Every so often a nude scene gets paired with a song that, for better or worse, ends up making it that much more memorable, and this week we’re taking a closer look at the 2009 adaptation of the graphic novel Watchmen - specifically, the sex scene between Malin Åkerman’s Silk Spectre and Patrick Wilson’s Nite Owl that walked a very fine line between sizzlin’ hot and awkwardly awful.
Except for maybe a few outliers, critics at the time of the film’s release were pretty baffled across the board about the mixing of Leonard Cohen’s religious yet sexual ode “Hallelujah” with the explicit, slow motion scene. The song choice definitely distracts from Malin’s “beauty” - and her mams and moneymaker - “in the moonlight”. But does the music make these Watchmen unwatchable? And what about it is so jarring?
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It’s not that out of left field when you consider the song’s lyrics throughout some of the different versions (though this scene only contains two verses), such as “I couldn’t feel, so I tried to touch” and “remember when I moved in you,” in fact, it might be a little too on the nose, especially considering the scene’s fiery climax.
The situation itself definitely borders on ridiculous, as it’s two costumed superheroes getting swept up in a celebratory moment while up in a cramped space ship when the world below could be on the brink of war.
But the song definitely feels out of place, and that can be chalked up to a few things, but mostly Cohen himself. It’s always been more his songwriting skill, rather than his deep, unmistakable voice, that’s been the selling point for Cohen’s music.
And though Zack Snyder might have wanted to give the moment a real 80’s feel (despite it taking place in a different 1980’s than the one that actually existed), there are so many better covers, like Jeff Buckley’s iconic version or the John Cale version. The song actually gained popularity after Rufus Wainwright recorded a version for the 2001 animated film Shrek, so perhaps most people associating the song with a children’s movie could also add to the weirdness.
That said, Malin and Patrick do their best to sell the moment, and the camera gets some great close ups of Malin’s melons! For some young fans excited to that Alan Moore’s seminal work was finally up on the big screen, watching her was no doubt an almost religious moment.
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