Adaptation Paper- The Watchmen

7/28/2019 Adaptation Paper- The Watchmen

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Alex EdwardsEnglish 329BProfessor Byrne7/5/13

Adaptation Paper: Watchmen

Watchmen is a graphic novel released in a series of 12 issues written by Alan Moore and

illustrated by Dave Gibbons released between September 1986 to October 1987. It is an anomaly

in the literary world: a gritty pseudo-superhero story set in then-present day dealing with real-

world issues and grounding the characters and events with human nature and struggle. While this

is typical for Moores work, it is in stark contrast to the typical fantasy-world (Gotham,

Metropolis) epic-superhero-based comics that rule the genre.

Moore wrote Watchmen to mirror culturally relevant anxieties at the time, as well as

reject the clich image of the superhero. The series follows two generations of a crime-fighting

team of superheroes set in the 1980s, New York. Each character (and their predecessors, who

were often their mentors) was meant to create radically opposing ways to perceive the world,

allowing the reader to determine which path is most mora lly acceptable. (Norris) Moore doesnt

believe in the idea of cramming regurgitated morals down readers throats; instead presenting

many options and allowing the reader to decide for themselves. (Norris) This basic foundational

aspect to the story is the first detail to set the book apart from its genre, since with classics such

as Spiderman, Superman, The Justice League, and Batman, the line between good and evil is

clearly drawn and enforced. Moore wove a story with ambivalence, showing even the worst of

them had something going for them, and even the best of them had their flaws. (Norris)

Watchmen is an intensely psychologically demanding book not only in terms of the story,

but also in the physical aesthetic. The illustrations, though appropriately dark to match the


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extent). Snyders main focus was to bring the audience back into the era of The

Watchmen/Minutemen(The 1930s and 80s, respectively), making sure every reference to real

political figures (President Richard Nixon, John Lennon, Truman Capote, David Bowie, Lee

Iacocca and many more) was as satirical and yet era-appropriate as could be.Nixons famous

nose, for example, is highly exaggerated in a caricature-esque way. Another tool Snyder utilized

to the fullest (and perhaps the most notably successful tool) was the soundtrack. The movie is

studded with classic tracks such as The Times, They Are A-Changin (the original) and two

covers of other Bob Dylan songs, Simon and Garfunkels The Sound of Silence, and Leonard

Cohens Hallelujah (both referenced in the comic). These choices, often accompanyingparticularly important scenes, shots, or slideshows, was arguably the main tools of nostalgia

Snyder used to create a synesthetic experience in watching Watchmen.

Critics generally agreed that while no one could have adapted the movie better than Zach

Snyder, it is impossible to successfully adapt this comic to a film. The film is often described as

being geared more toward making money, yet still remains somewhat true to the bookeven

though many of the nuances, themes, backstories, and subplots that make the book great are

absent. The film version and the novel version both have value in their own right even though the

film is derivative of the novel. The symbols that remain constant in both are usually visual, such

as Dr. Manhattans forehead symbol being the Bohr diagram for Hydrogen, the doomsday clock

that slowly ticks down to midnight, or international nuclear crisis, as well as the smiley face

pin belonging to The Comedian, usually shown with a drop of blood on it to indicate the

paradoxical personality that is The Comedian. Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who plays The Comedian

in the film adaptation, summed up this complex characters essence, saying Oddly enough, hes


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a superhero, but he does horrible things. For some reason, in reading the novel, you dont hate

this guy even though he does things that are unmentionable. They are horrendous things. My job

is to kind of make that translate, so as a viewer you end up not making excuses to like him, but

you dont hate him like you should for the things that he does. (Newgen) This represents just

one of the challenges in adapting a character in a text to the screen: capturing the same energy of

the character in the book and embodying it to portray the same energy believably on screen.

These horrendous things occur due to many characters and many themes of the storyline.

Without themes like rape, war, existentialism, politics, morality, and human nature, Watchmen

could not have remained true to the original story.

In deviation from the story (and a main subject of scrutiny from critics), the film leaves

out much of the backstories of the characters. While Lauries backstory was brought into the

foreground and focused upon throughout the movie (this is also where the theme of rape comes

in) while other meaningful backstories had to be cut out. Rorschachs mysterious morphing mask

is never properly explained, for example, and while we get the story of how Dr. Manhattan came

to be,

Another criticism of this adaptation (and Snyders adaptations overall) is the obsession

with and glorification of violence. Many characters whose personalities are much more complex

suddenly become far more two-dimensional, bloodthirsty, and combat scenes are extended.

Ozymandias loses entire sides of himself from the original character, without Tales of the Black

Freighterto compare himself to an entire subplot (with its own themes and morals contributing

to the whole that is Watchmen) is lost. In the novel, his character is represented just as much a

hero as anti-hero, much like his equally balanced counterpart (and yet personality-wise, twin)


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The Comedian. The background on Rorschach shows him growing up in an unbelievably broken

home, but is quickly followed up with highlighted images of him biting off another childs ear

remorselessly, or killing a child molester and his dogs by hacking them apart savagely with an

axe, or slamming a fellow inmates head into hot oil at their canteen. This paints a far more

violent picture ofRorschach, who now has been almost completely reduced to anger and

vengeance issues rather than the cool(er) and more thoughtful character he is in the novel. He is

arguably the most volatile of the group, but this characteristic is hugely magnified in the film. He

is not the only character who is warped. Ozymandias has a constant sense of malevolence in the

movie, always presenting himself higher than everyone else and generally being amegalomaniac. His presence seems to elicit some kind of subtle, eerie, almost suspenseful sense

of impending doom. In the book, the switch that takes place in Antarctica is far more sudden and

unexpected, since he is portrayed as a very charismatic, understatedly kind character. In the

movie, it is clear that his kindness is the persona known by the general public but the viewer

and the Watchmen know he is anything but.

Perhaps the most discussed, controversial, and pertinent character (and entity), though, is

Dr. Manhattan. Of course this includes his comparison to humanity: who he used to be, and his

contrast with the rest of the Watchmen and society. James DiGiovanna says this is because

Manhattan has transcended humanity by having a superpower that no one else has: he can

overcome the philosophical problem of identity! (114, DiGiovanna) He is often described as a

representation of God, questioning and testing the boundaries of space and time, and

contemplating humanity as he gradually pulls farther and farther away from it. To portray this on

screen, an omnipotent, sentient being, Snyders choice was to, again, appeal to the senses, and


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ensure the otherworldly blue light emanating from Dr. Manhattan is present in the film. Snyders

version ofWatchmen is almost a different story entirely, derivative of the graphic novel. He

does, however, capture the feel and tone ofWatchmen, the comic, while adding his own flavor of

show business fueled graphic violence, and appealing to all the senses a viewer has, giving the

film credit where credit is dueeven if it isnt in success as an adaptation, but rather a

standalone film.


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Works Cited

DiGiovanna, James. "Dr. Manhattan, I Presume?" Watchmen And Philosophy: A Rorschach Test.Ed. William Irwin and Mark D. White. 1st ed. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2009. 103-14. Google Books. Google. Web. 6 July 2013.

Newgen, Heather. "EXCL: Morgan and Butler Talk Watchmen." Superhero Hype. N.p., 9 Dec.2007. Web. 05 July 2013.

Norris, Richard, and El Csawza. "Vincent Eno and El CsawzaMeet Comics Megastar Alan Moore." Strange Things Are HappeningMay/June 1.2 (1988): n.

pag.JohnCoulthart.com. 20 Feb. 2006. Web. 01 July 2013.

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