Dr. Manhattan is required on earth, he is needed to stop the nuclear war that is about to start, while he is on a exile on Mars. Just before the first event that is about to trigger the war he comes back to earth and takes Lori, his love, to Mars to have him convince to save earth. In his dialog with Lori he says that life has no meaning, so whats the point in saving it? He asks her, how does life change anything in this universe, how does it make things better for earth? And then how shows her, her past events that lead her to realize her real father was the man who initially tried to rape her mother. The man she thought was sick and that her mother hated was her real father. Which is when she breaks down and is weeping like a little kid. That's when he says this:
Dr. Manhattan: will you smile, if i admit i was wrong.
Lori: about what?
Dr. Manhattan: miracles! that's what's astronomical odds of occurring link. oxygen turning into gold. I've longed to witness such an event and yet I neglect that in human coupling. millions up on millions of cells compete to create life, for generation after generation until, finally, you mother loves a man; Edward Blake, the comedian! a man, she has every reason to hate and out of that contradiction against unfathomable odds, its you, only you; that emerged to this still so specific form, from all that chaos. it's like turning air into gold. a miracle! and so i was wrong! now wipe you tears, let's go home!
Lori: about what?
Dr. Manhattan: miracles! that's what's astronomical odds of occurring link. oxygen turning into gold. I've longed to witness such an event and yet I neglect that in human coupling. millions up on millions of cells compete to create life, for generation after generation until, finally, you mother loves a man; Edward Blake, the comedian! a man, she has every reason to hate and out of that contradiction against unfathomable odds, its you, only you; that emerged to this still so specific form, from all that chaos. it's like turning air into gold. a miracle! and so i was wrong! now wipe you tears, let's go home!
What's so great about this dialog? One, it's the most romatic of dialogs I have ever heard. I think it's the best thing a man can ever say to a women, well actually, it's the nicest thing any person can say to another person. Two, just see what Dr. Manhattan is saying. He is saying that at an objective level all of life has no meaning. But, with love for Lori in his heart, he can see the significance of life. So, he accepts to save the world. What's strikes me the most in this dialog is the subtle message that he is trying to convey, "life has no meaning when looked at with objectivity, but it means a lot more than one can comprehend when you look at it with subjective eyes".
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