Elizabeth Moss is stunningly good in this, I like that the director lets her carry so many scenes, basically letting her reactions tell the story. the supporting cast is fine but shes been a revelation
I think the pop songs remind us that this is our world. Whenever we get sucked into the "period drama" feel, the song will play and remind us that June has our same cultural background. And then it shocks us into remembering that this takes place now. (or in the very near future)
Yes, I agree with your point, but my problem isn't with the music, per se. I've never once lost sight that drama is happening now -- it's some distant dystopia. It's the way the music is presented at the end of the episode -- the whole tone of and mood of the visual/narrative change. As stated, the combination of the music, the way the scene is shot, and the direction makes the final scenes resemble some type of commercial. The feel is completely opposite than what has come before. On the other side of the coin, I thought the use of "Daydream Believer" by the Monkees worked very well embedded deed. They set the music as subordinate to the scene, not the other way around.
As stated it's not the use of the actual songs that bothers me... Throughout the drama, the music is mostly enhancing what is happening on the screen. IMHO, when these songs are introduced at the end -- whether they choose, say, Van Halen's "Jump," Beethoven's 5th Symphony, or Woody Guthrie's "Bound for Glory" -- the scenes seem to be subordinate to the focus on the music. It comes across as broad and ham-fisted as a commercial... and this series is all about nuance, subtlety, and mood.
I should read over my entries before I post them. This one should read: Yes, I agree with your point, but my problem isn't with the music, per se. I've never once lost sight that drama is happening now -- it's never some distant dystopia. It's the way the music is presented at the end of the episode -- the whole tone and mood of the visual/narrative change. As stated, the combination of the music, the way the scene is shot, and the direction makes the final scenes resemble some type of commercial. The feel is completely opposite than what has come before. On the other side of the coin, I thought the use of "Daydream Believer" by the Monkees worked very well embedded in the scene. The music was subordinate to the scene, not the other way around.
I found that Nina Simone song in the last episode (which I've just seen) very appropriate. But what an episode! The scenes with the stoning and the rebellion against Aunt Lydia was a dramatic high point. Not sure what is involved in Offred's rescue (?) - is Nick higher up in Gilead than even Commander Waterford? How long will we have to wait for season 2? "There will be consequences."
Last episode for me will be on Sunday (Channel 4 UK). Plotwise things have moved on a little but it tends to gloat over the doomy situation too much. She's still stuck in with that couple being repressed. I feel that they are simply trying to drag it out to fill out the seasons. I get it, but come on, this thing should have moved on a lot more by now.
Well, not really. The show as an adaptation of the book and if you're read the book (I haven't, but I've heard is said by those that have), the series is a lot more upbeat that the book! The book is about the oppressed being resigned to their fate, whereas the series has a more rebellious spirit with an inkling of hope. I don't think things were dragged out for another season because since there was only one book written, they couldn't adapt other works (like say GoT or Harry Potter). I think what's happened is due to the huge critical success of the show, they decided to do another series, sort of like Big Little Lies, which was also based on a singular literary work and was picked up for another season (and in both cases with direct input from the respective book authors).
Well one benefit of the slow pace is to illustrate the never ending reppression that Offred is subject to. However I feel that I've had about 8 episodes of exactly the same things with tiny plot variations. For example I would have preferred to have seen a bit more of what was going on in the rebellious underworld, to give the series more dramatic edge but I suppose they wanted to stay closer to the claustrophobia of the book. Still, it's a top class series for sure.
I picked up the series after the season had ended and most of the conversation had died down. Other than a somewhat slow first episode I loved it. Definitely on board for Season 2 as soon as it starts.
I was skeptical about this show in the beginning. It exceeded my expectations. Great acting and an engrossing storyline. Can’t wait for season two.
I love this series and one of the reasons is that it takes it's time and the characters are really fleshed out and given motivation. I think modern film making and story telling is too quick most of the time, they think the audience will get bored if something isn't happening every few minutes (what's the rule, an explosion every 8 minutes). This series isn't afraid to take it's time and I find it spellbinding because of that.
That's the limitation of films - you only have a limited amount of time to explore issues, which is why I prefer TV (mini) series, where you can do a deep dive into multiple plot elements in detail.
I MUCH prefer the film format and the time limitation is what leads to great cinematic art (or great cinematic catastrophe!). I just get so frustrated with the way that some series (not all) drag on and on because it's a series - flesh out that story! Westworld bored tha pants off me. Handmaid's Tale was a little too drawn out also. Not all series have that problem of course. Breaking Bad had some dragged out sections but overall it kept moving an developping pretty well. The old Hill Street Blues and Twin Peaks were good (haven't seen the new Twin Peaks). Ripper Street was great as is Poldark. I'm up to episode 5 of House Of Cards now and that is moving at a good pace (great series).
Nah. 12 episodes was just too much to take the story the little distance that it covered. It would have been far more effective is covered in 6 hours or so. A perfect example of dragging a story simply to fit a series format.
