Back in November of 2007, Comic Related was introduced to an individual who works in the film industry. This individual, who called herself Cassandra Faust, has been good enough to share an ongoing series of first hand reports direct from the set of the Watchmen film then following the close of production. Ms. Faust worked as an extra during the filming and offered a great summary of what she witnessed. We're pleased to share her latest Watchmen report today and Ms. Faust has our sincere, continued and ongoing thanks...
Watchmen Watchers
by
Cassandra Faust
WOW!
For the legions of fans who have seen the first WATCHMEN trailer, that pretty much sums it up. This is one fan who was utterly blown away by what she saw. And I was there for some of the filming! I knew it would look good, but not THAT good!
Well, now that we’ve all had a chance to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and get back in the seat the trailer knocked us out of, we can get back to the business of discussing what can now safely be called THE movie event of 2009.
And it’s great to have new voices added to the discussion. For months now, when it comes to WATCHMEN, I’ve been sort of a lone voice crying out in the wilderness. With gag orders and embargoes silencing the plethora of sites fortunate enough to be invited to visit the set finally lifted, and the trailer out for all to see, well, there’s a party going on! Truth to tell, I welcome the company.
It’s been not only a lot of fun but also gratifying to see how my past set reports have raced like wild fire across the Internet. The response has been more than I could possibly have imagined when I filed my first back in November. Oh, I knew my fellow WATCHMEN fans were out there, but I was not aware just how important every aspect of the film was. This is probably due to the fact that, having been on set so many times, I knew with absolute certainty that the movie was not only going to be a faithful adaptation but a truly great viewing experience as well.
Of course other fans all over the world had no idea and this was my motivation for the series of set reports I’ve filed to date. Just to ease folks’ minds by trying to convey just how close the filmmakers were sticking to the source material.
And the response has been phenomenal. I believe I’ve accomplished what I set out to do for many of you. But there were others who thought I was just making some of this stuff up, or that I was a studio plant, or a plain, bald-faced liar grasping at ‘Internet fame.’
For this reason, I’m happy to see the other reports starting to roll in to back up some of what I’ve reported in the past. Here’s a thumbnail sketch of what they had to say.
The first element of all of these reports, video journals and the trailer concerns the amazing amount of detail and care that has gone into the production. Details drawn directly from the source material. I’ve been reporting this since Day One. The other common thread concerns the filmmakers. Do they ‘get’ what WATCHMEN is all about? Did you see the trailer?
Again, universally, the new reports praise the filmmakers for their reverence and respect for the material and how they truly want to bring most of the novel’s elements faithfully to the screen. This has been the theme of ALL of my previous reports. What else? Danny Woodburn? I confirmed this. The saw element added to Rorschach’s escape? Got it. Nite Owl and Silk Spectre duking it out with prisoners on the way to Kovacs’s cell? I broke that as well. There’s even been a description of Rorschach’s mask which matches the one I posted months ago. Even Dr. Manhattan scaring the lunch out of people in the trailer was a scene I mentioned as being in the film. And the biggest consensus of all: every set report I’ve read, and the trailer more than confirms, that WATCHMEN is going to be an incredible film.
Now it would be easy for me to just blurt out a big I TOLD YOU SO! But I’m not that kind of girl. As I stated above, I’m happy to see these corroborating reports because I wanted fans to realize that they don’t have to plop down in their theater seat in March with their fingers crossed and chewing nervously on their lower lips, cringing when the opening credits roll. If you had doubts of this kind, I’m sure the trailer went a lot farther than I could ever hope to in allaying your concerns.
And here’s something else to chew on. If so many of the things I reported on have been corroborated by these other sources, then what about the things that haven’t yet? For example, the squid being in. I reported that as well. Now, before you start to hyperventilate, I don’t have any new information on this, but, if everything else I’ve reported about the film is coming true, then…
Now that we’ve all seen the trailer, I’ve got more WATCHMEN news to report. Is it reliable? Well, I’ll let my past record speak for itself. Here goes.
Just to wet your appetite, here’s a partial report of Rorschach’s arrest. Out of respect for the filmmakers, I won’t recount how the rest of the scene plays out until I see some evidence of it in a future trailer or photo. I will say that it plays out exactly as it does in the novel… kinda.
But here’s how it’s set up.
First shot:
Tenement building: Rorschach is inside. Building is surrounded by police. There are two detectives facing the building. One has a bullhorn and speaks to Rorschach.
Cop One: Rorschach! We know you’re in there! If there’s anyone in there with you, send them out unharmed!” (PAUSE) Let’s make this a clean surrender. (PAUSE) All right. I hope you’re ready, hero!
Cop Two makes a dramatic, sweeping gesture towards the S.W.A.T van and the doors of the van bang open. A group of S.W.A.T cops burst out of it and run into the building while some regular N.Y.P.D bluesuits come around the front of the van and take up positions behind the skewed squad cars.
The actor playing the cop with the bullhorn manages to make ‘hero’ drip with sarcasm and fans of the novel will recognize, I’m sure, the truncated though accurate dialogue. This was common in all of the scenes I was either part of or saw filmed. Even the placement of the squad cars and S.W.A.T van mirrored the arrangement in the comic. For so small a scene, it was great to see they took the time to do it right.
And that’s all you’re getting for now. I will add that three versions of the unmasking were filmed. Or, rather, 3 version of Kovacs’s line were. All sent chills up and down everyone’s spines when Jackie Earle Haley screamed them out in that Rorschach voice we’re all now familiar with. Wait until you see how he moves as the character!
He says:
“GIVE ME BACK MY MASK!”
“MY FACE, GIVE IT BACK!”
“GIVE ME BACK MY FACE!”
And, after each take, spontaneous applause erupted from the extras and crew even though we were about 100 feet away and policemen surrounded him.
I don’t have a clue which one they’ll use, but they were all powerful. My money’s on the word for word line from the novel.
Up next is something a little more detailed. As the trailer was very Manhattan-centric, I think it’s time to shed some light on his interview scene with Ted Koppel.
It runs something like this:
KOPPELl: His name is John Osterman. You know him as Dr. Manhattan – a renowned physicist. Who after a terrible accident was gifted with extraordinary powers. The ability to bend matter to his will. Ladies and gentlemen… Dr. Manhattan!
MANHATTAN enters from stage left and stares in curious surprise at the audience who is giving him a rousing ovation. He shakes hands with Koppel, then, still confused, slowly takes his seat.
KOPPEL: With us tonight are three noted journalists… introduces woman, introduces New York Times guy, introduces Nova Express Reporter. Motions to woman with first question.
NEWS WOMAN: With the symbolic doomsday clock set to four minutes to midnight, do you think we’re in danger of nuclear war? (this is not word for word).
MANHATTAN: My father was a watchmaker, but he abandoned it when Einstein proved that time is relative. A symbolic clock is as emotionally reassuring as a picture of oxygen to a drowning man.
NEWS WOMAN: So you’re saying that there is no danger?
MANHATTAN: Even in a world without nuclear weapons, there would still be danger.
NEW YORK TIMES REPORTER: It’s being said that there are three people capable of destroying the world: The Premier of Russia, President Nixon and… You.
MANHATTAN (softly): We are also three people who can keep it from being destroyed.
NEW YORK TIMES REPORTER: Some say that you have the power of a God because you can see the past and future simultaneously. How do you respond to that?
MANHATTAN: I see only my own past, my own future. I am not omniscient.
KOPPEL gestures to DOUG ROTH.
ROTH: Doug Roth, Nova Express. Dr. Osterman, do you remember Wally Weaver?
MANHATTAN: We were physicists together at the White Sands (Plains? Not sure) Research Facility.
ROTH: He died of cancer.
MANHATTAN: I… didn’t know. He was a good man.
ROTH: How about Edward Jacobi, also known as Moloch? You encountered him many times in the past. In battles, skirmishes.
KOPPEL: Please, Doug, one question at a time.
MANHATTAN (confused as to where this is going): I…
ROTH: He also has cancer.
MANHATTAN is clearly uncomfortable.
ROTH: What about General… (didn’t catch the name)…. Also dead. Cancer.
MANHATTAN: Are you suggesting that I am somehow the cause?
ROTH: From where I’m standing the evidence looks pretty conclusive. What about Janey Slater?
MANHATTAN: J-Janey…
ROTH: She also has cancer and has only 6 months to live. (PAUSE) Isn’t that right… Ms. Slater!
All heads turn stage left. JANEY SLATER walks up the corridor to stand next to the audience. She is neatly dressed, but appears pale. MANHATTAN stands up when he sees her.
SLATER: John, you were everything to me. Everything. I would have done anything for you. You bastard! Is this how you repay me? Goddamn you!
She yanks off her wig to reveal she has lost most of her hair to chemotherapy. The audience gasps and moves around in their seats. MANHATTAN takes a step towards SLATER who turns and runs up the corridor and the audience members closest to her crane their necks. Some of them get out of their seats and look down the corridor after her.
A secret service agent runs onstage waving his arms.
AGENT: That’s it! This interview is over!
Pandemonium! The audience rushes the stage. MANHATTAN is surrounded, the secret service try to keep the crowd back. The woman reporter and the New York Times reporter rush to the edge of the stage firing questions. DOUG ROTH has come up on stage next to MANHATTAN and is also peppering him with questions.
MANHATTAN is growing more and more angry. Finally he roars.
MANHATTAN: Leave me alone!
Audience, reporters, camera people freeze
I think you fans out there can take it from here. A lot of fans, I’m sure, might take offense at this “Springer Moment” but, for me, given that the scene plays out in the spirit of the novel whenever it is not word for word, I had no problem with it. Zack Snyder has said that WATCHMEN needs to address popular culture. I think this scene does that by holding up a mirror to the staged chaos millions tune into on some of the current daytime talk shows. From where I was sitting, it satisfied this fan.
I’m sure many of you might wonder how I could possibly remember all of this dialogue. Well, the answer is simple, the filmmakers filmed all of this over two days and from so many angles. If you count the rehearsals and takes this scene played out about fifty times before Mr. Snyder yelled out the final CUT! And when you’ve got an ear for dialogue and a journal at home, it’s not that difficult to get everything down. And I will state for the record that this is not a word for word transcription. That being said, I would say it’s about 90% accurate.
Okay, I think that’s enough for now. I’ve still got a few nuggets left in my WATCHMEN treasure chest. Stayed tuned for more.
Page last updated on July 18, 2008