Whether or not you are a fan of Zack Snyder’s “Watchmen,” odds are you at least understand two things: “Watchmen,” based off a 12-issue graphic novel, was unadaptable. And, somebody had to adapt it. It’s an iconic graphic novel, packed with rich characters, deep moral quandaries, and gritty violence — i.e. exactly what every comic book fan wants in a movie. Essentially, the biggest problem was that Alan Moore’s creation was perfect, that no adaptation could ever live up to the sheer greatness of the source material.
In fact no adaptation should attempt to be its source material. But rather, it should aim to be a companion, a separate entity working to texture the original, give voice and motion to the silent and flat, but it should never try to replace. This, in essence, is the argument Kaptain Kristian makes in his video essay “‘Watchmen’ – Adapting The Unadaptable.” More specifically to “Watchmen,” he points out that the comic book is, fundamentally, a comic book, a sort of experiment designed to test the limits of the medium, to unshackle it from film and literature and let it be its own art.
Similarly, Snyder, for all his love and devotion to the source material, couldn’t resist his visual flair. Where the comic book utilized violence carefully, subtly building the bruising, gory climaxes for maximum emotional impact, Snyder is gleefully gratuitous, almost reveling in the blood and forgoing the aghast tone of the original. To put it bluntly, despite his faithful, shot-for-shot recreations, Snyder just didn’t seem to understand the material. That, combined with the integral relationship to its medium that “Watchmen” has, resulted in what can only be called a missed opportunity.
But, no matter your feelings toward Snyder’s adaptation, be sure to check out “‘Watchmen’ – Adapting The Unadaptable” above and weigh in with your favorite comic book adaptation in the comments below.
