Watchmen Report Shows Rorschach Unmasked

Posted by Nathan Deen (nathan@filmschoolrejects.com) on August 14, 2008

Watchmen Movie Logo The buzz of the upcoming Watchmen movie, which will burst into theaters on March 6, 2009, has inspired me to go out and buy a copy of what is said to be the greatest graphic novel of all time and see what the big deal is. So far, with just two chapters to go, I’ve been blown away. It is an awesome novel and I can see the concerns fans might have with the film adaptation and the challenges director Zack Snyder faces. One of the things that struck me while reading it is what Rorschach will look like in the movie without his mask. When I saw his face in the novel, I said to myself “Jackie Earle Haley is going to play this guy? Really?” He’s a perfect height for the character, but beyond that I just couldn’t fathom it.

Well, G4 has given us an idea of what to expect with the following video below. This brief featurette shows Haley on the set as a maskless Rorschach. It also has interviews with the producers and helmer Synder. Take a look for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.

All I can say is: not bad, not bad at all. I’m not yet a believer, but I do feel better about it. From the teaser trailer that I and anybody who saw The Dark Knight (which is over $400 million worth of people) have seen, Snyder seems to have really captured the spirit and feel of the novel. The only area I can see worth questioning is the casting, with the exception of Dr. Manhattan, of course, who looks pitch perfect. It’s obvious that the actors chosen to play the league of crimefighters look at least 10-15 years younger than their characters actually are. One of the themes of the book is how the character of Night Owl is looking for a normal life after hanging the costume up, feeling that he is past his prime. That kinda worries me.

Also I would like to point out the question asked by the narrator at the end of the video about will Zack Snyder become the first director to successfully adapt an Alan Moore graphc novel to the big screen? Stop me if I’m wrong but didn’t Moore create V For Vendetta as well? That was a damn good movie that made my Top 10 list in 2005 and ranks an 8.2 on IMDb.

Sound off: Do you have any concerns about the casting of Watchmen? What is you first impression of Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach?

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Nevernude

I wil definitely be catching this when its released. I have always said and will continue to maintain that comic books should be like a scriptwriters dream. Sure, there are some tweaks needed here and there to successfully transpire the comic to the screens but you have to admit that its all there; comic book (most of them) are choke full of wonderful and thoughtprovoking themes, characters, heroes/villians/ settings...even right down to the dialogue!
Zack Snyder is going the right direction with The Watchmen as he did with 300, film it as close as possible to what the original author visualized and what, no doubt, the fans can themselves see when they read the comics. I agree that adapting not all, but some aspects of a comic to screen and at the same time adding depth and intellgence to it, like with TDK is a road map with success but very few directors are capable of doing what Chris Nolan did.
So kudos to Zack Snyder. I, for one, WILL be watching the The Watchmen. If the original ending in the comic is kept, i can see a whole lot of controversy! Bring it on!

Hollywood Hills

You are correct, sir. "V for Vendetta" was an awesome adaptation for Moore's graphic novel.

I also went out and bought the book after watching the trailer. Just finished it this weekend. Great ending. I'll be there opening night.

Nate

I'd like to point out a correction. V For Vendetta was in 2006 not 2005. my mistake

ty

The thing about "successfully creating a Moore comic movie" is from the fact that Moore has hated every film made out of his comics. He dismissed v for vendetta as a complete misinterpretation of his novel. So it's not about whether people have liked movies made from moore's comics before (im sure someone like league of extraordinary gentlemen), it's about whether it lives up to moore's standard of his works.

BMN

I suspect that Simon Pegg was busy with J.J. Abrams Star Trek, but I can't see anyone else playing Rorschach. Jackie Earl Haley just doesn't work for me.

Then again, I also thought that Tim Roth was John Constantine, and I haven't been able to forgive Keanu Reeves being cast in that role.

ken

V for vendetta was an entertaining movie no doubt, but id have to agree that it was a terrible representation of moores work: just like E-V-E-R-Y attempted moore adaptation to date( from hell, v, league, and probably watchmen unfortunately). The problem with such films is that many fail to read the material before the film, instead buying the novel on account of the film. Hollywood's track record for adaptations is in very poor shape on account of the manipulation of the material to entertain a more broader audience, e.g. the general public. May i remind you that this isnt the first attempt at watchmen, previous efforts came to the logical conclusion that you simply cant make it into a movie: comics withhold a capability of subject matter that isnt limited like films tend to be for many reasons. Dont get me wrong i loved the novel and will defintely go see the film, but i await it with uneasy anticipation.

Cole Abaius

If you're concerned about the production not taking the source material seriously, when I got to talk with the Watchmen folks at Comic-Con, Billy Crudup said that Zack Snyder, "had the graphic novel in his hand more than the script."

It leads to a bigger question, though: why do we expect completely faithful adaptations? I've never understood that. I'm not sure it matters if Moore signs off on a project because he's soured to Hollywood already, and Gibbons has been right there at the side of this thing the entire time.

How can we be so aware of the limitations of the medium (versus comics) and still bitch and moan when the movie isn't exactly like the comic? or a book? or short story? I guess I've just never been a stickler for that sort of thing, and I've always wondered why it matters so much to some people.

Timmy

Film adaptations of literary source material (comic or otherwise) must, by the difference of mediums, change some elements of the original material to suit the big screen - usually for the sake of time (Watchmen, by rights, should probably be a 12-part HBO series), but also, it's easier/cheaper to draw certain things than to film them. Consequently, a "completely faithful adaptation" of a comic series would be a lot to hope for - Rodriguez's SIN CITY was the closest, I think.

But when story changes are made that have no bearing on the difference of mediums (changes that seem arbitrary, that smack of the studio demanding something more family-friendly, that can be sold with a McHappy Meal), the entire tone of the piece and point of the story are mutated, and you get a movie like "V for Vendetta." It looks like V, sounds like V, but when the ending comes around, we realize that it's not V - the filmmakers completely took the teeth out of the ending. Kinda like a Hamlet movie in which he doesn't kill anyone and lives happily ever after with Ophelia. Or low-fat sour cream.

So, to answer the question, "why do we expect completely faithful adaptations?" I don't expect "completely" faithful, just accurate enough to get the original point across - which brings me to my biggest concern about Watchmen - that they'll neuter the last chapter (no spoilers for those who haven't read it - just go read it), changing the whole point of the story, which would, as per usual, and rightly so, piss off Alan Moore (and fans of the book, like me).

Jeff

I finished the graphic novel earlier this week. It is an excellent work of fiction. I then watched the teaser trailer and it looks spot on. I do not, however, like the woman they chose to portray Laurie Juspeczyk.

Nate

Just finished the book. Not sure about the ending. I don't know how non-aficionados will buy into it.

Watchmen Report Shows Rorschach Unmasked

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