PREDICTION: Conservatives will attempt to claim "Watchmen" as one of their own.

[Bicoastal]

(No Spoilers, chill)

Just came back from a midnight screening. Without giving anything away, I feel certain there's enough political material in this adaptation to lead misguided Republican pundits to say "Whoah, this movie is TOTALLY a boon to the Conservative mindset!"

They'll be wrong, of course--any character who expresses ANY political view, liberal or conservative, is complicated by contradictory actions and fuzzy morality that would seem to cancel out any underlying "message." It's a little more (okay, a LOT more) black-and-white and less subtle than the original graphic novel, which is about as apolitical as a work about the Cold Way, Nuclear weapons, and the American Dream can possibly get. Zack Snyder, director of "300," may perhaps lean a little more to the right than author Alan Moore, but Snyder is so faithful to the original (sometimes frustratingly so) that an average moviegoer would probably not notice any of the sociopolitical subtext--or at least, what's left of it from the original story.

But I predict, of course, that Hannity, Beck, et al will jump onto this movie's bandwagon, happy to see that for once, a cinematic "hero" is portrayed as leaning to the right. They'll proceed, of course, to completely ignore that these good conservative characters aren't exactly good--and, in fact, they aren't exactly conservatives.

[RandomThoughts]

1. I haven't seen the movie.

I call that syndrome flipped movies. So many tell the story backwards celebrating what most think of as bad, as the good guy. And then making the good guy look bad by violence or meanness.

[merh]

19. Like Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

http://drhorrible.com/mushortio.html

A must watch (internet musical)

[iamthebandfanman]

2. i hope to go see it soon

and i dont plan on assigning any political designations to anything in the film.

i try not to associate politics with any movie, unless the movie was made about politics.

[Joe the Liberal]

3. I can't wait to see it...........

It looks awesome and right now republicans are trying to improve their image so it wouldn't surprise me if they tried to link themselves with the film. Which is pathetic really ,they have to use rap and now movies to improve their image rather than using ideas or trying to help get us out of this economic mess THEY CREATED!

[camera obscura]

4. Please, please let the Republicans try to claim Rorschach as their new role model.

That would be fitting.

Of course, liberals get Dr. Manhattan, who outright states that the miracle of life comes from the scientific improbability of cells joining together, defeating the odds and creating a fully formed, unique human being; which doesn't exactly jibe with the "zygotes are special because of JEEEESUS" camp.

[AllentownJake]

5. Yes and Batman is George W. Bush

I'm sorry if you have to go into a fantasy world to justify your political idealogy than that shows what your idealogy is actually based on, fantasy not reality.

I liked Green Lantern growing up. My favorite super hero, I'm not looking to Green Lantern to justify my political beliefs. I look to my own life experiences, history, and what I've learned in college.

If you are getting your politics out of a movie or comic book....well I'm sorry I can't take you seriously.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

7. Your last line is total, utter BS.

Movies and comic books are art forms, and society has been getting politics out of art since cavemen etched crude drawings onto walls. And though it's a graphic novel, Watchmen is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest works of literature and not merely a comic book.

I know you're trying to bash conservatives here, but it's way, way out of place.

[vaberella]

9. True...Characters like Black Panther (Marvel) were born out of the Civil Rights movement. n/t

[TTUBatfan2008]

12. And the X-Men...

The comic book came out in the 1960's during the Civil Rights movement. The mutants are outcasts due to the fact that they are different through no fault of their own. And now the X-Men film series of the 2000's has modified it to fit all types of discrimination, the most obvious being homophobia.

[vaberella]

22. Yup, you're right. n/t

[AllentownJake]

30. None of which justify civil rights

as much as Bull Connor's dogs which really happened.

[merh]

20. Cartoons and caricatures and the like

were often the means to express political views that were not otherwise allowed.

The jester could mock the king.

[Ken Burch]

54. A lot of the early contributors to MAD(especially in its pre-magazine "paperback" days)

were antifascist exiles from Europe. They had escaped Hitler and were using the medium of comic book styles to resist the authoritarian politics we had in the Fifties.

[AllentownJake]

28. There is the real world

and there is the world of art. I may like a piece of fiction. I may find certain truths in it. However,
I'm not going to take a piece of fiction and use it as justification for my world view. If your telling me your idealogy is right because of Candide, the Beatles, Superman, Picaso, or the watchmen, I'm going to laugh at you.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

31. You must find yourself very, very lonely.

Sorry pal, but it's you versus billions of people over thousands of years on this one.

No one is saying they're right because Candide said so. What they are doing is using the art of fiction to express political beliefs through an indirect medium, making it safer to discuss and easier to understand. It helps people make sense of the world around them - which is the whole point, really. Art conveys to people ideas and emotions, it connects people to each other. It sparks imagination and provokes people to thought. I never became a libertarian after reading Atlas Shrugged, but it did get me thinking a little bit about that point of view, to the point where I understood it better, and still rejected it.

Fiction has always been a vital part of shaping world politics and history, and it always will be. There is nothing laughable about that.

[AllentownJake]

35. I enjoy art

My political idealogy is based on what I've seen with my own eyes, my education which includes fiction and art which I enjoy (its just a form of communication), and my moral values which I've developed through my faith and my upbringing.

My point is there are many facets to one's world view...if its mostly based on a work of fiction that is stupid. There needs to be balance.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

37. Of course

I'm not sure what you're really arguing, however. Outside of perhaps evangelists with the Bible, I've never encountered anyone who has based their entire world view solely or even mostly upon fictitious works. But even you yourself say that your worldview has been shaped by them, so I'm not sure what you're getting at. Perhaps I'm misunderstanding you. :shrug:

[AllentownJake]

38. If someone tells me this politian is like Batman

or this politian is like one of the watchmen, I'll be pretty dismisive...that is my point.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

40. Why?

They're often written specifically to resemble them. V for Vendetta, for example, was written specifically with Margaret Thatcher in mind. Would you dismiss me for pointing that out?

[AllentownJake]

41. Seeing I know enough about Lady Thatcher

to form my own opinion if you pointed it out there was similarities no, if you claimed she was exactly like that character yes.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

43. Well, that's a point of view thing really.

An extremist like Moore probably did believe she was exactly like that character, or would be were the circumstances a bit different. In these cases, I'd say you're being more dismissive of the person's extremely slanted politics (and for that, I wouldn't blame you. I'm well noted around here for being anti-extremism.)

In fairness, I suppose I would agree with you insofar as the actions you would dismiss are likely symptoms of a much greater problem with the person. That said, as with all symptoms, they don't always point to the proper disease.

[AllentownJake]

45. At the end of the day even if the "Watchmen"

was meant to be "conservative" or Batman in the dark Knight I still know the idealogy to be false from experiences outside of art.

Example Atlas Shrugged or the Alchemist. I find the entire premise to be wrong and therefore I don't care who each character represents.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

46. Absolutely.

Anyone who shapes or reshapes their world view from one work is a lunatic. Again, however, outside of perhaps extreme Bible thumpers, I don't know of anyone who does that.

[AllentownJake]

47. When someone says a book "changed their life"

I want to smack them. It might have made you think about something in a different way which had good results but it didn't change your life.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

48. I agree wholeheartedly with you there.

That's code for "I didn't have any thoughts of my own."

I will say, however, that the Tao Te Ching was very influential in my life, but it clicked with me they made sense, and perhaps coalesced pre-existing thoughts that I held.

[AllentownJake]

49. I like Candide

because the guy goes from idealogy to idealogy trying to find Utopia...at the end..there is none.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

50. I love Candide as well.

Paraphrasing: Does the Captain of the ship care about the quality of life of its rats?

That's a thought that's always stuck with me. Even if there is a god, why would we presume that it cares at all about us? And how arrogant can we be to presume that we can understand the motives of something that's allegedly as omniscient and omnipotent as god?

[AllentownJake]

51. Pretty much the book of Job

Instead of Satan its just life dishing out punsihment.

[wyldwolf]

6. I've seen one of the clips you are no doubt referring to and I thought the same thing

My question - did you see the new TREK trailer??

[AyanEva]

14. I second this question

Never heard of Watchmen until recently, probably won't see it because superhero movies (aside from Batman) really aren't my thing (especially ones I've never heard of), but WHAT ABOUT THAT TREK TRAILER?

[wyldwolf]

18. it's online here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=265&topic_id=5492&mesg_id=5492

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

24. If you're into Batman, this is Batman's god.

I would HIGHLY recommend this to a Batman fan.

[vaberella]

29. Well it's a graphic novel.

You're not the only one. I know many people who are into comics and just don't read or like graphic novels---with is like a second cousin to the comic. So you're not the only one at all.

[Veruca Salt]

53. Just to clarify, the Watchmen started out as a series of twelve comics,

and were later compiled into a graphic novel.

Most graphic novels are done this way and personally I too prefer the original comics as the cover art may be compiled as well into the graphic novel; but if the graphic novel is done in black and white said cover art will also be in black and white. Shrinking also usually occurs in graphic novels as they're generally smaller than their comic versions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watchmen

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

8. I bet they'll love the Comedian.

These "heroes" are psychopaths, which is quite a large point of the novel.

[WeDidIt]

10. That'll be funny seeing as how the author of the graphic novel

wrote the thing in abject terror of the Reagan Administration.

[Lilith Velkor]

16. Alan Moore is British

He wrote V for Vendetta in abject terror of Thatcher, but in Watchmen, the politics were peripheral to a meditation from the adult perspective on the nature of comic book superheroes.

At least that's how I see it. :shrug:

[Dr Fate]

33. It is what you say- but it is undeniably a political work as well.

Each character seems to represent a different political mindset.

Comedian= cynical conservative.

Rorschach= crazy conservative

Adrian Veidt= "Limousine Liberal"

etc, etc.

[genna]

52. Bite your tongue

SPOILER ALERT!

Adrian Veidt= "Limousine Liberal"

If Veidt is a Limousine Liberal, I'd like to disassociate myself from all Limousine Liberals.


I liked V for Vendetta. This movie blew. It was nihilism. At least V knew he could not stand in a future world.

I didn't see Conservatives in Rorschach's character. I could be wrong about conservatives too, but I didn't see them represented either.


The only people I recognized in this movie were the people who see the End Days and greet it with a certain amount of glee. I think we Christians can gleefully celebrate Christ coming back for us without being excited that it will be Judgement Day for us all.

For the millions of people who Veidt decided that day had come and gone, they didn't have a chance to enjoy what Veidt's idea of paradise was. Also for End Days Christians, there should be no place for celebration for those who must face judgement and are found to be lacking. For the loving god we know will choose to take away the ultimate mercy most Christians embrace---to be in the presence of the judge.

If this movie was the height of great political theater, please send me a private message and tell me what I'm missing.

[TTUBatfan2008]

11. You are correct...

They did it with TDK and they'll do it with Watchmen as well.

[trapper914]

13. They're better off...

...identifying themselves with this flick than that abortion of a "comedy" they cobbled together a few months ago with Kelsey Grammar, Trace Adkins, and Chris Farley's unfunny brother.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

15. It's polling 64% at RT.

Fanboys are PISSED!

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

23. Well, Watchmen is not going to be everyone's cup of tea.

Everyone involved acknowledged that this film is for geeks, by geeks. No doubt, reviews will be mixed.

[anonymous171]

17. Isn't Moore an anarchist? nt

[Dr Fate]

32. Yup- he has loose associations with the Greens in Europe as well.

The Comedian and Rorshach are supposed to be unflattering portraits of the conservative mindset- but conservative readers think they are heroes.

[Blue_Tires]

21. that effort will work about as well when they tried to co-op Batman and the craptastic 300

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

25. It's amazing that people didn't realize that we were the Persians in 300

And not the Spartans.

[Phoonzang]

34. Yeah but don't forget Frank Miller's a huge right-winger in real life

So that's about the only comic book movie that they can claim.

[Ken Burch]

26. And will we catch Rush or Bohner dressing up like Silk Spectre?

n/t.

[4lbs]

27. The New York Post is calling "Watchmen" the greatest movie since "2001: A Space Odyssey".

http://www.nypost.com/seven/03042009/entertainment/movies/watch_it__157975.htm

<snip>
Director Zack Snyder's cerebral, scintillating follow-up to "300" seems, to even a weary filmgoer's eye, as fresh and magnificent in sound and vision as "2001" must have seemed in 1968, yet in its eagerness to argue with itself, it resembles "A Clockwork Orange." Like those Stanley Kubrick films - it is also in part a parody of "Dr. Strangelove" - it transforms each moment into a tableau with great, uncompromising concentration. The effect is an almost airless gloom, but the film is also exhilarating in breadth and depth.
<snip>



Of course conservatives would like it, it presents a world where the U.S. won the Vietnam War, and Nixon was elected President 5 times!

[brentspeak]

55. How much did the studio pay for that review?

[Hippo_Tron]

36. Random question, why does one of the characters look so much like Batman?

[Phoonzang]

44. It's Nite Owl. I think the resemblance was intentional. nt

[Numba6]

39. Why? Do they have blue penises, too?

[Cha]

42. I was just going to ask..

Is it the blue dick they'll claim as their own?