Re: Henry Cavill - I have a theory here, actually, which I will now subject you to!
Cavill is English,so I'm gonna assume that he shares at least some of that culture's discomfort with sincere emotion openly expressed, and that, I think, is where the problem comes in.
See, Clark Kent is a corn-fed farm boy from a small town in Kansas - his entire being is sincerity and earnestness and a firm belief in the goodness of humanity and the need to help the people around you with the resources you've got. AND, he's the last survivor of a dead world - a living testament to the fact that each life matters and each person is a unique gift. There is nothing ironic or distant or witty about the heart of Clark Kent. He's just a good person down to his bones, and he doesn't really care if you think he's corny. He's compassionate and he's going to do what he thinks is right, even if he's the only one to do it.
The problem began with the concept for Man of Steel, because instead of looking for a person who could radiate the "human goodness as a strength," a person who could show how Superman inspires and lifts up the people of Earth by his example, they went looking for a way to write Superman as a darker, "more realistic" character - aka, more angry, less kind. And Cavill can do that kind of role! But, that's not the kind of Superman I'm here for. And I think that a fair number of people aren't really into that kind of Superman. But, once you have cast Henry Cavill, the attempts to roll that characterization back - eh, they kind of don't work. Even tho, my god, he looks so damn much like Superman.
Don't get me wrong, I think Cavill makes an excellent scoundrel and spy in Man From Uncle, and I think he's a great Geralt in Witcher, and the thing those characters have in common is some deep disillusionment with human nature, a lot of sarcasm, a healthy dose of "look out for number one" and a career on the periphery of safety. The fact that those characters feel natural and well established seems to suggest to me that Cavill is a perfectly good actor when given roles that are not fundamentally about deconstructing a beloved character's emotional roots. Henry Cavill could make you love a sinner, and he has! But for Superman, they needed someone who could make you believe in a person with the goodness of a saint, and that he can't pull off.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2020-01-06 07:33 pm (UTC)Cavill is English,so I'm gonna assume that he shares at least some of that culture's discomfort with sincere emotion openly expressed, and that, I think, is where the problem comes in.
See, Clark Kent is a corn-fed farm boy from a small town in Kansas - his entire being is sincerity and earnestness and a firm belief in the goodness of humanity and the need to help the people around you with the resources you've got. AND, he's the last survivor of a dead world - a living testament to the fact that each life matters and each person is a unique gift. There is nothing ironic or distant or witty about the heart of Clark Kent. He's just a good person down to his bones, and he doesn't really care if you think he's corny. He's compassionate and he's going to do what he thinks is right, even if he's the only one to do it.
The problem began with the concept for Man of Steel, because instead of looking for a person who could radiate the "human goodness as a strength," a person who could show how Superman inspires and lifts up the people of Earth by his example, they went looking for a way to write Superman as a darker, "more realistic" character - aka, more angry, less kind. And Cavill can do that kind of role! But, that's not the kind of Superman I'm here for. And I think that a fair number of people aren't really into that kind of Superman. But, once you have cast Henry Cavill, the attempts to roll that characterization back - eh, they kind of don't work. Even tho, my god, he looks so damn much like Superman.
Don't get me wrong, I think Cavill makes an excellent scoundrel and spy in Man From Uncle, and I think he's a great Geralt in Witcher, and the thing those characters have in common is some deep disillusionment with human nature, a lot of sarcasm, a healthy dose of "look out for number one" and a career on the periphery of safety. The fact that those characters feel natural and well established seems to suggest to me that Cavill is a perfectly good actor when given roles that are not fundamentally about deconstructing a beloved character's emotional roots. Henry Cavill could make you love a sinner, and he has! But for Superman, they needed someone who could make you believe in a person with the goodness of a saint, and that he can't pull off.