Real life is inevitably monotonous, too exaggerated and too far from the ground. A good drama can often embody the plot of the drama in a real experience. Mad Men is such a masterpiece, with twists and turns in the plot. Character performance, even if it tells a story from 60 years ago, is a work from 13 years ago, but it is immersive, and there is no such thing as "applying contemporary characters and stories to the past or the future". Stiffness.
The 1960s and 1970s were a rather turbulent decade. After the war, the United States enjoyed the fruits of victory and began to develop rapidly. This also laid the foundation for the prosperity of the advertising industry, as well as the raging women and black affirmative movement, and during the Cold War. The U.S.-Soviet arms race, little understanding of China, baby boomers, moon landings, and many habits and products that seem ridiculous today, even unhealthy and unscientific, were all popular at that time, nowhere except in the play. Cigarettes, alcohol that are not there, weight loss belts that are useless, and many products with "technical" gimmicks that have not appeared in the play have also flourished for a while, which just reflects the mood of the American people at that time, that is, self-confidence Full of heart, worship technology, keen to explore, and strong desire to consume, the above points are actually complementary. The idea of a planner who proposed a space theme in the play was rejected, but it also shows that space exploration, and even the spirit it symbolizes, is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.
All of the above-mentioned things with a sense of age all bring the audience into that era, and they have worked hard on the background and materials, which is a necessary condition for realism. Now that we have returned to that era, it is up to the actors to interpret the stories of that era. There is no doubt that these characters have not been distorted because they have spanned more than half a century. One line truly expresses what the people of that era saw, thought, and did. In the short 13 episodes, the screenwriter poured rich brush and ink on each character, and gave as many characters as possible vivid and three-dimensional images with their own characteristics. The inner world and past experiences of the characters are dissected layer by layer from the outside to the inside. Here are some excerpts as an expression of my one-sided and superficial understanding of the characters:
The male protagonist Don, a capable man at work, a good husband and a good father in the family, can handle the arrogant party A in just a few words, and he can grasp the key with a little thought. The mouth reveals his B side, one is the metaphor of the liar carved on his doorstep by the tramp as a child, and the other is the character called coward after his identity was revealed and he wanted to flee with his mistress in a panic. Everything Don has is built on lies, and his life is full of lies, from the impersonation he made his fortune, his infidelity to his wife, and even his profession, to customers and consumers, also deduces "lie" Repeated a thousand times and it becomes the truth", the mistress's younger brother dismissed him for this. And all these lies based on the lie also make Don a cowardly person, he is afraid that these things that maybe should not belong to him will come to nothing, so he wants to seize everything desperately, his childhood and adolescence are all Broken and unloving, his grip on his wife shows his unease. He has a marriage and a family, but this is not what he really needs. He just wants to learn from others and do what a normal person should do. No one understands him, and he does not dare to let others understand him because he is also loved by him. Everything he has is bound, so when his mistress asks him, he can only shrink back. One of the things that left a deep impression on me in the play was that his subordinate Peter threatened to tell him and then walked out the door. When Don stayed in the office alone, we might think according to our habit that Don would get angry and smash things because of the reveal (after all, he I like to lose my temper), and Don in the play put his hands on the table, buried his head, and fell into deep thought. This is exactly the real and reasonable performance. He froze, and then there would be Don's rush to escape. He tried to find a safe haven with his mistress, but it was a pity that his mistress's love for him was also based on lies, and the escape plan ended without a hitch. In addition, Don's resistance, resistance, and avoidance behaviors were also vividly displayed when he was recognized by his younger brother.
The heroine Peggy, I believe that most audiences may have a more sense of substitution for her, and the first half of this season is often unfolded from Peggy's perspective, and finally the veil of Don is slowly revealed. Although Peggy's image is simple, it also plays an important role. Besides, not every character needs a complicated story to support it. As the plot progresses, Peggy's fight against monsters in the workplace has escalated and subtle changes in his mental journey have been made. , played the role of "replacing the audience to participate in the play", not to mention the closeness of the transformation from the mentality of a workplace novice who longs for approval to a recognized and familiar workplace person. But the magic of the screenwriter's arrangement is that he has a neutral reflection and even a critical attitude towards Peggy's "promotion and salary increase". Disregarding the feelings of others, to the superiority of making a "Manhattan" gesture in front of the blind date forms a strong contrast. I guess that the screenwriter is trying to convey the society's thinking about personal alienation, which will be discussed later, as well as discussions related to the situation of feminism at that time, also left behind. The flaw is that the "baby from heaven" arranged in the last episode, a baby was born almost without warning, very dramatic, but a little abrupt and unreasonable.
Betty, the wife of the male protagonist and a housewife, does not limit her role, but the times limit her choices. Betty is currently the most "normal" in the first season. She is gentle and kind to her friend's son, and can maintain her dignity even if she is misunderstood, and she will not blame children for adults' mistakes, she is rational enough. She also has her own little dream - to be a model, but she gave up because of her husband's morbid psychology. Such a normal person actually wants to see a psychiatrist. Obviously, it is not her who is sick.
Peter, a man born with a golden key, has to prove himself by working as a wage earner. He should be a character that many people, including me, like, because he is a character with a tragic color. Just like a lot of (aspiring) wealthy people who like photography, writing, etc., they are not just playing tickets, but want to prove themselves through means other than money and social status. Unfortunately, there are some things that can’t be done. Peter was eager to win, worked diligently, and even tried to get a position through tricks, but was finally humiliated by his boss, Don, Peter was regarded as a child by his parents and father-in-law, and eager to get rid of his parents' control, he faced his wife's request to buy a big house , and also embarrassed to tell their parents. His marriage could be considered a commercial marriage, and his literary accomplishments could only receive slightly exaggerated compliments from his wife, which made him very distressed. Even his junior planning position was only reserved by the boss for the sake of his parents. Speaking of which, I remember one thing, a wealthy background will deprive a person of the opportunity to deeply experience human nature and society, thus hindering his artistic path. I wonder if it will be fulfilled in Peter.
Miss Holloway, a person with long sleeves and good dance, has to rely on a young old man to maintain her status. After Stirling is severely injured, what will happen to her? In the last two episodes, she looks lost and confused. Not so radiant anymore, looking worried.
Mr. Stirling, one of the partners, has a successful career, but his family life is not satisfactory, the typical role of indulgent and greasy.
Mr. Cooper, an evergreen in the advertising world, knows what's at stake.
There are also several planners with their own characteristics, and I look forward to playing a different role in the following episodes.
After finishing the characters, fill in the dug hole.
Regarding women and feminism, contemporary people may feel a little uncomfortable watching this drama. After all, it is very inappropriate to make jokes about women in the workplace today, especially in recent years, leaders who have overturned because of inappropriate words There are not a few, but in the past, men scrambled to tell dirty jokes to show their wit and humor, and this sense of dislocation would also bring a profound contrast experience to the audience. And, in the play, the bored housewives get together in smoke, and the short scenes in the parents must also make people feel the progress of the times, especially when they show sympathy or even contempt for the self-reliant woman, as if they are looking at an alien We are all surprised. Of course, the difference between the status of women and the past is the theme of the show itself - the advertising industry, for example, in the past, women were not considered to be able to do creative work, and this work that required creativity belonged only to men. , Even the planning of women's products needs men to handle and define, and there are very few women's plans. Even if Peggy participates in the creative work of women's products as a woman, her idea still can't escape the stereotype of "relying on men to define yourself" Of course, any demand is the product of a certain era. We feel the difference between the past and the present. The comparison makes us more grateful for the progress. The accusation from the perspective of God is meaningless.
Finally, the 1960s was the golden age of the advertising industry. Later, the outlet may have become a consulting company, a product manager, etc., but no matter how beautiful a career is, it cannot get rid of the attributes of a tool person. The truth of the play is not only in the characters and details, the whole play also reflects the helplessness and predicament of middle-aged people in a very real way. People are not yet middle-aged, but the sense of "greasy" is indeed very strong. Middle-aged people seem to be in control of the overall situation, but they are often unable to do what they want. They are deeply embedded in the huge machine of society. I am afraid that the "alienation" of middle-aged people who play multiple important roles is often stronger.
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