Christopher Reeve: The Eternal Superman

The tagline for Superman 1978 was “You will believe a man can fly.”

And thousands of cinema-goers did just that, transfixed by the sight of Christoper Reeve taking flight from the Fortress of Solitude for the first time, to the stirring music of John Williams.

Reeve was just 25 at the time and largely unknown outside of his emerging stage career. Trained at Juilliard School, he had his sights set on Shakespeare and Chekhov.

Director Richard Donner had already cast Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman in principal roles for his $55m movie, and every A-list star had either been seen or rejected for the title role. But Reeve attended, against his better judgment, turning up as a gangly young man -deemed perfect for the role of Clark Kent. Committed to his craft he bulked up in readiness for the red suit -there is nowhere to hide after all.

While the film hit major delays filming at Pinewood Studios in London, its reception was overwhelming. Reeve became a superstar overnight, booked onto Good Morning America, The Tonight Show, The Late Show, SNL, The Muppets.

Documentary Christopher Reeve: The Eternal Superman pivots around an unseen interview with Reeve filmed in 2004, the same year he died, aged 52.

“I was the caretaker of Superman, the one to hold the cup for a little while and then pass it on,” he reveals.

The French doco plays things very straight, with a reserved narration sticking to the facts. That includes how Reeve struggled against being typecast with a role the size of Superman. His next movie Somewhere in Time bombed, but at least he met wife Jane Seymour. Other films followed: Monsignor, Street Smart, Bump in the Night, The Sea Wolf (he rejected offers for Amerigan Gigolo, Body Heat, Mutiny on the Bounty).

But he would return to the red suit for three more features, no longer under Richard Donner, to mixed susccess.

The documentary draws parallels between the fictional superhero and the true life super-man who used his powers for good, first visiting Chile to campaign for actors being persecuted by General Pinochet. He would subsequently become an environmental activist for a range of causes, including scripting an anti-nuclear message in Superman IV.

But of course his career would be cut short by a tragic horseriding accident in 1995 when he became paralysed from the neck down. While it would have defeated most, Reeve again used his fame to establish the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation raising funds for research the world over.

The doco includes his Smallville cameo (who knew?) and hears from comic book authors, film producer Ilya Salkind, family friends and President of DC Comics, Jenette Khan.

They unversally praise Reeve’s talent, humility and achievements.

2025 will see a new man in the red cape on the big screen. David Corenswet is the next custodian of the title, with expectations the film pays homage to the 1978 classic. It’s a very tall order, after believing a man could fly and ultimately believing in Christopher Reeve.

Christopher Reeve: The Eternal Superman 8:30pm Sunday December 22 on SBS VICELAND.