Series (1995), Batman & Robin (1997), The Dark Knight (2008), The Dark Knight Rises (2012), and now
this film. The name may derive from storyboard artist Jared Purrington.
People murmur before we hear the doors opening, and the two Senators
cease conversation to face the camera.
Superman Theme C dies down, and the atmosphere falls silent.
Low-angle medium shot on Senator Barrows as he takes his seat behind
the podium, reminding us of his existence so we know that Lex has
evidently also chosen to terminate him as a liability too.
Static high-angle wide shot of the chamber's entrance doors. Superman
enters at a slow pace while everyone goes quiet. As he approaches down
the aisle, we dolly backwards as spectators finish taking their seats.
He looks out-of-place among the normally-dressed people. The doors
behind him close.
High-angle shot from beside Superman's shield, looking
down at the spectators looking up at him, each established as a person
taking in his presence. Notice Superman's head is out of frame, with
emphasis placed on his shield, the centre of focus for the people,
rather than him as a person.
Waist-level rear shot between Finch and
Purrington, Superman approaching down the aisle in the foreground as the
two Senators take their seats.
Waist-level shot of the low door to the speaker's podium as Superman
arrives from the right and gently pushing it open. Once again, he is
gentle and respectful.
Medium shot on Superman, pulling out as he takes
his spot at the podium and stands to wait patiently. Flanked by the eyes
of many spectators, the stage is set.
Shoulder shot from Superman, showing the sitting senators and
the group of photographers on the floor between them and
Superman, their cameras perpetually focused on him. Two news cameras are in the corners.
Finch begins, "Let me say at the outset that I'm grateful to our witness for coming
before us today." She gestures outward to our right.
Side shot from Superman, turning right as we rack focus to Wallace Keefe sitting in the corner. They make eye contact.
Firmly, Finch continues, "This is how a democracy works. We talk to each other. We act by the consent of the governed, sir." She says this sternly towards Superman, showing her backbone. This carries from her earlier line, "In a democracy, good is a conversation, not a unilateral decision." Batman and Superman both make the mistake of never talking their issues out.
Superman's head is down, eyes closed remorsefully and
taking the words, before turning up to look at Finch.
She continues,
"I have sat here before to say that shadow interventions will not be
tolerated by this Committee. Neither will lies."
While she says this, Keefe is still staring daggers at the Kryptonian, totally unmoving.
Mercy is also sitting among the spectators. She turns to look over her
shoulder at
the entrance doors. Lex's chair, marked with his name and profession, is
unoccupied beside her, telling us she is wondering where he is.
Finch continues, "Because today... is a day for truth. Because only by speaking--" She stops abruptly when she notices something out the corner of her eye. Shoulder shot from Finch on a glass jar of yellow liquid sitting on the desk. The word "tea" is visible on a simple label on the glass. Low-angle on Finch from beside the jar. She looks lost for words.
Finch continues, "Because today... is a day for truth. Because only by speaking--" She stops abruptly when she notices something out the corner of her eye. Shoulder shot from Finch on a glass jar of yellow liquid sitting on the desk. The word "tea" is visible on a simple label on the glass. Low-angle on Finch from beside the jar. She looks lost for words.
Purrington turns to Finch in confusion for her sudden
silence.
Barrows does the same from her other side.
Return to low-angle on Finch, the jar remaining in the shot as she tries to continue, stammering, "Only by working together can we..." She blinks, looking shaken.
Superman cocks his head, also not quite sure what the problem is.
Keefe in his wheelchair, is also puzzled by Finch's breakdown.
Return to low-angle on Finch, the jar remaining in the shot as she tries to continue, stammering, "Only by working together can we..." She blinks, looking shaken.
Superman cocks his head, also not quite sure what the problem is.
Keefe in his wheelchair, is also puzzled by Finch's breakdown.
Finch goes on, "...Can we..."
Cut to Mercy, pushing in as she turns to the stuttering senator.
Finch turns her eyes back to the jar. She reaches over to it and puts her fingers around the rim. "...Can... we create a free and a..." She turns the jar, and soon the label is near fully revealed, "Granny's Peach Tea" written in the same red handwriting as the red text on the Polaroids and the checks.
Shaking, Finch immediately pulls her hand back in disgust, immediately recalling the metaphor she used in her conversation with Lex:
"Take a bucket of piss and call it Granny's Peach Tea." Just as she
described, it is a jar of urine masquerading as peach tea. This vulgar insult comes as a shock to Finch, unable to understand why Lex
would send such a message. In truth, this is his "Got you" -- a final insult to the woman who crossed him.
Cut to Superman, once again cocking his head and aware that
something is amiss. It is deadly silent.
Back to Finch, turning from the jar with a look of alarm.
Cut to
Lex's empty chair, pushing on the nametag, reminding us again that Lex is not here.
Cut to Finch. She shudders, then turns her eyes to her left, towards Keefe.
Sensing her urgency, Superman quickly turns his head to follow her
gaze. A moment to steel himself.
Cut to Keefe, sitting quietly. Then his wheelchair explodes. The inferno fills the large space in a fraction of a
second.
Cut to the hallway outside as the blast consumes the
security officers guarding the scene.
Top-down shot of the Capitol,
flying over the building as fire erupts from every window.
Low-angle on the exploding building from the crowd, who duck and scream in terror.
At the diner, Martha turns, gasping from sudden fright and dropping her jug of coffee, smashing on the hard floor. On the
television, the camera among the crowd is shaking violently. Martha looks terrified.
Waist-level shot of the barricades keeping back the crowd at the
Capitol. Lois, ducked for cover, now begins to stand, looking up at the
destruction in horror. We hear a horse neigh.
Low, solemn strings come in.
Low-angle shot of a police officer's mount on its hind legs in fright.
This is the recurrence of the horse motif, an expression
of resolution for the constant foreshadowing of coming death. This shot may also be another visual reference to
The Dark Knight Returns (1986). In the foreground, the
Capitol is engulfed in smoke. The sound grows distant.
Medium close-up on Lois, still looking up and breathing rapidly in
terror. A muffled scream completes the horrifying atmosphere.
Cut to flames in slow-motion. As they clear, we arrive at a medium shot on
Superman, pushing in. He stands idly in the middle of it all, totally
unharmed and unmoved while everyone around him has perished. His eyes
are closed with a head bowed in grief. In slow-motion, he slowly shakes
his head in regret and guilt. He looks utterly devastated as he opens
his eyes and then looks around at the carnage. He came to make a stand for truth, and now he stands indirectly responsible in the carnage of his good intentions.
A slow, sorrowful rendition of Superman Theme A on piano comes in over the low strings.
"All these changes that you're going through, one day you're gonna think of them as a blessing, and when that day comes, you're gonna have to make a choice. A choice of whether to stand proud in front of the human race or not." (Jonathan Kent, Man of Steel)
This shot allows us to linger on Superman's regret in the immediate aftermath of the bombing to feel the weight of this tragedy on him, in turn allowing the horrible reality to sink in. The slow-motion gives him time to display these emotions before he gets to work helping survivors. Samuel Otten pointed out that this visual may be in reference to Jor-El's words in Man of Steel: "They will join you in the sun." Here, Superman is surrounded by
fire, but he is totally alone. Humanity is nowhere to be seen -- only
death. Following this, Superman comes to the conclusion that the ideals
he stood for are no longer compatible with this world, and Jor-El's
words now ring hollow.
Shoulder shot from Bruce, the entire foreground dominated by the four
screens depicting the panicking crowd and smoke rising from Capitol
Hill. "We're back at the nation's Capitol where something is happening,"
says a reporter, her voice also muffled.
Low-angle on Bruce, looking mortified at the events when he looks down,
paper rustling in his hands.
The same "screaming" synthesizer resembling the unnerving, agonised scream used earlier in Branding and Quaker Streak And Lube makes its return.
High-angle looking down on the contents of
the envelope as Bruce removes and unfolds what appears to be a newspaper
clipping Black Zero, with an image showing the ruins of Wayne Tower. We
push in on the two messages...
Medium close-up on Bruce, looking up from the paper. He is trembling with a look of utter hate. If
Superman's continued existence, allowed by Batman's inaction, causes men
to commit such atrocities in an attempt to kill him, then Batman will
take things into his own hands and end the threat of Superman before
Bruce could not save them from him.
WAYNE TOWER DEVASTATEDOf course, this also has a message drawn in red ink...
"YOU LET YOUR FAMILY DIE"
Wallace's words can refer both to Bruce's own parents and his
cherished employees. This especially works because of the girl's
mother he could not save during Black Zero and his own mother, which
will come into play later.
The screaming music reaches its peak. Disturbingly, the PGS subtitles for the movie say we are hearing "child screams".
Then we cut to black.
Then we cut to black.
The music abruptly ends with the horrific moment.
Scene Overview
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| Official Promotional Image |
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| Official Promotional Image |
Superman arrives at the Capitol hearing, and Wallace Keefe's wheelchair explodes, killing everyone in the building except the Man of Steel. This sets up Keefe as a
bomber indirectly radicalised by the Superman. Lex has removed an enemy in Finch, removed Mercy and Barrows as two less witnesses to his scheming, denied Superman the opportunity to defend himself, placed him at the centre of a tragedy
that will further sway the public against him, demoralised him, and totally radicalised Batman. Lex has effectively killed a dozen birds with one stone and gained a huge win.
Scene Analysis
This sequence is referencing yet another page from Superman: Peace on Earth (1998), including with a perfect mirror shot of the drawing of Capitol Hill. In that comic, Superman visited Congress to express his intent to deliver food and supplies to impoverished and starving people across the world. It is worth noting that this leads to tragic incidents with dictatorial and third-world nations creating moral dilemmas for Superman to face. It also bears a similarity to Action Comics #3 (2012), where Superman's existence leads to crowds of protesters and rioters who hate and fear him.
"This shot of Superman inside the burning building, he's literally moved to tears at the notion that he misjudged so badly what humanity is capable of and how deep the pain is for everyone, and that reflects exactly the opposite on Bruce, this idea that Superman is responsible for this whole thing." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Watch Party, 29 March 2020)
The attention drawn to the little actions of the people in the Capitol -- talking amongst themselves, interrupted by Superman's arrival, scrambling to sit down, and staring in awe as he strolls into the chamber -- further humanises the victims and amplifies the tragedy of their deaths.
All of the American iconography in Washington's
landmarks and statues has culminated in a horrific act of
desecration of this symbol of American power.
The value of conversation is a deeply important part of this film's narrative and themes. Finch wanted to create conversation to give Superman the chance to present his side of the story, reveal Lex's deceptive hand in events, and essentially stand up for truth. By destroying the Capitol, Lex has put a stopper in truth and diplomatic resolution, guaranteeing that only emotion prevails, allowing him to manipulate the fearful masses.
By being denied a chance to speak and defend himself, Superman is
unwillingly put in Christ's position, where Jesus refused to defend
himself when brought before Pontius Pilate by the Romans. Of course,
crowds of people proceeded to demand Christ's death, just as legions
of protesters go on to chant, "Burn him!" while torching effigies of
Superman. Of course, that is then followed by his "crucifixion".
"I am reminded that the Capitol Bombing in BvS is possibly the strongest dramatic mid-shift I can think of in a film. Not only does it completely escalate the drama for all the characters, it occurs almost dead-f--king centre in the film's run time. Is it a bit on the nose? Absolutely. But it's very clear you can break the film's story into Before and After Bombing segments. I love a strong mid-shift." (@Only_Grey, Twitter, 18 May 2020)
The first music track in this scene is the tail end of Capitol Montage (Part B) from the previous scene, consisting of Superman Theme C as Superman makes his arrival. This track is not on any commercially-available version of the score.
The second music track in this scene is the first half of Aftermath. It mainly serves to pit Superman and Batman against each other musically -- Superman's component illustrates his sorrowful feelings while Batman's component (not even quite a recurring motif) illustrates that this was the final straw for him. This track is not on any commercially-available version of the score.
Behind the Scene
"The approach Julius Lechner's team took on this one changed a little bit over time. We started off with matching the timing of the previz and procedurally placed a generic smoke simulation for each breaking window. Those 200+ simulations gave us a pretty good idea of not only the big top-down shot but also for all the other ones, since they were all based on the same timing. This procedural approach in the beginning made it easy to move forward and figure out which areas we wanted to do custom simulations for. Later on we replaced those generic simulations step by step with more detailed ones that were tailored for each angle and covering bigger areas rather than one for each window. An important aspect that we tried to achieve for the main fireball was to find a good balance between fire and heavy smoke and push the visual quality of it, which required us to explore new shading techniques for the atmospheric renderings." (Bryan Hirota, Art of VFX, 11 April 2016)
The Senate Committee Chambers were filmed in the interestingly named Wayne County Building, 600 Randolph Street, Detroit. The committee sequences were evidently shot on the 18th and 19th of August 2014. Base camp was set up in the parking lot of 700 Randolph Street, just across the road. @Bananadoc snapped multiple photos of Henry Cavill in-costume outside the South entrance with suit partially concealed, and at base camp, plus some photos of Holly Hunter, Scoot McNairy, and Tao Okamoto. Photographer Randy Chiang took countless photos of Henry Cavill, Tao Okamoto, Holly Hunter, Scoot McNairy, and Jesse Eisenberg around the building. Patrick Leahy was also seen arriving for his cameo.
Careful observation will show that the people caught within the expanding explosion do react to the blast within the final frames of their lives, showing an attention to detail beyond the mere visual effects. In January 2016, the Capitol explosion detail was leaked in advance of release by extras breaking their non-disclosure agreements to one extra who was supposedly cut from the shoot due to being too tall.
The Capitol exterior and crowd of protesters was shot on an outdoor green screen set at the late Michigan Motion Picture Studios along Centerpoint Parkway, Pontiac, Michigan. The building was digitally inserted into the scene, but half of the North wing steps were constructed for real for Henry Cavill to ascend. The sequences here were shot in July 2014 when the crew were filming in Pontiac.
Ralli's diner was shot at the Hygrade Deli, 3640 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, Michigan, where the owner Stuart Litt and waitress Linda Holmes served as extras, both visible in the scene behind the counter. The humble restaurant was transformed into Ralli's Diner with a new sign and Kansas-themed interior decoration. The sequences were shot on 28 August 2014 from 2 PM to 2 AM EST. Across the street, Mike's Famous Ham Place was closed for the duration of the shoot and supposedly helped feed the crew. After shooting, Litt was asked if he wanted to keep the props, which he did. @D3T0N8R snapped several photos for Twitter, including of the vehicles used to kidnap Martha parked out back.
The Wayne Enterprises boardroom was shot in the executive boardroom of the Guardian Building, 500 Griswold Street STE 1600, Detroit, Michigan. Shooting may have occurred around 7 August 2014, when the set's prop painting of Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Thomas Wayne was spotted by Detroit locals. This was also the first indication that Morgan would be in the film.
Aftermath
In the blackness, we hear ambulance sirens wailing. Then we hear Lois' voice: "Excuse me!"
Cut to two police officers conversing. Between them, in the background, is the press area separated by railings. Lois is there, snapping her fingers at the officers.
"Excuse me, officer." She shows her ID. "Member of the press. Can you let me in, please?"
Beside her is presumably another reporter, looking at Lois like she is an idiot. The two officers ignore her request, and one shakes his head.
Cut to an injured woman on a stretcher. A paramedic beside her signals
and she is wheeled out of frame by a firefighter, revealing the steps
of the Capitol. Several stretchers are scattered about, and injured
people are sitting on the steps, conversing with each other or getting
help from paramedics. Two fire-fighters are carrying a body bag down
from the building. Armed guards are situated along the steps.
As
two heroic firefighters rush up the stairs into the building, Superman descends from above, holding an unconscious woman
in his arms. This might be a mirror of the Day of the Dead. There, Superman descends from above with a child he saved and he is met with worship and adoration. Here, he descends from above with a woman he saved, and he is met with resentment and fear. One act of altruism was unambiguously good, but another was met with an unintended great loss of life, feeding the theme of unintended consequences for seeking to do good, highlighting the binary perceptions of Superman. He steps towards a stretcher. We hear one paramedic (Jason Hughley) nearby tell his patient, "Breathe slowly and deeply. You're gonna be fine."
A sad piano rendition of the Flight melody from Man of Steel plays. The character's heroism has arguably become a negative force in the world, and the music highlights an optimistic worldview turned guilt-ridden.
Shoulder shot from Superman as he approaches, and we see the paramedic tending to a victim in the background. Then he sees Superman placing the injured woman on a free stretcher, rushing to them. He helps help lay the injured woman down gently, awkwardly glancing at Superman before saying, "Thank you. I'm... gonna need a little room to work." Within this is the implication that Superman is unwanted and untrusted.
Superman gets the picture and stands. He looks around at the environment mournfully.
We hear
the medic's voice trailing off as he addresses the woman,
"Ma'am, it appears you've suffered a head injury."
Cut to
medics tending to the injured on the ground, faces bloodied and getting
patched up. One breathes with difficulty into an oxygen mask. These are
the wounded. Their expressions of pain remind us that this is
suffering.
"I'm gonna need you to follow my light with your eyes," continues the first paramedic, possibly a symbolic juxtaposition of
Superman's mission to give the people of Earth an ideal to strive towards
against the carnage of what his good will has led to.
Superman he turns to face the other direction. Cut to
innumerable black body bags, many with the faces of their deceased
occupants revealed. A police officer crouches to close one,
concealing the victim within. These are the dead. Their exposed faces remind us that these people mattered, and are not
mere statistics.
Superman's face full of grief and
anguish. He turns away from us. Rack focus to the press beyond the
railing in the background, emphasis on Lois. Another casualty is wheeled
by between the two lovers. This look between them might also be a call back to Clark's earlier line: "The woman I love could've
been blown up or shot," suggesting that, during this moment, he also
feels regret for Lois being so close to death, and additionally blames
himself for putting her in danger. We can already tell that he is
supremely troubled by this horror, and certainly blames himself
regardless, so it would fit.
Shoulder shot from Lois to see Superman, standing among the dead and
wounded below him. He looks at Lois quietly, his expression telling her
all she needs to know.
Medium shot on Lois, looking remorseful as we close on her. Through another wordless
interaction, she understands. A photographer casually takes photos of this horrific tragedy over her
shoulder as an example of media indifference and disconnection, all
while pinning Superman at the middle of this tragedy.
"Also I love this, Superman physically helping everyone but emotionally he's out of place. He knows how to do the work of rescuing people and saving them but the cost is really reflected on him emotionally here. It's not black-and-white or simple, and I think that's the pain that he's going through right here. Lois understands, but that's not enough." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Watch Party, 29 March 2020)
Medium shot on Superman, looking at Lois regretfully. He then turns
away, looking down as he readies his feet before facing up.
Shoulder
shot from Lois again to see Superman launch into the sky, piercing the
wind with a boom as we pan up to watch him leave. Unwanted and presumably with the last of the living saved, he has no
reason to stay. Lois watches him fly away, sad and afraid for him. This
is also likely symbolic of an angelic figure leaving humanity and
ascending back to heaven.
Lois looks up to watch him leave. The crowd behind her
does the same, and we hear angry yelling among them. The photographer
over Lois' shoulder takes photos of his ascent. There is much imagery to
be exploited here.
Firewood
Pan up from a standing log to a low-angle shot of Alfred, bringing an
axe down to chop the log in two.
Cut to one of the fresh slices that
Alfred positions upright. Pan up to watch him raise the axe and bring it
down to chop it further. We get a better look at his environment, an
autumnal forest setting with a trailer in the background. Presumably,
this is where Alfred lives. This dramatic change in environment is such a stark contrast to the
urban, loud, chaotic setting of Washington and the Capitol.
"I just like axes. They are cool. I have axes at home that I cut wood with, but these are my special ones." (Zack Snyder, Bloomberg, 1 March 2016)
Shoulder shot from Alfred, carrying the firewood on his back towards the
Glass House. Cut to him opening the glass door to enter the lounge, in
which we can see what looks like a Greek volute krater, a type of ancient ceramic vase designed to dilute wine with water. This
was employed to limit the amount of intoxication at a Greek symposium.
Alfred calls, "Master Wayne!" He places the bag of wood beside the fireplace.
Looking frustrated, he calls again, "Mister Wayne!"
Then we hear a news reporter (Kerry Birmingham as herself), saying, "...in the Senate hearing room where Superman was testifying." This voiceover is muffled and echoed, adding a dream-like quality to the scene that creates a sense of lingering trauma after the horrific bombing.
Alfred turns the corner to the bedroom, noticing something below his
eye line. He sets forward.
"This is a catastrophic situation at our nation's capitol."
Entering the bedroom, he reaches down to the small glass table.
"We don't have exact numbers yet, but I can tell you that more than
a dozen people have died in this explosion."
Alfred picks up one of the checks from Keefe. This one depicts Capitol Hill on fire.
"First responders are at the scene."
Alfred turns to see the three televisions on the bedroom wall,
each one covering the storm of chaos and uncertainty on different
channels. Bruce has been surrounding himself in the destruction.
The
reporter speaking is on the far left screen. "They are still bringing victims out. Now initially, Superman was
helping bring victims out after the blast, but he seems to have
disappeared, raising questions." Despite the seriousness
of this tragedy, the reporter says this with a very accusatory tone.
Alfred adjusts his glasses. He looks shaken.
"Kerry Birmingham, reporting live from the nation's capitol."
We hear another reporter go on, "Capitol police are now confirming that the blast was caused by an
explosive device inside the hearing room..."
At the same time, Alfred turns and walks to the window, looking out at the lake. We hear the rustle of paper in his hands, and he looks down at the returned check. Juxtaposed against the news report, Alfred then looks up in realisation.
Lexcorp in Ruins
Descending establishing shot of LexCorp Research Park. It is raining, and the environment is littered with fire,
debris, and emergency services. Thunder rumbles and sirens can be
heard. Two Metropolis police come into view, urging an approaching
motorcyclist to slow down, but he speeds right past.
Cut to someone on a stretcher, wheeled away with an oxygen mask. As
they pass by, the rider comes to a stop on his motorcycle as another
casualty gets loaded into an ambulance.
Slow, ominous strings.
Shot of the biker's helmet
being put on the handlebars. Pan up to see the cyclist, Lex, step
off the bike, looking around at the destruction as he
walks. His mode of transportation is certainly unorthodox, especially for
someone so powerful, and further emphasises a non-traditional
personality for a villain.
Shot from inside the entrance, one stretcher being wheeled into the
building through the shattered glass doors while an occupied
stretcher is wheeled out, one paramedic performing chest
compressions on what appears to be an armoured guard. In contrast, a
simple employee walks into view from the right, supported by another
medic as they head for the exit. "Run that one more time for me," we hear someone off-screen
say.
Left-to-right shoulder shot from Lex, looking at the lobby desk. A police officer is looking over a worker's shoulder at a computer screen. "Can you enhance that?" asks the officer, but our focus is drawn to security footage on the screen on the opposite desk.
"There you go, sir," responds the receptionist.
Medium shot on Lex, coming to a stop.
Cut to the screen displaying
security footage. Guards patrol a hallway when the silhouette of
Batman suddenly descends from above to snatch one of the officers into
the unknown above. His movements and speed here are especially
unnatural, and note that his eyes are glowing. Startled, a nearby guard turns, panics, and fires at thin
air.
Slow strings begin following a progression possibly reminiscent of Lex Luthor Theme A.
Deleted Footage: Snyder confirmed in the director's commentary (1:34:13) that multiple surveillance camera recordings were shot to show Batman's interloping, but only this one was used.
Back to Lex. He turns and walks to our right to leave the frame.
Ground-level shot on the basketball court, where the billionaire psychopath walks over a mess of bullet casings beside the deflated basketball. Another gurney passes by in the background, and another guard is on the ground, looking pained as a medic tends to him.
Medium shot on Lex, the neon LexCorp logo over his shoulder,
flickering. We hear the bullet casings roll away as he walks.
Finally, medium rear shot as he enters the Kryptonite lab through a
shattered glass window. As he steps through, he turns to look over the
forced entrance before continuing.
Medium front shot as he approaches
the Kryptonite case.
Cut to the roof of the glass container, melted
open, and we pan down to see a Batarang embedded in the base of the
container in place of the missing Kryptonite. This is the second time
Batman has used a Batarang as sign that "Batman was here."
Slow, rumbling Batman Theme A on low strings and synthesizer, like a musical version of Batman's threatening calling card.
Back to Lex. He shows a subtle little smile, drawn out slowly over
the few seconds of the shot.
After helping the injured at Capitol Hill, surrounded by the cost of his idealism and no longer wanted, Superman flees in shame. At the Glass House, Alfred returns home to learn of the disaster, Keefe's disturbing messages strewn about and Bruce nowhere to be found. This leads us to LexCorp Research Park where, highly radicalised, Batman has brutally assaulted the building and stolen the Kryptonite, all according to Lex's plan.
"On the other hand, look at Lex's reaction to the fact that the Kryptonite is stolen. It's clearly part of his plan. He was not at all surprised." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Watch Party, 29 March 2020)We then hear a reporter saying, "Capitol police are confirming to CNN that the suspected bomber is..." This associates the reporter's words with Lex, reminding us who the real bomber is. Then we cut to the next scene.
Scene Overview
After helping the injured at Capitol Hill, surrounded by the cost of his idealism and no longer wanted, Superman flees in shame. At the Glass House, Alfred returns home to learn of the disaster, Keefe's disturbing messages strewn about and Bruce nowhere to be found. This leads us to LexCorp Research Park where, highly radicalised, Batman has brutally assaulted the building and stolen the Kryptonite, all according to Lex's plan.
Scene Analysis
This scene gives us a glimpse at the life Alfred leads outside his partnership with Bruce. A humble man, he lives a simple existence in a trailer in the forest around the Glass House. Like Martha, Alfred is a moral support character who feels a connection with nature.
"I really like this. We had this thing that Alfred lives in this old, cool trailer and then Bruce lives here [in the Glass House]. It was like this interesting rustic concept that Alfred doesn't need a lot of creature comforts. He's able to live with not a lot of extra stuff. Also, the Glass House is pretty simple, even though [Bruce] is a billionaire. He doesn't have a lot of stuff other than everything that's underground. Their whole world is underground, and I really wanted to emphasise as much as I could this idea that their normal life, the life that's above ground, is the most minimal. The life below ground is where all their energy is and attention. I think that, visually, with the Glass House and Alfred's trailer being so simple, and then what they have underground being so complicated and so massive, I think that is a great piece of visual storytelling." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Watch Party, 29 March 2020)
"It was fun doing this sequence with Alfred, because we had to figure out where Alfred lived and what was his deal. We had the idea that he had a trailer parked out in the woods and lived there even though they were billionaires, just chopping wood, very salt of the Earth kind of character, didn't rely on luxury." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Director's Commentary, 2021, 1:32:57)
The first music track in this scene is unknown, consisting of a piano rendition of the Flight melody from Man of Steel on the casualty-laden steps of the Capitol and droning strings as Alfred returns to the Glass House. It cannot be found in any version of the score.
The second music track in this scene is the second half of Aftermath, where Lex arrives at the ruined LexCorp to create an atmosphere before culminating in a musical representation of Batman's message. This track is not on any commercially-available version of the score.
Behind the Scene
The Capitol exterior and crowd of protesters was shot on an outdoor green screen set at the late Michigan Motion Picture Studios along Centerpoint Parkway, Pontiac, Michigan. The building was digitally inserted into the scene, but half of the North wing steps were constructed for real for Henry Cavill to ascend. The sequences here were shot in July 2014 when the crew were filming in Pontiac.
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Clay Enos, Vero, 13 July 2016 |
The Glass House was constructed and filmed at Otsikita Lake at a former Girl Scout camp off Caley Road, Metamora Township, Michigan (Source). County Press first reported the location before the Flint Journal confirmed it, but it was not confirmed as a location for Batman v Superman until 2 July. The building began construction in January 2014. You can find more information on the technical details of the building here, and Google Street View has several photos of the house. It was inspired by the Farnsworth House, designed and constructed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, who also designed the building at 111 East Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois, where the Daily Planet entrance was filmed. Some photos of the lake were taken by director of photography Larry Fong and set photographer Clay Enos.
The Glass House sequences were likely filmed on the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th of October 2014. Scooper Scott Atkinson got several photos of the Batmobile, which he felt bad about in hindsight, but considering its only scene at the location was pure CGI, I cannot confirm its purpose. During filming, County Press documented the community's thoughts. Mike Abeare, an employee of Greg's Pizza Co & Lounge, was tasked with delivering 35 pizzas to the site, though some dramatic elements make me question his story. Base camp was set up nearby on Caley Road, of which Pacman Cherveny recorded some footage. The site was deserted by 28 October 2014, presumably after dismantling the Glass House.
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| Ed Natividad |
LexCorp Research Park was shot at 2011 Centerpoint Parkway, Pontiac, Michigan, a former General Motors building. The building was outfitted with a LexCorp logo on the front entrance and a sentry box in the driveway. For the assault aftermath, Ford F-350 trucks were retrofitted into Metropolis EMT and EMS vehicles. Filming for the assault aftermath took place on 27 June. Batman News and MLive.com have a multitude of photos of the vehicles and LexCorp exterior. Dan Newman documented the aftermath of the LexCorp filming in this video of the building's exterior. By 11 July, shooting was long finished and the crew had packed up. During his time there, director of photography Larry Fong posted these photos to Instagram.
The lobby was shot inside the building and dressed with a myriad of modern amenities to create a lively, hip tech company. On 12 May 2014, Jesse Eisenberg said he would begin filming in exactly one month, so this was likely one of his first scenes shot for the movie, and interior LexCorp filming was scheduled for around the 12th and 13th of June before rescheduling to the 16th and 17th.
Superman Was Never Real
Lois turns, on her phone. "Clark, it's me again," she says, softly but worried. She steps through her hotel room. "Can you..." She does a double take, seeing Superman outside her window on the balcony. It is night, so we can assume the same night as Batman's attack on LexCorp. She heads over to glass doors.
At the same time, the reporter continues, "...could have gotten the explosive device into the hearing by concealing them inside his wheelchair."
Superman looks empty as Lois slides glass balcony door open to join him in the night
air of Washington.
We still hear the reporter continue, "As for Superman, he was in the room, but obviously failed to stop
him."
As if responding to the report, Superman says,
"I didn't see it, Lo." He turns to her and continues
sombrely, "Standing right there and I didn't see it."
"Clark, there are people behind this," says Lois, appealing straight to the mission.
Superman interrupts, "I'm afraid I didn't see it because I wasn't looking." Note the Washington Monument over his shoulder, associating him with a distinctly American landmark to represent him as a distinctly American figure. His following words, metaphorically, are speaking of his country.
"Clark, there are people behind this," says Lois, appealing straight to the mission.
Superman interrupts, "I'm afraid I didn't see it because I wasn't looking." Note the Washington Monument over his shoulder, associating him with a distinctly American landmark to represent him as a distinctly American figure. His following words, metaphorically, are speaking of his country.
Earth Motif.
Lois says nothing. She knows now
that he needs to speak here.
He continues, "All this time, I've been living my life the way my father saw it. Righting wrongs for a ghost. Thinking I'm here to do good." I expect he means Jor-El, who met Clark in the form of a holographic ghost, but Clark will later meet with the ambiguous ghost of Jonathan Kent for guidance, so the ambiguity of his words can refer to both fathers. Then after a pause, looking between Lois and the floor, he says apathetically, "Superman was never real." He turns away from her. "Just the dream of a farmer from Kansas."
He continues, "All this time, I've been living my life the way my father saw it. Righting wrongs for a ghost. Thinking I'm here to do good." I expect he means Jor-El, who met Clark in the form of a holographic ghost, but Clark will later meet with the ambiguous ghost of Jonathan Kent for guidance, so the ambiguity of his words can refer to both fathers. Then after a pause, looking between Lois and the floor, he says apathetically, "Superman was never real." He turns away from her. "Just the dream of a farmer from Kansas."
Then Clark Kent Theme, putting emphasis on Clark's humanity now that the Superman element has been stripped away.
Superman turns to look at her again,
still vacant. He cannot believe that anymore.
Lois steps forward. She brings her hand up over his shining shield, lit to emphasise it,
and in turn, its meaning. The Washington Monument is also in the same shot. Lois looks Clark in the eyes.
Firmly, yet somehow still softly, she says, "This means something."
"The symbol for the House of El means hope. Embodied within that hope is the fundamental belief in the potential for every person to be a force for good." (Jor-El, Man of Steel)
Clark responds,
"It did on my world. My world doesn't exist anymore." Of course,
not only is he referring to Krypton, but to the world he thought he
lived in. His naivete and optimism are long gone, replaced by defeatist pessimism. He believes now that Superman cannot be a force for good. He has lost his hope.
Cut to Lois. Close on her until Clark leaves the frame. Then we hear a sonic boom as Lois looks up suddenly, watching him fly away.
Cut to Lois. Close on her until Clark leaves the frame. Then we hear a sonic boom as Lois looks up suddenly, watching him fly away.
Wide shot
of Lois' hotel room with her looking up on the balcony beyond. We pull
out gently as she crosses her arms.
Krypton Motif leads into the next scene.
Scene Overview
Superman arrives at Lois' hotel room and reveals that he has lost faith in his mission, no longer able to commit to the meaning of the symbol on his chest. To him, Superman can no longer be a force for good. Defeated and disillusioned, Clark flies away into self-imposed exile.
Scene Analysis
The music track in this scene is the first half of You Have To Believe. It serves primarily to up the emotional content of the scene with the Earth Motif and Clark Kent Theme to contrast the grandiosity of Superman's past few appearances. This track is not on any commercially-available version of the score.
Behind the Scene
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| Toy People News |
This scene was shot at the
Courtyard Detroit Pontiac/Auburn Hills
hotel, 3555 Centrepoint Parkway, Pontiac, Michigan. Members of the crew were staying here during shooting in the region.
Shooting took place in the day, and the balcony was covered in a green
screen to simulate the night. The University of Muscle blog has photos
of the location depicting the covers erected over the balconies. The
hotel is just down the street from 2011 Centerpoint Parkway where LexCorp was shot. This sequence was evidently filmed around 11 June 2014. Henry Cavill and Amy Adams were both spotted.
Deleted Footage: Snyder confirmed in the director's commentary (1:36:03) that additional footage was shot of Lois doing research on her laptop.
"We shot this sequence in a little residence or, I forget, one of those little hotels? It literally was right around the street in Detroit from our stages. I think a lot of our crew were staying here, and then we just took over this hotel room, put a green screen outside. We shot this during the day and we just tended this with a green screen." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Watch Party, 29 March 2020)
Unlocking the Scout Ship
Cut to a suitcase opening with a hiss. Inside the high-tech compartment are Zod's fingerprints, arranged in a hand shape. Each one is in a little circular glass container. Lex takes one and holds it up to a standing spotlight, transparent as he examines it.
Krypton Motif leads into the scene from the last, joined now by what sounds like periodic piano notes.
Behind the Scene:
"The mandate for this machine was hard. Zack's like, 'Yeah, he takes [Zod's] fingerprints and he puts them in this thing and then later on he takes his own hand and he touches them. They attach to his fingers and he puts his fingers up to the vessel and that allows him access.' And so it had to be small enough and technical enough. In real science right now there are these machines, hydrators to keep tissue alive. So we made it based a little bit on science and we took it up a notch." (Doug Harlocker, Tech Manual, p160)
Lex raises his open hand -- now with Zod's fingerprints over his finger tips -- to the alien console
built into the door of the scout ship, where he places his hand against
it. It whirs to life with a ripple of energy from where he
touches.
The scout ship doorway hisses to life and opens in three parts. Lex steps back with a start. A Kryptonian security drone
seems to be waiting on the other side, weapons at the ready, before
standing down and moving deeper into the hallway beyond.
High-angle shot from inside the hollow Genesis chamber. It is dark,
littered with scorch marks after the crashing in Man of Steel, and
the walls seem to run with veins or roots. The whole place looks like
the insides of a long-dead corpse. Fitting that it will soon be used to birth a monster. A pool of
water sits at the base of the chamber. Lex emerges from the passage on the right, following the drone.
Lex climbs down the cracked remains of the walkway, soon knee-deep in the water. He moves further into the
chamber through the sickly liquid, approaching a console protruding from the water in the middle of the chamber. He reaches for the console.
Periodic piano notes are now joined by a slow, ominous Superman Theme A on low strings and brass to set the grandiose Kryptonian atmosphere, or perhaps is an echo of Superman's presence in the same ship in Man of Steel.
Then he slowly and cautiously slides
Zod's control key from the slot and examines it in his fingers. A low-angle
shot of Lex shows his eyes obscured in blackness, and he furrows his brow in thought. Then he manoeuvres the key towards the slot when it is suddenly pulled in. Lex looks thoughtful again. Then he presses
his palm against the re-inserted key.
Lex and the room are suddenly bathed in yellow
light as the computer's synthetic voice begins speaking inarticulately,
distorted and trying to fix itself. The ship is normally illuminated in dark or soft blue lighting, but Lex's acquisition has turned it sick. Finally, the computer succeeds in saying, "Welcome. Analysis reveals ship operating at... 37% efficiency. Would you like to assume command?" The ship is once again voiced by Carla Gugino,
reprising her role from Man of Steel. Gugino also portrayed Sally Jupiter in Zack Snyder's cinematic
adaptation Watchmen (2009).
String tremolos begin building.
"Yes, I would," replies Lex, very quietly and nervously, possibly more to himself. Then he says louder to confirm, "Yes, I would." He clears his throat.
"Very well. Let's begin," says the computer. High-angle shot of the chamber, illuminated from below the dingy waters by golden light. "The Kryptonian archive contains knowledge from a hundred thousand different worlds."
Lex says, "Good. Teach me."
The soundtrack culminates in a threatening rumble from the World Engine.
Now Lex is in command of the most technologically advanced machinery on the planet.
Scene Overview
With Superman missing, Lex uses Zod's fingerprints to unlock the scout ship and begins acquiring the Kryptonian knowledge he requires to satisfy his desire for power and set up his final trump card on his quest to kill Superman.
Scene Analysis
Lex has a goal and does not trust anyone else to do this for or with him. Totally alone, he enters the dark ruins of an alien ship and plunges ever deeper into its dead heart. Lex may be evil, but he is not without determination.
Appropriately, Superman exiling himself is immediately followed by Lex entering the scout ship, indicating he waited until the horror of the Capitol bombing assuredly distracts Superman enough to give Lex the space he needs. In turn, the absence of Superman creates an additional negative turn in the story as Lex continues his sinister plans without interference.
The music track in this scene is the second half of You Have To Believe. It focuses on building the Kryptonian atmosphere with a haunting, alien tone. This track is not on any commercially-available version of the score.
Behind the Scene
The original scout ship interior set was demolished after Man of Steel filming, so a new set was constructed at the late Michigan Motion Picture Studios along Centerpoint Parkway, Pontiac, Michigan. The sequences here were shot in June or July 2014 when the crew were filming in Pontiac.
"It crashed in Man of Steel, so I came up with the idea that maybe there was some acid inside the craft that burned the corridors. It gave us the chance to use the same aesthetic but give it a different texture." (Patrick Tatopoulos, Tech Manual, p161)
"Whenever you make a new film that's a sequel, it's always nice to change things a little and make them your own. Luckily, in the last film [the scout ship] crashes and is damaged on the inside. I thought it would be great if there was some kind of liquid, a fuel of sorts, that as the craft crashed it would burn the surface. So, I was able to create a burned look on the corridors -- of course, we built them from scratch as none of the original sets were left. The central chamber was actually built quite extensively, and then extended in CGI. We had to build a whole bottom of the chamber, underneath the tank, which broke during the crash." (Patrick Tatopoulos, The Art of the Film, p77-p79)
Preparation Montage and Photograph
Waist-level shot beside a shirtless Bruce over a large tyre on the
ground. He brings a sledgehammer down twice on the rubber. Pan up to
a shoulder shot emphasising his tensing back muscles as he adjusts
the tool in his hands. Wide shot of the dark concrete environment,
furnished with exercise equipment to tell us this is Bruce's gym,
presumably somewhere in the Batcave. Water seems to be leaking from
above. He slams the sledgehammer down on the tyre yet again.
Hard hit of piano and low strings. This begins a piano pattern that lasts for most of the track, but when one listens closely, it is actually a fast, low-pitched repetition of the Codex Motif to entwine with Bruce forging the Kryptonite into a weapon using the mineral's theme.
Close-up on a folder on the Bat-computer titled "Lex Luthor". A
mouse hovers over to select it. Wider view of many new files, and
Bruce selects the folder titles "Xenomaterials". Four new images
fill the screen displaying the molecular structure of Kryptonite. Cut to scrolling up on the images
to arrive on a spinning 3D model of the rock titled "Xenomaterial
Radiation Pattern". We now know these files contain Lex's research on Kryptonite, conveniently telling Batman precisely how to make weapons from this mineral, just as Lex intended.
Close-up on the Kryptonite itself, now spinning too in a holster to
connect the shots. Pull out as it stops spinning, and rack focus to
the large machine pointing at the mineral. The background beyond is
filled with the red of the computer displays in the Batmobile
garage.
Hard, angry hit of Bruce Wayne Motif on percussion, vocals, and brass.
Low-angle medium shot on Bruce, still shirtless, as he pulls
himself up on some bars, grunting with each straining pull. We can
see more of his scars here, including one especially brutal on his
shoulder. Pan down to see the four huge 45lb weights chained to his waist, totalling 180lb, adding to his body weight (presumably Ben Affleck's 230lb) to a total of 410lb.
Cut the machine, extending a small barrel that lights up and
projects an intensely bright beam of energy. Wide shot of the
machine from behind to give us a good look at how large and imposing
the device is, silhouetted by the bright light behind it. Bruce, no
longer shirtless, is working the controls in the left frame, and he
turns to watch his work unfold.
High-angle backwards tracking shot of a stack of weights with a
pile of chains on top, and we pan up to see Bruce pushing them
towards us, sweating and panting.
Return to the barrel of the laser, further out. Pan left to see the
beam fire down the Batmobile causeway to its target in the workshop,
too bright to see. Cut to the Kryptonite in its holster, bombarded
by the beam cutting into it to connect the earlier shot of the
holstered mineral. Sparks shower wildly.
High-angle shot on Bruce's hands, pulling a large rope. Pan up to see
him exerting. Shoulder shot to see he is pulling the same tyre across
the gym with the rope.
Low-angle shot on two metal cylindrical objects in Bruce's hands, and
he slides one into the other with a satisfying click. He is clearly
assembling something complex and high-tech. As we later learn, this is
the shaft of the Kryptonite spear, telling us it must be constructed
with a highly reinforced design.
Codex Motif becomes clearer on high strings, interspersed with vocal, brass, and percussion hits on top.
Side shot of Bruce, on his back as he bench-presses a massive weight.
He grimaces and grunts with effort.
Shot of Bruce's hand, clicking a device to trigger an blast in the
glass container in the foreground. His hand lowers and we push on the
container to see it fill with green gas, telling us that Bruce has
managed to vaporize the Kryptonite into a gaseous form.
Low-angle on Bruce, looking down at something in his hands below
frame. He brings up a small black container, and we rack focus to the
row of similar containers in the foreground, where Bruce adds it to
the line. The canisters display "Pb", the symbol for lead, subtly
setting up Batman's use of these lead smoke grenades against Superman.
Now we begin concluding the montage. Return to the shoulder shot of
Bruce pulling the tyre. Waist-level cowboy shot as he tosses the rope
and yells, indicating his muscles have reached their absolute limits
and his body is on fire.
Medium shot on Bruce wearing black goggles to shield his eyes from
the bright beam. He presses something on the control panel below
frame. Return to the barrel of the laser as the beam cuts out,
leaving smoke and red hot metal, concluding the sculpting of the
Kryptonite.
Low-angle cowboy shot of Bruce in the gym with the massive weights
over his shoulders. He drops them, banging on the ground. Ground-level
shot to see the heavy object churn up dust and roll away.
Shot of Bruce from behind his head, lying back on a bench with two
dumbbells in his hands. He drops them with another grunt, clanging on
the floor. Ground-level shot to see them land.
Knee-level shot of the chains and weights falling from Bruce's legs
onto the floor.
Wide shot of Bruce approaching down the Batmobile causeway from the
laser, goggles in his hand. We descend left to a low-angle shot of
Bruce with the smoking Kryptonite in the foreground, now sculpted
into a crude arrowhead shape.
Fade out into a string pattern to terminate the intensity of the montage.
Wide shot of Bruce at the Bat-computer, head in his arms. He leans back in the chair, sighing in exhaustion after all his preparation. He reaches to the desk and grabs the mouse.
Close-up on the screen, displaying a column of folders. He opens the folder simply titled "META_HUMAN".
As it opens, cut to
full-screen to reveal several icons identifiably representing Wonder
Woman, Cyborg, The Flash, and Aquaman. Each symbol is presumably based on aspects of their physical appearance. The titles of each subject
represent each hero with abbreviated references to their aliases, either as Easter eggs or Lex's direct references to aspects of their characters.
1920//213_meta_human_alpha_WW
1920//213_meta_human_alpha_CY
1920//213_meta_human_alpha_FL
1920//213_meta_human_alpha_AQ
Codex Theme returns here on a slow, deep brass, gaining volume with a rumble from the soundtrack.
Medium shot on Bruce, looking interested.
Return to the screen. He moves the cursor up towards the Wonder Woman
folder.
Close-up on the folder as he selects it, revealing several new
files and a blurry image titled "2012_Central_IMPORT.jpe" containing 1 item. Close-up on the
mouse as Bruce clicks.
Return to the screen as the image opens,
revealing a photo of Diana exiting a Parisian taxi. Her hair and
makeup are different and her outfit is blue, but it is certainly
her.
Return to Bruce, leaning forward, intrigued. Close-up on the photo,
pushing in.
A beat of Diana Prince Motif again associates Diana with her mysterious tone.
Return to the close-up on the mouse. He moves it around. Close-up
on a new folder titled "SURVEILLENCE_MBANK_0188374.MP4" containing 1 item. Bruce opens it.
Full-screen video footage of Diana, in a different outfit, entering
a bank to acquire some cash from an ATM. It is marked 22 Juin (French for June) 2015, 10:13AM.
Return to Bruce, entering a medium a close-up as he leans in
further.
Return to the video, closer now, as Diana looks around
before looking up at the camera. Facial recognition software
activates, scanning her face. The info box that appears reveals the
location is Rue Des Saints, Paris, France. Full-screen again as she leaves.
Codex Theme ends with another, higher beat of Diana Prince Motif.
L/META_HUM/WW_01/_ARCHBut he scrolls down to another blurred image titled, "BELGIUM, NOVEMBER 1918". Close-up on the mouse again as he clicks.
L/META_HUM/WW_01/BELGIUM
L/META_HUM/WW_01/ASSOCIATES
L/META_HUM/WW_01/VIDEO_ASSETS
The rolling cello and percussion rhythm of Wonder Woman Theme is introduced for the first time, building anticipation for the contents of this next photo.
Return to the image briefly before cutting to full-screen again,
opening the image to reveal Diana, young as ever, in an aged photo from World War One, surrounded
by soldiers having their photo taken with her.
The rolling percussion/cello rhythm intensifies dramatically on this supernatural discovery.
Return to Bruce. He leans back, looking shocked by the discovery of
Diana's immortality.
Close-up on the haunting photo of Diana, pushing
in.
Wonder Woman Theme hits a fierce, screaming, high energy theme in ⅞ time signature on electric cello, often mistaken for electric guitar, paired with the rolling cello/percussion rhythm underneath. This is Wonder Woman's first ever theme song on film.
Return to Bruce, pushing in to emphasise his taking in this
unexpected revelation.
Scene Overview
At the Batcave, Bruce performs a rigorous workout, prepares weapons and gadgets for his fight with Superman, and crafts his Kryptonite spear, building anticipation for the clash between the two. Afterwards, he takes the opportunity to go through Lex's decrypted files further, locating a folder on meta-humans to be further explored later, and learns that Diana is immortal, setting up his Email exchange with her.
Scene Analysis
 |
| Batman: War on Crime (1999) |
The brutal intensity of this scene demonstrates how hardcore Bruce is about maintaining his beyond peak physical condition. Furthermore, he does not know exactly what effect the Kryptonite will have on Superman, so being ready for an intense fight is vital. Note that Alfred is absent from the scene, having not appeared in the Batcave since his argument with Bruce. He is evidently not contributing in any way to Bruce's bloodthirsty crusade.
The full montage is exactly 1m2s long.
According to Snyder on Vero, Batman creating a spear was in reference
to the spear that impaled Christ to make sure he was dead after being
crucified, providing Christ on the Cross Between the Two Thieves (1619-1620) by Peter Paul Rubens. The imagery of the two thieves can also be seen in the Trinity depictions in the film and possibly the bunker sequence during the Knightmare. Also, the use of a spear is
possibly another reference to Moby Dick, where Ahab wielded a spear in an attempt to kill
the titular whale that he hated. In preparation for killing Superman,
Batman has embraced Ahab's role as the obsessed, driven
hunter.
"The spear, of course, is like the spear that pierced the side of Christ. It's a very primitive weapon, this notion that he would have to make a weapon that you thrust physically into your enemy is kind of crazy. He could have made a bullet or some kind of projectile out of it but the spear, I felt, was a much more physical manifestation of him having to kill Superman." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Watch Party, 29 March 2020)
The first music track in this scene is Preparation Montage. It primarily serves to convey Bruce's rage and determination in association with his intense preparation for the battle ahead using an angry Bruce Wayne Motif while tying into the Kryptonite's presence with the Codex Theme. The Diana Prince Motif is obviously to identify Diana as the woman in the picture and video. This track is not on any commercially-available version of the score.
The second music track in this scene is Photograph. It does little more than identify Wonder Woman as an established character in the DCEU beyond her double identity as Diana Prince, officially introducing us to the superhero. This is also the first time Wonder Woman has been represented in any live-action film score. This track is not on any commercially-available version of the score.
Behind the Scene
The Batcave was constructed across two soundstages at the late Michigan Motion Picture Studios along Centerpoint Parkway, Pontiac, Michigan. Production designer Patrick Tatopoulos in the Art of the Film and Tech Manual described it as "oppressive" with how the roof of the cave is very low, as though you "barely have the space to live in there." The blocky, minimalistic, concrete aesthetic of the Glass House above is reflected in the design, which is arguably a reflection of Bruce's anti-social attitude. The intention with the architecture was to make everything suspended from above to be "reminiscent of the concept of a bat," and work tables in the lab are attached to a gantry system on the ceiling for moving them around. You can see the official Batcave behind-the-scenes featurette on YouTube. A 360-degree virtual tour was once available before being removed, but you can still see videos of the tour. The sequences here were shot in June or July 2014 when the crew were filming in Pontiac.
The location and shooting date of Bruce's gym is unknown.
"We wanted [the laser] to look like a traditional atom-buster, like the huge ones that are there in Europe, underground. They look a bit like a jet engine. We started making it fairly small, and it was supposed to be upstairs where Alfred works. But then we decided to put it downstairs in the Batcave, and realised it would look pretty diminutive in that space. So we scaled it up and it became a much larger prop, something that Bruce could really interact with." (Doug Harlocker, Tech Manual, p74)
"Lewis Doty and I spit-balled it and 3D modelled it and then showed it to Zack. Zack made some modifications and we reverse-engineered and built it. We added aluminium, carbon fibre, and metallics. We scorched it around where the laser was and we added a whole lot of lights, and we put it on dimmers so that when we switched on the laser it could start it up in phases. We see the initial start up and then as the power increases we can keep hitting switches and things will grow and grow. I like making big props. This is impossible to miss -- it's a beast!" (Doug Harlocker, Tech Manual, p75)The photograph of Diana in the red dress was taken outside the Willits apartment complex, 111 Willits Street, Birmingham, Michigan, on 16 May 2014. Gal Gadot repeatedly left the building to enter her car so the right photo could be taken. Locals also took many photos of the shoot, and the Seeds Marketing and Design company situated in the building also posted about it on their Instagram. Set photographer Clay Enos tweeted this photo of Zack Snyder that day on a motorbike at the nearby crossroads of Southfield and West Maple.
 |
| "Wonder Woman 1854 - This amazing image shot by Stephen Berkman of an else-world, war weary Diana, who had chased Aries across the battlefields of the world and had yet to meet Steve, who would help her restore her faith in mankind and love itself." Zack Snyder, Vero, 5 January 2021 |
"This was kind of the opposite [of Breaking Bad] because we had the script and it wasn't in the script. As we started then we worked on our script, I think we were in the middle of shooting and we started working on the outline for the next movie and where they go, and Zack said, 'Oh my god let's add this moment that is gonna pay off down the road, and we'll find out more information.'" (Deborah Snyder, Collider, 28 March 2016)The photo was taken by photographer Stephen Berkman, whom Zack Snyder was classmates with in film school, along with Larry Fong and Clay Staub. It was likely taken around 18 October 2014 when director of photography reposted this photo of Berkman's camera from the (now private) Cruel and Unusual Films Instagram account.
"The image that we shot from the Wonder Woman movie, there's the team. We actually shot for the movie before we did this [photo] and inserted it into the film. I had shot a placeholder because, when we shot BvS, we hadn't really finished the concept for Wonder Woman yet, but the idea that Batman was looking at an early photographic image -- not a painting, but a photograph -- to prove that it's the same person and that the photograph was a hundred years old to show that she hadn't aged, that notion was in the film before we made the Wonder Woman movie. That was a way to start with the concept of the Wonder Woman film as a concept, that she had a team of people that she was going after Ares with.
So we had shot in Detroit. Steve Berkman, who shot the image of Wonder Woman from World War I, we had shot that previous with an image from the Crimean War because it was one of the early conflicts where photography was used, and I really wanted to get the longest stretch possible. I think we originally even talked about it being the [American] Civil War as a possibility in our early conversations, like, what would really show the distance? And that idea was really fun to play around with, so we shot another one of those images in Detroit and I have it somewhere, but it exists, and then we reshot it, but I had Gal in the original photo, but it was the Crimean War, so it was a very different kind of look." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Watch Party, 29 March 2020)
"We've kind of done that a little bit with all the films as we're developing them and as the scripts come, because it is this connected universe. For instance, the Wonder Woman daguerreotype photograph where we see her for the first time, we shot that and then we actually reshot it. We just shot it and then when they were working on the script [for Wonder Woman] we were like, 'Wow, what if we put in the script the actual taking of the photograph?' But it's totally different people because we shot it on our set, so when Patty [Jenkins] was doing camera tests, we were back and forth because we were prepping that movie and editing and starting Justice League. On one of the days we just got the group together, brought over -- because it's shot on these beautiful glass plates -- we brought Steven over, who is a friend of Zack's from Arts Centre, he's a professor over there and he shoots this beautiful glass plate photography, and we shot it with all the cast. So sometimes it just kind of happens and you kind of change gears, and you realize that there might be an opportunity as you’re working on your process." (Deborah Snyder, Collider, 28 March 2016)
Berkman also took the World War I photo used for the final version, which was taken before the same scene in Wonder Woman (2017) was filmed, essentially taking the same photo twice. During filming for Patty Jenkins' film, another version of the final photograph was taken that puts Zack Snyder front
and centre, which is apparently framed in his office.
"That was the first thing that we shot, before we'd even shot a scene [for Wonder Woman] we shot that photograph. It meant that when we eventually got around to shooting the scene that the [photograph] is from, we had to really painstakingly recreate it. Because we [took the photo] against a half-built set, in a way sets were still being built at that point. So by the time we came around to filming that scene, probably around five months later, the sets were much more developed. So we had to find a way to recreate the exact same image after half a year had gone by." (Ewen Bremner, Yahoo News, 12 June 2017)
"...it was an exciting first day of shooting since it was a passing of the torch. The photo links Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice to Wonder Woman, so both Zack and Patty were present that day, working collaboratively. It was an exciting shared moment as we watched the DC world expanding and it was wonderful to be able to capture that moment in such a unique way. Photographer Stephen Berkman must have shot twenty glass plates before he, Zack and Patty all felt they had the winning photo, as shooting a daguerreotype is art wrapped in a science experiment." (Deborah Snyder, Wonder Woman: The Art and Making of The Film)
"We've kind of done that a little bit with all the films as we're developing them and as the scripts come, because it is this connected universe. For instance, the Wonder Woman daguerreotype photograph where we see her for the first time, we shot that and then we actually reshot it. We just shot it and then when they were working on the script [for Wonder Woman] we were like, 'Wow what if we put in the script the actual taking of the photograph?' But it's totally different people because we shot it on our set, so when Patty was doing camera tests, we were back and forth because we were prepping that movie and editing and starting Justice League. On one of the days we just got the group together, brought over -- because it’s shot on these beautiful glass plates -- we brought Steven over, who is a friend of Zack's from Arts Centre, he's a professor over there and he shoots this beautiful glass plate photography, and we shot it with all the cast. So sometimes it just kind of happens and you kind of change gears, and you realize that there might be an opportunity as you're working on your process." (Deborah Snyder, Collider, 28 March 2016)
|
| The Hollywood Reporter |
Metamorphosis
The periodic piano motif from when Lex first entered the scout ship returns with the very subtle Codex Theme in the background against low foreboding strings.
Lex pull Zod's body into the orange-lit waters of the Genesis Chamber below, obscuring the corpse's nudity. Two squid-like drones that once tended to Kryptonian embryos converge from the murk.
"Acknowledging presence of genetic material. Analysing..." says the computer.
Then Lex looks down at the body. As the drones swim below, he caresses the body's cold face.
"I've identified the host as General Zod of Kandor." This
is the first reference to Kandor in this universe, which is the Kryptonian
city from which Zod originates. In the comics, the city was shrunk and
stolen by the galactic supervillain Brainiac.
Low-angle medium shot on Lex. The flying drone hovers over his shoulder
when he suddenly flicks open a pocket knife, emerging into view from the
lower frame, potentially startling viewers. He looks nervous. He removes his other hand from Zod's face, slowly, before suddenly cutting his
palm around the blade with a pained grunt.
High-angle medium shot on Zod, Lex's bleeding hand in the foreground as
he squeezes blood from his fist, dripping onto Zod's face.
"Acknowledging presence of foreign genetic material. Analysing."
Lex is now starting to tear up, indicating this is an incredibly powerful emotional moment for him, giving life to a creature that he will be personally related to by blood, subtly indicating his father-son feelings toward the creature he is making. Looking down at Zod, he whispers,
"You flew too close to the sun." Zod begins to sink. "Now look at you." This references the Greek story of Daedalus
and his son Icarus, who built wings from wax that allowed them to fly
and escape their captivity, but Icarus flew too close to the sun and his
wings melted, causing him to fall to his death. The moral of the story
is that being too ambitious can come with severe consequences. In this
context, Lex is likely referring to Superman as the sun, whom he later
compares to the Greek sky god Apollo. Snyder confirmed on Vero it is
also a double meaning in reference to "son" as in "Last Son of
Krypton".
Higher strings for a few seconds add a distinctly emotional element to this moment.
As a drone comes to retrieve the body, the computer warns him,
"Advising. Action forbidden."
Lex looks
terribly emotional. He closes his eyes and a tear falls down his face.
The computer goes on as the body is carried away, "It has been decreed by the Council of Krypton that none will ever
again give life to a deformity so hateful to sighted memory. The desecration without name."
As tendrils descend from above to reach for Zod, Lex asks, "And where is the Council of Krypton?"
"Destroyed, sir."
Dramatic, fast-paced version of the Codex Motif on high strings. Four notes of Lex Luthor Theme B on piano in the background -- a synthesis of Lex Luthor and the Kryptonian.
As Zod is slowly lifted, Lex says only, "Then proceed."
More tendrils emerge, slithering down from above with a snake-like hiss as the computer verifies, "Very well. Preparing chrysalis and commencing metamorphosis." A chrysalis is the stage of a caterpillar's life whereby it cocoons itself before emerging as a butterfly.
Cut to black.
Music abruptly terminates on the final note of the Codex Motif.
Scene Overview
At the scout ship, in an emotionally profound moment for him, Lex begins creating a monster that will share his blood, and therein lies his belief that Doomsday will give him the power he desires.
Scene Analysis
Zod resembles Frankenstein's monster, likely drawing parallels to how the titular mad scientist obsessed over the monster he created from bits and pieces of corpses, just as Doomsday is built from Zod's corpse. Lex displays the same reverence for the thing he is creating here, also in how his hubris prevents him from seeing the risks of undertaking this course of action. This brings back the Prometheus theme Lex mentioned in the party scene, as Mary Shelley's original book had the subtitle The Modern Prometheus.
kingofthesevenseas on Tumblr pointed out how Lex's provision of blood here may be referencing occult or pagan rituals, summoning "a sacrilegious deity", and that the imagery here may be symbolic of a twisted baptism in murky, sickly waters. The result is the arrival of what Lex refers to as "the Devil".
The scene is, for lack of a better word, absolutely gross. In the cold dead womb of an ancient ship, Lex cuts his hand and drips his blood on the face of a corpse, which submerges into the amniotic fluid as squid-like machines begin transforming it. Everything here tells the audience that the metamorphosis underway is a heinous crime against nature. A deformity, an abomination, a devil is being created.
The music track in this scene is My Blood. It serves mostly to keep with the Kryptonian origins of the ship. The Codex Motif here does not represent Kryptonite as it has thus far in the film, but instead harkens back to the original Codex. The Codex itself is not present (still being within Superman), but it dictates what every Kryptonian birth was to become in life. In his own way, Lex may be doing the same thing, representing the very ideas that led to Krypton's end as this abomination might for Earth. This track is not on any commercially-available version of the score.
Behind the Scene
The original scout ship interior set was demolished after Man of Steel filming, so a new set was constructed at the late Michigan Motion Picture Studios along Centerpoint Parkway, Pontiac, Michigan. The sequences here were shot in June or July 2014 when the crew were filming in Pontiac.
Zod's body is a sculpt created by Amalgamated Dynamics, Inc (StudioADI), and you can watch the process of the creation of Zod's body here on their official YouTube channel. I definitely encourage you to pay them a visit if you are interested in models, puppets, and practical effects in general. Such arts are dying out and they definitely deserve the appreciation.
Burn Him
In the dark, we hear Jenny Jurwich say, "And so, we are left to wonder" -- cut to Jenny reading an article to a co-worker at the Daily Planet -- "if Superman was aware of the threat and did nothing, was he then complicit in the Capitol tragedy?"
The camera ascends over the office cubicle wall to see Perry walking down the next aisle. Pan down to see him pass by Lois' desk. "Still no Kent?" he asks, sounding somewhat worried, hinting at a concern for the disobedient employee that you might not have expected considering Perry's regular cynical and even nihilistic attitude. Evidently, Clark has not been to work in some time. We can assume that Perry is afraid Clark had attended the Capitol hearing when the bombing occurred, but a bold theory is Perry knows Clark is Superman and genuinely wants the Man of Steel back.
Nearby, we can hear Jenny say, "His disappearance raises questions," as if responding directly to Perry's words, especially considering Clark and Superman are the same person.
Lois at her desk looks back at Perry and responds, "No."
Cut to one of the television screens showing CNN with a report titled "Was Suprman Involved?" A reporter discusses the subject, saying, "There are still so many unanswered questions. Chief among them, whether Superman was involved in the planning of this attack. I mean, here's an individual who has unlimited power, yet did nothing to stop the bomber just a few feet away from him."
As she says this, the report shows a riot in progress. They parade an effigy of Superman through the street, burning it for the world to see. The crowd yells in rage and prejudice. It is day now.
Wide shot pushing in on the television in a new location aboard a ferry, where a group of what looks like sanitation workers are standing around the a wall-mounted television, watching the same news report.
Reverse shot from beside the screen to get a look at their faces.
They all look a little troubled at the very least. One shakes his head, indicating disappointment, likely in the media's demonising of Superman. These might be the oil rig workers saved by Clark in Man of Steel, but we would have seen them earlier had Snyder included the long take version of the ferry sequence with Clark.
The reporter
finishes, "It just doesn't add up for investigators."
The reporter's script is setting up Lex's reference to the Problem of
Evil later on. Is Superman good but unable to stop the bombing? Then he
lacks unlimited power. Does he have unlimited power? Then he is not good
and must have allowed the bombing. This is the exact narrative Lex
wanted to concoct, and of course, the real answer is that Superman is
neither all-good nor all-powerful. He is just a guy trying to do the
right thing with those powers he does have.
As the reporter finishes speaking, we hear the rioters begin chanting, "Burn him! Burn him! Burn him!"
High-angle shot on a television in a rundown apartment, a young boy sitting on the floor. His toys are scattered around. He stands up, eyes fixed on the screen as the chanting continues.
As the reporter finishes speaking, we hear the rioters begin chanting, "Burn him! Burn him! Burn him!"
High-angle shot on a television in a rundown apartment, a young boy sitting on the floor. His toys are scattered around. He stands up, eyes fixed on the screen as the chanting continues.
"Burn him! Burn him! Burn him!"
Low-angle medium shot of the kid, his mother behind him, and we realise these are the same mother and son who Clark met earlier when he came looking for Kahina Ziri in Gotham, so this must be the same apartment. The kid turns to her, and she shakes her head.
"Burn him! Burn him! Burn him!"
Low-angle medium shot of the kid, his mother behind him, and we realise these are the same mother and son who Clark met earlier when he came looking for Kahina Ziri in Gotham, so this must be the same apartment. The kid turns to her, and she shakes her head.
"Burn him! Burn him! Burn him!"
Return to the Daily Planet television, pushing in as the news camera
zooms on the burning Superman effigy. We see now a bag over its
head.
The chants intensify: "Burn him! Burn him! Burn him!"
Cut to an old goat herder (Sal Lopez) looking down at the newcomer from the caravan, and says, "Dile que por veinte Americanos, no lo vimos," Spanish for, "Tell him that for twenty Americans [US dollars], we didn't see him." A younger herder (Marcel Shihadeh) is over his shoulder.
All goes quiet. Low-angle establishing shot on snowy mountains beneath a cloudy
sky, scattered with trees. Pan down to see a caravan amid the snow
and foliage. Horses are visible in the right background being led
away. Clark trudges up the hill, and we track him in a
handheld shot. No flight. He even has a backpack
of supplies with him. Once again, he is taking a journey as a mere man,
not a Superman. He is growing a beard, so at least a few days have
passed since we last saw him. The cut to here answers the question of where Superman is.
Cut to an old goat herder (Sal Lopez) looking down at the newcomer from the caravan, and says, "Dile que por veinte Americanos, no lo vimos," Spanish for, "Tell him that for twenty Americans [US dollars], we didn't see him." A younger herder (Marcel Shihadeh) is over his shoulder.
Clark takes long strides up the snowy climb,
hands in his pockets, when the younger herder says, "For twenty American he didn't see you. Same for me." They are offering their silence in exchange for $20, assuming
Clark does not want anyone to know he has been there.
Clark does not say a word, glancing sideways to give them a cold look and quietly continuing his hike up through the mountain. This bribe offer comes as yet more negativity thrown in his face.
Wide rear shot on Clark continuing up the mountain, as if returning defeated to Olympus. The old herder enters the frame
from the left to watch him leave, his stick in hand as the younger man
comes up beside him. The old herder says,
"El ve que el pico no es pasable," translated in subtitles
as, "He can see the mountain's not passable." He finishes, "Ha venido a morir," translated as, "He's come to die." A mournful conclusion to the sequence.
This is undoubtedly symbolic. Ahead of Clark is a seemingly unsurmountable problem -- the incredible, unfathomable weight of the responsibility on his shoulders. To be Superman is an impossible burden to bear. But Clark can scale that mountain because, unbeknownst to the herders, he is not human, and yet, he will die. He will overcome the problem with inhuman strength of will, yet his humanity will be solidified by his mortality.
We next hear a reporter say, "Now, one FBI official--"
Lois turns to the table beside the couch, where a photo of Clark and her sits, and she stares at it, missing Clark.
The reporter (Jay Towers again) on Metropolis 8 News continues, "--familiar with this case told me they found, quote, 'a jackpot of bomb-making materials inside Keefe's apartment.'" At this point, the immense prevalence of the media should be starting to become slightly grating, and understandably so. The media now dominates everything, every conversation. A narrative of controversy and pessimism is constantly being spun, and almost everyone is glued to the television.
Rack focus to the television now as Lois takes notice, turning
back to the screen. We can see Keefe's apartment has
been closed-off and FBI workers are removing boxes from the premises.
The report is titled, "Metropolis' homegrown terrorist."
Towers
continues, "What they need to determine now is whether he had any help in the
planning and execution of the bombing, and they haven’t ruled out the idea that Superman was a
co-conspirator."
Then Lois sits up straight and focuses on the television. At this point, she gets the idea to investigate for
herself.
"This was an image I had drawn. This was taken from a painting, a couple different romantic paintings -- Lex looking out at the sunrise. I do love those kinds of images, a lone figure against nature. I think that's always a striking image, and whenever possible, I try to render those kinds of images. I think there's a lot of figures against nature in this movie. For instance, you're constantly seeing Bruce, whether he's walking through a field, grass, corn, he's kind of this figure against a field. I always felt like this kind of dark figure against a grassy field or a horizon is very compelling and symbolic. I find that shape very interesting." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Director's Commentary, 2021, 1:43:15)
At the same time, Towers continues in the background, his voice echoing: "Now my sources are telling me they are getting a barrage of anonymous and credible tips with all roads in this investigation leading to the Kryptonian visitor." The focus on Lex here associates the report with him, hinting he is responsible for these anonymous tips.
Lex seems to nod approvingly, as if he can hear all the
world doing exactly as he wants, all according to plan. Then he turns to
head back inside the under-construction building. In his hand is his
blue stress ball, and he tosses it into the air before catching it
again. Symbolically, our "little blue planet" (as Lex earlier described the ball) is in his hands.
Medium shot on Lois, revealed as she pushes open curtains ruined with
red spray paint. Push in on her taking in the environment.
"This is this image of Lex with the world in his hand and his plan starting to come to fruition. I really like this notion of this romantic image of him on top of the world, looking out over his domain." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Watch Party, 29 March 2020)
Shoulder
tracking shot as she heads into the dingy room, filled with Superman-shaped paper figures hanging from the ceiling by the
neck. We circle around her as she turns to examine her surroundings.
Crazy writings cover the walls, along with another drawing of a burning
Capitol Hill that covers most of one wall. There is certainly equipment
all over the place. It truly looks like the den of a crazy bomber.
Cut
to another angle, continuing to circle her to build the chaotic
setting.
Waist-level shot beside Lois on Keefe's desk, covered with tools amid
numbered crime scene evidence markers.
Medium shot on Lois again as she
turns around, Keefe's wall of Superman-related newspaper clippings visible
behind her.
Medium rear tracking shot on Lois heading back out the way she came, through the curtains and into the kitchen. The open apartment door, lined with crime scene tape, comes into view on the left, where a police officer knocks and says, "Alright, Lois. You gotta go." This indicates Lois got access to the scene through a cop she knows personally who helps her out.
She turns to look left off-screen, raising her hand to shush the officer.
Cut closer on her as she moves ahead, and we circle
to a shoulder shot as see picks an orange from the fruit bowl on a
cabinet. She examines it, and we pan up to see her look thoughtful.
Developing a hunch, she suddenly puts it back in the bowl with a thud
and marches over to the fridge. She opens it. Pan down to see its
contents, full of uneaten food and drinks.
Low-angle on Lois from beside the fridge, looking inside as she says, "He didn't know he was gonna die." Then she slams the fridge closed and leaves fast. "He just bought groceries!" Evidently, Lex and Knyazev overlooked one important detail.
The protesters burning the Superman effigy were shot in the parking lot of Broadhead Naval Armory along East Jefferson Avenue, Detroit, Michigan, right across Gabriel Richard Park from MacArthur Bridge where Arlington Bridge with Calvin and Lois was shot. Tim Reinman and Tim Malin took photos of the shoot. Shooting took place on 29 September 2014. The other locations in the sequence are unknown.
Wallace Keefe's apartment was shot at the Phillips Manor Apartments, 51 East Willis Street, Detroit. Both the exterior and the basement were shot here. Filming took place on 30 September 2014. D3T0N8R and @TReinman took several photos. Snyder confirmed in the director's commentary (58:22) that the wheelchair was a donation, and they made some modifications.
Cut to an establishing shot of the slope to a mountain peak, introduced by a lingering treacherous blizzard, wind and snow flowing across every rock to create a surreal, dream-like, moving environment. Clark's silhouette slowly emerges from the haze.
Low-angle on Lois from beside the fridge, looking inside as she says, "He didn't know he was gonna die." Then she slams the fridge closed and leaves fast. "He just bought groceries!" Evidently, Lex and Knyazev overlooked one important detail.
Cut to Jenet Klyburn walking through
STAR Labs, a phone to her ear, saying, "The wheelchair and the bullet from the desert were made from the
same metal." With that, Lois now has physical evidence that Lex provided the explosive wheelchair and set Wallace up.
Cut to Lois walking away from her taxi, hurrying up some steps
with her phone to her ear. It is once again daytime. She
replies, "I know. The desert, the hearings, everywhere Superman goes, Luthor
wants death."
Jenet asks over the phone,
"But Luthor goes through all of that trouble," cut to
Jenet, now in what looks like a storage room,
"creates a bomb out of a wheelchair, and then alters it to reduce
the blast?"
Cut to Lois, coming to a stop at the top of the stairs beside a
Daily Planet sign to tell us where she is.
"What do you mean?" she asks.
Cut to Jenet, pushing to a medium close-up to emphasise the significance of her words. "The inside of the chair was lined with lead."
Cut to Lois, pushing in as she slowly lowers the phone,
everything coming together in her head. Addressing her thoughts to
Clark, she says out loud, "You couldn't stop it. You couldn't see it." She continues into the Daily Planet, hurrying out of frame.
Scene Overview
As anti-Superman sentiment rises throughout the world at Lex's whim, Lois investigates Keefe's home and learns he did not expect to die. With more help from Jenet, she learns that Lex was the true bomber. In this dark time, Lois has once again pulled through with information that could absolve Superman and bring Lex down, so a tiny ray of hope remains.
Scene Analysis
This scene neatly lays out the result of Lex's manipulation of the world -- from mass riots and media further inflaming controversy to glimpsing Clark's nature-bound exile -- while Lois unravels how his plot works. It is yet another scene with a multitude of sequences edited together thematically...
- At the Daily Planet, the questions of where Clark and Superman are have been raised as we observe the growing anti-Superman sentiment.
- So we cut to where Superman is -- a cold and quiet wilderness contrasting against the droning controversy, and we feel Clark's exile.
- So we cut to where Clark should be -- the warm apartment he shares with Lois, where she is watching the news and gets the idea to investigate Keefe's home.
- At the same time, Lex stands atop his tower as the media says exactly what he wants them to say, carrying on from the same broadcast.
- Cut to Keefe's apartment, where Lois discovers he never expected to die at the Capitol.
- At the Daily Planet entrance, Lois realises Keefe's explosive wheelchair was Superman-proof.
The implication is Lex knows about Superman's X-ray vision and lined the bomb with lead so Superman could have never seen it if he was looking. It was a no-win situation. This way, not only does Superman get a weighty monologue about how he never thought something like this could happen, but we also learn that Lex was not dumb enough to forget about one of Superman's major powers.
If the workers seen earlier in the scene watching the riots are indeed the oil rig workers saved by Clark in Man of Steel, then the people in the first sequence had all crossed paths with Superman at some point, as Clark had met the mother and her son in the dingy Gotham apartment earlier. These people we have seen before have come back around to react to the intense vitriol being hurled at Superman, reinforcing their personhood by reinforcing their presence in the film, rather than merely serving as tools to be forgotten by the plot after one appearance.
Musical analysis coming soon.
Behind the Scene
Based on physical evidence and quotes, the Daily Planet was shot in a retrofitted office space at 2000 Centerpoint Parkway, Pontiac, Michigan, in the late Michigan Motion Picture Studios, a former General Motors building just across the street from the location used for LexCorp. Those with a keen eye for set design may notice a significant number of changes since Man of Steel, implying the building has been heavily remodelled. Updates were inspired by old photographs of the Chicago Tribune. A row of televisions across the walls makes current news updates a constant presence in the scenes here. Lois and Clark can see each other from the placement of their desks. Electrician Erica Kim got a photo from inside. The location was sold to Williams International in 2017, when the studio held a garage sale for props.
The rundown Gotham apartment complex was shot at 475 Peterboro Street, Detroit, Michigan. The boy and his mother watching the riots on television was likely shot on 1 October 2014. In late October, one base camp was set up in the parking lot behind the Masonic Temple on 500 Temple Street, which can be seen in the foreground of the apartment's establishing shot. Another base camp was constructed in the parking lot of 3160 2nd Avenue right beside the Peterboro building.
The ferry was shot on the upper deck of the Lake Express passenger ferry on 10 November 2014, which was moored at Navy Pier, 600 East Grand Avenue, Chicago. This was the same day Bruce's helicopter arrival in Metropolis was filmed. The vessel's current whereabouts can be tracked on MarineTraffic.com. While filming this sequence, base camp was set up under North Stetson Avenue. Director of photography Larry Fong took this stunning evening photo of the Chicago bay over Lake Michigan and this humorous photo of set photographer Clay Enos.
The LexCorp helipad was shot at an outdoor green screen set right beside the Heroes Park set at the late Michigan Motion Picture Studios along Centerpoint Parkway, Pontiac, Michigan. The helipad itself was constructed for real, raised slightly above the ground. The helipad sequences were likely shot around 20 June 2014 due to the presence of the LexCorp helicopter. On Vero, Zack Snyder and Clay Enos have photos.
Wallace Keefe's apartment was shot at the Phillips Manor Apartments, 51 East Willis Street, Detroit. Both the exterior and the basement were shot here. Filming took place on 30 September 2014. D3T0N8R and @TReinman took several photos. Snyder confirmed in the director's commentary (58:22) that the wheelchair was a donation, and they made some modifications.
STAR Labs was filmed inside Wayne State University Department of Chemistry, 5101 Cass Avenue, Detroit, Michigan. The sequences here were shot around mid-August 2014. Base camp was set up in a parking lot on the South side of the Detroit Public Library, 5201 Woodward Avenue. Jena Malone (Jenet Klyburn) was first associated with the film on 8 August when she was spotted near the set with Zack Snyder, and her casting was confirmed on 17 October by the Hollywood Reporter, playing up the idea that she would portray Carrie Kelley (Robin) from The Dark Knight Returns (1986). On 30 July 2015, Kellvin Chavez of Latino Review "revealed" she would be portraying Barbara Gordon (Batgirl), which became the dominant rumour until the release of the director's cut on 28 June 2016.
The Daily Planet entrance was shot at 111 East Wacker Drive, Chicago, Michigan. It was used to shoot the Harvey Dent fundraiser in The Dark Knight (2008), and later the Daily Planet lobby in Man of Steel. A Daily Planet sign was added to the railing beside the stairs, and Metropolis vehicles were brought in. Locals shot video footage of Amy Adams and Zack Snyder rehearsing the shoot, filming the scene, and Adams stopping to finish her line. @iansmoods posted this video on Instagram showing the shoot. Note how the extras wait for Lois to step out before walking by, and the sheer scale of the camera rig needed for such a simple shot. However, Lois' outfit is different (presumed to be Clark), she has no bag anymore, and the Daily Planet sign is missing from the railing, but the extras are all the same, so this may have been a rehearsal. Base camp was set up under North Stetson Avenue. Shooting took place on 11 November 2014.
Deleted Footage: The lobby of 111 East Wacker Drive was also furnished with the Daily Planet globe and logos on the floor and walls, which all went completely unseen in the final film, suggesting there may have been interior footage shot. This would make sense as a casting call for "newspaper employees" was sent out on the 5th, set for this day.
Deleted Footage: Also on 11 November 2014, Amy Adams was seen filming with a different bag and a slightly altered outfit in another location, plus more shooting later that evening.
Past Memories
The Mountain
Cut to an establishing shot of the slope to a mountain peak, introduced by a lingering treacherous blizzard, wind and snow flowing across every rock to create a surreal, dream-like, moving environment. Clark's silhouette slowly emerges from the haze.
Clark hikes to the peak, looking burdened, as if this
journey takes effort, reinforcing his state of mind. Up ahead, the torrent
begins to dissipate, and a figure appears ahead throwing rocks
onto what appears to be a cairn, a structure commonly used as a tomb or marker for a grave site.
Frame-by-frame, you can see that he flickers into existence, a subtle
indicator of a manifesting apparition or figment of Clark's
imagination.
Clark stops in his tracks, looking in uncertainty. Then he continues to approach. The blizzard is all but gone now, transforming Clark's environment from a chaotic storm into a quiet, serene limbo.
We get a close look at the cairn as a gloved hand adds another stone.
We turn up to the left, getting a good look at Clark's Earth father,
Jonathan Kent. We track him as he picks up more rocks before smiling at
his adoptive son.
Clark stops his approach, mouth opening in
incredulity at seeing his father. As we hear Jonathan toss the rocks
onto the structure, we push into a closeup to dramatically
emphasise Clark's reaction without the need for music.
We get our first full shot of the ghost of Jonathan Kent as he tosses another rock. Then he steps away from his project and looks out at the view. Just as Clark treads in further from the right of the frame, Jonathan says, "Something, isn't it?" The grizzled farmer puts his hands on his hips. He then continues speaking as he gestures to the lands below, "We men of Kansas live on a pancake, so we come to the mountains. All downhill from here, down to the floodplain. The farm at the bottom of the world." Jonathan is explaining why Clark came here: a man from Kansas at the bottom of the world, living on a pancake, has come to the mountains where downhill is the only place to go. Clark has come seeking peace, away from controversy, media, and Superman -- an internalised Fortress of Solitude.
We get our first full shot of the ghost of Jonathan Kent as he tosses another rock. Then he steps away from his project and looks out at the view. Just as Clark treads in further from the right of the frame, Jonathan says, "Something, isn't it?" The grizzled farmer puts his hands on his hips. He then continues speaking as he gestures to the lands below, "We men of Kansas live on a pancake, so we come to the mountains. All downhill from here, down to the floodplain. The farm at the bottom of the world." Jonathan is explaining why Clark came here: a man from Kansas at the bottom of the world, living on a pancake, has come to the mountains where downhill is the only place to go. Clark has come seeking peace, away from controversy, media, and Superman -- an internalised Fortress of Solitude.
Clark looks at his late father in confused
awe. He turns away for a moment, trying to process what he is seeing.
He was definitely not expecting this encounter.
Pa Kent goes on, "I remember one season the water came bad. I couldn't have been twelve." He
reaches down for another rock.
Clark looks down, avoiding eye
contact.
Jonathan continues speaking as he reaches down to collect
and deposit another rock.
"Dad had out the shovels and we went at it all night." He chuckles as he explains,
"We worked till I think I fainted, but we managed to stop the
water." Then he turns sombre.
"We saved the farm. Your grandma baked me a cake, said I was a
hero."
The use of "your grandma" as opposed to "my mother" is a nice reminder
of how Jonathan truly thinks of Clark as his son, despite being an
alien. He collects and deposits another rock on the pile. Ever
more sombre now, he says,
"Later that day we found out... we blocked the water, alright. We
sent it upstream. The whole Lang farm washed away."
Clark turns to look away right, now placing father and son on the left of the screen as they face the same direction. This connects them via cinematography, in turn associating Jonathan's story with Clark.
Jonathan goes on,
"While I ate my hero cake their horses were drowning," again
iterating the horse motif throughout the film. He pauses before saying,
"I used to hear them wailing in my sleep."
Clark looks down and swallowing as he recalls his
own similar experiences. He closes his eyes for a moment, certainly
remembering the faces of the dead, and asks,
"Did the nightmares ever stop?" before opening his eyes again.
This all shows that he too has been haunted by the unintended
consequences of his actions and the dead that have surrounded him.
The old man deposits a final stone
before nodding. "Yeah. When I met your mother. She gave me faith that there's good in
this world. She was my world."
Music returns with the Earth Motif, complementing the positive emotional turn with its warmth.
Clark, hearing these words, tilts his head up slightly, eyes
straight ahead, finally comprehending the lesson. These words, with Clark
visually the focus, are the last of the visual connections the scene
generates. What Clark realises is that the hope Jonathan discovered in
Martha Kent can also be found in his own beloved: Lois Lane. She is his
world.
Jonathan's voice breaking a little, he finishes, "I miss you, son."
Clark Kent Theme comes in on piano to add the finishing emotional touch to the soundtrack, but it is fragmented, each segment terminating before the final note. This might be subtle foreshadowing that this moment will not conclude Clark's arc as the film leads us to suspect.
Clark takes a breath, shoulders relaxing as he looks up at the sky. "I miss you too, Dad."
Wide shot of Clark with the cairn behind him. He is alone now. Or he
always was. Or maybe less now? His father is always with him, in one form or another, ending this sequence on a hopeful note.
The Manor
Wide hip-level shot of Bruce, back turned to us. He approaches the
husk of Wayne Manor in slow-motion, through the tall grass to again
repeat the motif of Bruce off the path. His position in the frame
coincides with Clark's in the previous shot. His right hand skims
across the blades, reminiscent of imagery
from Gladiator (2000) that implies long-time
familiarity with the environment. The camera follows him, slowly and
steadily keeping up through the foliage.
Hum of the Earth Motif continues on from the previous sequence.
Cut to a medium close-up of Bruce on the left frame, now inside the cold, dark, black living room. Though it still looks chilly, the visuals are completely different from the mountaintop. Clark was in the light, whereas Bruce seethes in the dark.
Transition to slow Bruce Wayne Motif, changing the warm tones of the mountaintop scene to the dark, sinister sounds of Bruce's soundtrack.
Over his shoulder, Alfred steps into view and stops to
look at Bruce. Alfred steps toward him, and says,
"You know you can't win this." He steps into the man's field of view, his face illuminated by the light from outdoors.
"It's suicide," he finishes. Even if Batman slays his whale,
to murder Superman would be the death of Batman as a hero. There is no
winning in this pursuit.
Bruce has his back turned to the hollowed-out entrance, almost
silhouetting him against the overcast daylight outside, drawing an
especially villainous look complemented by the black coat and high
collar, contrasting the light on Alfred. Bruce does not look at his faithful friend, his
gaze unchanging. In response to Alfred's words, he shifts uneasily
somewhat before responding,
"I'm older now than my father ever was. This may be the only thing
I do that matters."
"Twenty years of fighting criminals amounts to nothing?" Alfred asks, looking disappointed.
Bruce is
looking at Alfred now. "Criminals are like weeds, Alfred."
He turns back away and says, apathetically,
"Pull one up, another grows in its place. This is about the future
of the world. It's my legacy."
Defeating Superman, to Bruce, feels like the only thing he can
do that might actually leave an impact. Recall his earlier line,
"We're criminals, Alfred. We've always been criminals." Bruce thinks
of himself every bit as irrelevant as the criminals he takes down,
which in turn ties into his sense of powerlessness that he seeks to
overcome. Note that he also never defines his legacy thus far in the
people he has saved, but in the people he cannot destroy. There is likely a message in the fact that Batman's violence has not had the affect he wanted.
Then he
looks down at
the Wayne coat of arms embedded in the stone floor beneath the
fireplace.
"You know, my father sat me down right here, told me what Wayne
manor was built on."
Piano notes come in here, dignifying the old family crest with a very
slight positive tone.
Alfred is also looking down at the relief in the floor. He slowly looks back up at Bruce as he explains, "Railroads, real estates, and oil."
Bruce says, "The first generation made their fortune trading with the French. Pelts and skins." He looks at Alfred for a moment as he says this, but pauses for a few seconds before finishing, "They were hunters." He gives Alfred one final look before turning to leave. Like the Waynes that came before, Bruce's legacy will be that of a hunter, and Superman will be the monster he slays. He is declaring this his destiny. His words also draw another comparison to Moby Dick, where Ahab sets out on a vengeful quest to hunt down the whale that crippled him, potentially one of many references to that story in the film.
Alfred is also looking down at the relief in the floor. He slowly looks back up at Bruce as he explains, "Railroads, real estates, and oil."
Bruce says, "The first generation made their fortune trading with the French. Pelts and skins." He looks at Alfred for a moment as he says this, but pauses for a few seconds before finishing, "They were hunters." He gives Alfred one final look before turning to leave. Like the Waynes that came before, Bruce's legacy will be that of a hunter, and Superman will be the monster he slays. He is declaring this his destiny. His words also draw another comparison to Moby Dick, where Ahab sets out on a vengeful quest to hunt down the whale that crippled him, potentially one of many references to that story in the film.
Batman Theme A marches in here, foreboding to highlight the downright villainy of
Bruce's mindset and sealing his intent.
Bruce steps away from Alfred by the fireplace to head for the exit, hands in his pockets.
Each step he takes is
accompanied by the thudding notes of Batman Theme A.
Alfred looks concerned as he tracks Bruce's departure from the scene.
Connecting the end of the scene with the beginning, Bruce descends the steps from the decrepit front
doorway, once again in silhouette walking away from the camera through tall grass, once again off the path. It
also resembles the earlier shot of Clark's silhouette climbing the
mountain, but where Clark ascended to find hope, Bruce only descends
deeper down the wrong path.
Alfred watches Bruce
leave. The troubled old man remarks poetically,
"So falls the house of Wayne." Fittingly, the
literal ancestral home of the Wayne family has become a withered husk.
This line also repeats that the quest to kill Superman, one way or
another, will be the end of Bruce Wayne. Ironically, by the end of the
film, it is the House of El that falls with its last descendant (its
crest is pierced) while the House of Wayne lives on.
"We gotta wait for more evidence," we hear Nancy Grace
say, as if criticising Bruce's actions, or a note to Alfred that
things will not end like he thinks they will. Cut to the next
scene.
Scene Overview
Seeking solitude on a mountaintop, Clark has an ambiguous encounter with his father, who explains Jonathan's own struggles with feelings of guilt, mirroring Clark's traumas.
Jonathan found his faith in Martha, setting up Clark to find his
faith in Lois, giving him new hope in humanity. Meanwhile, Bruce visits the ruined Wayne Manor to dwell on his impact on the world, and will kill
Superman to give his life meaning.
To the despair of Alfred, Bruce sets out to finish his dark crusade. Superman is prepared to return, but Batman will be waiting.
Scene Analysis
Jonathan's story is a parable resembling Clark's own experiences. Like Clark, he did his best to do the right thing, but while he relished in the joy of his victory, the fruits of his efforts to save the farm had disastrous consequences for another, and the wails of his unintended victims haunted his dreams since. Every word implies Clark feels the exact same way, holding immense relevance after what he has witnessed, and his father knows what that weight feels like. The kicker comes when Jonathan mentions Martha, which reminds Clark of how much Lois means to him as a symbol of the good in the world.
It is ironic how Clark lost faith in the ideals of his biological father, who spoke the most highly of Superman's purpose, and now, Clark is given hope in his ideals by his Earth father, who regularly stressed the importance of keeping Clark's secret from the world.
Note the cinematography here. Jonathan is regularly on the left of the screen, looking right. When we cut to Clark, he is also on the left and looking right. Clark is following his father's footsteps in a sense, focusing all the hope in the world in the ones they love most.
Snyder discussed the meaning of the sequence below. I doubt Jonathan's appearance is just a memory of something he once said, since Clark earlier asked Martha why he never left Kansas, yet his words here would indicate he was actually on a mountain at some point.
"Chris and I talked a lot about this sequence of Clark seeing... Is it a memory? Is it a ghost? Is it a conversation with yourself? I think those are all viable versions of this sequence because, in the end, the Fortress of Solitude has become internalised by Superman into a conceptual, self-imposed solitude. So, what would be normally this insane ice structure has become this simple, incredibly organic place. It's more the idea of self-reflection where he is experiencing -- in a very Joseph Campbellian kind of way -- this re-connection with... Instead of going to talk to this space dad, if you will, he goes to talk to his human father who he's internalised to teach him about the thing that he already knows, in this simple story about how trying to do the right thing can often have tragic results, but in this case, you have to try. I think the lesson is you do the best you can." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Watch Party, 29 March 2020)
This scene represents a three-way parallel between Clark, Bruce, and Lex. Each sequence is about the impact of deceased fathers on their sons.
The mountain and manor contrast each other. The mountain sequence is, by the resolution, wholesome and carries hope for the future. Surrounded by nature and white snow, Clark has received the wisdom he sorely needs if he is to break through the darkness in the world. He is alone here, yet he carries his father with him wherever he goes. At Wayne Manor, there is only foreboding, surrounded by decrepit architecture and blackened concrete, Bruce refuses to listen to Alfred, learning nothing as he remembers his father only for the reassurance his family history gives him to persevere down his dark path.
Bruce's scene in the manor parallels the earlier scene with Lex in his father's room. These locations are the "relics" of Lex Luthor and Bruce Wayne. Both here and there, these characters discuss their fathers before a fireplace. Bruce has allowed the memory of his parents to whither away, forgetting what they really meant to him and twisting his family's legacy to motivate himself further, symbolised by allowing Wayne Manor to fall into disrepair. Lex is unable to escape the traumatic memory of his abusive, hated father imprinted on his psyche, symbolised by the maintenance of the room.
"This is where Bruce goes to lament a life not lived. He's kept this monument to his broken life to remind him constantly of what he has to live up to I think, in a lot of ways." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Director's Cut, 2021, 1:47:49)
"There's a great parallel weirdly between Bruce and Lex, so I built these two sets to have a similar vibe to what you see in Bruce's relic. So the two concepts are that this relic of this house, this room, [Lex] has been transported to his super-modern house that he has had built, but he kept this room exactly like a tomb to his father, just like Bruce has kept Wayne Manor, though the two parallels are that Bruce has let his be destroyed while Lex has preserved his. It's almost like the opposite. Bruce has let his go, but Lex has not." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Watch Party, 29 March 2020)
"And then you have this sequence here where Bruce goes to his version of seeking the father. We have this whole thing about the father and redemption in the eyes of the father, and I think that this is Bruce's version. It also parallels the earlier Lex scene that we talked about where Lex was at the mantelpiece of his father and Bruce goes to the mantelpiece of his father just as Clark goes to the mantelpiece of his father, which is a simple relationship to the land, he's a farmer. this relationship to the Earth. The Waynes have this relationship to commerce and industry. I think that's how each character reflects their internal struggles through these three different environments, and they'll all come to a head here." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Watch Party, 29 March 2020)
The music track in this scene is Past Memories. It connects the two sequences to draw a comparison, mirroring each other tonally. Clark is alone, but there is hope and love in the score, albeit with a subliminal hint of uncertainty. Bruce is confronted by his friend, yet his score reinforces his descent into darkness.
Behind the Scene
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| #BatmanDay Zack Snyder, Vero, 19 September 2020 |
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| "Camera Loader In Context | Last Day BTS" Clay Enos, Vero, 5 July 2016 |
The mountaintop scene was shot in Taos Ski Valley in Taos County, New Mexico, atop Kachina Peak. Snyder has a penchant for skiing, so he likely chose this location after having come here before to pursue his hobby.
On 3 December, Larry Fong posted
a photo of snow
on his Instagram (earning a comment from Christina Wren). On the 5th,
cinematographer Larry Fong posted a
cryptic Instagram to wrap the shoot and
another to bid
New Mexico farewell. On the 10th, Zack Snyder
tweeted his goodbyes
to New Mexico, and was thanked
for his visit by the official New Mexico Twitter account. Clay Enos
tweeted his goodbyes with this photo on the 5th,
this photo
that day getting on his plane to leave, and later reminisced
with this photo on the 11th. Second assistant camera operator Trevor Carroll-Coe posed for a photo. Camera loader Jule Fontana got this photo with his crew. Electrician Erica Kim photographed the horses. Kate Altair celebrated wrapping with this photo with some of the crew. Taos News reported that the production had spent $13 million in the New Mexico economy and hired 200 New Mexico crew members during that time. Principal photography had officially concluded.
"On behalf of the cast and crew of 'Sage and Milo,' thanks to everyone at Taos Ski Valley for making our recent film shoot such a success. Gordon Briner and the staff at Taos Ski Valley staff are truly exceptional. It's not easy bringing a major Hollywood film to the top of Kachina Peak, but with the assistance and support of the TSV staff, we successfully completed our work without incident or injury. Special thanks to Michael Mitchell -- we couldn't have pulled off our ambitious plan without his tireless efforts. Thanks also to Eric Garner and Kevin Lehto at the Carson National Forest for their help in permitting our film project. With first-rate support like this, New Mexico is sure to continue to attract major film productions, along with the positive economic impact they bring, to the Land of Enchantment." (Production Message, Taos News, 10 December 2014)
"We are thrilled that the towns of Playas and Taos, New Mexico could play host to such a large-scale production. In fact, they built one of the largest set pieces in New Mexico film history. We are pleased with the number of New Mexican residents and suppliers that the show was able to utilize during their stay." (New Mexico Film Office Director Nick Maniatis, Taos News, 10 December 2014)
 |
| Official Promotional Image |
The Wayne Manor interior was a small set constructed and filmed in Orion Oaks County Park, 2301 Clarkston Road, Lake Orion, Michigan. Batman News and OLV provided several detailed photos of the set. Larry Fong took this photo from inside the fake entrance. Michigan film production stalker Bananadoc snapped photos of the set here and here, and @JacobLusk77 on Twitter took many clear interior photos. The exterior is fully CGI. The design was based on Sutton Scarsdale Hall, a ruined stately home in Chesterfield, England. The interior set was incorporated into the VFX model. Filming evidently occurred in October 2014 around the 25th and 26th.
"We kept the dressing to a minimum, destructed wall sconces, a damaged piano in the corner, and a once magnificent dining room table... but you don't see any of it really, you just feel the lost beauty." (Carolyn Loucks, Set Decorators Society of America, 9 May 2016)
Bat Light
We cut to a full shot of Ralli's Diner at night. A truck drives past as the neon "Open" sign switches off. "We gotta wait for more evidence, but the question still remains, where is he?" we hear Nancy Grace say, connecting this shot with the last. Grace is a real legal commentator and journalist, having a cameo here on her real (now cancelled) show on the real HLN (Headline News).
Shoulder shot from Martha Kent inside the diner. She is pulling her coat on, looking up at Grace on the wall-mounted television. Grace continues, "If Superman was not involved, if he's got nothing to hide, then why hasn't he been seen since the day of this tragedy?"
Medium shot on Martha while Grace speaks, watching with disgust. She picks up her bag and steps forward while someone, presumably her boss, works through papers at the table in the background.
A a male voice joins Grace. "You can't point a finger and..."
Closer shot on the television. Once again, we see Larry Fong's Three of Spades card in the lower left corner by the window to the kitchen. "I'm not pointing anything, Warren." says Grace, brandishing her fingers. "Look. Ten fingers. See?"
The man responds,
"If there is going to be a criminal--" But, sick of the
talking heads, Martha steps into the foreground and turns off the
television. This is a very simple but very subtly powerful action, in
that Martha is the first person in the film to outright turn off the
television, turn away from the news, and shut out the toxic
controversy.
Deleted Footage: Snyder confirmed in the director's commentary (1:48:44) that Grace had recorded a longer tirade, but only a small snippet was used.
With the sound of a slamming door, we cut to Martha exiting the
cafe's backdoor. We track her course around to the dumpster. She
opens the lid and tosses in the garbage, just as the engine starts
on a 2011 Chrysler 300 down the alley, the headlights illuminating
the scene.
Cut to an opposite shot on Martha's lit face, looking
uncomfortable. She prepares the remaining garbage, keeping her eyes
on the car. When the engine revs up, she drops the dumpster's lid
and the trash bag, hurriedly walking down the opposite direction as
we cut back to the previous shot facing the car. The vehicle
follows, and Martha picks up her pace, breaking into a run.
Cut to behind Martha, tracking her run as a van screeches to a halt
at the end of the alley. Panicking, Martha turns back to face our
direction and the car behind her, likely realising she was being
herded towards the van all along. This shot also highlights her
expression of terror. The van's side door slides open, and two men
step out quickly.
Explosion of percussion when the van drives up.
Cut to the other shot, and Martha turns to the two
men. She screams as they grab her, the car watching from the
foreground.
High-angle shot on Batman, now wearing a thick, metal, armoured
Batsuit reflecting the flash of lightning.
Subdued Batman Theme A on low strings, rumbling menacingly.
Cut to a
low-angle ground-level wide shot of the scene. Batman is
looking up at the atrium shaft in the ceiling through an abandoned building. This decrepit room, layered in graffiti, also
contains the Riddler's iconic question mark symbol on one of the
pillars. Batman turns.
Cut to a full wide shot of Batman as he walks to our right down the
hall of pillars, carrying something long wrapped in cloth.
Ground-level shot of his enormous metal boots, the weight of each
step heavy emphasised by the sound design. He is pacing the route he expects the fight to take, as he will later drag Superman this way.
Back to the full shot of
the scene as Batman nears us, removing the cloth covering to reveal
the Kryptonite spear with its high-pitched humming.
Low-angle medium
shot of Batman to present him threateningly. Cut to a side shot
where he raises the the spear and brings it down.
High-angle
ground-level shot of the emerald spear tip embedding in the concrete
floor.
Music explodes into a full-fledged Batman Theme A with a roaring chorus.
 |
| Official Promotional Image |
Roar of lightning as we cut to the covered Bat-signal on the roof.
We move left while ascending to a high-angle crane shot to see
Batman behind the iconic object, dragging the cloth covering away in the
flashing light. Rain bears down heavily. With the signal exposed,
Batman looks up at the sky and grabs the device's lever.
Cut to the
lever as Batman pulls it down in a crackle of sparks.
Batman Theme B joins, adding the final ingredient to the monstrous fanfare.
High-angle
partial shot of the Batman logo over the signal, the light whirring
to life from behind.
Back to the high-angle shot of the scene,
Batman standing menacingly beside the active signal.
Ground-level
shot behind the two, sliding forward and panning upwards to see
Batman's emblem against the rain clouds.
High-angle medium shot on
Batman, descending into a medium close-up on his stoic visage.
Thunder cracks again. He waits. Like a hunter with his trap set, all he can do is be
patient for his prey.
"The rain on my chest is a baptism. I'm born again." (Batman, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns)
Music comes to a halt.
Full shot of Lex on the helipad of LexCorp Tower standing in the
left foreground once again, a night version of the earlier shot to
extend the motif of his influence to this point. Now the Bat-signal
can be seen across the bay above Gotham, oppressed beneath the
distant rainfall. Lex's coat flows in the wind, like a cape of his
own. He reaches into his pocket for his phone we hear him tap a few
buttons as thunder cracks in the distance.
Medium shot on Lex, raising the phone to his ear. After a beep, he
says with a hint of excitement,
"The night is here." This line works as a play on
Batman's alternate title of the "Dark Knight", a knight in the context
of a chess piece Lex is moving, and night in the sense of Lex's
coming line, "Fight night!" It also works as emphasis on this being
the darkest time of the film thus far. Then he lowers the
phone.
Scene Overview
In Smallville, we get a look at Martha's wise reaction to the white noise of media controversy before her sudden kidnapping in preparation for Lex's blackmailing of Superman. Then we witness Batman making the final preparations to execute Superman in the remains of a derelict building, planting the spear on the ground floor and activating the Bat-signal in defiance of Superman's threat. Seeing Batman has made his move, Lex makes a phone call to set up Lois' abduction.
Scene Analysis
"Yeah, and I think that Bruce also calculates that Superman's morality is basically his weakness. Because, in my mind, the mech suit is really just there to preserve him long enough. It's not doing anything. It's like a bear suit. It's just keeping him alive. We were joking that that's probably why it was designed originally, because a bear got out of the Gotham Zoo and he had to track it down, so he made that suit so he wouldn't be mauled to death. So you can imagine the idea, to me, of the suit is to keep him alive long enough for Superman to let his guard down so he could get the shot off." (Zack Snyder, Empire Film Podcast, 30 March 2016, 00:05:17)
The music track in this scene is Bat Light. It is mainly Batman-centric, and merely accompanies Batman's actions in the scene to build up the grandiose drama of Batman setting his trap for Superman, igniting the Bat-signal, and waiting for his epic battle. This track is not on any commercially-available version of the score.
Behind the Scene
Ralli's diner was shot at the Hygrade Deli, 3640 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, Michigan, where the owner Stuart Litt and waitress Linda Holmes served as extras, both visible in the scene behind the counter. The humble restaurant was transformed into Ralli's Diner with a new sign and Kansas-themed interior decoration. The sequences were shot on 28 August 2014 from 2 PM to 2 AM EST. Across the street, Mike's Famous Ham Place was closed for the duration of the shoot and supposedly helped feed the crew. After shooting, Litt was asked if he wanted to keep the props, which he did. @D3T0N8R snapped several photos for Twitter, including of the vehicles used to kidnap Martha parked out back.
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| "Zack, Ben, and Chris smiling on set." Clay Enos, Vero, 1 August 2016 |
Wayne Station was filmed at Michigan Central Station, 2198 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, Michigan. Key second assistant director Misha Bukowski visited the location in December 2013, and key specialty costumer Douglas J Stewart was there in April 2014. Construction and filming started in September around the 17th, Lois' arrival via helicopter was shot on the 20th, and filming continued until the 26th. The shoot was covered by MLive (with photos) and WXYZ-TV Detroit (with video). A local visited the set in the day. During their time shooting, innumerable stunning photos of the location were taken and posted by Zack Snyder [1/2], set photographer Clay Enos [1], key specialty costumer Douglas Stewart [1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8], and Kate Altair [1/2].
"What brings it to life is all the little attention to detail. When we have water dripping, we make sure the paint reflects that, so there's mould on the floor. We did a lot of graffiti, but the graffiti has been aged so they don't look too raw, too new." (Patrick Tatopoulos, The Art of the Film, p160)
The roof of Wayne Station was a two-storey set built on a soundstage at the late Michigan Motion Picture Studios along Centerpoint Parkway, Pontiac, Michigan. The lower level was used for the interior fight sequences. According to Set Decorator Carolyn Loucks, the Bat-signal is a repurposed military spotlight.
The LexCorp helipad was shot at an outdoor green screen set right beside the Heroes Park set at the late Michigan Motion Picture Studios along Centerpoint Parkway, Pontiac, Michigan. The helipad itself was constructed for real, raised slightly above the ground. The helipad sequences were likely shot around 20 June 2014 due to the presence of the LexCorp helicopter. On Vero, Zack Snyder and Clay Enos have photos.
Kidnapping
High-angle over-the-shoulder shot from Lois as the janitor's head
comes into view, turned away. Low-angle medium shot on Lois to see
another man, a security officer, step onto the escalator behind her.
Back to the shoulder shot, the janitor glances at Lois, revealing
Knyazev, and we immediately know she is in great danger.
The music that begins here is Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye (1944) by Cole Porter, performed by cover band Richard Cheese & Lounge Against the Machine, one of two covers made specifically for this film. They first collaborated with Zack Snyder when he used their cover of Down with the Sickness (1999) by Disturbed in Dawn of the Dead (2004). On 25 March 2016, they released a short parody track titled Richard Cheese: Live at Wayne Financial Tower, where their performance is interrupted by the World Engine. On 6 December 2019, the band supported the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement. They later covered Elvis Presley's Viva Las Vegas with Allison Crowe for Snyder's Army of the Dead (2021). Considering Knyazev's presence in this scene, he later quotes the song in this scene when he is about to incinerate Martha Kent.
Lois steps off the escalator and turns to leave before stopping. She turns to Knyazev. Then she heads in the Russian's direction. She smiles. "Excuse me. Don't I know--?"
Knyazev has turned off his machine and turns to reveal his face in full, glaring at her. On his
janitor outfit, the nametag says "Clay", a likely reference to Clay
Enos, the film's still photographer and a friend of Zack Snyder. The
other side of his shirt has a "Daily Planet" tag, confirming our
location.
Timpani building as Knyazev turns before coming to a sudden stop on his glare.
Lois looks alarmed for a second before she is suddenly grabbed from
behind by the security officer, putting a hand over her mouth as she
yells and struggles. The two men step
aside and Knyazev opens two doors through to the parking lot.
Silence bursts into Lex Luthor Theme A, dramatically making this his kidnapping.
A white
van screeches to a halt, the side door opening. The security officer throws Lois (revealed by Zack Snyder to be a stunt woman) into the van while Knyazev gets in
the passenger seat. As the door closes, the van speeds off, revealing a logo for "Terrio Janitorial" on the side, a
reference to the film's writer, Chris Terrio.
Cut to the rapid passing of a building's windows to reveal a
helicopter flying between the buildings of Metropolis. We follow its movements, and LexCorp Tower comes into view as the
camera rises up in awe of its shimmering scale.
Lex Luthor Theme A dramatically carries on.
Medium side shot of Lois in the helicopter, looking composed but
uncomfortable as Knyazev flexes his fingers beside her in his black
gloves. In the background beside her is the window to the
glistening skyline beyond, and we move forward to see the helipad
come into view, with Lex alone standing near the edge, waiting since
we last saw him.
A chorus joins over Lex Luthor Theme A as the villain comes into view.
Medium shot of Lex looking up at the chopper
excitedly.
Shoulder shot from Lex as the vehicle touches
down on the helipad, his hair and coat blowing furiously in the
wind from the rotors.
"Amy doesn't like to fly in helicopters, so we tried to keep it to a minimum, so this shot we did on the ground with a green screen out the window with the shot of LexCorp out there and the helipad, but it worked out pretty nicely, the CG environment out there." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Watch Party, 29 March 2020)
Cut to the door of the helicopter as it slides open. A thug forces
Lois out at gunpoint. She complies, stepping onto the helipad.
Top-down rotating view of the helipad, where Lois turns to
watch the helicopter take off, bound for Gotham, where we will next
see Knyazev at the location of Martha Kent's imprisonment.
"We built this helipad in the parking lot. We built a helipad that you could land on but was elevated about twenty feet off the ground, so we could put green screen all around it and it allowed us to shoot these shots. We shot at night, of course, but all that was all a big green screen environment out there, to look over to Gotham across the way." - Zack Snyder
Lois stands in the chopper's lights when she is startled by Lex saying, "Plain Lo in the morning. Lola in slacks." He places his hands on his hips
yet again and sighs with satisfaction. "Lois Lane." He sniffles. Lex is
referencing the opening paragraph of Vladamir Nabokov's
novel Lolita, and there are a few points that come from
this.
- Samuel Otten pointed out that Lolita includes a highly intelligent psychopath named Humbert Humbert who justifies his evil actions by demonising the titular character, just as Lex demonises Superman.
- Jeremy Irons (Alfred) played Humbert in the 1997 adaptation of the book.
- Lolita is also a child, so this could also be Lex belittling her. Considering his further mockery of Lois' intelligence throughout this scene, this would tie into his ego and desire to put her down for the accomplishment of catching on to Lex's scheme.
- Recall that Clark once calls Lois "Lo" earlier in the film, which implies Lex has been spying very closely on them.
- Referring to Lois as the titular character of Nabokov's novel essentially refers to her as a sexually victimised character, further establishing Lex as a creep, which he reinforces soon when he sniffs her hair.
The music has terminated until Lex speaks, wherein the diabolical piano notes of Lex Luthor Theme B enter to substitute the dramatic villainy for something more subdued and calculated as we transition to a dialogue sequence.
She resists, but Lex
maintains a forceful hold on her, once again asserting power.
Lex Luthor Theme B concludes, giving us silence as Lex speaks.
As he
brings her closer to the edge, the Bat-signal ahead across the bay, he says,
"Now the secret to the height is the building material. It's the light metals which sway a bit in the wind." He waves his hand for emphasis. Then he removes his arm
from around Lois as she looks away, repulsed, and steps in front of her to face her directly.
"And you know something about LexCorp metals, don't you, Miss
Lane?"
"I've proven what you've done," says Lois, triumphantly.
Lex quickly responds, "Wow, you're feisty. Unfortunately, that will blow away. Like sand in the desert." This is almost certainly him referencing the very events in Nairomi that Lex orchestrated and started Lois on her investigation. But it is also Lex telling Lois that she is inevitably going to die. Recall the line from the start of the Nairomi sequence: "This wind is bad luck. Blood in the sky." Both Lex and Lois are now sky-high.
Lois responds, "You're psychotic."
"That is a three-syllable word for any thought too big for little minds," says Lex, demonstrating his ego and how he looks down on others as intellectually inferior to him. As he says this, he wriggles his fingers at her forehead condescendingly while we cut back to her.
"I've proven what you've done," says Lois, triumphantly.
Lex quickly responds, "Wow, you're feisty. Unfortunately, that will blow away. Like sand in the desert." This is almost certainly him referencing the very events in Nairomi that Lex orchestrated and started Lois on her investigation. But it is also Lex telling Lois that she is inevitably going to die. Recall the line from the start of the Nairomi sequence: "This wind is bad luck. Blood in the sky." Both Lex and Lois are now sky-high.
Lois responds, "You're psychotic."
"That is a three-syllable word for any thought too big for little minds," says Lex, demonstrating his ego and how he looks down on others as intellectually inferior to him. As he says this, he wriggles his fingers at her forehead condescendingly while we cut back to her.
"Then why do you call [Batman] psychotic? Because you like to use that word for any motive that's too big for your little mind?" (Lana Lang, The Dark Knight Returns)Lex continues, "Hmm. Next category: circles. Round and round and round they go to find Superman." He circles around Lois in accordance with his own words to enforce his dominance in this situation.
Lois shows her stoic resolve in the face of his insanity, unflinching.
Lex comes around to his former
position in front of her and grunts in frustration. His
inflexions here speak of a sudden loss of focus and control. "Wrong category, boy," he says to himself, likely echoing the words of his father,
implying he was strict with his son's education. Then he begins
circling her again. "No, no, triangles. Yes, Euclid's triangle inequality. The shortest
distance between any two points is a straight path."
He stops behind her. "And I believe the straightest path to Superman is a pretty little
road," he sniffs her hair, "mmm, called Lois Lane." This is a pun: a road called
Lois Lane. This is also a reaffirmation of his knowledge
that Superman always saves Lois, basically calling out a classic
Superman cliché.
Very forcefully, he then turns Lois to face him and pushes her over the edge of the platform. It is especially sadistic that Lex wanted her to look him in the eye before pushing her to what could likely be her death. She screams in terror as she falls.
Very forcefully, he then turns Lois to face him and pushes her over the edge of the platform. It is especially sadistic that Lex wanted her to look him in the eye before pushing her to what could likely be her death. She screams in terror as she falls.
Frantic, dissonant strings come in to emphasise the danger.
She stops screaming as we cut to a medium close-up on her from
the side, parallel to the ground with Lois facing down. Then we see
that cliché in action as Superman comes out of nowhere from below,
facing her in the eyes. She looks at
him in wonder as the building's lights behind her add a lens
flare to complete the triumphant save. Superman smiles at her.
Strings change from frantic strings to a heroic note before relaxing.
Taking hold of Lois in the air, Superman carries her in the
classic position, descending rapidly to the street below.
Transition into a soft, gentle rendition of the Flight melody from Man of Steel, both heroic yet romantic.
Cut to the street. Superman lands and places Lois on the ground. She is panting as she looks him in the
eyes, hands around his head. "You came back," she says,
relieved he has chosen to deny his despair and return from his exile
to fight for hope. "You came back," she repeats, and then they
kiss. We close in on them to a medium shot throughout this sequence to
magnify the transition from relief to love.
Their kiss ends. Superman's eyes are closed before he
opens them to look at Lois, who pulls back to
smile at him.
Then Superman steps
away from Lois, looks up, and takes flight, heading to the top of
LexCorp Tower for his fateful conversation.
A fast-paced string melody vaguely similar to Lois' Man of Steel theme rises as Superman does, reverting the film's falling motif.
Scene Overview
While leaving the Daily Planet, Lois is abducted by Knyazev and delivered to LexCorp Tower, where Lex gloats like a true villain before using her as bait yet again to lure Superman into his trap.
Scene Analysis
Superman saving Lois here may be inspired by a similar scene from Superman: Birthright (2003), the comic that heavily inspired Man of Steel. After apprehending Lois Lane in his lab, Lex pushes her from the skyscraper of LexCorp, and she is saved similarly to how Superman saves her in BvS.
"There's Superman returning, of course, after the conversation with his father. He's come back understanding that he has to try, but he also accepts his humanity. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's the thing he has to grapple with. So he's recharged, he's re-energised, but he doesn't understand the checkmate that he's about to walk into." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Watch Party, 29 March 2020)
You can watch the full scene in HD on the official Warner Bros Entertainment YouTube channel.
The first music track in this scene is Kidnapping. It is very short, but ties together how Lex Luthor masterminded everything, especially when paired with his subtle and overt revelations to Lois. This track is not on any commercially-available version of the score.
The second music track in this scene is Falling. It serves mainly to create an ambience and musical backdrop for Lois' scary fall and Superman's heroic yet romantic save. This track is not on any commercially-available version of the score.
Behind the Scene
Zack Snyder confirmed Lois' abduction was shot in the basement of 111 East Wacker Drive, Chicago, Michigan. It is the same building used to shoot the Daily Planet entrance seen earlier. Base camp was set up under North Stetson Avenue. Shooting took place on 12 November 2014.
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| Clay Enos, Vero, 25 March 2018 |
The LexCorp helipad was shot at an outdoor green screen set right beside the Heroes Park set at the late Michigan Motion Picture Studios along Centerpoint Parkway, Pontiac, Michigan. The helipad itself was constructed for real, raised slightly above the ground. The helipad sequences were likely shot around 20 June 2014 due to the presence of the LexCorp helicopter. On Vero, Zack Snyder and Clay Enos have photos.
Superman and Lois landing was shot the night of 7 November 2014 on the appropriately named Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois. Road closures were publicly listed. Crews were setting up the day before, police cordoned off streets, and Metropolis vehicles were brought in. The best photos come from Just Jared and Daily Mail, showing Henry Cavill and Amy Adams up close. Press and bystanders shot video footage of Superman taking off, Cavill hopping and waving, Amy Adams at the taxi, and some more wire work. The shoot was covered in detail by Fox 32 (who got some footage) and Chicago Tribune.
The next day on the 8th, Cavill had a reunion with Michael Shannon (General Zod) at The Underground where Shannon was co-hosting a fundraiser for A Red Orchid Theatre, which he co-founded in 1993.
Helipad Confrontation
Point-of-view shot from Superman as he rises to the level of the helipad, further
flying up before we cut to a low-angle shoulder shot from Lex to see
Superman stop in the air above, glaring down at the comparatively
diminutive human. This shot places Superman in a powerful, authoritative
position. Keep this in mind.
Carrying from the previous scene, a fast-paced string melody vaguely similar to Lois' Man of Steel theme rises as Superman does, reverting the film's falling motif and ending abruptly when he arrives at the platform.
"Boy, do we have problems up here!" says Lex, almost too excitedly. He is sitting on the platform, cross-legged. Recall his line during his conversation with Finch in his father's room: "The devils don't come from Hell beneath us. No. No, they come from the sky." Now, Superman has risen from below to confront Lex in the sky. Whether subconsciously or knowingly, Lex has identified himself as the villain, especially considering he later identifies his own "son" (Doomsday) as the Devil.
"Boy, do we have problems up here!" says Lex, almost too excitedly. He is sitting on the platform, cross-legged. Recall his line during his conversation with Finch in his father's room: "The devils don't come from Hell beneath us. No. No, they come from the sky." Now, Superman has risen from below to confront Lex in the sky. Whether subconsciously or knowingly, Lex has identified himself as the villain, especially considering he later identifies his own "son" (Doomsday) as the Devil.
He looks down and winds up a kitchen timer. He is visibly
shaking, showing us either that he feels genuinely afraid of Superman
physically or is just so excited that he cannot restrain himself. Either way, it is brilliant acting. The
timer is a literal Doomsday Clock, considering its proximity to
Doomsday's birth.
Lex clears his throat and stands as he continues,
"The problem of evil in the world. Uh, the problem of absolute
virtue."
He waves and gestures to Superman as he speaks. Lex is referring to the
most common argument used against the existence of God, known as
the problem of evil. It asserts that a benevolent God would seek to destroy evil, but
since evil exists, either God is not benevolent or God lacks the power
to destroy evil, of which both possibilities seemingly invalidate the "God" status.
Slow rendition of Superman Theme A on low strings and synthesizer, positioning Superman as the angry, dominant force in the scene. For now.
"I'll take you in without breaking you," says Superman, angrily and fiercely. "Which is more than you deserve." Though firm and threatening, this is a reaffirmation of Superman's conviction to humane justice and is a stark contrast to Batman's tremendous brutality.
"I'll take you in without breaking you," says Superman, angrily and fiercely. "Which is more than you deserve." Though firm and threatening, this is a reaffirmation of Superman's conviction to humane justice and is a stark contrast to Batman's tremendous brutality.
Lex angrily continues, "The problem of you on top of everything else. You above all. Ah, because that's what God is." This is said with the conviction of someone who hates Superman for being seemingly above mankind, compounded by Superman physically above him at this moment, especially since we know Lex is an envious man.
Shoulder
shot from Lex to see Superman's gentle landing, putting us in Lex's
shoes. The lighting here has darkened Superman's costume and shield to
near black, making him look more threatening, especially with his look
of anger.
Lex names, "Horus. Apollo. Jehovah. Kal-El." Note the
reference to Apollo, the Greek god of the sky. Now recall Lex's earlier
line equating Zod with Icarus, whose wings melted when he flew too close
to the sun (Son of Krypton). He pauses before finishing, "Clark... Joseph... Kent."
Superman's demeanour changes. He terminates his approach, but maintains a focused expression. Now Lex is free to proceed with his monologue without the threat of Superman's formerly imminent arrest. This reveal that Lex knows his alter identity recontextualizes for Clark his meeting with Lex during the Metropolis Library benefit.
Superman Theme A terminates for eerie strings and a periodic piano note as Lex's plays his first card of the scene.
"See, what we call God depends upon our tribe, Clark-Joe," continues Lex, awkwardly bent over as if condescendingly lecturing a child, which may be intentional. "Because God is tribal. God takes sides. No man in the sky intervened when I was a boy to deliver me from Daddy's fist and abominations." He says this with such anger and contempt, like someone who knows he was wronged and was denied the justice he so rightfully deserves. Where the fist of Thomas Wayne was employed in defence of his son, the fist of Lex's father was employed in parental abuse. The fact that Lex was never saved from his father's cruelty implies Lex killed his father to fix the problem himself, a theory Snyder corroborated on Vero. The villain goes on, "I figured out way back... if God is all powerful, he cannot be all good... and if he is all good, then he cannot be all powerful. And neither can you be." This is Lex word-for-word explaining the Problem of Evil.
As Lex says this last line, Superman narrows his
eyes, trying to understand, but paying attention. With Lex knowing his
secret identity, Superman knows he has to hear him out, which Lex is
counting on.
Lex gestures sternly at Superman.
"They need to see the fraud you are, with their eyes -- the blood on
your hands."
He raises his right palm, showing the blood through his bandage. This concludes the explanation of his motivations.
"What have you done?" Superman asks, seeing
the bandaged hand.
Lex closes his open palm and now happily says, "Hmm. And tonight, they will." He walks forward casually. Superman steps aside as Lex walks through him to the edge of the helipad. "Yes. Because you, my friend, have a date. Mmm. Across the bay." He is especially gleeful here, now seconds away from the moment he has been waiting for. Turning back to Superman, the Bat-signal behind him, the villain gestures further as he says, "Ripe fruit, his hate. Two years growing, but it did not take much to push him over, actually. Little red notes, big bang, 'You let your family die!'" He says this loudly and dramatically. This line confirms Lex has been nurturing Batman's rage since the Black Zero event and that it was he who was writing the messages on the checks sent to Bruce. Also, remember that one of the messages included "Bruce = blind", which might be a sly teasing by Lex, as the Dark Knight is currently blind as a bat to Lex's manipulation.
Lex closes his open palm and now happily says, "Hmm. And tonight, they will." He walks forward casually. Superman steps aside as Lex walks through him to the edge of the helipad. "Yes. Because you, my friend, have a date. Mmm. Across the bay." He is especially gleeful here, now seconds away from the moment he has been waiting for. Turning back to Superman, the Bat-signal behind him, the villain gestures further as he says, "Ripe fruit, his hate. Two years growing, but it did not take much to push him over, actually. Little red notes, big bang, 'You let your family die!'" He says this loudly and dramatically. This line confirms Lex has been nurturing Batman's rage since the Black Zero event and that it was he who was writing the messages on the checks sent to Bruce. Also, remember that one of the messages included "Bruce = blind", which might be a sly teasing by Lex, as the Dark Knight is currently blind as a bat to Lex's manipulation.
Goof: While Lex is talking with the Bat-signal behind him, Superman soon turns his body to face Lex directly. When we next cut to Superman, his body is turned 90 degrees to the right of Lex.
Superman looks amused by Lex's demand.
Lex continues, "The greatest gladiator match in the history of the world. God versus man." Thunder crackles and rumbles over Lex's
shoulder dramatically.
"Day versus night. Son of Krypton versus Bat of Gotham." Lex says
this with the utmost excitement and sinister glee. His use of "Day
versus night" might also be a callback to the song Night and Day that played during the Library of Metropolis benefit at Lex's
home.
Slightly smug to indicate he clearly thinks he has the upper hand, Superman asks, "You think I'll fight him for you?" Note his use of "fight him" instead of "kill him", not even considering that he would actually kill Batman.
Lex responds, "Mmm, yes, I do. I think you will fight, fight, fight for that special lady in your life." He is jumpy as he says this. His big bombshell is coming, and he is relishing in the anticipation.
Superman, still smug and confident, threatens Lex: "She's safe on the ground. How about you?" This is a nice reminder that Superman is not without wit in the face of villains.
"Close, but I am not talking about Lois," Lex says, now walking past Superman's other side to complete a circle around him, demonstrating his physical control of the scene. Behind Superman, Lex keeps walking as he says, "No. Every boy's special lady... is his mother." As he speaks, his attention is focused down, indicating he is retrieving something from his person.
Am ominous rumble from the soundtrack highlights this disturbing point.
Superman looks over his shoulder
just as Lex finishes his sentence, showing a concerned expression. He turns to approach Lex.
Lex has
stopped and is turned to face his foe. He gasps, revealing a displayed hand of Polaroids of a gagged Martha Kent. Note that these are the same kinds of Polaroids as the mortuary photos of Cesar Santos.
Superman abruptly halts his approach on sight of the photos.
Behind the Scene:
"These shots we did of the Polaroids, I shot those on my phone and then we printed them in Polaroid. I shot them in pre-production. We tied [Diane Lane] up and I took the pictures of her, then we printed them. I think we shot them with the Polaroid camera to make them into Polaroids, and that's how they had that real Polaroid feel to them." (Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman Watch Party, 29 March 2020)Lex repeats, "Martha, Martha, Martha."
Distorted female vocals representing Martha, the same as Lara Lor-Van's theme (Kal-El's birth mother) in Man of Steel.
Superman looks truly
concerned now. Then he looks up at Lex, who squeals in delight.
The young man continues, "Why, the mother of a flying demon must be a witch. The
punishment for witches, what is that?"
He looks up in feigned thought before turning back to Superman to say,
"That's right. Death by fire." This is clearly Lex referring to
how Martha is soon to be executed via flamethrower, but it may also be a
poetic reference to how Kal-El's birth mother, Lara, died in the fires
of an exploding Krypton after committing an act of heresy against
Kryptonian doctrine. Threatening to kill Martha in fire is a
particularly cruel method of execution, and gives Superman greater
incentive to do as Lex commands. Indeed, witches were traditionally
burned at the stake, so this may be Lex's idea of an ironic religious
punishment.
Then Lex begins flipping the photos onto the helipad. Superman gets on his knees to fearfully examine them, the shield on his chest almost totally black to fit the dire nature of the situation. Lex murmurs happily to himself as he tosses the photos one at a time. His ear-to-ear smile shows he takes great joy in Superman's suffering as he tosses two more photos.
Superman picks one up, in which we can see written on
Martha's forehead is the word "Witch". Note how one photo on the helipad focuses on the
cross hanging from her neck.
Then Superman's hands begin to shake as the music builds with his
anger. He looks up at Lex, his eyes burning red, and
roars, "Where is she?!"
Lex immediately yells, "I don't know! I would not let them tell me." He puts his hands on his hips again. Then he waves his finger. "Now, uh-uh-uh! If you kill me, Martha dies." He gestures upwards. "And if you fly away, mmm, Martha also dies." His expression and mannerisms here show he is not taking Superman's attempts at threat seriously. "But, if you kill the Bat," he closes his fist dramatically, "Martha lives."
After a few moments, Superman closes his eyes. Shortly after, he opens them again, the glow gone, and he bows
his head in helpless defeat.
Distant female vocals accompany Superman's acceptance of his predicament.
With Superman brought to his knees, Lex violates
his personal space with a hand encircling his enemy's head, but not
touching. Condescendingly, he remarks,
"There we go. There we go. Hmm." Then he bends down
closer and says, sneering and mocking,
"And now God bends to my will." He says this in a low-angle shot from Superman's shoulder, looming over his hated enemy. This reverses their positions from the start of the scene, placing Lex in the authoritative position.
Superman looks up at Lex angrily, but there is
nothing he can do. Then we hear the rotors of another helicopter.
Lex looks around at the approaching chopper before saying to Superman, "Now, the cameras are waiting at your ship for the world to see the holes in the holy!" Gesturing dramatically yet again, he likely refers to the media cameras that will be drawn to the spectacle at the scout ship. This is also possible foreshadowing of Superman's impending impalement through the chest. "Yes, the Almighty comes clean about how dirty he is when it counts. To save Martha, bring me the head of the bat!" The vitriol in Lex's voice here suggests he is also angry at Batman for trashing his lab, but he is also making it very clear that he is totally serious. As Lex said, "God takes sides," and now he is forcing Superman to pick one: Either he remains true to his ideals and allows Martha to die, demonstrating that he is not all-powerful, or he kills Batman to save Martha, demonstrating that he is not all-good.
Lex looks around at the approaching chopper before saying to Superman, "Now, the cameras are waiting at your ship for the world to see the holes in the holy!" Gesturing dramatically yet again, he likely refers to the media cameras that will be drawn to the spectacle at the scout ship. This is also possible foreshadowing of Superman's impending impalement through the chest. "Yes, the Almighty comes clean about how dirty he is when it counts. To save Martha, bring me the head of the bat!" The vitriol in Lex's voice here suggests he is also angry at Batman for trashing his lab, but he is also making it very clear that he is totally serious. As Lex said, "God takes sides," and now he is forcing Superman to pick one: Either he remains true to his ideals and allows Martha to die, demonstrating that he is not all-powerful, or he kills Batman to save Martha, demonstrating that he is not all-good.
The photos on the helipad blow away in the wind as we hear a chopper approach.
The chopper lands behind Lex.
"Ah!" he exclaims and hastily retrieves the timer from his coat
pocket. "Mother of God, would you look at the time!" he jokes after a glance at the timer, obviously making a pun. "When you came here, you had an hour." He feigns a
concerned expression. "Now it's less." Roughly one hour from now, the movie ends and the credits roll.
Top-down shot of the scene as Lex steps back, turns, approaches the chopper, and enters as the camera circles the vehicle bound for the Kryptonian scout ship. With its passenger aboard, it takes off, and the camera's circling reveals Superman standing up, looking up to watch the helicopter leave as his cape billows in the wind. Their positions at the start of the scene totally reversed, Lex is taking his leave above Superman.
Top-down shot of the scene as Lex steps back, turns, approaches the chopper, and enters as the camera circles the vehicle bound for the Kryptonian scout ship. With its passenger aboard, it takes off, and the camera's circling reveals Superman standing up, looking up to watch the helicopter leave as his cape billows in the wind. Their positions at the start of the scene totally reversed, Lex is taking his leave above Superman.
When Lex finishes speaking, Lex Luthor Theme A explodes greater than ever with male and female vocals, brass percussion, and that ever-sinister piano tying up his most glorious moment with his theme song at its most triumphant.
Now the board is set for the clash between Batman and
Superman.
Scene Overview
As Superman arrives to confront Lex, the villain reveals the full extent of his motivations and his true form, with all his sadism, hatred, and pettiness on full display. He lays out his ultimatum: kill Batman to save Martha. With Superman in the palm of his hand, Lex heads back to the scout ship to prepare his final play, leaving the superhero thoroughly outmanoeuvred.
Scene Analysis
Lex tells us his motivations, which also perfectly tie into his rhetoric up to this point. The "oldest lie in America" is that "power can be innocent," and here he explains why he believes that. We have also learned about his father actually being abusive, revealing that he was lying to Finch about his presumed desire to have his father back and recontextualising his prior references. Under the cruelty of his father, Lex developed an inability to believe in the idea that power can also be good. With that heart full of rage and resentment towards the idea of God, he simply cannot tolerate the deification of Superman, as Lex has projected this hatred for God onto him. Now we see that his goal is to basically prove to the world that Superman cannot be noble. To him, it is comparable to proving that God is fiction.
"One of the things I really wanted to find with Lex were moments where I could go from a wide shot into a closer shot of Lex. Punch-in cuts can have a strong emotional effect because they are unexpected (we expect to keep cutting back and forth with reverses), and the place where punch in has to be the right place physically (it's best on a strong movement) and in the best scenario, the right place emotionally. So in this scene, where he is talking about his father, we punch in close when he says 'my father's fists and abominations,' which underscored what was wrong with Lex. It also coincided with with Jesse Eisenberg making a sudden fist in the air and with him emphasising these words. So it worked in many ways.
As far as cutting away from the listener, well we had to involve Superman to see him affected by Lex's words, to build his anger... and in a few places we had to trim some of the pauses in the monologue." (David Brenner, ProVideo Coalition, 10 April 2016)
Earlier in this scene, "God" arrived above Lex -- confident, angry, and powerful. Without any physical force, Lex then brings "God" to his knees, powerless and his newfound hopes shattered. The tables have turned dramatically, and now, Lex leaves above Superman, symbolically reversing their positions from the start of the scene. Like Keefe and Batman, Lex now controls Superman too.
The totality of Lex's psychology is on full display in this scene. It is such a glorious moment for him that he could have written it himself. It is a masterclass in what exactly makes a well-written and intellectually threatening antagonist. Not to mention Jesse Eisenberg's enthralling performance. With all this, it is absolutely one of my favourite villain-centric scenes of all time.
You can watch the full scene in HD on the official Warner Bros Entertainment YouTube channel.
The first music track in this scene is Rooftop. It illustrates the shift in the power dynamics between Superman and Lex, starting on Superman Theme A with him in power, but Lex Luthor starts to reveal that he has Martha hostage, putting him in power with his slow Lex Luthor Theme A.
The second music track in this scene is the first quarter of Tick Tock. It finalises Lex's insidious moment by blowing up Lex Luthor Theme A at its grandest yet, making this the character's musical high point.
Behind the Scene
 |
| "Jesse and Henry square off as Zack frames up." Clay Enos, Twitter, 16 June 2016 |
 |
| "The colour of the umbrella matters." Zack Snyder, Vero, 28 June 2018 |
The LexCorp helipad was shot at an outdoor green screen set right beside the Heroes Park set at the late Michigan Motion Picture Studios along Centerpoint Parkway, Pontiac, Michigan. The helipad itself was constructed for real, raised slightly above the ground. The helipad sequences were likely shot around 20 June 2014 due to the presence of the LexCorp helicopter. On Vero, Zack Snyder and Clay Enos have photos.
Tick Tock
Rear tracking shot on Knyazev opening double doors into a warehouse
space, flanked by two underlings. He walks through the area as his
men part to allow him through.
Medium backwards tracking shot.
Shoulder shot to see one underling open the next door in his path
for him. It slides open, and there in the middle of the room is
Martha, seated on a chair with a thug pointing a rifle at her head
from behind. This implies that, if she talks (potentially alerting Superman), she dies.
Medium shot on Knyazev, showing a sinister smile.
Low-angle shot on Martha, leaning back in her chair with a look of
fear.
Shoulder shot from the thug behind Martha, emphasising the weapon
aimed at her skull while Knyazev ahead strolls gleefully the room.
He stops in front of her and removes his gloves.
Waist-level shot to
see him discard them onto the nearby armchair. Pan up to a thug (Sam Looc) entering
the room behind Knyazev and walking around. Pan down to the table
against the wall, where he places a clock counting down from
00:34:58, telling us how much time has passed and how much time
remains. It beeps as it ticks down.
Return to low-angle on Martha, looking from the clock and shaking. The
ticks continue.
Shoulder shot from Jenny Jurwich at the Daily Planet, looking at the
televisions lining the walls. CNN is on them all, showing arcs of
lightning exuding from the scout ship container.
"Brooke Baldwin is on the scene. Brooke, you're live on the air. What are you seeing?" asks a reporter on the news.
Many other Daily Planet
workers are standing and watching the spectacle on the screens. Jenny turns and says, "There's something happening at the ship."
Perry emerges from his office, looking concerned. Flashes of
alien lightning are visible through the window beyond.
"It's sending massive power surges," Jenny explains.
Perry turns to look at his office at the flashing spectacle.
Cut to Diana, now in a white suit dress, entering her hotel
lobby and ascending the steps.
We hear a reporter (Erika Erickson, a real reporter who plays herself) loudly
explain, "...police helicopters surrounding the area. They've created a
barricade around this containment centre."
At the top of the small flight of steps, Diana steps into the lobby, through the palatial space to join the other people gathered around the television.
On Channel Eight, the Erickson is outside the scout ship premises, saying,
"And we're trying to get a little bit closer here to find out what's
going on. It is absolute chaos. You can see that lightning, those
surges of electricity."
Arcs of electricity flash yet again above her, and the
hotel lights begin to flicker in tune with the lightning, startling the other guests. Diana glances around at the flickering lights.
"They seem to be getting stronger by the minute."
With the sound of a drive-by car horn, cut to Lois, running up to the driver window of a
taxi. "Daily Planet," she says, and the driver gives a thumbs
up. Immediately she heads to the back of the taxi and opens the rear
door to enter.
Suddenly, we hear Superman say, "Lois." Pan right as Lois turns, and Superman is standing a few paces away. He looks anxious. "I have to go to Gotham to convince him to help me."
"Who?" asks Lois, approaching him. She looks concerned.
He turns away
to say, sombrely, "Or he has to die." One can tell from his
sickened expression that he is repulsed and mortified by the notion.
"Clark?" Lois asks, knowing something is terribly wrong, but she does not understand.
Superman begins to rise into the air and says, with a tone of despair, "No one stays good in this world." The look on his face makes him appear like he is about to cry. These words reflect Bruce's earlier question, "How many [good guys] stayed that way?" and Jonathan's words, "[Martha] gave me faith that there's good in this world." Now Superman, like Batman, is going down that existentialist road of losing faith in the practicality of principle.
"Clark?" Lois asks, knowing something is terribly wrong, but she does not understand.
Superman begins to rise into the air and says, with a tone of despair, "No one stays good in this world." The look on his face makes him appear like he is about to cry. These words reflect Bruce's earlier question, "How many [good guys] stayed that way?" and Jonathan's words, "[Martha] gave me faith that there's good in this world." Now Superman, like Batman, is going down that existentialist road of losing faith in the practicality of principle.
In the air, Superman turns, cape flowing around him, and he flies up
into the darkness of the night sky. A sonic boom signals his
absence.
Lois looks up, breathing heavily.
Scene Overview
While Knyazev arrives at the warehouse in preparation to kill Martha, the activity at the scout ship builds up the next threat. Superman meets with Lois to confide in her his feelings of despair before setting out to confront Batman, placing him at his lowest point yet. This has also told Lois what she needs to do, as now she knows Superman is going to Gotham and will need her help.
Scene Analysis
Indeed, Superman has lost sight of the words Jonathan gave him on the mountaintop, and now we know he does not expect to succeed in gaining Batman's help, so killing him is on the table. However, though the odds are not in his favour, we do still know that he will try. He will not kill a man if he has another solution. This puts Superman in a similar scenario to his battle with Zod, a situation where killing may be the only solution, but now he must find a way out, following from the traumas of the last film.
This new low in Superman's story is also a refreshing
subversion of the traditional superhero formula. Normally, the pep talk
scene would put the hero on the right track for the rest of the film,
verbalising their lesson as a quick and easy way of progressing the arc.
That appears to be the case until the helipad scene, dealing a gut punch
to Superman that dashes his newfound optimism. The truth of Jonathan
Kent's wisdom cannot be told -- it has to be seen.
Lex's manipulation has been almost perfect. Because he has further fed Superman's dislike for Batman, plus his stoking the fires of Batman's hate, the chances of the Man of Steel trying to appeal to the Dark Knight are minimal, as are the chances of Batman listening to reason. Both characters have been manipulated into seeing violence at their best options, as we will see.
Diana's brief appearance here is the first of many in the last leg of the narrative leading up to her debut as Wonder Woman. Each appearance reiterates her attempts to recuse herself from the sword and shield, turning a blind eye at every step before acknowledging to herself the stakes of the growing threat.
Musical analysis coming soon.
Behind the Scene
 |
| Official Promotional Image |
Diana's hotel was shot in the lobby of the Jack White Theatre, Masonic Temple, 500 Temple Street, Detroit, Michigan. The sequence was most likely filmed on the 21st, 23rd, or 24th of August, roughly when the underground fight club scene was filmed in the building's basement. Base camp was set up in the parking lot behind the Masonic Temple.
Superman meeting Lois on the ground was shot the night of 7 November 2014 on the appropriately named Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois. Road closures were publicly listed. Crews were setting up the day before, police cordoned off streets, and Metropolis vehicles were brought in. The best photos come from Just Jared and Daily Mail, showing Henry Cavill and Amy Adams up close. Press and bystanders shot video footage of Superman taking off, Cavill hopping and waving, Amy Adams at the taxi, and some more wire work. The shoot was covered in detail by Fox 32 (who got some footage) and Chicago Tribune.
Deleted Footage: There was a deleted scene of Superman trying to listen for his
mother, but due to the immense hustle and bustle of the city, he was
unable to hear her.
"We had a scene that we cut from the movie where he tries to look for her when he finds out that Lex has got her. It was a slightly dark scene that we cut out because it sort of represented this dark side. Because when he was looking for his mum he heard all the cries of all the potential crimes going on in the city, you know when you look.
I kind of like the idea that he's taught himself not to look because if he looks it's just never-ending, right? You have to know when, as Superman, when to intervene and when not to. Or not when not to, you can't be everywhere at once, literally you can't be everywhere at once, so he has to be really selective in a weird way about where he chooses to interfere." (Zack Snyder, IGN, 8 April 2016)
"It is a green screen shot. He flies up above the city and hovers. The camera begins to rotate around him as he hears the cries of citywide crime going on and as we get closer, he is in pain because he knows if he tries to find her this way, he will have to ignore the countless crimes going on in the two cities and the world." (Zack Snyder, Vero)
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