We’ve talked about it plenty by now, but the softness and vulnerability peppered into James Gunn’s Superman is exactly what makes it so comforting to a myriad of viewers. It’s the fact that this version of Clark Kent is neither afraid of voicing his opinions out loud nor is he afraid of being a multifaceted, imperfect character. And one of the strongest moments in the film to depict this is when Clark tells Lois he loves her.
From the lighting and the words on the page to the breathtaking performances from both David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan, every beat in the scene perfectly weaves together into a gorgeous tapestry that demands excavation. The darker shades of blues and greens out the window as the Justice Gang fights while Clark sits in the dark is a clear sign of the defeat that’s washed over him after hearing the full message from his birth parents. There are shades of pink in there, too, which then beautifully showcase Lois’s presence in his life and the light she’s capable of bringing in this moment. Always.
The lights outside continue spinning with different shades as their conversation about what it means to be punk rock elevates the tension. At this point, Clark hasn’t told Lois that he loves her, but the words are obvious because Corenswet is wearing it all over his face. Clark wants to be punk rock for Lois. He wants her to see him as someone she can spend her life with because that’s how he sees her. He wants to be whatever she’ll like, so long as it’s also in the margins of who he is.
And Lois’ response about how he thinks everything and everyone is beautiful is a moment that could’ve been lost in translation if it were delivered in a different manner than how Brosnahan embodies Lois Lane. Because it’s not just her delivery, but it’s also how Clark receives the words. How he looks at her. How he responds with, “Maybe that’s the real punk rock.” She admires Clark exactly as he is, and that’s part of the reason why she’s concerned they won’t last, because she doesn’t see the world that way. She sees the cruelty and the horrors, and as soft as she is, she’s profoundly frustrated. Tired. Dejected.
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Still, she loves him. She appreciates the way he sees the world. There’s a softness to her delivery that makes it clear his faith in humanity overwhelms her in a way that evokes something beautiful within her, too. And before all of this happens, there’s also the matter of how the two of them address each other with their names for the assurance that they do, in fact, know each other.
When he says, “I’m not here to rule over anybody, Lois,” and she responds with, “I never thought you were, not even for a moment, Clark,” they’re acknowledging each other’s truths, presence, and the understanding of their characters they’re slowly strengthening. The versions of themselves that they bring out in a way no one else can. The writing here is incredible because acknowledging each other by their names is a way of proving this fact. They do know each other. They see it. They get it.
Clark tells Lois he loves her moments after this, but even if he hadn’t said the words aloud, we’d still know it. We’d still feel it. The intimacy of the moment, lighting, expressions, body language, and all, shows it to us through every color in the scene, and the fact that he opens up to her when everything else is falling apart for him.
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Lois doesn’t tell him she loves him back in this scene, but again, we know she does because the decision to go to his house and make him hot chocolate when she knows he’d need it reveals to us openly. It’s how they take care of each other throughout the short amount of time we see them that makes it clear that, despite all the bridges stacked in front of them, they are each other’s person. Whether they realize that or not. She may be uncertain of their relationship, but she isn’t uncertain of him. She isn’t uncertain of the fact that the way Clark Kent makes her feel is special—something different than what she’s ever been before.
It’s why she pulls him into a hug after he voices that he’s about to turn himself in because she feels every ounce of the loss in that moment. She understands that it’s what he needs to do, but she feels the gravitas of his decision. He’s going after a dog that doesn’t even belong to him, and the conversation that happens in silence during that brief beat as they stand is bursting with unsaid words because Lois continues to see the beauty that’s shimmering from Clark. She continues to see his heart and understands him.
It’s the perfect moment for Clark to tell Lois that he loves her because it’s also obvious that he feels the strength in her embrace. He can feel the reality that she cares for him, even if things are muddied and their future is uncertain. She cares, and he can sense as much, so there’s no use in holding back now when he should’ve told her he loved her sooner. And that’s why the scene hits so hard because when Clark tells Lois he loves her, it’s vulnerable, real, and so achingly him that she doesn’t just hear the words, but she feels them, too. She holds onto them. And it’s why, despite everything, she goes after him.
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It’s a declaration and a scene that’s all about the small fractures and how human beings go out of their way to mend them. Clark’s inability to hold back that he loves her comes from his inability to do things in half measures. He hates the fact that they fought and left things in a messy spot, even though he was the one to walk away.
And that’s one of the strongest messages in Superman that resonates because human beings aren’t always willing to communicate about every emotion that’s wobbling inside of them. They marinate on them too long, allowing the ugly things to fester and grow into even bigger monsters, but a scene like this reveals that this relationship is too important not to give it the proper care it deserves. It’s a little sad, profoundly vulnerable, and ultimately so human that the first time I watched it, I held my breath the entire time.
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First Featured Image Credit: ©Warner Bros.