Zach Snyder and the Separation of Art and Artist
Tuesday, May 23, 2017 at 4:00PM by Ben Miller
Many outlets are reporting the news that director Zack Snyder is stepping down from directing the upcoming Justice League in order to be with his family following the suicide of his daughter, Autumn, in March. This news has unfortunately prompted some insensitive reactions online. This brings to light an interesting separation between the artist and the art they create.
Snyder has his fair amount of detractors. I was impressed by his debut with Dawn of the Dead and got caught up in the zeitgeist that was 300. But, I have been less than thrilled with his contributions to the superhero genre in Watchmen, Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.
This has birthed a persona of the man – Zack Snyder, director. His personal life and character has been shielded by a believed persona of what we feel this man is like, just because of the films he makes. We assume that the CGI heavy and slow-motion leaning visual style says more about the man than anything else...
I am reminded of a Late Night with Jimmy Fallon sketch from 2014. Baseball player Robinson Cano had just signed with the Seattle Mariners after a number of successful seasons with the New York Yankees. Producing a cardboard cutout of Cano on the street, numerous Yankee fans were encouraged to yell at Cano’s cutout, hoping for some catharsis. Cano was hiding behind the cutout and would surprise the fans who have just been booing him. The reactions of these fans are not ones of embarrassment or shame… they are beaming and grateful to meet the superstar.
The fans weren’t booing Cano-the-man; they were booing Cano-the-player. Once that barrier between the two was broken down, they were thrilled to see the man.
This is where we are with Snyder. You don’t have to enjoy his films to feel his sorrow. You don’t have to take a different stance on Watchmen. He has been experiencing, for the better part of two months, an incomprehensible tragedy.
This is the perfect time to realize that your favorite actors, directors, writers and Hollywood movers-and-shakers are also people. We send the deepest condolences to Snyder and his wife, Justice League producer Deborah Snyder, as well as the entire Snyder family.
As for Justice League, Buffy creator/Avengers director Joss Whedon is stepping in to complete post production in Snyder’s stead. The film is set for release on November 17th.
Reader Comments (10)
Watchmen is underappreciated. You can hate on Man of Steel and Batman v Superman all you want though.
I am disappointed to learn that people are using this situation to badmouth Zach Snyder.
Like you, I really enjoyed his "Dawn of the Dead", and while some fans would find it blasphemy, I thought it was better than the original. (Other than the original picture, Romero's zombie pictures have never been favorites of mine. They're so busy trying to make unsubtle points about this or that that they forget to be scary.)
I haven't cared much for anything he's done since, but to use the acknowledgement of his daughter's death as an excuse to belittle his work is just disgusting and repellent to me.
As a person and as an artist both, I wish him and his family the very best, and I hope he's able to find some measure of peace with one of the worst things that can happen to a family.
I don't hate Zack Snyder. I like some of his films. I think what he's doing is right for himself and his family. He's putting them first and everything else is second. At least there is someone that is going to step in and offer some help.
He made the right decision
what i find strange about some of the coverage or at least the twitter conversation is people acting like Joss Whedon is directing the movie. No. The movie is already shot. The reshoots are already shot, etceter. He's just helping out in post production.
Firstly, 100% agree with you, Nathaniel. My heart and thoughts go out to Snyder and his family, and I wish him effective progress through the grieving process. The following comments are not for him or any others grieving to address right now.
What I find intriguing is the need for anyone to come in and finish the movie for release. This says to me that release dates are more important to the studios than artistic merit (which we know is true). If it was, say, Wes Anderson or Sofia Coppola putting the finishing touches on their movies, I feel they would just leave it be for a while and then come back to it when ready, rather than getting someone else to complete the technicalities so as to meet a deadline.
All it reinforces for me is that schedules are more important than art when it comes to studios and their blockbusters. Is that the way it should be? I can see the argument for, but I say no.
Travis C there's no art involved in Snyder's movie. He's not James Cameron he's a journeymen puppet.
3rtful. I disagree. I have always argued that even the most populist of blockbusters have decisions made about them that involve someone putting their artistic vision on the line.
Studios are not commissioning art. If art happens it's usually happenstance when higher ups aren't scrutinizing and micromanaging things.
Travis -- i agree with you that there's always artistic visions being made. Yes, studio franchises are a product in ways that many films aren't exactly but products -- especially those that involve storytelling, acting, and all the film crafts - still require a ton of people making creative and artistic decisions.