Watchmen Worksheet

#1 What did you notice about the visual style of the film?

When looking at the visual style of this film, it's rather gritty. Blood and gore isn't shown too often but when is, it's quite graphic, blood will come out easily and the way characters use weapons to cut or break other people show a lot of horrific sights. The way the environments are quite dark and gloomy is another visual style that could be added along with it's grittiness, with the way lightning and rainfall falls down often. Brighter areas in the film are elaborated a lot, with bright colours with everything in plain sight. The visual style of the characters is a mixed bag, with some being more darker and mysterious with others being more bright, bold and exotic. It seems with the colours of the costumes for the characters that they reflect the character's personality quite well. A case being that of Jessica Alba's suit being yellow and black, signifying the way she has a bright, bold, happy attitude and personality but along with a dark, horrific past.

#2 Do you think it's obvious the film as based on a comic? Why?

I feel it's quite obvious the film is based a comic by how everything is exaggerated to a great way. Characters take a lot of punches without feel much pain, bones break with ease of ordinary people and the way the action is presented is a big clue as to how this was based on a comic. Also, many scenes, such as Rorschach stepping into a house with a dramatic posture, are scenes in the film where it could be a snapshot and could've been pasted into the comic book/graphic novel itself. It's all very artsy, and seems to stay true to the comic.

#3 How does the narrative of the film follow typical comic book conventions?

The narrative of the film follows typical comic book conventions in that, the way characters interact with each other, words and actions are expressed deeply that wouldn't be usually, such as the way small props move around in the environment. Things such as lights and visual cues have more of an impact on the narrative than you might think, especially journals and written documents. It also follows typical comic book conventions by the flow of the film. Action goes fast and interaction between characters typically is meaty with a lot ot say and do. Branching out the film. Furthermore, there are things in the film that wouldn't be achieved in a real life settings, characters and the way they move and speak is of fiction and is something you wouldn't see in real life without the aid of professional editing. An example would be Dr Manhattan being able to see through his past and future at the same time.


#4 What social message was the film trying to get across?

When thinking about the social message the film was trying to get across, it felt it was of two things. One being that society's problems and issues isn't caused by the act of God or a superbeing but instead ourselves as human beings Another social message that I felt the film was trying to get across was the fact that we are very small in this world, their are other planets out there with less advanced orgamisms and the planets is stable, suggesting that we shouldn't worry about what comes to us by ourselves, the social messages in this film that it was trying to convey mostly revolving around indepentence of humanity I feel.

#5 Who do you think the target audience is for this film?

When thinking about the target audience for this film, I feel you have the traditional fans of the graphic novel/comic book itself, Artists or Fans of Film who have a thing for visual fadelity, in terms of visual effects, design, style and more. Another target audience would be that who like something that is out of the ordinary, something with a bit more flare and others that enjoy a film with a bigger push towards story and characters rather than exotic explosions and action.