< Nicole Kassell On 'Watchmen,' Tulsa 1921, and Its Modern Resonance - Awardsdaily - The Oscars, the Films and everything in between.
  • About Us
  • Sasha Stone
  • Editor Ryan Adams
  • Clarence Moye
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Awardsdaily - The Oscars, the Films and everything in between.
  • Home
  • Oscar Predictions
    • Best Picture
    • Best Actor
    • Best Actress
  • Good As Gold
  • Forum
  • AD TV
  • Podcasts
  • FYC Gallery
  • Interviews
  • All News
  • Home
  • Oscar Predictions
    • Best Picture
    • Best Actor
    • Best Actress
  • Good As Gold
  • Forum
  • AD TV
  • Podcasts
  • FYC Gallery
  • Interviews
  • All News
No Result
View All Result
Awardsdaily - The Oscars, the Films and everything in between.
No Result
View All Result

Nicole Kassell On ‘Watchmen,’ Tulsa 1921, and Its Modern Resonance

by Clarence Moye
July 28, 2020
in ADTV, ADTV Feature, Interviews
0
Nicole Kassell On ‘Watchmen,’ Tulsa 1921, and Its Modern Resonance

(Photograph by Van Redin)

Unfortunately, if you’re like me, then the first 10 minutes of HBO’s Watchmen was a horrifying revelation. Watching the opening sequence, set during the 1921 Tulsa Massacre, I was horrified and disturbed at the brutal on-screen imagery. The slaughter of innocents – of men, women, and children and all Black Americans – felt like an ice cold glass of water to the face. Stepping into the world of Watchmen, I didn’t know where the series was going, but it had my attention.

And then a quick Google search informed me that this was no fiction. This tragedy really happened, and I had never heard of it. Thankfully, writer/creator Damon Lindelof and director Nicole Kassell brought this shameful and shamefully unspoken blight on the face of American history to the forefront of their new HBO limited series.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t the only one to react this way.

“Honestly, if nothing else came of the series, just the fact that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people suddenly knew about that event made it all worth it,” Kassell admitted. “Like you, I had no idea, and hundreds of our cast and crew didn’t know. So, just to have it kind of smash into people’s homes and reality was extremely profound.”

Beloved and acclaimed on first airing, Watchmen found new relevance this spring in late May when George Floyd was murdered at the hands of the police and millions of Americans protested (and rioted) across the country. Kassell and I spoke the day after the initial rioting in Minneapolis, and it was difficult for either of us to focus on much else.

Watchmen is a television show, and yet, it feels all-too-real.

“One of the cinematographers from Watchmen posted this beautiful photo of Louis Gossett Jr. sitting in the seat that the little boy sits in when he says, ‘Trust in the law.’ It takes on a whole other resonance looking at that image this week. It’s a beautiful, elderly, African-American man, and everyone should have the opportunity to reach this age. The grief that comes from not being able to trust in the law…”

Kassell and Lindelof conceived of the first ten minutes set in Tulsa 1921 because it sets the tone and theming for this new Watchmen series. To Kassell, Lindelof knew the only way he could take on something as iconic as Watchmen was to find the proper narrative. So, the Tulsa sequence situated the audience within a real-world context where, later, adults wear masks (also oddly prescient) to protect their identity. They use that setting to continue to explore race, trauma, and inherited trauma themes through the rest of the series.

Kassell filmed the pilot before the series received a full pick-up from HBO. To construct the pilot, she assembled a look book of written and visual cues as to how she would make the episode. Influences included The Conformist for its bold, graphic compositions, Children of Men for its noir, sci-fi alternate, yet familiar, future setting, the films of Wong Kar-wai, Amelie, and a Rhianna video. Kassell’s vision also included nods, of course, to the original graphic novel. That helped appease life-long fans of the original material.

“With Damon, I pitched my vision. Doing the pilot and then having a window between pilot to series was invaluable because then we could go through the pilot, and I could hear what he was really responding to. We wanted to lean even more into the noir and look at characters within objects and frames,” Kassell explained.

Nicole Kassell’s work on the Watchmen pilot, titled “It’s Summer and We’re Running Out of Ice,” garnered her a Director’s Guild of America award. Winning for this episode was a tremendous honor, Kassell said. It positions her and the series itself as major front runners in the upcoming Emmy limited series races. Moved by the recognition and the entire Watchmen experience, Kassell wants production companies to take similar chances on filmmakers as Lindelof and HBO did with her.

“There’s so much talent out there whether it’s been recognized by an award or not. Damon and HBO had the guts to go with me and give me a huge shot for a pilot of this scale while having only done one pilot before. I just encourage people to keep giving others similar opportunities.”

Watchmen is currently streaming on HBO Max.

Tags: 2020 Emmy NomineeDirectors GuildHBONicole KassellWatchmen
Clarence Moye

Clarence Moye

Clarence Moye is an editor at Awards Daily.

Next Post
robin thede a black lady sketch show

Robin Thede Discusses How 'A Black Lady Sketch Show' Accidentally Predicted the Pandemic

Sign up for Awards Daily's Breaking News

* indicates required

Sam Feder On How ‘Disclosure’ is a Call for Action for Hollywood

Sam Feder On How ‘Disclosure’ is a Call for Action for Hollywood

(Photo: Netflix)

by Joey Moser
January 19, 2021
0

Monica Levinson On Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’s “Loveable Misogynist” Hook That Drew Her In

Monica Levinson On Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’s “Loveable Misogynist” Hook That Drew Her In

Courtesy of Amazon Films

by Megan McLachlan
January 19, 2021
2

Critics Choice Nominates 2020 Television, Not ‘WandaVision’ (Yet)

Critics Choice

(Photo: Critics Choice)

by Clarence Moye
January 18, 2021
2

The Case for News of the World

The Case for News of the World
by Sasha Stone
January 18, 2021
8

Consider Uggie, Episode 2: Was Uggie an LGBTQ Icon?

Consider Uggie, Episode 2: Was Uggie an LGBTQ Icon?

Courtesy of MUBI/Ariztical Entertainment

by Megan McLachlan
January 18, 2021
0

Hunter Doohan On Adam’s Guilt and Questionable Choices for Showtime’s ‘Your Honor’

Hunter Doohan On Adam’s Guilt and Questionable Choices for Showtime’s ‘Your Honor’

(Photo: Skip Bolen/SHOWTIME)

by Joey Moser
January 18, 2021
0

‘Palm Springs’ Editor Matt Friedman On the Risks They Took with That Montage Scene

‘Palm Springs’ Screenwriter Andy Siara Talks the Film’s Dinosaurs and How Hall & Oates Became the Closing Song

Courtesy of Hulu

by Megan McLachlan
January 18, 2021
1

‘Crown,’ ‘Ozark,’ Netflix Dominate Critics Choice TV Awards

“The Stuff Of Which Fairy Tales Are Made…”

The Crown S4. Picture shows: Diana Princess of Wales (EMMA CORRIN). Filming Location: Military Hostel Front, Malaga

by Clarence Moye
January 18, 2021
5

‘Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist’ EP Austin Winsberg Dishes Out Some Major Clues About Season Two

‘Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist’ EP Austin Winsberg Dishes Out Some Major Clues About Season Two

Photo: Sergei Bachlakovr/NBC

by Shadan Larki
January 18, 2021
1

Crip Camp Tops the 2020 IDA Documentary Awards

Crip Camp Tops the 2020 IDA Documentary Awards
by Sasha Stone
January 16, 2021
2

Desperately Seeking Best Movie Compilations

Desperately Seeking Best Movie Compilations
by Sasha Stone
January 16, 2021
16

Run Hide Fight is Distributed, Chaos Erupts

Run Hide Fight is Distributed, Chaos Erupts
by Sasha Stone
January 16, 2021
177

Predictions Friday – All Eyes on the Golden Globes

Predictions Friday – All Eyes on the Golden Globes
by Sasha Stone
January 15, 2021
163

Join us Facebook

AwardsDaily Crew

  • About Us
  • Sasha Stone
  • Editor Ryan Adams
  • Clarence Moye
  • Contact Us

ADTV Crew

  • ADTV Home
  • Megan McLachlan, Co-Editor
  • Clarence Moye, Co-Editor
  • Jalal Haddad, Senior Contributor
  • Joey Moser, Senior Contributor
  • Kevin Dillon
  • Shadan Larki
  • Ben Morris
  • David Phillips

Follow on Twitter

ADTV Twitter

  • Contact
  • About Us
  • Advertising on Awards Daily

© 1999-2021 AwardsDaily.com

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Oscar Predictions
    • Best Picture
    • Best Actor
    • Best Actress
  • Good As Gold
  • Forum
  • AD TV
  • Podcasts
  • FYC Gallery
  • Interviews
  • All News

© 1999-2021 AwardsDaily.com