I repeated the review of "Dark" three times from start to finish. Traversing, crime, ethics, campus, religion, the screenwriter put a lot of themes together, at first glance it looks like a pot of stew, but adhering to the Germans always strive for perfection, can blend this pot of chaos to the current situation. Appropriately.
I have read many sharing posts saying that this is the German version of "Stranger Things" by Netflix. This is a big mistake! "Darkness" is very different from the former in terms of topic selection and script structure. Although the background of the story and the overall suspenseful atmosphere created by the current story do feel like a routine with "Stranger Things", "Darkness" took a lot of money. More time to put a lot of theoretical knowledge about mathematics, physics and astronomy, like a grass gray snake line, into the plot of the whole drama. Maybe it did not make viewers experience the pleasure of solving puzzles like other film and television works that use science fiction and suspense as selling points, but the director restrained it cleanly and calmly under the lens that makes people pores open. Mysterious breath is something that people can't get away even if they run.
The director’s pursuit of "Darkness" is reflected in many details in the opening title. This kaleidoscope-like special effect is very similar to Netflix's other well-produced "Babylon Berlin". What's interesting is that the kaleidoscope uses the principle of light reflection. Observing the original image from the hole inward, it will change the reflection distance of the light due to the continuous rotation and observe the constantly changing symmetrical image. This seems to be a hint by the director that the series of actions of each key character in this play will produce different results due to the time point and the constant changes of the characters.
In addition to the metaphor of the opening title, the director and screenwriter also used some symbolic symbols in the play to suggest the space-time structure of the whole play. For example, the Celtic triangle on the clue wall of Jonas, who traveled from the future to 2019, also appeared in The paintings on the walls of the hospital and the iron doors of the cave in 1986. This iron door is also engraved with a Latin phrase "sic mvndvs creatus est", which comes from the ancient alchemy book "Jade Jade Record", and the mysterious priest Noah reveals a tattoo that occupies almost the entire back in one shot. It is this book. An interesting thing about "Cui Shilu", its most famous English translation comes from Newton. Even the name of Hannah, mother of the protagonist Jonas, seems to have a meaning. "Hannah" is spelled the same no matter how it is reversed. I don't think this kind of name like the snake ring is some kind of coincidence.
"Darkness" is also a big challenge for face blind patients. In the framework of the script of the screenwriter like the Mobius ring, the first season based on the timeline can be divided into three time points, respectively 1953, 1986 and 2019, and even 2052 at the end of the first season. Due to the long time span, even if the main characters so far should not exceed 25 people, due to the time jump of the plot and the unfamiliarity with German pronunciation, the first 8 episodes of the week are sorting out the interpersonal relationship in this small town. Relationship, even using the knowledge of the profession to build a tree diagram [cover your face].
In addition to the clever settings in the structure, "Darkness" responds to the human relationship and society in the plot, which reflects the contradictions and problems that may be encountered in real life. Winden is a peaceful and comfortable living environment in a large forest. Everyone performs their duties in their own posts. Children discover more of themselves in school. Even the elderly live in apartments for the elderly or in nursing homes! This small society that has been infinitely close to utopia, children’s puppy love, bullying, marijuana, etc., compared to adult extramarital affairs, sexual marriage, cancer, lace, paranoia... really nothing. Under the tranquil lake like a spring in Winden, there is an undercurrent of time and human nature.
The strong contrast of warm and cold colors, panoramic view + long moving lens, and a mix of electronic soundtracks, the director deeply imprinted the modernist style in every frame. Under the lens of this frank and calm aesthetic style, scenes of scenes are interpreted, making the audience feel the depression and restlessness of the thorns as they search for answers along with the characters in the play.
"Dark" threw out many clues throughout the first season, but still left many unexplained mysteries. For example, is Noah from the same period or from a different period after eating the Immortal Elixir? Which one of Noah’s diary and Claudia’s diary is genuine? Will the future Jonas get everything back on track?
Finally, I remembered that the opening caption quote quoted Einstein: "The difference between the past, the present, and the future is just an illusion, even if this illusion is very stubborn."
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