The meaning of the film Watchmen.
The plot of the film Watchmen, despite the large number of digressions and flashbacks, is a straightforward story. In addition, in the finale, the antagonist tells in detail his insidious plan. Therefore, I will not delve into the plot, but will try to find interesting references, symbols and analyze some of the brightest moments of the film that could leave questions after watching.
References and Easter eggs in the opening credits
The credits begin immediately after the murder of the Comedian. Under the immortal song by Bob Dylan of The Times for They Are a-Changin (The times they are changing) show us a world in which people live, who have the courage and determination to put on a superhero costume to fight crime.
Night Owl in Gotham
First, we see a scene in which the first Night Owl (or Night Owl – you can tell by the costume) neutralized a robber near the Gotham Opera House. He was one of the first to put on a mask to fight crime. If you look closely, you can see posters with Batman – this is a kind of “Easter egg” (reference), as this is the cover of the first comic about Batman.
From all this, we can conclude that a respectably dressed Thomas Wayne with his wife Martha comes out of the building. They are the parents of Bruce Wayne. To their left is the butler Alfred. This means that in this alternate reality there cannot be a superhero named Batman, since young Bruce Wayne escaped the tragedy that made him wear a mask to fight crime.
It doesn’t affect the plot in any way, but most likely just a nice addition for DC fans. It can also be concluded from this that the Night Owl is analogous to Batman in the film.
Sally Jupiter and the Young Comedian
The beautiful Sally Jupiter, or otherwise the Silk Ghost, is surrounded by police. In her hands she holds a newspaper of The the New York Times , where on the first page header c inscription: ” Criminal world Goes ga-ga over the SILK SPECTRE ” (rough translation: ” Underworld distracted Silk ghost “). She is the only one who does not hide her identity under a mask. It is obvious that she is bathed in the rays of her glory.
And they immediately show the Comedian, who detained the robber and flaunts in front of the photographers. Although he hides his face under a mask, he definitely likes fame.
Judging by the way they pose for journalists, one can understand that their activities are welcomed by the society, they are appreciated. They are like volunteer vigilantes who help the police.
Militia
From left to right: Silhouette, Moth, Dollar Bill, Night Owl, Captain Metropolis, Silk Ghost, Masked Justice, Comedian in the foreground. If you watch the film for the first time, then, of course, it will not be clear who is who. But you can understand that this is shown in 1940, and even then the heroes began to unite to fight crime in the team “Minutemen” (English Minutemen, from minute , “minute” + men , “people”). This was the name of the militia of North American colonists to fight the Indians and English royal troops during the War of Independence in the 17th century. In Russian dubbing, their name is quite rightly translated as “Militia”.
The Second World War
Further, in the film repeat the events of August 6, 1945, when an American B-29 bomber dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima atomic bomb Little Boy ( « Baby “) the equivalent of 13 to 18 kilotons of TNT.
But in this alternate reality, it was done by a pin-up bomber depicting Miss Jupiter holding an American flag. This again speaks of the popularity of superheroes in society.
Below, for comparison, is a photo of the real bomber Enola Gay , named after the mother ( Enola Gay Haggard ) of the crew commander, Colonel Paul Tibbets.
Silhouette
New York, Times Square, everyone celebrates Victory Day over Japan (VJ day, August 14, 1945). The photographer captured Silhouette kissing a nurse on the street. War is over. And superheroes became part of this victory.
Now take a look at the famous Alfred Eisenstadt photo for Life magazine , which the author himself jokingly called “Unconditional Surrender” (also known as VJ Day in Times Square or V-Day and The Kiss ). Sounds like it, doesn’t it?
There is another snapshot of the same kiss. US Navy photojournalist Victor Jorgensen captured a different view of the same scene, which was published in the New York Times the next day. Jorgensen called his picture Kissing the War Goodbye ( « Kiss goodbye to the war “).
Dollar bill
Dollar Bill died, got shot when he caught his coat on the revolving door. That it is exactly Dollar Bill, we will find out later, but we can understand that in this world, masked heroes are ordinary people who can die from a ridiculous accident, they are not immortal.
Sally Jupiter’s Retirement Party
The meaning of this scene may be that the heroes are ordinary people who have a personal life, and they may even have a family.
Many have noticed that this scene recreates the “Last Supper” – a monumental painting by Leonardo da Vinci, depicting the scene of the last meal of Christ (the Savior) with his disciples. In the very center, in the place of the Savior Jesus, stands Sally Jupiter, since it was she who founded the “Militia”. But it is noteworthy that the most controversial figure in Da Vinci’s work is the character who sits on the right hand of Christ, since some believe that this is the Apostle John, and others that this is Mary Magdalene. You can also add that the Comedian sits in the same position as Judas – the only one who put his elbow on the table. From this we can conclude that the Comedian is a controversial and controversial figure.
Butterfly
But not everyone leaves with lavish celebrations like Miss Jupiter. The orderlies carry the Moth to the ambulance. He desperately resists, so he is being taken to a hospital for the mentally ill. This tells us the inscription on the car Sunnycrest Asylum The ( hospital “Sannikrest” ) – Rorschach then say that this is a mental hospital in Maine.
The fates of the heroes are different – all this adds to the realism of this picture. This lets us know that this film will not show at all what we expect from a superhero blockbuster.
Death Silhouette
The silhouette is found dead along with her girlfriend. I think she had enough enemies to do it. On the wall you can see the inscription “Lesbian girl” – in post-war America there is no tolerant attitude towards gay people.
Rorschach’s childhood
Someone reads a newspaper with an inscription on the front page stating that “the Russians have an atomic bomb.” The name of The New York Gazette is an allusion to The New York Times .
We can guess the time we are shown. In reality, the first successful test of the Soviet atomic bomb was carried out on August 29, 1949 at the constructed test site in the Semipalatinsk region of Kazakhstan. But the USSR officially announced the presence of a bomb only on March 8, 1950. Thus, the year 1950 is in the frame.
Further, it becomes clear to us that this man was waiting for his turn to a prostitute who receives her clients at home while her son is sitting in the corridor. Later it will become known that we were shown the difficult childhood of Rorschach.
John F. Kennedy
For the first time, the Manhattan Doctor is shown posing in front of cameras with the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy. America has a new strategic weapon – the superman. We can conclude that they show us about 1961-1963. – the period of Kennedy’s presidency.
The next scene is a near-accurate reconstruction of the tragedy on November 22, 1963, when John F. Kennedy was fatally wounded by a rifle shot in Dallas, Texas at 12:30 pm local time.
According to the official version, the president became a victim of the hitman Lee Harvey Oswald, who acted on his own initiative. But there are many conspiracy theories, one of which is based on a Polaroid photograph, which supposedly shows the flash of a shot fired from a “grassy hill” located to the right of the road along which the presidential motorcade was traveling.
In this alternate reality, the real killer is the Comedian, who shot from that very grassy hill. This shows that heroes can do terrible things too.
The burning of a Buddhist monk
Next, we are shown a scene in which Sally Jupiter and her husband sort out the relationship. The little girl is Laurie Jupiter, the future Silk Ghost II. There are newspaper clippings on the wall, we see her costume in perfect condition – Sally cherishes the memories of her bright youth.
TV shows famous footage of the self-immolation of a Buddhist monk in protest against religious persecution by the Vietnamese government in 1963, and TV reports that the response will be a bloody civil war.
It is known that the ruler of this pro-American puppet state, Diem, was a Catholic and suppressed the freedom of Buddhist religion, forbidding new conversions and monastic exploits. The monks committed several self-immolations, but the first was Thich Kuan Duc. He sat down on the asphalt at a busy intersection, doused himself with gasoline and set it on fire. Until his death, he did not move and did not change the enlightened expression on his face. Below is the same photo.
Two bodies
The heroes not only arrest criminals, but also severely punish them, and possibly even kill them – it is not clear whether they are alive or not. It is also likely that they were tortured as they are tied to a hydrant. Next, we will see a leaflet with the Rorschach sign – he is a supporter of extremely harsh methods. New time needs new heroes.
There is a theory that it is the beaten Washington Post journalists Karl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, who unearthed the facts about the fraud on the eve of the election of President Richard Nixon in 1972 and staged the Watergate scandal that ended in the shameful resignation of the White House administration.
But, in my opinion, they are not alike in appearance (hairstyle, clothes), for comparison, below are photographs of real Bob and Karl.
the USSR
Then we are transferred to the Soviet Union. Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev and Fidel Castro at the parade of military equipment on May 1, 1963, it was then that Fidel’s visit to Moscow took place. It was impossible not to mention the USSR – the superpower of that time. The Cold War is in full swing! It should be noted that in reality at this time the leader of our country was Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev, which suggests that the world of the Guardians is similar to ours, but it is still an alternative history, and events have developed differently since the appearance of superheroes.
Hike to the Pentagon
We are returned to the US and we see a heavily modified version of events known as the Pentagon Trek. This protest against the Vietnam War is one of the landmark events in the history of the American anti-war movement.But in the film, the soldiers shoot the demonstrators – in the Guardians’ alternate reality, the US government is ready to take tough measures against peaceful demonstrators.
Please note that a yellow smiley is drawn on the cheek of the girl with a flower – this symbol appears quite often. I’ll cover it in more detail in the next section.
In reality, the soldiers did not even uncover their bayonets, and the demonstrators, with impunity, inserted flowers into the muzzles of their rifles.Below is a famous photograph of French photographer Marc Riboux “The Power of a Flower Against War”, which was taken on October 21, 1967 at a demonstration of pacifists against the Vietnam War, in front of the Pentagon. A defenseless, fragile girl with a flower – against the bayonets of the armed soldiers of the US National Guard. The photo was published around the world and became a symbol of the Flower Power anti-war movement . The movement promoted passive resistance and rejection of the ideology of violence. The girl in the photo is Jan Rose Kasmir .
The culture
Andy Warhol presents his pop art portrait of the Night Owl to the public. The artist’s paintings are characterized by images of popular personalities, for example, Merlin Monroe, Mao Zedong, Mick Jagger. Also behind it you can see paintings depicting Ozymandius and Rorschach.
It is believed that the person to his right is Truman Capote, American novelist, theater and film playwright, actor; many of his stories, novels, plays and documentaries are considered literary classics, including the short story Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1958) and the documentary novel Murder in cold blood (1966).
By this they want to show us that superheroes were celebrities for society who left a bright mark on culture.
Below is a photo of the artist himself:
Moon landing
This is a landmark event not only for Americans, but for all of humanity. And we can see that none other than Doctor Manhattan is filming the first “small” steps of astronaut Neil Armstrong on the surface of the Moon, and he utters a strange phrase: “Good luck, Mr. Gorski!”
This phrase is associated with the urban legend that Neil Armstrong, while on the moon, said the phrase: “Good luck, Mr. Gorski!” The plot of the legend boils down to the fact that as a child, Armstrong allegedly accidentally heard his neighbor, Mr. Gorsky, ask his wife for oral sex, but she flatly refused, saying that this would happen only when the neighbor’s boy ran on the moon. In one of his letters in November 1995, Armstrong wrote that he first heard the joke a year earlier in California, performed by comedian Buddy Hackett. By the way, on many sites and publics this joke is still being replicated , as if it is a reliable fact, referring to Neil Armstrong himself, and it even acquires additional details.
54
In the background we see the iconic Studio 54 nightclub, famous for its legendary parties. Only a select few – the rich and famous – could get there. As you can see, one of them is a superhero – Ozymandia.
Also, if you look closely, you can find people like David Bowie, the Village People and possibly Mick Jagger (to the right of Bowie).
Watchmen
Everyone is here. From left to right: Comedian, Silk Thread, Doctor Manhattan, Ozymandia, Night Owl and Rorschach. The portraits of the previous team of heroes in the background speak of the continuity of generations. The comedian has aged noticeably. Superheroes are at their zenith.
Nixon
The TV broadcasts that Nixon is running for a third term. In our reality, Richard Nixon is the only president in the history of the United States who resigned ahead of schedule, and the reason for this was the Watergate scandal that ended with the resignation of the head of the White House in 1974.
What does this mean for the viewer? Nixon is usually regarded as one of the odious presidents, although he emphasizes the contradictory figure: foreign policy successes, tough and, in general, effective management style. American political scientist and Ph.D. Fiona Hill calls his strategy “the theory of the madman.” This suggests to us that Nixon could be the president who could start the third world war in a critical situation in this alternate reality.
Next, we see demonstrators who are fighting against costumed heroes and demanding the return of the police ( Back police ). Later in the film, we learn that this is due to the strike of the police, who are against the lynching of the Guardians. After all, there are those who not only detain criminals, but also kill.
In the hands of the demonstrators there are signs with the inscriptions:
- Not masks page badges ( « icons rather than masks ..”) – that is, we trust those who wear the badge, not a superhero mask;
- Not more masks (” No more masks “);
- Our police us Give back ( « Give us back our police “).
Obviously, public attitudes towards superheroes have changed dramatically. People are now afraid of superheroes. There is growing resentment against impostors who are taking over from the police power and responsibility for the safety of society.
On the glass we see a strange inscription: Who Watches the Watchmen? (” Who is watching the Guardians? “). Probably the phrase is a translation of the Latin catch phrase Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Roman poet Juvenal. It is used to describe a situation when people assigned to protect certain laws and rules, themselves violate them, plunder property that should be protected from thieves, etc. But the author of the graphic novel Alan Moore himself noted that in the context of Guardians “The phrase” They are watching us, and who is watching them? ” draws a parallel analogous to Plato’s idea in The State, which implies that someone appointed as a protector is using so-called lies in the name of the common good.
Symbols
Doomsday clock
The original title of the film – Watchmen – can be translated as “Guardians” or “Sentinels”. Even the superhero team of the forties, the Minutemen, hid the word “minute” in their names.
The names of the film and the superhero team somehow have a connection with time, or rather even with the clock. In a sense, they are a reference to the Doomsday Clock, which, in turn, signifies the nearness of the end of the world.
At the very beginning of the film, the Doomsday Clock points to five to twelve – this is the tension that was in 1985. Thus, they want to convey to us the feeling of an impending nuclear war and the inevitable end of the world.
Surprisingly, such a clock actually exists. The Doomsday Clock is a project by the University of Chicago magazine The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists , begun in 1947 by the creators of the first American atomic bomb. The time remaining until midnight symbolizes the tension in the international situation and progress in the development of nuclear weapons. Midnight itself symbolizes the moment of a nuclear cataclysm.
Doomsday clock is very important to the story and references to it can be found quite often.
Dr. Manhattan: “My father was a watchmaker. He gave up his craft when Einstein discovered the relativity of time. “
Comedian Badge
One of the main symbols of the Guardians is also associated with this watch – a smiley (yellow smiling face).
Take a look at the bloodstain on the badge – it’s a kind of hand, maybe even a second; it becomes clear that the count goes not for minutes, but for seconds until midnight.
Why the second hand and why until midnight? Because blood is red, and quite often this very color is chosen for the second hand in classic watches, and it is the longest. Also, this theory can be confirmed by a scene in which Jonathan Osterman (before he became Doctor Manhattan) looks at his watch before his death, and the second hand shows about the same time. And it is no coincidence that it was because of them that he ended up in this cell and subsequently became what he became.
In the world under discussion, the long arrow froze a few seconds before midnight – the threat of the destruction of civilization is much closer than it was in our world in 1985.
The badge can be seen in the film several times: inscribed in a daisy on the cheek of a hippie girl who inserts a flower into the barrel of a rifle, on a Comedian’s pistol, on the T-shirt of a New Frontiersman journalist who finds Rorschach’s diary, and even on Mars.
A similar crater does exist, but for the film it was “embellished”. Below is a snapshot of the real Martian Halle crater, named after astronomer Johann Gottfried Halle.
This icon has long been associated with the graphic novel Watchmen, as it is present on the cover and on its pages – it has become a kind of symbol or logo for it. Therefore, in the film it is also a vivid reference to the original source. In addition, this little positive note in the cruel world of the Guardians makes us understand that he is fictional, and we can look at the world with a smile.
Key characters
Dr. Manhattan
Real name – John Osterman. He is the only member of the group with truly fantastic abilities, he has the power to manipulate matter at a quantum level. In addition, according to him, he can even see the future, but only his own.
Dr. Manhattan: “They call me Dr. Manhattan. They explain to me that the name was chosen for the ominous associations that it will evoke in America’s enemies. The marketers said I needed a logo. If I have a symbol, then let it be something that I respect. They turn me into something tasteless, into something deadly ”
In fact, his name was chosen because of the formidable associations with the Manhattan Project and the creation of the nuclear bomb. Let me remind you that the Manhattan Project is the code name for the US nuclear weapons program. And the symbol on the forehead is a model of the hydrogen atom, which is also a reference to atomic energy. Besides, John is a nuclear physicist by profession.
Dr. Manhattan kills people without a hint of emotion, moreover, it is likely that he killed criminals and was engaged in superhero activities exclusively at the request of the government, just as he did in Vietnam, and not out of his own convictions. He doesn’t care about people.
Dr. Manhattan: “I realized that life is an overrated phenomenon.”
It remains a mystery to me what Doctor Manhattan built on Mars. I can only assume that this is a reference to the “Doomsday Clock”, since, judging by the shape, the structure vaguely resembles a clockwork (gears, movements, divisions, in some places it looks like a sundial), although very unusual, but this is not surprising. after all, the hero is also unusual.
Laurie Jupiter: “My God. I’m on Mars! ”
By the way, in the next scene, right after this one, we hear the phrase: “Hey, cool ass.” It’s kind of funny since the heroes had their backs to us, and this could apply to both of them.
He is often compared, and sometimes directly called a god.
Janey: “Oh my god! John, is that you? ”
This is quite natural, since if a person with such abilities appeared in our world, then there would certainly be people who would deify him.
Ozymandia
Real name – Adrian Veidt. Thanks to his dedication and ambition, he achieved perfection and brought human abilities to the extreme. Adrian is famous, he is the holder of the title “The smartest man on Earth.” Hence his main strength is his brilliant intellect, but at the same time he is an excellent athlete and a formidable fighter, he single-handedly defeats the Night Owl and Rorschach. The speed and reaction of the superhero are so great that he managed to catch a pistol bullet with his hand.
Ozymandius is the Greek version of Ramses II and is a reference to the poem of the same name by Percy Bysshe Shelley. The poem’s inscription is carved under the massive Egyptian bust at Wade’s base in Antarctica: My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair! (” I am Ozymandius. I am the king of kings. There is little room for my power in the world “). This symbolizes his desire for a united world.
Night Owl II
Real name – Daniel Dryberg. He replaces the First Night Owl and is, in a sense, akin to Batman. This can be seen from his costume, from the gadgets that he uses, he even has a spacious underground shelter and an owl-shaped flying machine – “Arche”.
At the time of the beginning of the narrative, the hero is going through hard times. He’s not even a Night Owl, as he is ditching his superhero past. But he finds it difficult to adapt to his new life, and in order to overcome the problems of the former superhero, he seeks the company of the elderly Hollis Mason (Night Owl I), since they have a lot in common. As the story progresses, it will undergo the greatest changes.
The night owl is a reference hero, but not devoid of humanity. He has weaknesses, doubts and even fears, as evidenced by his dream. In a dream, he peels off his skin and Laurie, they remain in superhero costumes and kiss, and then burn up in the flame of a nuclear explosion.
He himself will say about it: “I’m tired of being afraid of everything. Afraid of war. To be afraid of this killer of masks. My damn suit … and how I need it. ” Then he decides to put on his suit again to become himself.
Rorschach
Real name – Walter Kovacs. His nickname comes from the famous blotted psychodiagnostic test. Black and white motifs are well combined with the uncompromising moral convictions of the character, and at the same time are used as a metaphor for the duality of life.
Rorschach: “No compromises. Even in the face of Armageddon ”
Rorschach is a possessed sociopath, killer and psychopath, yet he does what he really believes in. It is noteworthy, but he does not seek to save people, it is important for him to destroy evil. And only the thirst for revenge on evil and unrighteousness drives him.
I like the translation and the voice that sounded in the movie trailer better:
Rorschach: “And people will raise their hands to the sky and scream: ‘Save us!”, And I will whisper in response: “No!” ”
It is he who begins this whole story and sets it in motion when he undertakes to investigate the murder of the Comedian.
Comedian
Real name – Edward Morgan Blake. He is dead already in the first minute of the film, but remains one of the most important characters.
In the film, we can see a photograph of the Comedian shaking hands with Nixon. This suggests that the hero was a supporter of conservative views and really respected Nixon, otherwise he would not have kept such a photo in a frame. Kennedy’s assassination and work for the government was not for the sake of money for him, but out of personal convictions.
Rorschach would later say about him: “Blake understood: people are savages by nature, no matter how hard we try to hide or embellish it. Blake saw the true face of society and chose to be a parody of it, an anecdote. ”
For many it was not clear why the Comedian cried when he came to Moloch. The fact is that, despite all the atrocities that he committed, he simply could not believe that someone could have conceived a plan in which millions of people would die – even for him it was too much. There was no remorse here, as many might think. And he came to Moloch, because there is no one else.
Edward Blake: “This is a joke. This is all a just joke. I thought I knew everything. I know how this world works. I’ve done vile deeds. I killed women and even children in Vietnam. But there was a goddamn war! And this … I didn’t do anything like that ”
Laurie Jupiter
Silk Ghost is a second generation superhero similar to the new Night Owl. She is the only one who emotionally ties Doctor Manhattan to this world – he himself tells her about this. And it is not surprising that only because of her he returned to Earth. In addition, through her, the theme of superhero sexuality is revealed, remember at least her tight latex outfit and intimate scenes.
Death of Hollis Mason
The scene of the murder of the First Night Owl is worthy of special mention. This scene was not in the theatrical version; it can be seen in the director’s version. It is quite dramatic to see how an elderly man was able to fight back several bandits with dignity alone, and how it reminded him of his former youth when he fought masked supervillains. But, unfortunately, he did not have a chance, there were too many attackers. It is highly symbolic that they killed him with a statuette with the inscription In gratitude (” In gratitude “).
The ending
The USA and the USSR united against a common enemy – Doctor Manhattan, who left the Earth. Laurie Jupiter and Night Owl live happily together, despite the fact that this world is built on lies, but “In their hearts they know the truth.”
At the very end of the film, one of the employees of the New Frontiersman newspaper finds Rorschach’s diary in the mail, which he planted there before traveling to Antarctica, where all the details of his investigation were described, including conclusions about the true culprit of what was happening.
Thus, we are given to understand that the truth will surely come to light. Few will believe the “psycho in the mask”, but there will also be those who will, which means that the Earth has a chance to start self-destruction again.
Additional materials
The original graphic novel by Alan Moore uses many additional materials, such as newspaper clippings, excerpts from the fictional book “Under the Mask” (Notes from the Hood), a comic about pirates, pages from a personal file from the police department, certificates from a psychiatric hospitals, letters, advertisements for fictional goods, etc. – they helped the readers to dive deeper into the world in which the Guardians live.
Director Zack Snyder was very careful about the original source – this is noticeable even in the scenes that repeat scenes in the comic, but, in addition, he was able to convey some of the storytelling techniques of the original on the silver screen, and this can be seen in individual short films, which are also a great addition to the film.
“Legends of the Black Schooner”
The animated film Legends of the Black Schooner was released separately, but it can also be seen in the maximum version of the film – this is a film adaptation of a comic book read by a black boy with glasses near a magazine stand.
In the maximum version of the film, this cartoon is shown in parts – the boy reads it only at the kiosk, since he does not want to pay for it. Therefore, he is a kind of “separator” of events, since the boy comes once a day.
In short, this is the story of a young sailor whose ship was sunk by the Black Schooner. The waves threw him to an uninhabited island, where the sailor is surrounded only by the bodies of his dead comrades. The nightmare Schooner moves to his city, his house, his wife and children, and he is powerless to do anything. Driven by a desperate desire to prevent tragedy, the sailor leaves the island, making a raft from the found corpses. Having reached the ground, he desperately rushes to the house and even commits murder. One of the victims was his own wife.
At the end of this terrible story, he realizes that his unbridled desire to save his loved ones led him to a real disaster, and he voluntarily becomes a member of the Black Schooner team.
“Good intentions have led me to atrocities. The righteous anger that fed me was just an obsession … ”
This story is in a peculiar way intertwined with the story of the Guardians, since here the question is once again raised: is it possible to do evil in the name of good and at the same time remain good? There is an analogy with the story of Adrian Veidt, for example, the hero of the “Black Schooner”, like Veidt, hopes to prevent a catastrophe and literally walks over the corpses to achieve the goal.
In addition, we can add that the time has come in this world when the demand for comics about superheroes fell along with the popularity of “real superheroes”, and now comics about pirates are in vogue. And really, what is the point in fantastic superhero stories if they are not something amazing and impossible. They were shown every day on the news and on the pages of newspapers, and since the sixties they have already become commonplace for society.
“Under the mask” (Under the Hood, 2009)
“Under the Mask” (“Notes from under the hood”) is the autobiography of one of the heroes of the Watchmen graphic novel – Night Owl I, also known as Hollis Mason. This book is also present in the film.
But few people know that there is a mock documentary about the first group of superheroes in the 1940s, preceding Guardians, based on this fictional book. It was introduced to the world about a month after the movie premiered and is a great addition to help you immerse yourself in the world of The Guardians.
In the film, you can learn more about the masked heroes and get answers to questions that might arise while watching The Guardians, such as: “Who were the first masked heroes?”, “Why did they start dressing up?”, “Why were they famous? ” and “What did they do that the government had to ban the masked people?” The film is no more than 38 minutes long, so it’s best to watch it yourself.
