Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Andrew Sanford | Film | December 27, 2023
Zack Snyder is a divisive filmmaker. The responses to his work are as loud and passionate as the work itself. If someone likes a Snyder flick, they love it. If they don’t, they despise it. Rarely do people fall in the middle (but that, of course, is possible). There are plenty of reasons for both reactions. The content of his work is bombastic and over-the-top but also perverse and unforgiving. Not everyone wants that in, say, their Superman movie.
It also doesn’t help that a large portion of Snyder’s fanbase has resorted to bullying and harassment. Still, in another example of the duality of Snyder, they’ve also raised sizeable amounts of money for suicide prevention. Interviews with Snyder show an affable, even humble movie nerd. I’ve even met him personally, and we spent ten minutes chatting about my hometown. That being said, he’s never told his worst fans to stop being dicks. Snyder’s aura can be a distraction from his work. Someone who looks past that is Christopher Nolan.
Nolan brought Snyder into the DCU with Man Of Steel. For some of you, that tells you who to thank. For others, that shows you who to blame. I loved Snyder’s subversive work in the DCEU. I also acknowledge that it is not for everyone. That’s one of the things I love about it. The movies are unapologetically Snyder’s (though I’d argue Man of Steel is a bit more down the middle). What I’ve loved about reading comics for most of my life is getting to see my favorite characters interpreted differently by each new artist and writer. In a world where superhero flicks have become homogenized, I appreciated Snyder’s specific take.
In a recent interview with the Atlantic, Christopher Nolan talked about what makes Snyder such an exciting voice, and how he thinks that voice is influential. “There’s no superhero science-fiction film coming out these days where I don’t see some influence of Zack,” the director claimed. “When you watch a Zack Snyder film, you see and feel his love for the potential of cinema. The potential of it to be fantastical, to be heightened in its reality, but to move you and to excite you.”
Nolan seems to have respect and admiration for Snyder. They’ve been working together since 2010. Nolan allegedly warned Snyder that he should “never see” the Joss Whedon Justice League. They are close, there is no doubt. They also couldn’t be more different in the way they present their films. However, they both stick to who they are and what they like as filmmakers. I believe that is where the admiration lies. They both have very specific ways of making movies and rarely waver.
I believe that Snyder will always be a bit divisive. Sometimes, it will be warranted. Sometimes it won’t. Regardless, having someone who makes big blockbuster movies that are rooted so firmly in their style is a gift. It just may not always be the gift we want.
