Sleep Well, Kal-El

Elspode · 10-11-2004, 08:15 AM

"You *will* believe a man can fly!"

So screamed the tagline for "Superman-The Movie", the late-70's big budget, everything-we'd-been-waiting-for rendition of the story of the Man of Steel. I can't recall ever anticipating a movie release more. I can't recall ever not liking the film's star, Christopher Reeve, who sadly, has passed on.

In retrospect, perhaps "You *will* believe that a man will walk again!" would have been more fitting, because if anyone was going to be able to overcome the horrific damage of a severed spinal cord, it was Chris Reeve. Alas, even the Man of Steel proved vulnerable to Death. For Reeve, it came not in the form of Kryptonite, but as heart failure brought on by complications from his years of paralysis following an injury incurred when he was thrown from his horse in a riding competition, breaking his neck.

Usually, when I write these things, I note the fine work that the deceased has done, and associate fond memories of my youth with their films, recordings, etc. Somehow, it seems to me that his film career was the least of the gifts this man's life brought to the world.

Reeve did not go gentle into the good night. Indeed, he railed against his condition in every way conceivable. To the last, he refused to accept that he would never walk again, and tirelessly worked to promote spinal cord research. Indeed, so profound was his impact on the subject of spinal cord injuries, that one commentator on the morning news suggested that his death might be a decisive factor in pushing some teetering voters to the Kerry camp because of his support for less restrictive stem cell research, a cause of which Reeve was a major proponent.

Despite the unimaginable horror of his condition, Reeve still managed to ply his craft, directing and acting in TV movie projects with decidedly personal, socially meaningful themes. It was disturbing to see a formerly vigorous, vibrant individual reduced to a talking head, dependent on a respirator for the breath that gave him voice, but it was always my personal feeling that this was something the average person *needed* to see, if only to appreciate the fact that it wasn't them bound to such devices.

Although Reeve's greatest mark on the world was his fight to seek out and enable his own cure, his film work still deserves to be noted here. My personal favorite was the filmed version of the hugely successful stage play, "Deathtrap". Starring alongside Michael Caine, Reeve gave a tour de force performance as the sociopathic aspiring playwright who begets deceit and murder in his quest to become a successful author. The film's classic moment comes when, seemingly out of the clear blue, Reeve and Caine's characters kiss, and we discover that they are gay lovers, co-conspirators in a plot about to go terribly awry. A classic film, and one which demonstrated Reeve's range and skill far better than any comic book spectacle could have.

It always struck me as tragically ironic that the man who so ably portrayed Superman would have ended up in his position, but his response to his infirmities never failed to inspire me. It has been said that in adversity, we often find our greatest strengths. If that be true, then Christopher Reeve was indeed Superman, stronger than most any mortal, and someone deserving of the admiration of an awestruck public.

Griff · 10-11-2004, 08:41 AM

Interesting how an impression can be built through the media. I thought he was improving, it seemed like his voice was stronger in his public service spots but voices can be altered. We were talking about him a couple different times in the last couple weeks. A friends Dad broke his neck recently and remains up-beat. I don't know how well I'd react, we talked about spinal injuries while mtn biking two weeks ago one guy with us was adament that we let him die in the woods not in a bed. We assured him that we'd take extreme measures to bring him out alive, (meant in good fun). Anyway, Reeves showed great human spirit in his loss, which showed him to be much stronger than any of his screen work would imply.

Clodfobble · 10-11-2004, 09:35 AM

I think he was indeed improving; over the last couple of years he had moved an index finger and regained feeling in several parts of his body, IIRC. Infections like the one he got can come out of nowhere and spread very quickly.

10-11-2004, 08:15 AM	#1
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	Sleep Well, Kal-El "You will believe a man can fly!" So screamed the tagline for "Superman-The Movie", the late-70's big budget, everything-we'd-been-waiting-for rendition of the story of the Man of Steel. I can't recall ever anticipating a movie release more. I can't recall ever not liking the film's star, Christopher Reeve, who sadly, has passed on. In retrospect, perhaps "You will believe that a man will walk again!" would have been more fitting, because if anyone was going to be able to overcome the horrific damage of a severed spinal cord, it was Chris Reeve. Alas, even the Man of Steel proved vulnerable to Death. For Reeve, it came not in the form of Kryptonite, but as heart failure brought on by complications from his years of paralysis following an injury incurred when he was thrown from his horse in a riding competition, breaking his neck. Usually, when I write these things, I note the fine work that the deceased has done, and associate fond memories of my youth with their films, recordings, etc. Somehow, it seems to me that his film career was the least of the gifts this man's life brought to the world. Reeve did not go gentle into the good night. Indeed, he railed against his condition in every way conceivable. To the last, he refused to accept that he would never walk again, and tirelessly worked to promote spinal cord research. Indeed, so profound was his impact on the subject of spinal cord injuries, that one commentator on the morning news suggested that his death might be a decisive factor in pushing some teetering voters to the Kerry camp because of his support for less restrictive stem cell research, a cause of which Reeve was a major proponent. Despite the unimaginable horror of his condition, Reeve still managed to ply his craft, directing and acting in TV movie projects with decidedly personal, socially meaningful themes. It was disturbing to see a formerly vigorous, vibrant individual reduced to a talking head, dependent on a respirator for the breath that gave him voice, but it was always my personal feeling that this was something the average person needed to see, if only to appreciate the fact that it wasn't them bound to such devices. Although Reeve's greatest mark on the world was his fight to seek out and enable his own cure, his film work still deserves to be noted here. My personal favorite was the filmed version of the hugely successful stage play, "Deathtrap". Starring alongside Michael Caine, Reeve gave a tour de force performance as the sociopathic aspiring playwright who begets deceit and murder in his quest to become a successful author. The film's classic moment comes when, seemingly out of the clear blue, Reeve and Caine's characters kiss, and we discover that they are gay lovers, co-conspirators in a plot about to go terribly awry. A classic film, and one which demonstrated Reeve's range and skill far better than any comic book spectacle could have. It always struck me as tragically ironic that the man who so ably portrayed Superman would have ended up in his position, but his response to his infirmities never failed to inspire me. It has been said that in adversity, we often find our greatest strengths. If that be true, then Christopher Reeve was indeed Superman, stronger than most any mortal, and someone deserving of the admiration of an awestruck public. __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

10-11-2004, 08:41 AM	#2
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	Interesting how an impression can be built through the media. I thought he was improving, it seemed like his voice was stronger in his public service spots but voices can be altered. We were talking about him a couple different times in the last couple weeks. A friends Dad broke his neck recently and remains up-beat. I don't know how well I'd react, we talked about spinal injuries while mtn biking two weeks ago one guy with us was adament that we let him die in the woods not in a bed. We assured him that we'd take extreme measures to bring him out alive, (meant in good fun). Anyway, Reeves showed great human spirit in his loss, which showed him to be much stronger than any of his screen work would imply. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

10-11-2004, 09:35 AM	#3
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	I think he was indeed improving; over the last couple of years he had moved an index finger and regained feeling in several parts of his body, IIRC. Infections like the one he got can come out of nowhere and spread very quickly.

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