While Zack Snyder’s films have the director’s visual and narrative stamp all over them, this is also the reason for him being a pretty polarizing figure among viewers. While his work in the DC franchise as well as in films like 300 and Watchmen have earned him a massive fan base, there are also a significant number of viewers who have been severely critical of his cinematic choices.
In a recent interview, Snyder sat down for a detailed chat to speak about his career, filmography, and other influences in his journey as a director. In the process, he also touched upon the brutal hate campaigns against him. While he remained firmly confident of his creative methods and beliefs, he also warned fans about the dangers of diluting the art form.
Zack Snyder’s Take On Criticisms And The Future Of Film Appreciation
Being Zack Snyder is like being on a continuous roller coaster ride of emotions. Over the years, the filmmaker has not only been a huge inspiration for many fans and aspiring artists, but has also been a victim of severe backlash when it comes to his films and creative choices.
The 300 director’s work has stood out for his alternative take on characters and narratives in the DC franchise, while also pushing the envelope in terms of visualization and creativity. In addition, Snyder’s works have also been R-rated owing to the language, violence, and certain emotionally mature content that is depicted in them.
While these aspects have worked for a lot of hardcore fans, they have also been criticized by audiences who have felt that his unorthodox tweaking of scripts did not bode well for cinema. Snyder addressed this checkered relationship with the public in the Happy Sad Confused podcast.
The Watchmen filmmaker took on focus groups in movies, who are utilized by filmmakers in an effort to get feedback on their work and improve on it before releasing it to the public. These groups which usually focused on mainstream content that would be more palatable to the public, did not fit in with the kind of art that Snyder believed in and wanted to create.
While it is possible that these focus groups could be hinting at a case of auteur directors like Snyder and other big franchises sticking to similar themes and ideas for their films, the director had a very specific opinion about the future of cinema.
He elaborated further by citing the example of The Snyder Cut and said that while a lot of people did not like what he did with the film, he believed that by not supporting this kind of cinema, they were unconsciously demeaning the art form and embracing mediocrity despite stating that they wanted to to see quality content.
“You may love or hate my movies, I’m 100% fine with that but a vote against me is a vote for the focus groups. Know by saying ‘Snyder sucks’ you’re also saying “you know what? give me more focus groups! I want Happy Meals!”
The Man of Steel filmmaker went on to add that this trend would then begin to demean all the work done by great directors who are constantly pushing the boundaries of creativity through every film they make.
This could also be a defining statement ahead of the release of Snyder’s Rebel Moon 2 which will premier on Netflix. The first part which released in December 2023, also saw him receiving flak from certain audiences for his narrative and execution despite it gaining a lot of momentum on the platform.
Fans Trolled Zack Snyder For Plugging Jared Leto’s Joker Photo
Whether it is through positive or negative responses, the fact remains that Zack Snyder and his films have always been major talking points among fans across the world. Three years into the release of The Snyder Cut, the director paid tribute to the film (via DC Film News) by uploading a telling black and white picture of Jared Leto as Joker.
The image shows the Oscar winner in his trademark long hair and ominously painted face holding a machine gun. While Leto expectedly gave an impressive performance in the film, this version of Joker, that Snyder created, received mixed responses and is continuing to garner criticism based on the online reactions to the image.
Many netizens believed that this physical depiction of Leto’s Joker was a bit excessive and attention-seeking. Others simply panned the look brutally by calling it one of the worst Joker depictions. A few viewers took it the next level by ruing the fact that they were forced to remember this version of the character.
The worst live action joker in the history of jokers.
— Julian Hernandez (@julianoff1c1al_) March 19, 2024
Looks more like some horror movie ghost instead of joker
— BATMAN JATT (@Brucewaynejatt) March 19, 2024
I hate this Joker so much
— Thomas The Spartan (@thomas_spartan1) March 18, 2024
While Snyder did have a few supporters who appreciated his abilities to take risks and having the courage to push the envelope, there was no denying the fact that the filmmaker’s effort at nostalgia did not go down well with everyone.
Rebel Moon is streaming on Netflix.
Justice League: The Snyder Cut can be rented on Apple TV.
