I think the problem with Zack Snyder as a director, is that he has a lot of respect for his audience, and so he holds us to a very high standard. He expects people to soak up all the details and subtleties in his movies, because that’s what’s he would do, and it’s what he knows fans of his work will do.
Unfortunately, this approach alienates the audience that don’t do this. That’s not to say that people that don’t like his movies or can’t follow the plots are stupid, or lesser than fans of his movies, it just suggests to me that they don’t go to movies to have to focus. Some people use the escapism of movies to switch off their brains and have the movie do all the work for them, which is fine. But then others find escapism more immersive if they totally lose themselves in the story, staring at all the scenery, reading all the details littered around and watching all the body language. There is so much of the story in Zack Snyder’s work that is left in the subtext. Like a true artist and storyteller, Zack knows that what you leave out can be just as important as what you put in.
Zack expects his audience to be absorbed into the world of the movie, not just look at a screen and hear the noises. Some movies are great for that, and hand you everything on a plate, ready for consumption. But Zack makes you hunt and gather, sometimes letting you prepare the feast for yourself. And the beauty of this approach, is that the whole story is there, but there’s a lot more open to the interpretation of the audience than you’d usually see in big budget action movies - especially superhero movies, where this basically never happens. There’s a very clear narrative, but it is what you make of it, and some viewers are happy to do the work, to make the absolute most of it, and I think that part of the audience doesn’t even put the effort into doing this; it’s simply how they watch movies.
And then others just simply see and hear and only think about what’s there and never what’s between the lines.
Maybe to be a more successful director, Zack should dumb it down a little. Focus on pleasing the crowd. But I don’t think he’ll ever do that, because he is an artist. He is uncompromising in his vision and he knows that there is enough of us out there that appreciate what he does, so he keeps on doing what he does best for himself and for us.
I hope he never gives in. I hope studio execs trust him enough to let him do his work the way it works best. He makes his stories as art. Rich, detailed, stylish, intelligent art. The general population might not be ready to see superhero movies that way, but my God I’m ready for it. I’m tired of two-dimensional, soft contrast, rainbow coloured movies. I want depth, shadow and a refined palette, and that’s exactly what he gives us.
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kianamaiart
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