There are many examples. Take the history of the United States as an example. If you ask who the first American president was, anyone with a compulsory education can basically answer it. But if you have to ask who the first US vice president was, I am afraid that many people are unsure. Then asking who is the second US president is even more unfamiliar to us on the other side of the ocean. Therefore, according to this logic, "John Adams" is not an excellent topic for a TV series. The heroes of the War of Independence, such as Washington, Franklin, and Jefferson, can lay out a magnificent history and can perform production. Tom Hanks chose this seemingly inconspicuous character and produced seven episodes of TV series with fanfare. Of course, HBO has always been known for its historical themes (and with the strong support of the BBC, the show has been compared with the "Rome" from the beginning of filming), plus the Pulitzer Prize-winning best-selling book adaptation blueprint, It's no surprise that "John Adams" won several Emmy Awards in 2008.
1. The face of all beings
It’s not difficult to tell from the title that "John Adams" is a biography, but the highlight of this play is of course the turbulent history of American independence. Therefore, it is impossible for a group of big figures who have been shining through the history to be avoided, and the screenwriter Kirk Eris once wrote the drama "Western Wind" that was all the rage that year, so he was very skilled in the overall layout. The first episode was a scene where John Adams defended wounded British colonial soldiers. It is important to know that John Adams was a high-achieving student who graduated from Harvard University and later obtained the qualification of a lawyer in Boston. He is known for his eloquent eloquence and upright stance. When John Adams defended the British soldiers in court, the conflict between the colonial authorities and North American territories was intensified, and the North American people wanted to shred every "lobster" (a contempt for British soldiers). , Throwing a small spark has the potential to explode. However, John Adams’s style of nailing and riveting remains unchanged. The British soldiers are not wrong, so they insist on defending their innocence—of course, this does not prevent the continued colonization of the British after the defense. The authorities lashed out mercilessly.
Through the few scenes in the first episode, the image of John Adams is already towering on the screen. In the second episode, when the Continental Congress is held, Franklin, Washington and others have all appeared on the scene. Moreover, the director did not make simple facial makeup of these characters. Taking Franklin as an example, this gorgeously dressed, rickety, and lotus-tongued old man was a wonderful exposition with witty words as soon as he appeared on the stage. But Franklin is not an orator who only talks about political ideas. He is cunning, changeable, and sometimes even a bit two-sided. When the situation is uncertain, this scheming politician will never express his opinions easily, but will inspire others to charge. Before, he stayed in the rear to make decisions and then move. This image runs through the whole series. When John Adams was ordered to seek diplomatic aid from France at a critical moment in the War of Independence, Franklin, who was already waiting in Paris, was even interpreted as a playboy-of course he was old. , Bald, and lame, but this does not prevent him from soaking in the same bathtub and blowing bubbles with the old Parisian noblewoman whose faces are full of pleats. John Adams who saw this scene was somewhat incomprehensible, but for Franklin, this was also one of the effective diplomatic methods. Why not?
The opposite is General George Washington. Before he became president, his prestige and charisma were already unstoppable—the tall Washington was always the most conspicuous one in the room, so whenever He has something to say that even a few words will easily change the situation and become the center of everyone's attention. However, I am used to watching domestic leading dramas, and I always feel that Lao Mei’s filming is not serious enough, and I didn’t even look for "special actors". For example, David Moss does not actually look like Washington, but his temperament—— Of course, I have never seen Washington himself-but he is extraordinary, that kind of cold, courageous, and determined image, under the background of a group of noisy congressmen, has become more and more outstanding.
2. The two-party system
"John Adams" did not blindly smear the founding fathers of the United States. Like ordinary people, they have the same emotions, sorrows, entanglements, entanglements of interests, and opinions. Unlike the war of independence in my imagination, "John Adams" fundamentally blurs the direct description of the war scenes (this is undoubtedly very appetite for the producers), but turns the establishment of the United States into a major Endless bargaining in the room.
Representatives from the thirteen colonies are always arguing. It is not at all like the usual history textbooks. The Americans are in fact reluctantly reluctant to declare their independence. And the American people and the British suzerain are not as unconventional as I thought. In the fourth episode, after the independence of the United States, John Adams was appointed to the United Kingdom-obviously an extremely embarrassing messenger-John Adams was neither humble nor arrogant to the British king. , Accomplished the mission brilliantly. What impressed me was that the King of England had tears in his eyes when facing John Adams, and praised their democratic republic from the bottom of his heart.
Therefore, the truth of history is always complicated. The director of "John Adams" has been adhering to this concept to create. In the last episode, when the painter finished painting the famous "Declaration of Independence" oil painting, please return When the built-in John Adams came to judge, he was furious at the painter. He told the painter that the situation at the time was panicked. The representatives had never gathered together in such an orderly manner to sign any Rauchi declaration.
The painter is just powerless to argue, the artist must always have the freedom to create. John Adams responded immediately: This is how the truth of modern European history was buried, and we cannot allow modern American history to be ruined.
It's so embarrassing, I am afraid that these words are not without reference to ourselves. Similarly, the conflict between Jefferson and Hamilton has been repeatedly exaggerated by the director. The conflict between the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Treasury is like water and fire. Even President Washington has a headache. The drama shows that the two people were drunk from the office by Washington after a big quarrel. Scenes. However, the dispute between Jefferson and Hamilton had far-reaching significance for the establishment of the American political system. The two were called the Democrats and the Federalists. The offensives of the two factions also became the seeds of the two-party system in the United States in the future. However, noisy is noisy, things still have to be followed, everything is followed by procedures, once a decision is made, it will be carried out without saying anything.
Looking at "John Adams", I can’t help but think of the defeat speech of Mr. Hsieh Chang-ting, who lost the election of the leaders of the Taiwan region in 2008. He emphasized: “The election is my personal failure, not Taiwan’s failure. Don’t do it for me today. Weep, gather our strength, and continue to love Taiwan."
This is the essence of the two-party system.
3. When the family
drafted the "Declaration of Independence", Jefferson was only 33 years old, with a lupin scarf and majestic hair, but John Adams had already become a housewife. His wife Abigail had a profound influence on John Adams. She was almost the driving force behind all decisions made by John Adams. When John Adams entered the White House for the first time after he was elected as the second president (the United States was officially the capital of Washington at that time), Abigail confessed to Old John like a mother: "You It’s over sixty years old. Don’t be a kid.” This
is true in history. Abigail was well-educated. When John Adams attended the Continental Conference, she wrote to her husband to remind him to pay attention to women. Protection. And when John Adams went north and south to become a "professional revolutionist", Abigail painstakingly ran the family farm, not only raising a family of children, but also providing revolutionary funding for John Adams (of course, the drama was also sinister. To beautify slavery).
John Adams is always being ridiculed. He has been attacked by political opponents as "the damn American tyrant", "a villain who should be cursed by all mankind", "a foot and a half tall belly", etc., of course, the most popular nicknames It's still "Mr. Chubby". The newspapers are also always rude to John Adams. In the sixth episode, the reporters even slandered John Adams on the front page, but after Abigail’s explanation, President John Adams finally laughed-this It is the reality of the United States. A big function of the president is to act as a punching bag for the people of the whole country.
Regardless of the truth of history, the impression given to me by "John Adams" is: Abigail and his family are the spiritual pillars of John Adams. Whether he is an official or not, his family stays with him throughout his life. Therefore, although John Adams's aura has been concealed by Washington, Franklin, and Jefferson for a long time, his affection for his family has never faded. Of course, the president is also a human being. John Adams’s family is not always smooth sailing: in the second episode, they experienced the test of life and death of smallpox; in the sixth episode, they lost a son; in the last episode, they experienced the husband After being widowed for many years after leaving, his daughter Nabi died of cancer again. Of course, Abigail's death in her husband's arms was the most moving scene. It is worth mentioning that their eldest son John Quincy Adams was later elected as the sixth president of the United States.
It is also a portrayal of great men, "John Adams" undoubtedly feels much more human. But I think this also conveys the theme of the drama: no matter how quarrels and frictions are, the American people will always be a family; the strength of a family cannot be overestimated, and the source of this strength is the United States. Where is the power of it. Or, we can use the words of the first black president in American history, Obama’s victory speech: "The real source of power in the United States is not military power or wealth, but our ideal permanent power: democracy, freedom, opportunity, and unyielding. Hope.”
I think that one day, my country will have this kind of power.
Published in "TV Series" Issue 2 of 2009
View more about John Adams reviews
