This will be my last post about Superman II in this thread, I hope.
I didn't see him as smug at all. In fact, I think that kiss might have started as a way to comfort her--that's what it looked like to me, anyway.
And then afterward, when she fainted, he asked if she was okay and tried (as bumbling Clark, of course, which meant he didn't do very well) to get something to help with her sudden fainting spell. THEN, I think he realized that she didn't remember anything about it--when she asked, "What was I just talking about?" or whatever she said.
I quite agree, he didn't seem smug
when he was with Lois after he had taken her memory away. He was just so totally happy and smug afterwards, when he had - sorry about putting it so harshly -
totally gotten away with dumping her. Do you remember him flying, in that closing shot, and
winking at the audience? As if he was saying, "Hey, I couldn't be happier, I got away with sleeping with the girl and stealing her memory afterwards, so I got to enjoy her body and I will have to do
nothing for her in return! Ah, being Superman is so useful! I can sleep with a girl, and I don't have to deal with the consequences afterwards, because I can mindwipe all the consequences away!"
I hated him in that movie. Hated, hated, hated him. Not before he took away her memory without asking her permission, but afterwards. I think his behaviour was unforgivable!
Ann
