By now, I’m sure you have seen the latest Batman v. Superman trailer that debuted at Comic-Con. In short, the trailer was fantastic and generated great buzz for the film as people are talking about it left and right. They are noticing details big and small from Zod’s body to the graffiti covered Robin suit. But – there is one detail that could have a significant impact on the story telling that people seem to be overlooking. While it may seem pretty simple, no one is talking about how the trailer was lit.
Yes, yes I know it’s a weird thing to notice but how much light was shown in the trailer could be a very big indicator of something larger for the film. A major gripe I had against Man of Steel was the weird color saturation that looked like an Instagram filter. It gave the film an odd and bizarrely dark feel at times, something not necessarily seen before in a Superman movie. At first, I thought this was just director Zack Synder’s personal preference, trying to make the universe feel more like the successful Batman films that came before it. But, what if the color tinting was part of the story itself?
In Man of Steel, Superman is only just trying to find his footing and appears to be a lost character as he struggles to come to grips with what his responsibilities are as a superhuman. He protects Earth because it is his home and he knows it’s right. Throughout the film, it’s driven home that Superman is to be a beacon of hope for humanity, something for them to look up to. Clearly, he is not there yet as he first needs to establish who he is before he becomes that beacon of hope to everyone. Surely, this is a confusing and dark time for anyone, so director Zack Synder had the film illustrate his inner turmoil with said physical darkness in the lighting of the film. Now look at this shot of Superman from the latest trailer:
This is a stark contrast to what we saw in Man of Steel and this could be because the Man of Steel himself could be a great contrast. If time has past, it’s extremely possible that Superman has realized what he needs to be to humanity and embraces the responsibility. Things in the trailer look less hazy and dark, especially with Superman, possibly because he himself has more clarity. With the conflict with Batman eminent, Superman may realize that he needs to be a beacon of light and hope in an ever darkening world. Having Superman’s scenes so bright and clear in contrast to Batman’s dark scenes could further illustrate the difference between the two men and how far each man has come. Yes, the lighting is a subtle thing, but – if this observation is true then it speaks volumes about the film and the Man of Steel himself.
What do you guys think?