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| Zack Snyder |
Whether or not you actually like director Zack Snyder's output, there is one thing that must be respected. In his nine years of making feature films, he has created a style that is distinctly his. With dark, glossy colors and a penchant for ramping fight scenes with varying degrees of violence, he has managed to create a distinguished style that most people would associate with Snyder. With his latest film, Man of Steel, I decided to look back at the man who has created some of the more polarizing adaptations of pop culture favorites and determine what it is that makes him worth checking out.
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| Henry Cavill in Man of Steel |
In fact, in the past 10 years, very few directors can actually compare to the trajectory that Snyder has had. While there are a few like J.J. Abrams, he still manages to create films that when throwing a still image up, most people could easily identify as his. If there is a need to compare his success, just look at M. Night Shyamalan, whose recent release After Earth hasn't quite done the business many expected. Once hailed as the next Spielberg, he has now been reduced to Razzie-nominated fare with twist gimmicks and outlandish concepts. While I think Shyamalan is important to the cinematic landscape, providing creative original properties, he has had a rough decline.
But with Man of Steel, Snyder may officially be joining the big leagues. He has Nolan as his producer and one of the most beloved superheroes as a main subject. While it could be coincidence and his film fails to capture the magic, he still manages to produce a consistent look and quality. In fact, the very idea that people are speculating that this is leading to a Justice League movie, while not very creative, adds even more weight to the release. Even in the costume design, Superman looks very different, almost like his suit is made out of the material used for basketballs.
Instead of just rambling on, I figured that I would take some time to look at the director as a whole, from his first feature to his last, and share what makes them either worth watching or why they are distinctly Snyder films. Mixed in will be personal experiences and trivia.
Style
When approaching a Zack Snyder film, it is important to be aware of the style that is represented. Rarely do his films feel bright and happy. They often use primary colors presented in a dark, druggy pallet to create a bleak and depressing universe. This is probably relative to his overall films, which have dealt with crime (Watchmen), insanity (Sucker Punch), and war (300). These films feel subversive before you get around to critiquing the rest of the film.
The tone is also bleak. With most of his films being adaptations of popular work, he creates a muggy, noir style where almost everyone seems to be beaten down. In Watchmen, the main character Rorschach (Jackie Earl Haley) presents the city as being full of unpleasant hookers and even his past is riddled with some violent trauma. Most of Snyder's films end on some form of a down note. Despite having success, the protagonist is usually either dead (Watchmen), on the verge of death (Dawn of the Dead) or ambiguously brain dead (Sucker Punch). In this sense, Snyder is a revelation of a voice because he doesn't expect everything to work out in the end. He is unrelenting and putting that into high budgeted fare only makes him seem more enduring.
Still, probably the most familiar aspect of a Snyder film is the ramping. This is the technique in which during usually an action scene the performer will either slow down or speed up to increase the stylized tension. While it has been noticeable in his work since 300, its most well known use came in the opening scene in 300 in which the Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) has a big fight in his house. This leads to him being thrown out the window. Slowing down to create dramatic effect, it isolates the moment as being poignant.
Movies
Film: Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Based On: Dawn of the Dead, written and directed by George A. Romero
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 75%
Box Office: $59 million
As far as debuts go, this unessential remake of Romero's classic manages to succeed more than fails. While it doesn't quite have the distinguished Snyder traits that would begin appearing in his next film, this zombie tale managed to mix perverse, dark humor with violence in a way that wasn't exactly boring. It didn't do much to escalate zombies or Snyder into the stratosphere, though along with 28 Days Later, many would consider it one of the 00's best zombie pictures. I am personally indifferent to it and only amused that with Snyder going on to direct movies for DC, that writer James Gunn went on to do Guardians of the Galaxy for Marvel. That alone is probably the most amusement that this picture will give you other than a great cover of Disturbed's "The Sickness."
Box Office: $59 million
As far as debuts go, this unessential remake of Romero's classic manages to succeed more than fails. While it doesn't quite have the distinguished Snyder traits that would begin appearing in his next film, this zombie tale managed to mix perverse, dark humor with violence in a way that wasn't exactly boring. It didn't do much to escalate zombies or Snyder into the stratosphere, though along with 28 Days Later, many would consider it one of the 00's best zombie pictures. I am personally indifferent to it and only amused that with Snyder going on to direct movies for DC, that writer James Gunn went on to do Guardians of the Galaxy for Marvel. That alone is probably the most amusement that this picture will give you other than a great cover of Disturbed's "The Sickness."
Film: 300 (2006)
Based On: "300" by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 60%
Box Office: $210 million
Many fans consider this film to be a frame-for-frame adaptation of the graphic novel, which for the most part worked out. As the gross will suggest, it made Snyder a viable name while also launching Gerard Butler into the mainstream. The film itself became a phenomenon with the lines "This is Sparta" and "Tonight we dine in hell" becoming some of the most iconic lines of a film in the past 10 years. With plenty of violence and ramping, the film established what we would come to expect from this director. To date, this spectacle remains Snyder's most financially successful film and also his most distinguished in style.
While this is another one of his that I am impartial to, what makes this film memorable for me is how it was marketed. As a heavy MySpace user, I would be bombarded with 300 advertisements to the point I couldn't log in without clicking on some link. It was ridiculous. At that point, I hadn't felt like MySpace was used for movie marketing that aggressively. There was even a page with contests. To a large extent, I felt that by marketing the film on MySpace, it gave the film the popularity that it had through social media word of mouth. To this day, I cannot disassociate 300 and MySpace because of this.
Film: Watchmen (2009)
Based On: "Watchmen" by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 64%
Box Office: $107 million
With an iconic trailer that premiered during the Dark Knight, this is my favorite Snyder film. At very least, it has a lot of amazing things around it. Infamous curmudgeon Alan Moore was so against it that he took his name off of the credits. At a budget of $130 million, it barely managed to pass it internationally while being the number one film at the box office two weeks in a row. It not only made the Watchmen characters a household name, but made these characters into some of the most popular cosplay at Comic Cons and Halloween parties (which I can attest to, as I have seen a black man dressed as Rorschach).
Still the film itself is legendary. Even at 162 minutes, there were additional materials released to flesh out the story. There are three cuts: theatrical (162 minutes), director's (186 minutes), and ultimate (215 minutes) as a result. The film managed to pack frenzied violence and narrative into one of the most ambitious and exciting superhero films of all time. Even if it had some trouble, it is still Snyder's defining triumph and while he unfortunately got called a "visionary director" from thereon out in all trailers, this film may be the closest that we ever come to the "Watchmen" story coming to the screen accurately.
As for the film itself, it has a lot of great iconic moments. The opening credits sequence with the Bob Dylan classic "The Times They Are a Changin'" plays over a montage that covers up some of the story's more minuscule plot points. It has since become one of the highest praised opening credits sequences. The film also turned Jackie Earle Haley into a star by having him appear as a creep in films like Shutter Island and the maligned Nightmare on Elm Street remake. It features one of the funniest sex scenes, and created conversation over a naked blue man. Nonetheless, the film's iconography has given Moore's story a resurgence in popularity and while it has its detractors, is considered to be one of the best superhero films, if just because of its length and dark, political subtext.
While this is another one of his that I am impartial to, what makes this film memorable for me is how it was marketed. As a heavy MySpace user, I would be bombarded with 300 advertisements to the point I couldn't log in without clicking on some link. It was ridiculous. At that point, I hadn't felt like MySpace was used for movie marketing that aggressively. There was even a page with contests. To a large extent, I felt that by marketing the film on MySpace, it gave the film the popularity that it had through social media word of mouth. To this day, I cannot disassociate 300 and MySpace because of this.
Based On: "Watchmen" by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 64%
Box Office: $107 million
With an iconic trailer that premiered during the Dark Knight, this is my favorite Snyder film. At very least, it has a lot of amazing things around it. Infamous curmudgeon Alan Moore was so against it that he took his name off of the credits. At a budget of $130 million, it barely managed to pass it internationally while being the number one film at the box office two weeks in a row. It not only made the Watchmen characters a household name, but made these characters into some of the most popular cosplay at Comic Cons and Halloween parties (which I can attest to, as I have seen a black man dressed as Rorschach).
Still the film itself is legendary. Even at 162 minutes, there were additional materials released to flesh out the story. There are three cuts: theatrical (162 minutes), director's (186 minutes), and ultimate (215 minutes) as a result. The film managed to pack frenzied violence and narrative into one of the most ambitious and exciting superhero films of all time. Even if it had some trouble, it is still Snyder's defining triumph and while he unfortunately got called a "visionary director" from thereon out in all trailers, this film may be the closest that we ever come to the "Watchmen" story coming to the screen accurately.
As for the film itself, it has a lot of great iconic moments. The opening credits sequence with the Bob Dylan classic "The Times They Are a Changin'" plays over a montage that covers up some of the story's more minuscule plot points. It has since become one of the highest praised opening credits sequences. The film also turned Jackie Earle Haley into a star by having him appear as a creep in films like Shutter Island and the maligned Nightmare on Elm Street remake. It features one of the funniest sex scenes, and created conversation over a naked blue man. Nonetheless, the film's iconography has given Moore's story a resurgence in popularity and while it has its detractors, is considered to be one of the best superhero films, if just because of its length and dark, political subtext.
Film: Legends of the Guardian: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010)
Based On: "Guardian of Ga'Hoole" by Kathryn Lasky
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 50%
Box Office: $55 million
In one of the most bizarre moves in the director's career, he decided to follow-up the highly graphic and sexual Watchmen with a PG-rated film about fighting owls. Besides the ramping and dark lighting, this may be the least distinguished film that Snyder has ever made. While it has an all-star cast that included Hugo Weaving, Helen Mirren, and Geoffrey Rush, the film had trouble selling itself on its ridiculous premise akin to the recent flop of Rise of the Guardians. While the film itself isn't that bad, it isn't really a distinctive experience and almost forgettable. It works as a kid's film, but little else. Still, what is more impressive is how solid animation and lore behind the narrative works. If you can get past the idea of owls talking and acting almost human, it isn't nearly as bad as you think.
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 50%
Box Office: $55 million
In one of the most bizarre moves in the director's career, he decided to follow-up the highly graphic and sexual Watchmen with a PG-rated film about fighting owls. Besides the ramping and dark lighting, this may be the least distinguished film that Snyder has ever made. While it has an all-star cast that included Hugo Weaving, Helen Mirren, and Geoffrey Rush, the film had trouble selling itself on its ridiculous premise akin to the recent flop of Rise of the Guardians. While the film itself isn't that bad, it isn't really a distinctive experience and almost forgettable. It works as a kid's film, but little else. Still, what is more impressive is how solid animation and lore behind the narrative works. If you can get past the idea of owls talking and acting almost human, it isn't nearly as bad as you think.
Film: Sucker Punch (2011)
Based On: A story by Zack Snyder
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 23%
Box Office: $36 million
For anyone wondering why a lot of people are skeptical of Snyder's take on Man of Steel, it takes no further looking than his first original property. Sucker Punch is a stylized look into an insane asylum in which scantily clad women escape their trouble by going into their subconscious to fight demons. Somehow this will lead them to escape the ward. The story is packed with Snyder's most excessive exploration of ramping, terrible covers of Jefferson Airplane songs, and just bad decision after bad decision. Not only does the film's attempt to take an Inception like premise slap some video game and fetish into the mix not produce the feminist message that is claimed to be present, but it just doesn't work as a narrative. Very few people would argue differently, but even /Film's Adam Quigley doesn't make a strong case.
The film's failure left me asking if Snyder was actually a good director, or if his desire to go high concept is what killed the film. While I admit that it continues to establish his distinct style, it is done so excessively and within the confines of a PG-13 rating that one can't help but feel like the restraint was either a pro or con. Either we needed to see a more graphic, fleshed out story, or we needed something more resembling a narrative. Sucker Punch's legacy for me will always be the confusion on wondering if the extended edition actually will make a difference, as many points in the film lack cohesiveness. However, the fetishistic take on women is still the most troubling aspect, if just because the story dives into a bleak finale that only skews the reality into even more nonsense.
The reason I am very skeptical about Man of Steel is because of Sucker Punch. Either it was just proof that he can't adapt original material, or he is losing it as he goes along.
The reason I am very skeptical about Man of Steel is because of Sucker Punch. Either it was just proof that he can't adapt original material, or he is losing it as he goes along.
Verdict
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| 300 |
I cannot personally say that I consider Zack Snyder a personal favorite. However, at the same time, I have to admire someone who has an authentic visual style and produces consistent work, even as he gets bigger and bigger budgets. His decision to make films that have bleak outcomes is also something that is rather appealing, if just because the dark subject matter is not nearly as popular in blockbuster film making as one would think. Still, Sucker Punch's failure as a film doesn't help me have confidence in his work going forward. While it stars the always great Michael Shannon as the villain and a score by Hans Zimmer, I need something more to grab onto. Maybe Snyder is one of those people that should never do original material. Maybe that is the lesson of Sucker Punch.
Looking at his films, I am mostly impartial to most of them. His style isn't ugly or unattractive, and that is a plus. Part of me would like to root him on, if just because of this. Still, without a doubt, his epic superhero film Watchmen is his crowning achievement and may be his lasting legacy. Even at a bigger budget, 300 is a ridiculous swords and sandals film that almost works as a popcorn film more than as a piece of art. Even the inessential Dawn of the Dead resulted in some merit because it had some distinct life to it, though that could questionably been from James Gunn's script.
I hope that Man of Steel is good. Even if I have only seen the two Richard Donner films (okay, maybe that's 1 and a half), there's still something appealing about a Superman movie, especially under Christopher Nolan's watchful eye. The question now is if this makes Snyder a director for hire or someone who can paint his vision into anything he adapts. Either way, we'll always have Watchmen to keep us entertained.
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