BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE

WHAT IS GOOD?

At an undisclosed location, the rain pours beyond an archway in a dark tunnel. Personnel in military uniforms leave the right frame. Ahead, Calvin Swanwick approaches Lois under the arch, both now silhouetted against the rain and lightning. Considering Snyder’s appreciation for The Matrix, this may be a visual reference to that film, where Neo waits to meet with Trinity seeking deep truths. Similarly, Lois is waiting to meet with Calvin seeking the truth of what happened in the desert, which will in turn reveal a grand conspiracy. Will Ross analysed the shot from The Matrix (1999) that Snyder may be referencing, which may provide you further insight.

Low strings from the previous scene, carrying on from here throughout the rest of the scene.

“I don’t have a halo over me, Mister Secretary,” says Lois. “I went into the desert, people died. It keeps me awake. It should.” This confirms she feels a degree of responsibility for what happened in Nairomi due to her presence. Had she never been there, neither would Superman. Then she hands the little plastic bag containing the bullet to Calvin.

He takes it, pulling the bag out of sight.

Lois continues, “If you think that Superman is a murderer, then throw it away… but I don’t believe you think that.”

Calvin turns, puts the bullet in his coat pocket, and walks away. This wordless act implies that Lois’ gamble has failed, and Calvin has taken the last shred of evidence she had that might have exonerated Superman.

As Calvin exits the frame, we hear Finch ask, “How do we determine what’s good?” This further ties into the very direct theme of Superman taking morality into his own hands.

Senator Finch is behind a podium furnished with press microphones. She continues, “In a democracy, good is a conversation, not a unilateral decision.” This is one of the prevailing themes of the film, and is juxtaposed against the contrasting perspective of Adriana Santos: “A man like that, words don’t stop him. You know what stops him? A fist.”

Wallace Keefe is there, looking up at Finch from down beside her in his new wheelchair as the press takes photos. He looks thoughtful and calm, but there is a sadness about him.

Wide shot of the scene from above the photographers and reporters paying Finch their full attention in an elegant marble hall. Behind her is the statue of Andrew Jackson, who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. It is located in the real US Capitol, not the Wayne County Building where this sequence was shot, and so was likely added to represent Superman with its cape and hands-on-hips pose.

Finch continues, “So I urge Superman to come to this Hill of the people tomorrow.” This also establishes that the announcement is taking place within the Capitol Building.

Cut to Lois sitting in a taxi. It is still raining outside, carrying along the mood of the previous sequence and making us assume this is the morning after. The conference is playing on the small television below. Outside, a local “metrobus” in red, white, and blue passes by through the rain outside, prominently putting American colours in the scene to associate with Finch’s words. However, the red could represent the blood, foreshadowing the death this hearing will lead to.

Cut to the screen showing Wallace. “To see those who have suffered.” This associates Finch’s words with him, representing Keefe as one of Superman’s indirect victims. CNN is reporting live with the headline, “Sen. Finch Press Conference.” It is 3:11 PM Eastern Time.

Cut to Lois. “The world needs to know what happened in that desert.” This associates Finch’s words with her, who naturally shares Finch’s desire to uncover the truth of the Nairomi incident.

Cut to the television screens on the wall of the Daily Planet office from Clark’s shoulder, focused on the CNN report. Finch goes on, “And to know what he stands for.”

Cut to Clark, looking troubled as he watches the conference. A co-worker watching over his shoulder tells us the Daily Planet is collectively focused on this announcement. Finch asks, “How far will he take his power?” This associates Finch’s words with Clark, the target of her questioning, unbeknownst to those around him.

Cut to Lex in his laboratory. The automatic doors close, leaving him alone in the darkness. As he turns to us, focused on something below frame, Finch’s words echo as they fade: “Does he act by our will, or by his own?” This associates Finch’s words with Lex, creating a more apparent question of whether he actually cares to defend humanity from Superman or if he has more personal motives.

Lex Luthor Theme A on distant a piano, very quiet and almost inaudible, but his presence is looming over the scene.

Lex steps towards us, and we back up over the glass container. We descend opposite Lex to see him through the two panes. Then the Kryptonite comes into the foreground between us and him. Lex puts his hands on the glass, looking especially villainous behind his new weapon of assassination as the green light illuminates his face.

Also in association with Lex, we Martha Kent say softly, “People hate what they don’t understand,” to lead us into the next scene. Lex hates that people perceive Superman as a benevolent deity, but cannot comprehend (like Batman) that Superman is little more than a simple man who wants to help people.

SCENE OVERVIEW

While Lois takes a gamble on giving Calvin Swanwick the bullet as a show of faith, Senator Finch announces a hearing with an official invitation to Superman to explain his actions in Nairomi, diverting Clark’s attention and putting him back on the question of Superman’s controversy. From here, the film begins to build tension towards the major narrative shift in the middle of the film.

SCENE ANALYSIS

The first sequence has a very noir tone to it, giving Lois’ investigation an atmosphere of its own. Lois’ gamble is smart as Calvin has a history with Superman, having spoken to him personally in Man of Steel, and even reached out to Calvin in an attempt to foster trust.

The music in this scene is the latter third of Do You Bleed extended in from the previous scene. This track is not on any commercially-available version of the score.

BEHIND THE SCENE

“This was a cool sequence we shot, again, in Detroit, under the town hall. Where we shot was the old town hall where the senate hearing chambers were. It was a cool building, and then this was just under the stairs, we found this little set.”

Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Watch Party, 29 March 2020

The meeting between Calvin and Lois was filmed beneath the front steps of the Wayne County Building, 600 Randolph Street, Detroit, Michigan. It was most likely shot around the 22nd of August 2014, when the “metrobus” was present at the location, so it was likely shot back-to-back with Lois in her taxi. Rain machines were used.

The exact location for the taxi scene with Lois is unknown, but set photos exist of the red, white, and blue bus outside the window.

June Finch’s press conference in the US Capitol was filmed in the interestingly named Wayne County Building, 600 Randolph Street, Detroit. Finch’s announcement was likely shot on 20 August 2014, based only on this photo of Scoot McNairy in what looks like his brown trousers. Base camp was set up in the parking lot of 700 Randolph Street, just across the road.

As heard in the teaser trailer and the Comic-Con trailer, June Finch has the lines, “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” and, “That kind of power is very dangerous.” These lines are not in the final film. Presumably, they were somewhere around Finch’s interview with Charlie Rose in Must There Be A Superman or during this scene when she invites Superman to the Capitol.