I’m having an argument about the ring. To be specific about mailing the ring. A friend thinks that was a glaring mistake by Snyder’s. But was it?
Zack Snyder is a deliberate filmmaker. He puts in imagery and themes even in the background. Things you might not notice the first viewing. Knowing that, isn’t it possible that this scene was written the way it was on purpose to show how human Clark is? He can fly long distances in a matter of seconds but he mails the ring.
Yep. Exactly. It’s not a flaw it shows Clark is thinking of proposing but doesn’t want his fiancée to find it. Yes he could fly over. Or perhaps there is a lot going on and he ordered it online and just put his mother’s address and let her know it was coming? Why is this so hard? Clark doesn’t cook his eggs with laser vision. He uses his powers but is perfectly capable of doing normal human things and not using his powers every second.
I totally agree it shows how human Clark is.
But also, Zack does place themes and imagery in his films that you don’t catch until later. So now that it’s mentioned I want to bring up one thing. We’ve all noted the bookend parallels in this film with a funeral at the beginning and end, the coffins, the gun firing and the cannon salute being mirrors of each other. Consider this.
When Lois unwrapped the ring and held it there was a very long hold on the shot, and Lois holds it so we can see it is an engagement ring but then shifts it so she’s holding it with the diamond out. Her fingers holding the ring with the diamond prominently displayed fills the entire frame. The focus is on that diamond.
Now think about Bruce’s opening voiceover at the beginning of the film. “There was a time, there were perfect things. Diamond absolutes. But things fall, things on earth. And what falls, is fallen.”
It’s clear from Bruce’s speech that he thinks those diamond absolutes (love, Justice, good in the world) have been corrupted over time. Nothing has lasted. The love he and his parents shared became a source of pain and anger after they died. The good he was trying to do as Batman just cost more lives (Robin) and a continued descent into darkness and moral ambiguity. And yet we still get emphasis on the diamond at the end.
I submit that the “diamond absolute” in this film is actually the love between Lois and Clark. That is the one thing that has not tarnished or faded or fallen, and while Bruce is outside of this equation, it was Lois’ love for Clark that definitely helped him see Clark as a human being. It has endured and it will continue to endure, and Lois will be the key because of the love she and Clark share.
