Nicely done: The Wire season one
Oct. 8th, 2006 09:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
baleanopteraI’m a little concerned as to how I can describe the complexity and awesomeness that is the Wire. Therefore I’ll cheat and use points to structure the mess. This is what’s buzzing round my head right now. There might be more later.
Atmosphere and mood.
- in which I talk about laughter
Essentially the Wire tells a bleak story, and one that could easily be depressing and dystrophic to the point of darkness. Many series that think they are taking about “important and adult themes” choose to do the darkness thing. What I love about the Wire is that it never lets go of humour. Even in the bleakest, most depressing moments, like when Kima gets shot, there is humour. Yes, it is desperate and not always funny humour, and it’s coloured by the circumstances – but its there.
Why is this so important to me? One of the most annoying things I read or see are stories that depict dark themes and feel they must do this in an all-encompassing dark and brutal tone. Not only is this extremely depressing to watch, but I often find it very unbelievable. If there is one thing I really like about humanity it’s our ability to laugh. The reasons for cracking jokes are varied – sometimes it’s snarky defence, sometimes it’s desperation and sometimes its joy. But it’s there. One of the most touching funerals I’ve ever been to had people who told jokes about the departed. Sometimes they would laugh, and sometimes they would cry. This doubleness is present in The Wire as well. The story is bleak, most of the characters have problems or tragic fates- but all of them at one time or another smiles and tells jokes. Even in their most desperate hour. This is for me part of what makes this series so special and so human.
The Visual
- in which there is mention of McNuggets
I have compared The Wire with a novel, full of layers and plot threads that require close attention. But it is also a tv-series, and therefore a story told primarily through an audio-visual medium. Amazingly enough it never forgets this, and just as important as the dialog and the plot are the visual techniques. I’ve mentioned in a previous post about the juxtapositions- from the McNuggets to the Sushi. But there is also the repetition of visual elements – like Poot eating McNuggets in the final episode of S1. But he is alone and on a black couch. The first time he was with Wallace and the couch was orange. I really like these kind of visual call backs.
Then there is the presentation of characters through the visual means. The first time Avon Barksdale comes to the projects the filming goes into a strange slow motion, and it results in Avon appearing like some hero in a an action film, it makes him the clear centre piece, it makes the viewer pay special attention – and it generally marks what would have been an ordinary scene as something spectacular. For Avon in slow-mo is awe inspiring.
Then there is the dancer at Orlando’s, Shardene. The first shots of her show her dancing and stripping at the bar. She is a times drunk and I half expected her to be a whore. But as the series progresses and we learn more about her character the shots of her dancing diminish, and we are more often than not shown her fully clothed. Of course this helps change our perception of her.
One of the reasons I really like this conscious use of the visual medium is that it doesn’t happen very often. Usually a series or a movie can do the odd visual symbol once in a while, but then it’s often to underline the existing symbolism in the dialog or plot. In The Wire the use of the visual as part of the storytelling is present all the time. It appears to me that the writers of the show have given just as much though to the visual feel as they have to the dialog and plot. For instance – Prez starts out rather bad, but as he starts working the paper trail and gain confidence his clothing style changes. He doesn’t become fancy but rather the opposite – he becomes geeky. He is relaxing, he is letting his guard down and the real Prez starts to shine through, and they manage to symbolise this through geeky shirts.
The opposite is true of Freamon. He starts out in grand dad clothes, but little by little changes them to something smart as he is woken from “slumber”.
The Characters
- in which I find something symbolic in goldfish
The characters are never anything other fully fleshed out. This amazes me. Usually there is always one character that’s a little one dimensional, or that you feel is more a plot requirement than a character. (I’d say Deadwood had one in Jack McCall.) But never with The Wire. A part of me is very much “how is that possible?”. But obviously it is, and I love it.
I also love how they build the characters. I’ve mentioned the visual techniques – but they also manage it by giving the characters quirks. Like Wee Bay – who is a killer, a possible rapist and not a very nice guy – but he has names for all his fish. And not in a gimmicky way either.
Neither are they afraid to let the characterisation be understated. Like Wallace who has never heard crickets, and mentions this in passing to Lt. Daniels. Nothing is commented on this fact, it’s just left to stand alone – and let the viewer draw her own conclusions. And even if I might never get over the sight of Bunk in a pink bathrobe I adore what this scene does for his characterisation.
There is also characterisation through dialog, not just in what they say but in how they say it. When D’Angelo talks to the hoppers at the projects he can tell these long stories or talk philosophically about chess. When he talks with Avon his usual gift for articulation shuts down, and he starts to talk in short sentences, and his use of street slang is much more obvious. When he talks with the police his use of street slang almost disappears in comparison.
All in all I’m amazed, I’m in love. I’m already watching season two. :D
I also have the theme-song stuck in my head. Is it available anywhere?
Atmosphere and mood.
- in which I talk about laughter
Essentially the Wire tells a bleak story, and one that could easily be depressing and dystrophic to the point of darkness. Many series that think they are taking about “important and adult themes” choose to do the darkness thing. What I love about the Wire is that it never lets go of humour. Even in the bleakest, most depressing moments, like when Kima gets shot, there is humour. Yes, it is desperate and not always funny humour, and it’s coloured by the circumstances – but its there.
Why is this so important to me? One of the most annoying things I read or see are stories that depict dark themes and feel they must do this in an all-encompassing dark and brutal tone. Not only is this extremely depressing to watch, but I often find it very unbelievable. If there is one thing I really like about humanity it’s our ability to laugh. The reasons for cracking jokes are varied – sometimes it’s snarky defence, sometimes it’s desperation and sometimes its joy. But it’s there. One of the most touching funerals I’ve ever been to had people who told jokes about the departed. Sometimes they would laugh, and sometimes they would cry. This doubleness is present in The Wire as well. The story is bleak, most of the characters have problems or tragic fates- but all of them at one time or another smiles and tells jokes. Even in their most desperate hour. This is for me part of what makes this series so special and so human.
The Visual
- in which there is mention of McNuggets
I have compared The Wire with a novel, full of layers and plot threads that require close attention. But it is also a tv-series, and therefore a story told primarily through an audio-visual medium. Amazingly enough it never forgets this, and just as important as the dialog and the plot are the visual techniques. I’ve mentioned in a previous post about the juxtapositions- from the McNuggets to the Sushi. But there is also the repetition of visual elements – like Poot eating McNuggets in the final episode of S1. But he is alone and on a black couch. The first time he was with Wallace and the couch was orange. I really like these kind of visual call backs.
Then there is the presentation of characters through the visual means. The first time Avon Barksdale comes to the projects the filming goes into a strange slow motion, and it results in Avon appearing like some hero in a an action film, it makes him the clear centre piece, it makes the viewer pay special attention – and it generally marks what would have been an ordinary scene as something spectacular. For Avon in slow-mo is awe inspiring.
Then there is the dancer at Orlando’s, Shardene. The first shots of her show her dancing and stripping at the bar. She is a times drunk and I half expected her to be a whore. But as the series progresses and we learn more about her character the shots of her dancing diminish, and we are more often than not shown her fully clothed. Of course this helps change our perception of her.
One of the reasons I really like this conscious use of the visual medium is that it doesn’t happen very often. Usually a series or a movie can do the odd visual symbol once in a while, but then it’s often to underline the existing symbolism in the dialog or plot. In The Wire the use of the visual as part of the storytelling is present all the time. It appears to me that the writers of the show have given just as much though to the visual feel as they have to the dialog and plot. For instance – Prez starts out rather bad, but as he starts working the paper trail and gain confidence his clothing style changes. He doesn’t become fancy but rather the opposite – he becomes geeky. He is relaxing, he is letting his guard down and the real Prez starts to shine through, and they manage to symbolise this through geeky shirts.
The opposite is true of Freamon. He starts out in grand dad clothes, but little by little changes them to something smart as he is woken from “slumber”.
The Characters
- in which I find something symbolic in goldfish
The characters are never anything other fully fleshed out. This amazes me. Usually there is always one character that’s a little one dimensional, or that you feel is more a plot requirement than a character. (I’d say Deadwood had one in Jack McCall.) But never with The Wire. A part of me is very much “how is that possible?”. But obviously it is, and I love it.
I also love how they build the characters. I’ve mentioned the visual techniques – but they also manage it by giving the characters quirks. Like Wee Bay – who is a killer, a possible rapist and not a very nice guy – but he has names for all his fish. And not in a gimmicky way either.
Neither are they afraid to let the characterisation be understated. Like Wallace who has never heard crickets, and mentions this in passing to Lt. Daniels. Nothing is commented on this fact, it’s just left to stand alone – and let the viewer draw her own conclusions. And even if I might never get over the sight of Bunk in a pink bathrobe I adore what this scene does for his characterisation.
There is also characterisation through dialog, not just in what they say but in how they say it. When D’Angelo talks to the hoppers at the projects he can tell these long stories or talk philosophically about chess. When he talks with Avon his usual gift for articulation shuts down, and he starts to talk in short sentences, and his use of street slang is much more obvious. When he talks with the police his use of street slang almost disappears in comparison.
All in all I’m amazed, I’m in love. I’m already watching season two. :D
I also have the theme-song stuck in my head. Is it available anywhere?
