When we think of superheroes, we imagine costumed characters of high morals fighting against evil to defeat them. Is the conflict between good and evil as white and black as it's seen in superhero movies?
Adapted from the 1986 original comic, Watchmen explores the grey side of superheroes which breaks the imagination of heroes having high morals and fighting only for ensuring justice for the society.
Watchmen is set in a parallel universe where the cold war was not in such a stalemate as in the real world. The rise of costumed vigilantes without real superpowers became a norm since the ‘40s, fighting villains and criminals alongside law enforcers.
The nuclear race between the United States and the Soviet Union caused a horrifying accident for the United States but turned out to be the trump card for America’s Dr. Manhattan, who has absolute God-like superpowers.
President Nixon's weaponization made him the best deterrent against the Soviets, turning the cold war on the United States’ side.
Zack Snyder brilliantly explains the origin of Watchmen at the start of the film. He shows the creation, success, and the not-so-happy ending of the costumed superhero group ‘Minutemen’ in the opening credits, setting up the groundwork for the Watchmen group.
Even someone who didn’t read the comics will understand the origin of Watchmen by watching the opening credits.
After winning the Vietnam War and annexing the country, Richard Nixon gets elected as the president of the United States for the third time. He passes the Keene Act, which bans superhero activity. Most superheroes either retire or choose to be government agents while Rorschach, the anti-hero with different moral standards, decides to operate outside the law.
Comedian was the only superhero who was both part of Minutemen and Watchmen. He has hedonistic views of life and seemingly no moral compass, often coming into conflict with his compatriots.
Even after he dies at the movie’s start, his past life and death play a major role in the plot.
Even though the Cold War was on the American side, there was still fear of the Soviets. The heroes often question themselves, can they ensure peace? Do they serve justice for society?
One of the Watchmen Ozymandias, aka Adrian Velt, influenced by Comedian’s world view, concludes that there will be no peace on both sides if they don’t have a common enemy. Thus he hatches a plan secretly to create the enemy of the world, making Dr. Manhattan the villain.
Despite having the powers of a God, Dr. Manhattan decides to comply with the plan. He understands the futility of humankind and their need for a common enemy to make peace with themselves while others don’t comply with him.
Rorschach sacrificed himself due to his inner conflict with the agreement but let the world know about Velt’s plan before his death.
Watchmen is a film showing the moral conflict within superheroes trying to save the world in a dark tone.
While other superhero films don’t explore the psychology and moral compass of the superheroes, Zack Snyder takes an ambitious approach to portray these complexities, making it the best film he ever made.
Well, this movie might not compete with Dark Knight in terms of popularity; but for many fans of superhero movies, this is arguably the greatest superhero movie ever made.
