20 Most Perfect Scenes In Cinema History

It’s true that the special effects in Superman III have dated worse than Taylor Swift (think about it…), but really, that doesn’t matter in the slightest: there’s more dramatic heft here than in any amount of CGI urban devastation, thanks to the still astonishing subtlety of Christopher Reeve’s dual performance as Clark Kent and Superman.

Exposing Superman to an artificial form of kryptonite, the film’s villains don’t anticipate the odd effect the radioactive rock will have on the Man Of Steel: it transforms him into a bitter, resentful hateful version of himself.

Trying to fight off the effects, Superman lands in a junkyard and with a primal scream, seems to split into two warring versions of himself: Dark Superman, angry and dishevelled, and the bespectacled, besuited Clark Kent.

It’s fairly obvious that the whole thing takes place in Superman’s head, which makes Kent’s lack of superpowers (aside from super strength) fairly psychologically intriguing. At one point, Kal El even mocks him for not being able to fly.

The climax is one of the most stirring scenes in blockbuster history, as Kent, victorious, staggers to his feet and slowly pulls open his shirt to reveal the stylised ‘S’ beneath, John Williams’ iconic score swelling all about him. Bloody brilliant, and probably the definitive superhero moment in cinema.