When asking viewers to list the qualities that best characterize a Zack Snyder film, ‘slow motion’ is probably going to be mentioned nine times out of ten. Rebel Moon, his 2023 American epic space opera flick, is probably well-known to those who enjoy visually stunning stories and epic action sequences. In addition, if you have watched the movie, you might have noticed the unusual use of ‘slow motion’.
Naturally, the renowned filmmaker is well aware of that, and during an interview with Wired, he discussed why and how he approaches those kinds of scenes and the kinds of rules he sets for himself and his team while filming.
Additionally, when asked why Rebel Moon uses slow motion so much, the 300 director gave an “obvious” yet insightful response, stating that the slow motion is “awesome”.
Into the Director’s Mind: Zack Snyder’s Aesthetic Choices in Rebel Moon
The slow-motion scenes throughout Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire add a lot of fun visual flair to the film, no doubt. Zack Snyder is widely recognized for his use of slow-motion, as well as many other ‘Snyder-isms’ that give his films a distinct style and identity.
With full creative control over the 2023 science fiction picture, the director was able to bring his vision to life in a way that included slow motion and other creative choices. One of the questions posed by fans on social media to Snyder during an interview with Wired was, “Why did Rebel Moon’s action scenes have so much slomo?” To which he replied:
“The obvious answer is: Slow motion is awesome. These movies are physical. There’s a physicality to what our heroes go through. The use of slow motion to me is a way of just embellishing heroic moments that our heroes go through.”
The Man of Steel helmer further shared:
“Because I’m a fan of beautiful classic paintings, I like to kind of make the moments into those iconographic frames that you can hang on and see.”
However, neither ‘slow motion’ nor a visually appealing aesthetic prevented Rebel Moon from receiving mostly negative reviews from critics. With an average rating of 4.2/10, only 21% of the 173 critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are positive.
While critics may continue to debate Snyder’s use of slow motion, it is clear that the director has no plans to ditch this essential aspect of his filmmaking anytime soon. And isn’t there something transcendent about watching the victories of our heroes play out in a beautiful, melancholy ballet?
Behind the Lens: Zack Snyder’s Approach to Slow Motion Scenes
Zack Snyder’s use of slow motion became a mainstay of his discography after the critical and commercial success of his film 300 (Box Office Mozo). Since he employs it so frequently, the method has taken on a life of its own for the director, and viewers can typically recognize a Snyder movie within a few minutes of it starting.
Snyder’s use of slow motion may be criticized by some as being ‘overused’, but the director has earlier disclosed how he chooses which scenes to use and how he achieves the effect. He told Collider that he makes “intuitive” decisions about whether to film in slow motion or not. He also added that he never makes a scene in slow motion just for the sake of doing so. To quote him:
“What I don’t like doing, what I never have done and I try not to do, is slow anything down that was photographed at another frame rate. Like if I shot something at 24 frames, I never would say, ‘Oh, let’s slow it down so it looks like slow motion.’ The only reason we did something similar to that in ‘Watchmen’ in the title sequence, we had to do that fake slow motion because we couldn’t get the cameras. At that time, there was no Phantom, it was only Photo-Sonic. So in order to get, like, 1000 frames, we would have the actors act like they were in more slow motion than they were, so that’s what we were thinking. Then in CG you’d make the spit, or the shell casings, to make it look like it was super slow. ”
His use of slow motion in his films, such as Watchmen, Man of Steel, and Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole, is not only artistically pleasing but also enhances the narratives he tells. While some might brush off his use of the technique as a cheap trick, it is true that many of his shots stick in the minds of viewers long after they have seen his films.
Stream Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire on Netflix.
