The criticism of Man of Steel has been going strong since its release and really doesn’t show much sign of abating, though I’ll easily admit I had far less of an issue with the more controversial parts than most. Largely this is due to having seen so many interpretations of the character before and simply being glad that it wasn’t another attempt to create something that reflects a very different era, both in films and comics as well as the real world itself. That said, I certainly understand where everyone is coming from. Director Zack Snyder was asked about the massive scale of destruction in Japan Times recently, and considering the way fictional works are done there in manga, anime and just about every genre in general, it’s likely he had a bit more of a receptive audience to it.
“I wanted the movie to have a mythological feeling,” said the director. “In ancient mythology, mass deaths are used to symbolize disasters. In other countries like Greece and Japan, myths were recounted through the generations, partly to answer unanswerable questions about death and violence. In America, we don’t have that legacy of ancient mythology. Superman is probably the closest we get. It’s a way of recounting the myth.”
While tackling that side of it, he also takes a stab at some of the less than subtle religious aspects to what was filmed:
“A very large part of Superman has stayed on Krypton, but he can’t leave his adopted country because if he does the whole world could be destroyed,” said Snyder. “If he steps in to save everyone, he’ll never be accepted as a normal guy. It’s not an easy choice. Because after all that sacrifice, what does humanity have to offer Clark? You have to admit, it’s not much. In one scene, a priest tells Clark to take a ‘leap of faith.’ And that’s pretty much it for Superman.”
[Source: Japan Times]