I did get around to purchasing the book. I procrastinated, I dithered about. I finally sat down to start the book.
It was an ideal setting. Snow falling outside, a mug of hot cocoa steaming merrily in my hand. A blanket on the couch. This yellow-covered book, a smiley face with a blood spatter, sitting in my lap. Could it really be that good, I asked myself as I opened to the first page.
Truth be told, I was captivated from the first frames, the viewpoint pulling back from the image of the being blood hosed off the sidewalk. Farther back until we can see the two detectives talking about how it happened. How does a man as well built as the victim end up falling through a plate glass window?
From there on, I was utterly absorbed by this book. It had absolutely everything I look for in any work of fiction: intricate and complicated characters who are developed well, a deep plot rich in subtexts and social commentary, lots of detail to absorb about the world itself, and an ending that left me agape and to this day hasn't strayed too far from my thoughts. As I wrote on this blog after I read the book, this is one of the most important pieces of fiction ever written and ranks very high on the "best books I've ever read" list.
Since then, I've been getting people to read the book in preparation for the movie. I haven't seen my copy of the book in months, as it has been making the rounds. Yet, all along, I was wondering how this could be made into a really good movie. Is it possible that Zack Snyder could succeed where even the ever-brilliant Darren Aronofsky (among others) failed?
After seeing the movie and having thought about it all weekend, I can say with certainty that yes, he succeeded. And in a really big way.
I described it to a friend earlier today, "The movie succeeds on so many levels, it's hard to put it all into words." That statement remains true, but I'm going to try anyway.
The opening scene of the movie is the fight between the Comedian and mysterious bad dude (whose identity I will not reveal here for the sake of those who have not seen the movie nor read the book). This is one of the most beautifully filmed fight sequences ever. The camera angles, the music, the tastefully implemented slow-mo work, it all came together so wonderfully. I knew the movie was going to be good from this moment.
Speaking of camera work, this movie is chock full of awesome camera angles and perfect shots. It's completely obvious that Snyder worked very hard on setting up his shots so they captured the feel of the comic book. Some of the shots came right out of the comic, others probably should have been in the comic.
The introduction credits also need to be noted for their artistry and superior execution. In the book, Moore and Gibbons have a long time to show the reader this altered imagining of the 1980s where Nixon breaks the 2-term rule and America actually won in Vietnam on the backs of Dr. Manhattan and the Comedian. This is a world where costumed bad guys duel with costumed good guys until Nixon outlaws masked "vigilantes". It's a staggeringly complex world, the details of which are doted upon in the novel. Snyder and company have considerably less time to expound upon viewers the vast differences between the Watchmen world and the real world. This is a feat they accomplish through the opening credits. Set to Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are a-Changin'", the opening credits show us through a montage of pictures and short filmed sequences the history of this version world, what happened to the original Minutemen, and a slew of other small details to look out for. Plus, the music is so completely out of place for this type of movie (one one hand) but still completely fitting (on the other).
Speaking of music, it must be said that this movie has some of the best music choices ever. Snyder and friends really put a lot of work into licensing music that fit the scenes and did a great job of including music that was mentioned in the novel as well. Examples of this include Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" and ""All Along the Watchtower" by Jimi Hendrix. I won't tell you where these come up, because half the fun is the surprise at hearing these songs where you might least expect them. :)
Brian Tyler's score was memorable and sounds like something pulled right out of that era. Kudos to the whole team behind the music, for you all did a really stellar job.
Casting. This is one of the points that I've debated with many people about over the course of the weekend. I think it was spot on. The first and most stand-out casting choice is Jackie Earle Hayley as Rorschach. This can only be equated to Heath Ledger's Joker character. Hayley is Rorschach. Period. This is how I saw Rorschach in my head when I was reading the novel. This is how I heard him, this is how he moved, and they even nailed his face, which was so important in the book. He is Rorschach, and that's one point everybody I know seems to agree on.
Billy Crudup plays Jon Osterman, aka Dr. Manhattan, the only hero in the movie with actual super powers. This must have been a very difficult role to play, as the simple fact that he does have powers, that he is a god for all intents and purposes, has caused a rift to develop between him and humanity. He can no longer sympathize with humanity's emotions or drama. As with Hayley's Rorschach, Crudup nails this role. He comes across as nearly emotionless, as is required of the character. It's hard to watch sometimes, because D. Manhattan truly is removed from the plights of society.
Patrick Wilson (also in Hard Candy, another very good movie) plays Dan Dreiberg, or Nite Owl. Yet again (I'm starting to feel like a broken record here), he looks and acts the part to near perfection. Dan's timid nature and impotency that's slowly shed as he allows his Nite Owl persona to consume him is brought to life by Wilson. This guy's really good. Hopefully he lands some more roles in the near future.
There was much controversy over the end. Once it was announced that the end would be changed from the version penned by Moore and Gibbons, the Watchmen community was on fire with speculation and early criticisms. Yet, after watching it, I teeter on the brink of saying that it was, in fact, better than the ending in the novel. It fits perfectly while still accomplishing what Moore and Gibbons set out to do. Yet it is somehow more plausible but allows for the same reaction from society. Bravo to Snyder for taking this huge leap out of the box and making it work.
As a whole, the movie experience really flows well. At no point in the movie did I stop to consider that the movie was almost 3 hours long. At no point was I bored or did I find myself paying attention to other things. I was engrossed from start to end in this movie, a movie that can very seriously be described as a masterpiece, a monumental achievement. This is a movie unlike movies that are made today or at any point in Hollywood's past. This is a movie far ahead of it's time, and I think people will be talking about it for a long time to come. If this weekend is any indication, anyway. I spent the entire weekend with people filing in and out of my place talking about this movie. It's interesting to see what other people pick up on.
Anyway, there's the review. This movie is awesome, epic, monumental, a true masterpiece. The unfilmable book has been filmed, and it was done very well. Even with all these words here, I still feel like I haven't gotten across just how unbelievably good this movie is. So, do yourself a favor if you haven't already: go watch Watchmen.
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