The superhero film Watchmen (2009) was criticized for its extremely long runtime, changing the ending, and unorthodox ways of presentation. But almost everyone agrees on one thing: Zack Snyder nailed it in the intro scene where we get to see America’s historical timeline that was more or less altered by the appearance of the heroes of Minutemen and Watchmen. Many think that all the elements of this five-and-a-half-minute intro could make a cinema on its own.
That video consists of 22 different super slow-mo scenes (that I like to call Snyderism), and each of those scenes describes more than you may think. And today I am gonna break down all the scenes from the intro. I tried my best to keep the article small. But hey, it’s 22 freaking scenes we are talking about.
The intro starts with old Nite Owl punching a random armed robber in the face in front of the Gotham Opera House. There’s a couple in the background terrified about the whole action thing. They are most likely Thomas Wayne and Martha Wayne, and with them, the old guy is their butler Alfred Pennyworth; no Bruce Wayne is around. Thomas has a bruise on his cheek, probably from the thug who tried to rob them. It’s the alternate version of Batman’s origin where Thomas and Martha don’t get killed by the robber; instead, they get saved by Nite Owl. On the right side of the background, there are a bunch of Batman movie posters on the wall, meaning Batman is a fictional character in that universe. It’s kind of ironic that Thomas and Martha came to see the Batman movie and later got saved by a Batman-like vigilante, Nite Owl.
2. Silk Spectre among policemen
In the next scene, Silk Spectre holds a newspaper that has a banner headline with news about one of Spectre’s crime-busting successes among some policemen, posing for the photoshoot. Two of these policemen are staring at her cleavage, which conveys a message of objectification toward female celebrities at that time, just like Marilyn Monroe. Silk Spectre’s dress speaks for that statement as well.
3. Young Comedian Fighting Crime
In that shot, the Comedian is grabbing an armed robber (or thief) with a one-hand triangle choke in front of the bank. He is smiling toward the camera as a pose for the photograph. The robber wears a classic thief costume, including a black-grey striped shirt with an eye mask. This one is probably just a set-up photo-shoot instead of a real crime fight scene, as one of the robber’s hands is free with a firing rifle, doing nothing except firing in the other direction and posing like a thief.
4. Minutemen
The following clip shows the formation of Minutemen in 1940, which was in 1939 according to the comics. However, members of Minutemen are standing together to take a group photo. Silhouette, Mothman, Dollar Bill, Nite Owl, Captain Metropolis, Silk Spectre holding the arm of Hooded Justice from the left, and the Comedian sitting in front of the group.
5. Bombing
An American aircraft is flying away after dropping an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan during World War II. The bomber’s name is ‘Miss Jupiter,’ whereas in reality, a USAAF B-29 named ‘Enola Gay’ carried the bomb. Even a portrait painting of Sally Jupiter is visible on the plane’s body, illustrating the fact that with enormous popularity, superheroes have become the national symbol of the country.
6. V-J Day Kiss
The camera zooms out from a newspaper with news of America’s victory over Japan in World War II. New Yorkers are celebrating V-J Day at Times Square. There, an alternate version of Alfred Eisenstaedt’s iconic photograph “The V-J Day Kiss” shows Silhouette kissing the nurse in Times Square.
7. Dollar Bill Murder
Dollar Bill has been gunned down by a criminal, his cape stuck on the revolving door, and a bunch of photographers are taking pictures of his dead body. The scene defines the mortality of superheroes, showing that they are not invincible but mortal human beings in superhero costumes.
8. Retirement of Sally
Later, we find pregnant Sally at a dinner with other members of the Minutemen at her retirement party. That particular scene is a recreation of Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper,’ where Sally has taken the place of Jesus at the center of the function. Here, Edie Blake sat next to Sally on the left side, the same way Judas sat beside Jesus. That points a finger at Blake’s betrayal of Sally by attempting to violate her, as Judas betrayed Jesus. On the right side, Sally’s husband reflects Thomas in the sense that both of them doubt.
9. Mothman gone Crazy
Mothman has gone crazy and is being taken to the Sunnycrest Asylum. According to the Watchmen Sourcebook, Mothman’s mental state goes significantly bad after being ruthlessly investigated by HUAC.
10. Silhouette Murder
The next scene shows the murder of Silhouette alongside her nurse girlfriend, whom we have seen earlier kissing in Times Square on V-J Day. ‘LESBIAN WHORES’ is written on the wall with blood, reflecting society’s view on homosexual relationships. Even the newspaper considered the queer relationship a “scandal.” The crime scene is clearly inspired by David Fincher’s ‘Seven’ movie’s particular scene.
11. Kid Rorschach’s Ideal (?) Mother
The next scene takes place at the home of a young boy, Walter Kovacs, who becomes Rorschach later. The kid’s mother is prostituting herself; one of her clients is getting out of the door and another man who was waiting outside goes inside as now it’s his turn. All of this is happening in front of Walter Kovacs. The poor boy looks through the camera as the fourth wall breaks, telling us silently about the pain and trauma he’s experiencing. We get a look at a paper saying that Russia has an atomic bomb that will be ready to test within 16 weeks. That narrates the beginning of the Cold War between America and Russia.
12. JFK shaking hands with Dr. Manhattan
America’s 35th president John F. Kennedy is shaking hands with Dr. Manhattan, a former physicist, in front of the White House. On the left side is Jacqueline Kennedy, wife of JFK, with two of their kids, and on the right side, there are other physicists from Gila Flats Research Base. Being the most powerful being on the planet, he is an asset to America’s national security. The handshake establishes the understanding between man and Superman.
13. JFK Assassination
On November 22, 1963, John F. Kennedy was shot while riding in his motorcade through Dealey Plaza, Dallas. Nobody knows who the assassin to the day. But in the intro, Eddie Blake, aka Comedian, is shown as the one who took the shot, validating a rumor about a shot taken from that particular side. Eddie Blake was a secret agent of Nixon’s government, suggesting Richard Nixon might have been behind the JFK murder.
14. Silk Spectre Argument
Later in the intro, we find Sally Jupiter having a verbal fight with her husband while their daughter Jane is watching them (great parenting!). The camera pans to the television. As it pans, the costume of Silk Spectre is seen hanging, indicating her retirement from the Minutemen. On the TV, Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc is burning as part of a protest, with the text “VIETNAM WAR ESCALATES” floating on the screen, warning of an upcoming war.
15. Rorschach Vigilante
Two guys (most likely criminals) are tied symmetrically to a fire hydrant senselessly. A piece of paper near them has the Rorschach symbol drawn on it, meaning Rorschach has started being a vigilante and fighting crime in his own way.
16. Fidel Castro and Leonid
Fidel Castro and Leonid Brezhnev are standing in front of Lenin’s Mausoleum in Kremlin, Russia. Both of them follow a military parade plane flying over their heads. As the camera moves upward, ground vehicles carrying missiles become visible. That missile-carrying scene confirms the authenticity of the “Russia has A-Bomb” news.
17. The Ultimate Confrontation
During the Vietnam Anti-War Movement in 1967, Jan Rose Kasmir, a young American high school girl, stood in front of a Pentagon guard’s gunpoint holding a flower as a symbol of peace, which is known as “The Ultimate Confrontation.” Zack Snyder showed us his own version of the Flower Girl in the intro, where Rose Kasmir has a flower painted on her cheek, and unlike the real event, she, alongside other protestors, gets killed by the open fire, revealing the ruthlessness and oppressiveness of the authority.
18. Andy Warhol’s Exhibition
In the alternate reality, Andy Warhol is standing in front of his pop-art series in an exhibition where he chose Nite Owl 2 as the subject of his artwork instead of Marilyn Monroe. The silkscreen pop art of Nite Owl has replaced “Shot-Marilyn.” With a closer look, you’ll find other artworks of him on Rorschach and Ozymandias in the background. This means, in that particular reality, members of the Watchmen are the biggest celebrities, and since Andy’s artworks are mainly celebrity-focused, vigilantes took the places of celebrities like Marilyn or Muhammad Ali.
19. Neil Armstrong on the Moon
Neil Armstrong lands on the moon with the help of Dr. Manhattan, as we see him in the reflection of the astronaut’s suit, holding the camera, probably recording video. A fun part of this scene is Neil Armstrong saying “Good luck Mr. Gorsky” as a nod to the urban legend. For those who don’t know the context, let me explain briefly. There’s a rumor that when Neil Armstrong was a kid, he overheard an argument between Mr. and Mrs. Gorsky, where Mrs. Gorsky refused to give Mr. Gorsky oral sex, saying, “You want oral sex? I’ll give you oral sex when the kid next door (Neil) steps on the moon.” Well, good for Mr. Gorsky because the boy from next door made it.
20. Ozymandias’s Public Appearance
Ozymandias, one of the members of Watchmen, appears in front of the famous Studio 54 without his eye mask on. So, by this time, all the members of Watchmen have revealed their secret identities except Rorschach, of course. And Ozymandias has become something of a celebrity, as we can spot a couple of celebrity figures such as Mick Jagger, David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust, and The Village People in the background.
21. Watchmen Group Photo
All the members of Watchmen stand together to take a group photo. From the left: The Comedian, Silk Spectre II, Dr. Manhattan, Ozymandias, Nite Owl II, and Rorschach. Photo frames of former members of Minutemen are visible on the wall behind them. The notable thing here is that, in earlier periods, photographers captured all the memorable moments of superheroes because people had somewhat of a craze for them. And the media shows what people crave. But as time passed, everyone out there lost their faith in them. So now they are taking their own group photo by setting the timer. Or it could be simply because the photo was taken in Watchmen’s headquarters. No photographer may have access to that place.
22. Nixon Elected
The final scene of the intro takes place in a TV shop. As the frame zooms out from a TV screen that shows the news of Richard Nixon getting elected as president for the third time in a row, overriding the term limit. (According to the American constitution, “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”) The TV on the left side is broadcasting the news titled “Term Limits Repealed.” On the right side, there is another TV showing that the Doomsday Clock is only 10 minutes away from reaching midnight. People are really pissed about the whole situation. They are causing a riot. One of the rioters writes “WHO WATCHES THE WATCHMEN?” on the outer wall of the TV shop with aerosol paint, declining Watchmen as their observant heroes.
