The Snyder Cut is an interesting film experiment. A film with much of the same footage, with two versions that have wildly different editing from wildly different directors. Both are bad, but both are interesting if you are interested in the influence that editing can have on the tone of a film. That said, this will not be a comparison peace. That has already been done to death by other reviewers. This will be a review of the snyder cut based on its own merits. It represents zack snyders uncut, untampered vision, created exactly the way he wanted. As such, it gives us the purest look into the artistic mind of hollywoods most successful man child.
The first thing that fans will notice is that the film is a staggering 4 hours long. Not because it has any additional footage, but because the entire film is shot in slow motion. While former snyder films were known to have brief moments of slow motion, usually reserved for key moments of action scenes, zack snyder was here allowed to slow down the entire film. While bizarre, the film does, at least, give us a reason. This is how the flash, and even superman, perceives the entire world all the time. They perceive it as a slow motion collection of blithering idiots taking their time to do or say anything. Imagine the pain of having a conversation with your lover, or mother, when every sentence takes 20 minutes to say. Or having to slow down your own speech, so that your words don't sound like rushed nonsense to those around you. The agony is unbearable. This is why Henry Cavill's superman looks so bored all the time, even when talking to people he supposedly loves. While it's not explained in the original film, leaving many to think that cavill is a bad actor, the reality is that he was just staying true to the character. The snyder cut addresses this issue by framing the movie in such a way that the audience feels the same way as the characters. All those moments where cavill sighs, and adopts an expression of benign annoyance, like he's being patient with a child?
From his perspective, he basically is.
This allows the film to build on the primary character thread for the movie, one that joss whedon removed entirely from the original through reshoots: I am talking, of course, about the passionate romance between superman and the flash. When superman returns, there is a scene where he turns his head, and looks directly at the flash.
In the original, this is meant to be a moment of horror. We discover that superman is just as fast as the flash, while also being far more powerful. But in the snyder cut? It's a moment of revelation, levity, and lust. Yes, it was a little heavy handed for snyder to start playing Barry White while a shirtless superman turned toward a blushing flash, but what else would you actually expect, based on his former films? When these two characters meet, and start talking at a completely normal speed, it's a moment of intense relief, for both the characters and the audience. And did snyder immediately rush into a lustful sex scene? To my immense surprise, no. Instead the characters nervously flirt, and talk about their favorite music. They hold hands. They go on a date. For a full 30 minutes, we are treated to a slow development of their relationship. And when they finally have sex, is it crass moment of lust? No. We are treated to a scene where two lovers discussing the logistics of having sex when one partner can crush the others pelvis into dust. The flash is forced to be the dominant partner, basically out of necessity. When the two partners return, nothing has changed. The other just league members are still stuck there, slowly flying through the air, where superman had left them. Superman and flash explain what happened, and to their surprise, the other members are supportive. Superman is gay. Superman has always been gay. The lack of chemistry between superman and louis? The bored neglect, and utter lack of passion? It wasn't bad casting. It was the artistic intent all along.
This is where the film takes its largest departure for the final act. The main villain is not a weird horned alien, as it was in the original. Instead, the real villain was homophobia all along. Superman, raised in a conservative house hold, and turned into the symbol of american morality, was living a lie the whole time. The heroes abandon their battle against crime, and do battle with the crime of bigotry instead. A larger, and arguably more deadly threat to world order. As the film sets itself up for a sequel, we're treated to a late title card that reveals the exciting twist that no one expected, but everyone wanted: The Social Justice League - Part 1.
The first thing that fans will notice is that the film is a staggering 4 hours long. Not because it has any additional footage, but because the entire film is shot in slow motion. While former snyder films were known to have brief moments of slow motion, usually reserved for key moments of action scenes, zack snyder was here allowed to slow down the entire film. While bizarre, the film does, at least, give us a reason. This is how the flash, and even superman, perceives the entire world all the time. They perceive it as a slow motion collection of blithering idiots taking their time to do or say anything. Imagine the pain of having a conversation with your lover, or mother, when every sentence takes 20 minutes to say. Or having to slow down your own speech, so that your words don't sound like rushed nonsense to those around you. The agony is unbearable. This is why Henry Cavill's superman looks so bored all the time, even when talking to people he supposedly loves. While it's not explained in the original film, leaving many to think that cavill is a bad actor, the reality is that he was just staying true to the character. The snyder cut addresses this issue by framing the movie in such a way that the audience feels the same way as the characters. All those moments where cavill sighs, and adopts an expression of benign annoyance, like he's being patient with a child?
From his perspective, he basically is.
This allows the film to build on the primary character thread for the movie, one that joss whedon removed entirely from the original through reshoots: I am talking, of course, about the passionate romance between superman and the flash. When superman returns, there is a scene where he turns his head, and looks directly at the flash.
In the original, this is meant to be a moment of horror. We discover that superman is just as fast as the flash, while also being far more powerful. But in the snyder cut? It's a moment of revelation, levity, and lust. Yes, it was a little heavy handed for snyder to start playing Barry White while a shirtless superman turned toward a blushing flash, but what else would you actually expect, based on his former films? When these two characters meet, and start talking at a completely normal speed, it's a moment of intense relief, for both the characters and the audience. And did snyder immediately rush into a lustful sex scene? To my immense surprise, no. Instead the characters nervously flirt, and talk about their favorite music. They hold hands. They go on a date. For a full 30 minutes, we are treated to a slow development of their relationship. And when they finally have sex, is it crass moment of lust? No. We are treated to a scene where two lovers discussing the logistics of having sex when one partner can crush the others pelvis into dust. The flash is forced to be the dominant partner, basically out of necessity. When the two partners return, nothing has changed. The other just league members are still stuck there, slowly flying through the air, where superman had left them. Superman and flash explain what happened, and to their surprise, the other members are supportive. Superman is gay. Superman has always been gay. The lack of chemistry between superman and louis? The bored neglect, and utter lack of passion? It wasn't bad casting. It was the artistic intent all along.
This is where the film takes its largest departure for the final act. The main villain is not a weird horned alien, as it was in the original. Instead, the real villain was homophobia all along. Superman, raised in a conservative house hold, and turned into the symbol of american morality, was living a lie the whole time. The heroes abandon their battle against crime, and do battle with the crime of bigotry instead. A larger, and arguably more deadly threat to world order. As the film sets itself up for a sequel, we're treated to a late title card that reveals the exciting twist that no one expected, but everyone wanted: The Social Justice League - Part 1.
