*WATCHMEN SPOILERS BELOW*
I saw Watchmen the other, and as I walked out of the theater, I heard my fellow moviegoers complaining about how terrible the movie was. It was long, boring, all over the place, and so many other terrible things. But they all failed to see what an ingenious film they had just seen. Granted, the movie did jump around, but it wasn’t difficult to follow. I never once found myself bored even when everyone around me rolled their eyes. Of course, I could have gone without all of the crotch-shots, but they were easily avoidable if I just didn’t look at them. Personally, I think it is ridiculous to let something like that distract you. It’s like I said tonight, “you have to look past the dicks.” And it’s true. That is beside the point though. What I’m getting at is this: It takes a different kind to appreciate a story like Watchmen.
The world we live in today is a very interesting one. I hear all the time from a teacher of mine that our generation just doesn’t care. We don’t think about things. We don’t act on the “injustices” done to us. This is absolutely true. We’re all too busy being caught up in the superficialities of our lives. But then again, why aren’t we entitled to those things? If that is how we choose to live our lives, let us live them that way. We’re still young, and so we should be allowed to be young. When we are older, we’ll deal with the problems as they come. But, even in our youth, it does not mean that our generation should not be thinking about every single thing we see. Sadly, I don’t see (or hear) enough of it. That is the problem that I think leads people to write off Watchmen as a bad movie. You can’t go in there expecting to be mindlessly entertained. You have to think about what its telling you. People need to think.
Oh, and if you haven’t seen the movie, I guess here is where the spoilers start. Anyways, at the end of the movie Adrian Veidt reveals that he was behind the events of the whole movie. His goal was to save the human race from itself, one that many would call noble. Although, considering the fact that he killed millions of people to achieve it, he loses some of the shine he would otherwise hold. Where one person once could see a hero, they see a villain. But that is where most people cease thinking. They leave it at that; Veidt was a villain who killed millions. Dr. Manhattan was weak for being exploited, and the Nite Owl and Silk Specter were fools for keeping the secret. Rorschach is the only one who comes off noble for attempting to reveal the truth. But then what happened at the end? Was there not peace; and by peace I mean true peace. Yes, it would only hold as long as the “threat of Dr. Manhattan” loomed over it, but that could be forever. This of course leads to the moral discussion of whether its right to kill all of those people to achieve this goal. This is the main point of this note.
Is what Veidt did wrong? Is one life, ten lives, millions of lives worth the rest of the worlds? In the movie, the outcome of the cold war would have ended in a nuclear holocaust where even more would have died. So that’s the question then; is it okay to sacrifice some for the “greater good”? I know most people would really think it’s wrong. “There is always another solution!” they would say. Kind words in a cruel world. Regrettably, sometimes there isn’t always another way.
Does it make me a monster for agreeing with Veidt?
I don’t condone the monstrous massive murder he committed, I think it’s disgusting that anyone can go through with something like that, but can you not see the twisted elegance of his solution? The way that through all the death and destruction, peace shone through. It worked without a flaw. I don’t think it would be right to choose the people who were to die, but someone had to, right? Even as I write this, I feel horrible about how no part of me feels bad about thinking what I do, but then again there’s a difference between Veidt and myself. While I may think it’s the best solution, I could never go through with it. I couldn’t hold so many lives in my hands even if the fate of the world rested on it. Thankfully it’s just a comic book though. But don’t think it couldn’t happen today, or tomorrow even; in real life I mean. The idea may sound horrible, but I don’t doubt that it’s been done before (on a smaller scale) and that it won’t happen in the future.
Though, for those of you who disagree, do you not think that the people who died in the movie would have chosen to live if they knew doing so would doom the world? No, they would be happy their lives were sacrificed to make peace. You see, an individual usually makes such a little impact. One life, no matter what anyone says or thinks has no greater effect on the history of everything. The universe keeps spinning despite what any of us could do. Even amongst the living the individual finds it difficult to make an impact. For example, even if I were to die tonight, nothing would change. Yes, the lives of my friends and family would be rocked, shattered even, but people would live their lives after. Yet, with these sacrifices, the individuals who died did make an impact. Because of their loss, life kept on going. Yes, there could have been a million different outcomes, but that’s not the point. That reality is the one we’re supposed to see. It’s supposed to make us think about what’s wrong and right.
I know it is hard for most people to admit to agreeing with something like this. I even know many people completely disagree; every life is sacred. That’s exactly what I’ve been saying though. It would be selfish to cling to life knowing it would kill everyone else. So, even though the choice was never theirs, their lives were more sacred than anyone else’s because they saved the world.
I’m sure I rambled a lot, but here’s a little summary: Is it wrong to sacrifice some for others? While I never personally could, I find myself saying “no” when faced with no other option. Of course, if there is a way to save everyone, I would in an instant. Sometimes that’s not the reality though.
So in the end, Watchmen proved to be a magnificent film which I would recommend to anyone who enjoys thinking. Personally, I’m going to be picking up the graphic novel as soon as I can so I can get an even more in depth experience. Also, I wish more movies were like Watchmen in the way you have to think. I really think it would encourage the youth of America to be more thoughtful and worldly; something we’re in dire need of.
-Omega