The Watchmen- Buddy Powers

The Watchmen was a great film because it played with the obligation of a hero to the world more than any Marvel film has yet to do. The gore and eroticism so vividly shown in the movie was more than I thought was necessary. I would have preferred a more artistic representation but I understand that the culture of popular movies is calling for a more literal story interpretation. However the goal of achieving a story about the real issues that super heroes might deal with was improved by the reality of these intense scenes. An example of this is when the one inmate cuts through the others with the metal grinder to get to Rorschach in the cell and you literally see the flesh tear. The real draw in this film for me was the character Dr. Manhattan. His God like role in his ability to control matter and see into the future and past, was juxtaposed with his tendency for inaction in several pivotal circumstances that make him seem more human than demi-god. One example is when the comedian shoots the Vietnamese woman who is pregnant with his child and Dr. Manhattan, who was with him, confronts him on his actions. The comedian in response points out that Dr. Manhattan knew what was going to happen, he could have turned the gun to sand, the bullet to water and saved the woman and her child, but he did not. This is an on going theme with Dr. Manhattan, when he abandons earth at the pinnacle of nuclear holocaust because the Silk Specter leaves him for Dan. Again at the end of the movie John is confronted by Rorschach about this, “If you’d cared from the start, none of this would have happened,” to which John responds, “I can change almost anything… But I can’t change human nature.” Dr. Mahattan had fled from earth when it needed him most because he was heart that the Silk Specter had left him. At the end of the movie however, John shows his real love for humanity and actually takes the place of a more god like figure. He sacrifices the world’s opinion of him as the indestructible man to become the nemesis of mankind. He also leaves behind Laurie to be with Dan. This symbolizes Dr. Manhattans slow retreat from the humanity he found in himself and more towards his appreciation of man’s existence with him as an outer god-like figure.