Although Man of Steel proved to be a divisive film in its own right, it wasn’t until the release of part two of the unofficial Zack Snyder trilogy, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, that fans and critics alike truly began to worry about the future of the DC Extended Universe. In fact, after BvS’ disappointing critical and commercial response, Warner Bros. reportedly considered removing Snyder as the director of Justice League – a film that suffered from its own share of woes.

However, while Justice League was very much the product of two directors (the other being The Avengers’ Joss Whedon), Snyder has no qualms when it comes to reminding us, and even embracing the fact that BvS is his cross to bear. Even now, just over two years after the film’s theatrical release, Snyder is still offering up explanations for obscure Easter eggs and hidden bits of symbolism that were lost on even the most dedicated of his followers.

If you constantly have to explain the punch line of a joke after you tell it, it’s likely for one of two reasons: either the joke is too sophisticated for the audience, or it simply isn’t funny. That being said, does Snyder’s need to still explain BvS after all this time mean that the fault lies with the moviegoers, or is the more likely answer that it lies with the movie itself?

RELATED: Early Batman v Superman Concept Art Reveals Very Different Batsuit

For the sake of argument, let’s take a look at some of the symbolism and “deeper meanings” behind scenes in BvS that Snyder has revealed over the past few days. In fact, we’ll start with one that Snyder himself referred to as “an easy one.”

On Vero, Snyder posted a still shot of Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne waking up after a nightmare. (Not the “Knightmare,” though we'll get to that later.) In this scene, Bruce glances over at the sleeping woman in his bed and then proceeds to swallow a couple of pills and wash them down with a swig of wine. In the caption, Snyder explains, “The Mapplethorpe [painting] above his bed I chose to represent the erotic as a drug that Bruce uses sex to momentarily forget his pain.”

Fair enough, though it’s also worth noting that Snyder doesn’t appear to be responding to any direct questions about the scene. Instead, it appears he simply took to social media to explain the symbolism by his own volition, which could indicate that he’s received inquiries about it in the past, or that he merely felt it needed to be explained.

RELATED: Diane Lane Defends Batman v Superman’s ‘Martha’ Twist

Another bit of symbolism Snyder recently opened up about is the meaning behind Batman building a kryptonite spear to use against Henry Cavill’s Superman. Posting a photo of the iconic painting depicting a crucified Jesus being stabbed by the blind Roman centurion Longinus, Snyder wrote, “Why with all the technology at his disposal would Batman build a spear… here’s why.”

Of course, the idea of Superman being used as a Jesus metaphor is nothing new, as it’s a thematic element Snyder has favored throughout all three of the DCEU films he’s helmed. Why, after two years, he felt the inclusion of such an allegory bears repeating is anyone’s guess.

Page 2: [valnet-url-page page=2 paginated=0 text='The%20%27Knightmare%27%20Scene%20is%20the%20Epitome%20of%20Snyder%27s%20BvS%20Problems']



Some of the revelations that have surfaced recently, on the other hand, aren’t about symbolism that seemingly no one asked about, but rather moments in BvS that genuinely left audiences confused. Take, for example, the opening scene in which we see a young Bruce Wayne fall into a cave after fleeing from his parents’ funeral, only to be lifted back up towards the light by a massive swarm of bats. As the sequence unfolds, we hear a monologue from the adult Bruce Wayne, who refers to the light as “a beautiful lie.” When Snyder was asked by a fan what this meant, the director explained the “lie” was that, rather than light, Bruce’s quest for justice instead leads him into darkness.

For many, Batman’s overtly dark nature in BvS was a major point of contention, as it seemed to contradict how the character is typically depicted in the comic book source material. However, more fans took exception with Snyder’s vision for Superman, especially during arguably the most confusing moment in the entire film: the Knightmare scene.

RELATED: Batman V Superman’s Doomsday Initially Looked More Like the Comics

During that sequence, we see a vision of Batman arriving in a desert wasteland, where he’s attacked by parademons and brought before a fascist version of Superman. After killing Batman’s fellow prisoners, the Man of Steel then blames the Dark Knight for taking someone from him (presumably Lois Lane) before proceeding to murder him with his bare hands. Then, we suddenly see Bruce back in the Batcave, having apparently been awoken by The Flash, who warns him that Lois is somehow “the key.”

While Snyder has elaborated on this scene in the past, he recently had to clarify once again for a fan that the implication was Superman was being controlled by Darkseid via the Anti-Life Equation. The problem is that, aside from the Omega symbol we see in the desert, there’s really no way anyone without an encyclopedic knowledge of DC Comics lore would be able to figure this out without having it explained to them; it’s a classic example of style over substance, but dialed up to the nth degree.

RELATED: How Batman V Superman’s Epic Doomsday Fight Was Created

This, ultimately, is the crux of what makes Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice a bad film. Deep symbolism, obscure references and intricate plot points that lead viewers to ask additional questions and seek thorough analyses online after they see a movie is hardly a new phenomenon. However, when it seems as though the only person who’s able to decipher all this information for themself is the one who directed the film, the inevitable disconnect that results from crafting such an overly and unnecessarily complex narrative isn’t the audience’s fault – it’s the film's.