The setting of this series is very different, it is difficult to define it as a certain type. In the first season, the protagonists of the story range from the so-called white roads such as police, judges, and lawyers to the so-called underworld such as drug addicts, drug dealers, and robbers. The story mainly depicts the fighting spirit between the police and bandits in Baltimore. Starting from the second season, although "The Wire" still revolves around drug trafficking and other factors, the characters have gradually joined other aspects of society such as porters, politicians, school students and teachers, media and newspapers, and fully present American society. The interaction of the various systems. "The Wire" depicts all kinds of people in society, which can be regarded as an ukiyo-e painting of the inner city of the United States, or even the entire United States.
Although there are police and criminal factors, this series is completely different from traditional genre films. It is a character study that is rare in the United States, rather than a 24-hour commercial melodrama. All the characters in the series are very real and full. For example, Stringer Bell, one of the biggest contradictions in the series, is a cruel gang boss, but dreams of becoming a real entrepreneur; Adam Smith’s "The Theory of Wealth" is placed on his bedside. Omar Little, who is the most popular in the series, is a robber; he is very moral, only robbing drug dealers, and giving alms to the poor around him; most of all, this awe-inspiring character is still a homosexual that everyone disdains. Such wonderful settings abound, there are roughly dozens of people, and each individual's plot can be independent of the story. As the protagonist of the first season of the series, Jimmy McNulty did not even have a chance to appear in the second and fourth seasons, and his story is still very exciting without him.
Since the story is driven by the characters, its development is destined to be different from the general series. Unlike the linear narrative of commercial films, the story of "The Wire" is full of randomness and interaction. The plot is not taken for granted, it is completely like game theory. The characters start from their own perspective (for example, a good policeman wants to catch a thief, an official wants to be promoted, etc.) and make actions, and then other characters follow. The reaction to it. To sum it up in one sentence, it is very close to real life. The development of the matter was not only unexpected but also reasonable, and I had to make people scream.
But no matter how the story and the characters develop, the only constant is the realism of the series. The development of "The Wire" has not changed the fate of the character because of the sympathy or favor of the creator. Unlike ordinary series that are full of clichés and laws, it is difficult for the audience to judge the final ending of the story or the characters based on the experience of watching the drama. Even if it is the main character, there is always the possibility of losing his head in "The Wire". The only thing that can be determined by watching "The Wire" is two points: the sad fate revealed by the character development and the lack of closure that is common after watching the series. In this respect, "The Wire" is more like Chekhov's drama or De Sika's film than a traditional Hollywood product.
In line with it, "The Wire" chose absolute realism in aesthetics. This realism is reflected in all aspects. For example, in terms of music, there is no soundtrack used to set off the atmosphere in the play. All the sounds and music come from the plot (diegetic sound). In terms of language, the people in the play use extremely life language, which is full of jargon and terminology. And even if it is hard to understand, or even completely unknown to ordinary people, "The Wire" will not provide any explanation (whether through subtitles or through the mouth of other characters). There are even many actors in the film who turned out to be police or gangsters, and many seemingly incredible plots (such as Omar jumping from the sixth floor to escape) are actually real people. All these efforts made the audience feel as if they were on the scene, as if they were on the side of Baltimore.
But art comes from life but it is higher than life. Many of the highlights of "The Wire" are obviously refined through a high degree of art. The most obvious is the classic lines of various fans. Unlike other blockbuster movies, it seems that everybody in "The Wire" has a lot of words. Even a character like Marlo Stanfield who doesn't like words has many memorable clips. For example, one of Marlo's subordinates told Marlo that he was robbed by Omar and asked Marlo not to charge for this period, because Omar was the same force majeure as the 9/11 terrorists. Marlo said: "I ain't the US government, and Omar ain't no terrorist; he's just a nigger with a nigger with a shotgun." shotgun). These languages are not only refined, but also fully embody the character's personality. Even those who don't talk like Marlo are like this, and the long talks by people like Proposition Joe are naturally more exciting. The lines of "The Wire" are not only far better than the level of most movies now, and even the most classic lines in old Hollywood movies (such as "Sunset Boulevard") are not inferior.
The main reason for the creation of so many lifelike characters and wonderful plots is the first-class production team of "The Wire", and these outstanding actors and excellent screenwriters have contributed the most. Although the actors of "The Wire" are not well-known, they have various skills, and many of them have passed the show. The most successful one is probably Amy Ryan, who plays McNulty's girlfriend. This Broadway veteran actor just received an Oscar nomination for the film "Gone Baby Gone" last year.
However, no matter how high the level of actors are, they still need to rely on the space provided by the screenwriters, and the screenwriters of "The Wire" can only be said to be very good and powerful. As a senior Baltimore Sun reporter, David Simon, the creator of the series, has a deep understanding of all aspects of the city; he set a general direction for "The Wire". The other screenwriters of the series also have a lot of background. For example, Dennis Lehane is a famous novelist. His most famous work is "Mystic River" (Mystic River), which was changed into a movie by Clint Eastwood and won the Oscar for best picture in one fell swoop.
If it's just because it's well-made, then "The Wire" is at best a popcorn masterpiece similar to "The Sopranos." What really makes "The Wire" stand out from the crowd is its social significance and sense of social responsibility. "The Wire"'s description of society is not condescending. Although the creator has a personal point of view, he doesn't have any hope of preaching. On the contrary, "The Wire" calmly and vividly described all levels of society, and increased the depth of the existing content by describing other levels. For example, the most profound thing about "The Wire" should be the fourth season describing the education system. Through the situation of four children, "The Wire" shows the primary and decisive nature of the environment for children, and through the description of children as other roles (the experiences of these children are those who have grown up and become policemen and gangsters). Experience) provides background information. Although anyone who has not grown up in the United States may have very limited understanding of this drama (such as the decline of the black community, there are not many people who know about the issue internationally, and it is very American with complicated historical and social reasons. Needless to say), but it describes many other aspects, such as the impact of globalization on the blue-collar class, the dark side of democratic politics (such as fundraising, exchanging benefits, etc.), the negative impact of bureaucracy and false big-air policies, and the hardening of education The insufficiency of scoring and the status and changes of the media in the Internet age are some issues that everyone can pay attention to. Watching "The Wire", what I see is the helplessness and sadness of the current social situation, as well as the desire and expectation for reform and change. It can be said that, as a member of society, it is an inescapable responsibility to perceive the many acute problems described in "The Wire" and use it to make progress and promote reforms.
Because of the theme of the story and the choice of art, the commercial and popularity of "The Wire" has not been high. Many viewers are not interested in this subject matter, but more are afraid of facing the cruel social reality described in the series. It is a miracle that such an unpopular series can last for many years. The cost of writing a realistic novel that cannot be sold may not be high, but it is very rare to spend tens of millions of dollars to produce a series that dares to tell the truth and is unpopular. Therefore, apart from the socially necessary pluralism, freedom of speech, and ideological nature, only under the commercial system of the United States can such series be produced. First of all, HBO, the producer and broadcaster of the series, is a high-end premium channel with basically no advertisements, so there is no need to estimate the ratings of public channels such as FOX. Second, the diverse profit channels in the United States ensure that serial dramas will not lose their money even in the case of poor ratings. As long as a series of dramas like "The Wire" has a loyal audience, even if the audience is small, you can get some profit from the sales of souvenirs and DVDs. Because of these commercial elements, the creators of this play can not compromise their original intentions without the approval of mainstream audiences, and complete this masterpiece according to their original intentions.
For Chinese audiences, a series that is not well-known in the United States is naturally rarely heard of. Coupled with its obscure subject matter and difficulty in translation, it is not surprising that there are few viewers. But no matter what, if you have the opportunity to watch this play, you can't miss this rare series. In short, there are four types of people who must watch "The Wire": Those who want to experience first-class entertainment must watch "The Wire"; those who want to appreciate first-rate producers must watch "The Wire"; those who want to think about profound propositions must watch "The Wire" Wire; Those who want to understand American society must watch The Wire.
In summary, it is not too much to describe "The Wire" as a modern American Shakespearean play. In this more than a year, it can be said that it is my honor to be able to watch this play. After watching this play today, I would like to say a few words to commemorate it. When the DVD of the next five seasons is published, I will vomit 200 dollars for collection.
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