Monday, March 9, 2009

Stepping Away - The Final Watchmen Post [Quickish Thought]


So after talking it out with various friends & relatives, here are my final thoughts.

-Watchmen the film was never gonna touch Watchmen the graphic novel, so why pretend it could have? Better to just enjoy the good supplement we now have to the great book.

-I wonder if Snyder is capable of that "I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you" ROTK moment, I really do. Someone brought this up last night and it really struck me.

-Was lucky enough to be involved in a discussion of the film with part of the team who adapted the motion comic (aka those who know Watchmen better than any of us) and found it to be EXTREMELY enlightening. Helped me realize even more than I love the movie just for existing and being a cool supplement to have, but that obviously my unending adoration is really for the graphic novel. Which, duh city, I know, but the lines are easily blurred when someone adapts something you love. During this discussion, it became clear just how much was lost in translation, simply because you know, this was a movie, not an HBO mini series. My passion now lies more in getting people to read the graphic novel, less in defending the film.

-Furthermore, said discussion helped me dig deeper into the book and realize many new things. Somehow, I hadn't realized certain things like Chapter 5, Fearful Symmetry, is exactly symmetrical and that the book goes Plot/Character/Plot/Character until chapters 6 and 7, back to back character chapters focused on Rorschach & Nite Owl, respectively, the two who used to be partners, and at that moment, the narrative drive switches from Rorschach to Nite Owl. Obvious probably to everyone reading this, but not to little old me.

-I only hope that the film doesn't cause people to stray away from their love of the book or stop people from reading it. I also hope Watchmen retains its place as the greatest graphic novel of all time. Yes, the reviews for the film are divided, and everywhere you look people are discussing it, but that popularity and lack of universal love for the FILM should take NOTHING away from the greatness of the graphic novel. I hope I hope.

-I encourage you all to reread the graphic novel if you haven't lately. And if you haven't read it and don't think you can read a graphic novel (like my mother) then watch the motion comic. That shit is badass.

Now go here to see what Watchmen would look like directed by Woody Allen, Judd Apatow, Sofia Coppola and more. You won't be disappointed!

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