20 Shots From Zack Snyder's Films That Are Visual Prozac
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While Zack Snyder's films are divisive, you have to admit the man knows how to make beautiful shots.
The director has made so many vibrant and innovative shots throughout his career; his style of visual storytelling has reached a class of its own. And now, let's take a trip through the Snyderverse and look at the 20 Best Shots From Zack Snyder's Films.
WARNING: 🚨SPOILERS🚨 AHEAD!!!
20.To the Cliffs - 300
This glorious shot was front and center in the film's promotional material, and for good reason.
19.Superman Is Born - Man of Steel
After learning of his Kryptonian heritage, Clark emerges from the Kryptonian Scout Ship wearing his iconic red and blue suit. The shot of him walking out of the ship with the light behind him beautifully conveys his rebirth as the Man of Steel.
18.The Final Rorschach - Watchmen
In this spectacular retelling of Alan Moore's graphic novel, after Dr. Manhattan blows up Rorschach at the end of the film, we see his blood has stained the snow in what looks like another Rorschach inkblot. This is actually one of the more inventive moments in the film because this shot was never featured in the source material.
17.Tree of the Dead - 300
When the Spartans come across a town devastated by the Persian army, they are shocked to discover a giant tree made from the bodies of their victims. It's a horrifying shot that displays the sheer brutality of the Spartans' enemy. While you may think this tree was entirely computer-generated, it was actually made by hand using detailed miniatures that were later enhanced with visual edits, making for a seamless blend of practical and computer effects.
16.Through the Looking Glass - Sucker Punch
While Sucker Punch is Snyder's most highly panned and controversial project to date, it still featured some pretty insane visuals. But one that stands out among all the rest is a simple one-shot take of the characters talking to each other in front of some mirrors. At first, the camera moves right to left without appearing in the reflections, which makes you wonder how the filmmakers pulled this off. But then, the camera goes through the mirror, and we listen to the rest of the conversation on the other side, which shows that were never any mirrors and that it was all a well-crafted illusion.
15.The End of Las Vegas - Army of the Dead
After Scott and Kate escape Las Vegas before it is nuked to kingdom come, the latter is forced to shoot her father dead after he is infected by the Alpha Zombie, Zeus. As she breaks down crying over what she's done, the wide shot of her with the mushroom cloud in the background makes it look like she really lived through the end of the world.
14.Superman Rises - Zack Snyder's Justice League
This was the Superman we were all dying to see. After being resurrected by the Justice League, Clark returns to the Fortress of Solitude and dons a new black suit for his battle with the evil Steppenwolf. Superman then soars to the stratosphere and basks in the light of the sun in a full Christ T-pose that displays how Earth's greatest protector is reborn.
13.The Trinity - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
This was the first time that we saw Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman together in a live-action film, and this epic shot of them standing in battle will make any fan gush with excitement.
12.Enter Darkseid - Zack Snyder's Justice League
This was the first cinematic appearance of the DC's God of Evil, and boy what an entrance he made. Jumping down to the Earth from his spaceship, running his hands through the soil, we pan up to see the alien tyrant. Darkseid in all his horrifying glory. And with one of his ships floating behind him, he looks like angel sent straight from Hell.
11.Knightmare - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
In a surprising moment in the film, we see Batman walk out of a bunker to see the Earth has turned into a nightmarish wasteland: a premonition of the planet's dark future. With alien spaceships, a ruined Gotham, pillars of fire, and a giant Omega symbol, this shot was a sneak peek of the war with Darkseid that Snyder had planned with his Justice League sequels.
10.New Krypton - Man of Steel
When Clark meets Zod for the first time, he is given a vision of the destruction that the alien general plans to unleash on Earth to build a new Krypton. With the land littered with skulls and a giant sun in the background, Snyder presents a beautifully haunting shot that was actually referenced in the Day of the Dead scene in Batman v Superman.
9.The League Charges Into Battle - Zack Snyder's Justice League
In what looks like a splash page taken straight out of a comic book, we see the Justice League speeding toward Steppenwolf's fortress in one of Snyder's trademark slo-mo shots.
8.Jon Osterman Dies; Dr. Manhattan Is Born - Watchmen
Warner Bros.
Whether or not you hated Zack Snyder's Watchmen, you have to admit that he got Dr. Manhattan just right. This is especially the case during the scene where Jon Osterman is ripped apart in the Intrinsic Field Subtractor. Every gruesome detail of his disintegrating body is perfectly captured on film, making it look like this shot was taken straight from the pages of Alan Moore's comic.
7.Zeus Is Watching You - Army of the Dead
When Ward and his party enter the zombie kingdom of Las Vegas, we catch a glimpse of its ruler, Zeus, watching over them from the top of the city's Statue of Liberty. It's a striking display of how this Alpha Zombie sees himself as the god of this new world, as well as an eerie lead-in to the threat the heroes will eventually face.
6.Clark Faces Zod - Man of Steel
After Clark destroys the World Engine and foils Zod's plan to recreate Krypton, the Man of Steel meets the evil general in a ruined section of Metropolis. The duality between Clark and Zod is on full display in this shot, with our hero bathed in light and his adversary hidden in the shadows. Based on this shot alone, you can tell that an epic fight is about to go down.
5.Manhattan Marches Through Vietnam - Watchmen
In an homage to Apocalypse Now, we see a colossal Dr. Manhattan walking across Vietnam, blowing up enemy soldiers with a wave of his hand. We really get the sense that he is a god amongst men as he towers over everyone, eclipsing the sun. And with all those helicopters and Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries playing in the background, this shot acts as the perfect tribute to Francis Ford Coppola's war epic.
4.Superman Unleashed - Zack Snyder's Justice League
It was satisfying to see Superman go all out on Steppenwolf and dominate the alien warlord. The sight of him standing over him with his burning eyes makes him look like an angry god, while Darkseid's Boom Tube acts as a blue halo that beautifully contrasts with Superman's red eyes.
3.The Death of Superman - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
This shot looks more like a biblical painting. After Superman sacrifices himself to kill Doomsday, Lois Lane weeps over his lifeless body while Batman and Wonder Woman witness this somber sight. With the light shining down on Clark, we really get the sense that the Earth lost a great hero. And those cross-shaped telephone poles in the background are actually meant to foreshadow two more deaths in the Justice League, showing how detailed Snyder's style of visual storytelling really is.
2.Batman Arrives - Zack Snyder's Justice League
One of the most iconic pictures of Batman shows him standing atop a gargoyle overlooking Gotham City. Zack Snyder brilliantly brought that image to life for Justice League, with the Caped Crusader now standing atop a skeleton statue with the phrase "Protect and Serve" engraved beneath it. The image perfectly encapsulates how this Batman fights to protect humanity from evil like a dark angel of the night.
1.League in the Sun - Zack Snyder's Justice League
After the Justice League defeats Steppenwolf and saves the Earth, they climb to the top of his fortress and gaze out into the dusk-covered horizon in a full-on superhero shot. This epic display is reminiscent of the opening sequence from Justice League: The Animated Series, making it a treat for fans and regular audiences alike.
