Analysis of Dreams, Flashbacks in Watchmen Movie

Images From Past, Visions of Future Explain Rorschach and Others

Mar 10, 2009

In the blockbuster hit "Watchmen," based on the popular graphic novel of the same name, characters' motivations are revealed through dream-like images.

Derived from the complicated 12-chapter graphic novel by Alan Moore (writer) and Dave Gibbons (illustrator), the movie Watchmen includes visions of the future, dreams of the unconscious mind, and flashbacks from childhood. These altered states of consciousness in the film become amplified and expanded from their original appearance in the Hugo Award-winning graphic novel.

Dreams and Visions in the Movies

The dreams and visions help define the complex layered characters that inhabit this altered 1985 America on the brink of nuclear war. They also provide the back-stories of the costumed heroes (now outlawed, except for Government-commissioned work) without slowing down the film’s frenetic pace.

Typically in movies, visions of the future serve as warnings for the characters; flashbacks revisit the past to explain why someone behaves a certain way. Visions and flashbacks may occur in semi-altered states of mind, but characters remain awake. In movie dream sequences, characters may flash forward or back in time or reveal their current unconscious fears or desires while asleep.

Dr. Manhattan’s Visions of the Future

After a freak accident in the laboratory, scientist Jon Osterman gets transformed into Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup), a glowing blue god-like creature capable of manipulating matter, channeling energy, and teleportation. The only member of the crime-fighting force with actual superpowers, but no costume (he’s naked most of the time), Dr. Manhattan also sees visions of the future – a very bleak, hopeless future.

Through his touch, he enables his love-interest Silk Spectre II/Laurie Jupiter (Malin Ackerman) to view the past, i.e., understand her childhood now through the eyes of an adult. Her revelation about her heritage becomes crucial to the plot. Presumably before his life-altering accident, Jon lacked the ability to see the future or the past, and was unable to share this ability.

Rorschach’s Flashbacks of the Past

Walter Kovacs (Jackie Earle Haley), known to the world under an ever-changing mask and by the name Rorschach, is a crime-fighting sociopath, who suffers no remorse from killing bad guys. The most psychologically damaged of the costumed heroes, Walter gets framed for a murder and winds up in prison taking a Rorschach test by the jailhouse shrink.

When he views the various ink blots, he endures painful flashbacks that allow the audience to see how his warped childhood influenced his current behavior, and why he feels it’s necessary to hide his authentic self behind a mask. When Walter lies during the test and claims to see only a butterfly, a flower, and some clouds, the psychologist wrongly assumes that Walter is getting better. The audience, however, gains insight into the character, including his dark sense of humor.

Night Owl II’s Nightmare

Dan Dreiberg a.k.a. Night Owl II (Patrick Wilson) adopts a sensitive crime-fighting persona that fits his somewhat tentative lifestyle. His inherited money, high-tech transportation, and sleek costume give him the confidence he lacks when not being a superhero. Having admired Silk/Laurie from afar while she and Dr. Manhattan were a couple, Dan experiences some performance anxiety when Silk comes to him for comfort.

That night, he has a vivid dream in which he and Silk embrace while standing naked on an empty planet. Suddenly their skin dissolves and their costumed selves emerge. The world around them disintegrates in a colorful display of light and their bodies turn into skeletons.

Dan awakens from his nightmare feeling impotent (in several ways) and stands naked in front of his old costume. After a brief discussion with Laurie, they agree to re-emerge for the night as Night Owl and Silk Spectre in order to help the world (even if only for one night) and empower themselves. His dream symbolizes his inner desire to regain his potency.

The visions, flashbacks, and dreams included in the filmed version of Watchmen work well in the cinematic version. Through exciting visuals, audience members gain instant insight into the depth and breadth of the emotional burdens carried by these costumed heroes who watch over the world.

The copyright of the article Analysis of Dreams, Flashbacks in Watchmen Movie in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Films is owned by Leslie C. Halpern. Permission to republish Analysis of Dreams, Flashbacks in Watchmen Movie in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.