One of the things I find most fascinating about Superheroes is their versatility as a metaphor. Much like Knights or Cowboys before them, Superheroes can be slotted in to represent any number of different themes or ideas. Slap a big letter on some spandex and it could mean anything from condemnation of the military-industrial complex to a proxy of a classic religious figure. It's that usefulness as a symbol that allows the Superhero archetype to fit into the world of Mexican director Alejandro Inarritu's new dark comedy Birdman.
The film stars Michael Keaton as Riggan Thomson, a washed-up actor who starred in a series of blockbuster superhero movies back in the 90s as the eponymous Birdman. In the present he's sunk all of his money into directing and starring in a serious, high-minded Broadway drama, his last attempt at some kind of artistic credibility and relevance after the Birdman films ruined his reputation. Riggan's play is slowly collapsing around him though; with his cast being taken over by an overbearing method actor (Edward Norton), his lawyer best friend (Zach Galifianakis) second guessing all his decisions, and the critics' unwillingness to let go of his history as Birdman. All of this pressure is beginning to get to Riggan as he starts having delusions, imagining he has telekinesis and that his former superhero character is speaking to him, and the question becomes not whether he'll actually get his play off the ground, but whether he'll do it before he goes completely crazy.
