Christopher Reeve made Superman’s goodness seem natural and Clark Kent convincing as a separate person. We admire that unforced sincerity, and his supporting dramatic work deserves attention beyond the familiar double role.
Fi1m perspective
In Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), Reeve still makes the hero’s wish to help seem sincere, however solemn the dialogue becomes. He does not keep reminding us that Superman is good, and the performance is easier to believe for it. That remains the reason to watch him in a film we cannot recommend. His breakthrough in Superman (1978) had required him to make Clark Kent and Superman recognisably different people, rather than leave the distinction to the clothes.
The role defined how he was seen, and his work away from it was a sustained effort to be considered for something else. Somewhere in Time (1980), in which he played Richard Collier, offered an early romantic-fantasy lead outside the series. After the Superman films, he sought more complex characters in independent films and on stage, although the association with the hero continued to narrow his opportunities.
The fourth film shows how much the distinction between the two identities depends on the writing around it. We were bored by the costume-changing routine, because getting Reeve into the right clothes kept taking priority over letting him and Margot Kidder’s Lois Lane be amusing together. Sidney J. Furie’s direction never makes the romance, comedy and action work together. Reeve shares the story credit with screenwriters Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal, so he cannot be excused from every weakness merely because he remains likeable. His restrained playing does help when their dialogue turns solemn, but it cannot give the scenes the interest they lack.
The Remains of the Day (1993) offers a better reason to look beyond the familiar part. Reeve’s supporting performance as Jack Lewis shows he could serve a period drama without needing it arranged around him. Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson provide the painfully affecting romance in James Ivory’s film, so this is not a recommendation to watch solely for Reeve. The music sometimes presses harder than their performances need, a flaw worth tolerating for their conversations. We would spend an evening with The Remains of the Day before doing any further duty by the sequels.
Biography
Christopher Reeve was an American actor. He trained at Cornell University and the Juilliard School before making his film debut in the 1970s.
Reeve became widely known for portraying Superman / Clark Kent in Superman (1978) and its sequels Superman II (1980), Superman III (1983) and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). His other film roles include Richard Collier in Somewhere in Time (1980) and Jack Lewis in The Remains of the Day (1993). He also appeared in television series such as Smallville (as Virgil Swann) and Frasier.
In 1995 Reeve was paralysed in a horse-riding accident. He later advocated for spinal cord injury research and founded the Christopher Reeve Foundation. He died in 2004.
