Creative freedom and credit have been a prevalent issue for almost all of the filmmaking industry’s history, especially in the modern blockbuster era.
From the notorious Golden Age battles for control on the Wizard of Oz and Citizen Kane to the pervasive, intrusive studio interference on innumerable films today, studios and creators have always attempted to find the perfect configuration of art and business to varying success. Studios do have an obligation to make returns on investments, but, moreover, preserving the majesty of this art form should be upheld above all other motives. What is particularly discernible in most cases is the cruciality of studios entrusting filmmakers to create their art: When they do not do so and co-opt projects to ensure financial viability, the outcome too often reeks of a film made by committee, not the singular choices of a filmmaker.
In 2017, this was undeniably the case with the release of Justice League. Director Zack Snyder, who already had an avid following before his involvement with Warner Brothers and DC, had made the movies Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice to mixed reactions with some widely lauding them and others deeply criticizing them for being overly dour and convoluted, among other things (I predominantly fall into the latter). With its main competitor prospering, this left Warner Brothers and DC shaking in their boots, particularly after the gargantuan success of Patty Jenkin’s incredibly earnest and emotive inaugural Wonder Woman film. Instead of realizing that they had achieved the optimal amount of directing liberty and producing oversight, Warner Brothers unceremoniously fired Snyder in the midst of creating his movie and replaced him with Joss Whedon, who radically altered Snyder’s vision, thus forming a motion picture that diluted it with a hodgepodge of bland and contrasting conventions.
Now, following the relentless campaigning and lobbying of an angry horde of fans who were deprived of a complete film, Warner Brothers has allowed Snyder to complete his original vision completely unencumbered (This is apparent from the beginning with a 4:3 aspect ratio presentation that was originally intended for IMAX), and the results are mostly successful. This is a vast improvement on Zack Snyder’s other DC endeavors with more cohesive storytelling (breaking the film into six parts, an epilogue and a prologue really enable a steady flow), a grounded and consistent tone, and clearer dramatic stakes. Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Aquaman, and especially Cyborg and the villainous Steppenwolf all feel like more fully realized individuals with compelling motives.
Snyder does an excellent job of cultivating the humanity of all these characters with an expanded four-hour runtime that feels like a broad and sprawling fantasy epic with more room for scenes to breathe. This is perfectly apt for his vision of framing rich superhero mythology as modern, humanly flawed gods and Olympians protecting Earth while seeking redemption, fostering wholesome morality, and forging fulfilling connections. The action scenes and visuals also supplement this well and are exponentially more arresting, complete and dynamic.
However, this is definitely an unfettered Zack Snyder film, so everyone’s mileage will vary, as did mine. The protracted scope does alleviate this filmmaker’s issues with cohesion and character development but does compound others for me personally. Though this is more concise and thematically hefty than some of his other films, this picture too often feels too redundant, heavy-handed and sensationalized in its visual language, such as an extended slow-motion car crash sequence set to alternative rock music involving the Flash that really does not bear weight on the rest of the story or a superfluous surfeit of scenic mountain shots; the bombastic artistic flourishes form a style that frequently supersedes the substance.
Additionally, this film can be a bit unfocused and overly abundant in its narrative when balancing its many threads. There are countless references to comics that feel contrived and not pertinent to the film thematically. I enjoyed witnessing the Joker in a post-apocalyptic premonition and additional instances, for example, and they are well executed in a vacuum. They just undermine the momentum of this film in many areas.
What really cements this film’s overall positive quality, though, are its unbridled passion and authorship. This is the type of bold, unique auteurist vision that is bereft from so much blockbuster cinema. It is unashamedly Zack Snyder, wholly and utterly. At four hours and brimming with dense material, occasionally to a fault, this movie would have never been released in theaters regardless of the behind-the-scenes scandal (hence its release on HBO Max instead), but it is eminently thrilling to witness the unrestrained sensibilities of an artist at this studio caliber. Like the heroes at its center, this film evokes hope in its fraught landscape. Zack Snyder’s Justice League may not align with my tastes, but I am grateful to have experienced it nonetheless in addition to its filmmaking triumphs.
Grade: B-
Zack Snyder’s Justice League is now available on HBO Max.
Photo Credit / Warner Brothers
