Emotional investment

[pyromaniac]

Everything on record would indicate a visual treat for the eyes and the story will be very much intact, but what about the one last slightly nagging concern: emotional investment?

What forms a large part of my moviegoing experiences is that I find myself relating to the characters, not only in sympathy and such but also in feeling their highs and lows, a'la the desperation and cracked despair of The Dark Knight's characters (I was rewatching on dvd yesterday and I felt myself being swept up in the story and in the characters once again, and that strengthens the film, in my opinion).

So that's one worry I have about Watchmen. I am cautiously optimistic that Synder will make the film brilliant, and that his last 300 wasn't an indicator of his directorial style. However, when I think of 300, particularly upon second viewing, I wasn't as invested in the characters then, and certainly didn't care about the father's grief for the son who'd died in battle, but whether it was because of the plot that was paper thin to begin with, execution, predictability or even acting, I'm not sure. While it's possible Synder might have alluded to it in interviews, I cannot remember for the life of me now.

So what do you think? Will you feel wretched, sad, pessimistic, hopeful, curious with any of or all of the characters, as well as the supports? That's a big tick that goes a long way towards a good movie to a fantastic one.

 

[Solidus]

Everything on record would indicate a visual treat for the eyes and the story will be very much intact, but what about the one last slightly nagging concern: emotional investment?

What forms a large part of my moviegoing experiences is that I find myself relating to the characters, not only in sympathy and such but also in feeling their highs and lows, a'la the desperation and cracked despair of The Dark Knight's characters (I was rewatching on dvd yesterday and I felt myself being swept up in the story and in the characters once again, and that strengthens the film, in my opinion).

So that's one worry I have about Watchmen. I am cautiously optimistic that Synder will make the film brilliant, and that his last 300 wasn't an indicator of his directorial style. However, when I think of 300, particularly upon second viewing, I wasn't as invested in the characters then, and certainly didn't care about the father's grief for the son who'd died in battle, but whether it was because of the plot that was paper thin to begin with, execution, predictability or even acting, I'm not sure. While it's possible Synder might have alluded to it in interviews, I cannot remember for the life of me now.

So what do you think? Will you feel wretched, sad, pessimistic, hopeful, curious with any of or all of the characters, as well as the supports? That's a big tick that goes a long way towards a good movie to a fantastic one.

I dunno if this deserves its own thread. But 300 was not an emotional source material period. So judging it off of that is a poor one. As Devin said at CHUD after seeing the first 22 minutes is that Watchmen will be the film that will define Snyder, not 300 or Dawn of the Dead.

Sounds like Kevin was pleased and he's a crazed hard core comic fan, most know that of him.

From the stuff I've seen I got tears in my eyes from listening to the new audio clips of Dan, and Jon, and hell even Walter. And for the most part unlike 300 they have a hell of a cast with them, incredible actors. I really don't even have close to a worry about the acting, maybe some other things here and there, but so far, the emotional investment seems to be there and accounted for. Just from clips and views of it from people that have seen a lot more then we have.

 

[Christmas]

Can't say til March. I suspect Dr. Manhattan will be the most empathetic character.

Don't sweat it.

 

[BestGirl]

^If the movie's anything like the GN then Dan should be the most empathetic character.

 

[Sawyer]

^If the movie's anything like the GN then Dan should be the most empathetic character.

I second that.

 

[CaptainGenerica]

I think that Alan and Dave did such an excellent job creating the characters in the first place that if the script (especially the dialogue) is as faithful as it seems like it will be, Snyder will have most of his work done for him already. Obviously it's up to the actors to bring them to life, and Snyder to bring out the best in the actors, but they're already starting from such strong source material that I'm sure they'll pull it off.

 

[Christmas]

IMO when I've read the book I felt more for Dr Manhattan's story. Dan's empathetic too but also more pathetic.

 

[Bubastis]

I completely agree with you, and you're right to worry. But it seems that the actors seem to really really get it. Jeffery Dean Morgan talks in interviews about how he wants to make Blake somebody that you can fear and hate and yet feel vaguely sorry for. Patrick Wilson used his time at Comic-Con to talk passionately about how much you root for Dan in the graphic novel, which gave me a lot of hope. And Tyler Bates' score for Laurie on the official Watchmen page displays an impressive and relieving amount of empathy and sympathy.

But, as it has been said, we'll have to wait until March.

 

[Doctor Jones]

I actually never thought of this before. You bring up all good points. They casted great actors, but I hope the visuals don't overshadow that.

We'll see.

 

[Hurm...]

This was the same thing I was worried about up until I listened to the voices and audio on the updated official site. That definitely lowered my fears towards the "emotional investment" especially after listening to Dr. Manhattan, Veidt, and Rorschach. After that site update, my worries definitely eased tremendously.

 

[Abstract]

I've been worried about this too. The trailers don't really reveal a great deal and all you can tell from them is the film looks great.

The trailers have an action movie quality to them which worries me, partially because it's misleading to people who haven't read the novel and partially because if they've dumbed it down into "Die Hard" level drama then fans of the book will be disapointed.

 

[Solidus]

I've been worried about this too. The trailers don't really reveal a great deal and all you can tell from them is the film looks great.

The trailers have an action movie quality to them which worries me, partially because it's misleading to people who haven't read the novel and partially because if they've dumbed it down into "Die Hard" level drama then fans of the book will be disapointed.

Sigh. It's not action packed. Even from the later script reports, they have extended the action sequences in there, but its far from a action movie, its still what it always have been to the fans like myself of the graphic novel.

 

[Carmine Falcone]

Oh c'mon... Please, stop worrying about every aspect of this movie. It's coming out in a little over a month...

 

[The Guard]

Why would you be seriously worried about being emotionally invested in WATCHMEN?

Even if only HALF of what makes the book resonate so much is in this film, it will still be more emotionally relevant and resonant than 99 percent of what's out there.

 

[Hellrider]

The characters and dialogues in this book are just brilliant. The best thing about watchmen is the characters, and their development throughout the film. And as an previous poster said, if snyder remains true, and the actors pull it off well, his work is already done for him. i definitely think people are going get an emotional reaction from...

-roschach back story
-th ending
- the rape scene
- the scene where the comedian shots the pregnant women
-

Spoiler

Rorschach getting murdered by the doc

Watchmen is full of emotional dialogue and scenes. If the actors pull it off, and the dialogue is the same, which it looks like it will be, I wouldn't be worried about the emotional investment of the film.

 

[The Guard]

Not just an emotional reaction, either. I suspect that it will be easy for people to become emotionally invested simply because of the issues and themes involved, and the relatively gradual and subtle way they are presented in the film.

 

[Doctor Jones]

I've been worried about this too. The trailers don't really reveal a great deal and all you can tell from them is the film looks great.

The trailers have an action movie quality to them which worries me, partially because it's misleading to people who haven't read the novel and partially because if they've dumbed it down into "Die Hard" level drama then fans of the book will be disapointed.

The commercials are to get people in the theater and to PAY for it. YOu can't market a film like this with what it really is.

 

[MattL]

I think it's good that the commercials make Watchmen out to be "just another cape movie". It'll get unfamiliar crowds.

Once those crowds sit and watch the movie, provided Zach keeps the emotional core in tact, viewers will be caught off guard and blown away by the depth.

Gotta say, though, serious kudos to the actors if they can pull it all off. Lots of heavy, heavy emotional scenes in Watchmen. I can only imagine what went through Malin Akermann's mind when she had to film the destroyed-Mahattan scene. And hell, Jackie Earl Haley has to pull off eveything through a mask!

 

[MattL]

Oh, and the scene that I think will hit hardest: Rorschach's last words.

 

[Bubastis]

Everybody on the movie has read Watchmen at least once. Most have read it repeatedly. Anybody who's read it once has come across the moment where Rorschach apologizes to Dan for how hard it can be to care for him, and yet Dan does it anyway. Anybody who read that scene gets that there is an honest emotional poignancy to the story.

 

[The Guard]

Do you all seriously think this looks like "just another superhero movie"?

Really?

 

[MattL]

Do you all seriously think this looks like "just another superhero movie"?

Really?

No, but I think it's being advertised that way. On purpose. Hell, Zach knows us fans are going to see it no matter what. He doesn't have to worry about selling the premise to us.

It's those who have no idea that need to be lured. It'd be tough to convey any of the story's emotional details in only brief clips from previews, especially to someone who doesn't know the characters.

 

[The Guard]

I dunno, there are some obvious components of it that do not point to being "just another superhero movie". A lot of the dialogue in the trailers makes this very, very clear.

And a lot of the key emotional details are on the website, albeit not in trailers. But they are still available from a marketing perspective.

 

[Abstract]

Sigh. It's not action packed. Even from the later script reports, they have extended the action sequences in there, but its far from a action movie, its still what it always have been to the fans like myself of the graphic novel.

I had a feeling that they had extended some scenes after seeing the trailer with Laurie in the tenement fire. I'm glad to hear that the spirit of the novel is still intact.

God I love that book. Reading it for the fifth time.

 

[BestGirl]

Do you all seriously think this looks like "just another superhero movie"?

Really?

I remember after watching the trailer - never having read the GN - I was surprised at how dark the movie seemed. I figured that these people were supposed to be superheroes but everyone in it looked like a villain. That definitely made it seem not like just another superhero movie.