First published on WeChat public account: [Mr. Huang Cinema], ID: huangfilm
It is narrated and discussed. If you are particularly concerned about being spoiled, it is recommended to watch three episodes before reading.
The drama is a big pit, and the text is long. More than 6000 words, ha.
Note:
1 The "prostitute" in the article does not use "sex worker", it does not represent any derogatory meaning, it is only for brevity;
2 Although I do not agree with the translation of "Legend of the Fallen Street", which is based on the translator's subjective judgment, it is still used for the convenience of everyone's understanding.
*Insert song here: Alicia Keys - Empire State Of Mind
＊The public account has the most complete article layout
"The Deuce" is the name New Yorkers call West 42nd Street in Manhattan.
In the 1960s, U.S. law allowed the sex industry to operate openly, and this street, especially the Times Square area, was the most prosperous.
Time magazine's 1976 cover story featured the booming pornography industry. The magazine said that what was once a fringe, underground home-based porn business had become an open, ambitious business with annual sales of $2 billion. Pornography is industrialized.
Since it is also from HBO, almost the whole world regards "Legend of the Fallen Street" as the successor of "Game of Thrones".
But there are obvious differences between the two shows. "Legend of the Fallen Street" is based on true stories and focuses on the development of the porn industry in New York in the 1970s and 1980s.
As soon as the first season of the show started, the word of mouth was huge, and everyone was optimistic that it would be shortlisted for the 70th Emmy Awards next year. It has also been successfully renewed for a second season! The main creative plan is 3 seasons, with a historical span of 14 years: the first season is written in 1971-72, the beginning of the porn industry; the second season is written in 1977-79; the third season is written in 1984-85, the old 42nd Street was written by the mayor Koch shuts down and the industry disintegrates.
I admire people who have seen the pilot and can write an entire review, because the first episode didn't say anything.
The first episode, which everyone has been eagerly awaiting, was released on August 25. It is nearly 90 minutes and the length of a movie, but it is more like a "preface". No wonder so many people complain about the slow pace.
This rhythm, look at who the screenwriter is to know what's going on.
"Legend of the Fallen Street" is co-created by renowned screenwriter David Simon and George Pelecanos, who has been dubbed the "Poet Laureate of Washington's Crime World" by Esquire magazine . David and George have had brilliant cooperation experience before, and together they have created high-scoring dramas like "Bridge on the River of Sorrow" and "The Wire".
David is a journalist with his own strong style imprint. Most of his creative materials have been verified by facts. With a sense of mission and historical responsibility, he explores deep social issues with events with multiple clues and multiple dimensions.
"The Legend of the Fallen Street" originated from an old gangster on 42nd Street who came to his door. At first, David and George resisted working on a project on the porn industry, finding it uninteresting. But after they listened to the twins' story for three hours, they were all excited and went out to smoke a cigarette...they don't usually smoke.
Later, through interviews with porn stars, bartenders, lawyers and journalists who lived through the era, David and George got other stories.
David said that if the industry is not made clear, the show will become "Pretty Woman" (Pretty Woman), which is not what we want.
The storytelling angle that David and George found was a little economical. They focus on the relationship between labor and capital in the porn industry; that is, how money and power will go when the body is seen as a commodity. Who benefits? What role does the whole society play in the exchange of interests?
Therefore, the rhythm is slow because the style of the main creator's works is like this. They are like Spider-Man shooting silk. At first glance, there are no rules, and then you will understand that it is the fulcrum of a web. Pull up the vertical thread, and then weave the horizontal thread from the outside to the inside. It is complex and multi-layered, and pays attention to the sparse density. Of course, the risk of doing so is losing those impatient audiences.
Not only in this show, I'm sure you've heard this phrase on other occasions as well.
So, have you ever wondered why the beginning of A Tale of Two Cities is quoted countless times?
This manifesto-like text is full of semantic contradictions, but a sentence with a positive tone and strong formal beauty. People easily resonated with it, and everyone felt that they were talking about themselves and the current era whenever they heard it. The extreme situations listed in the comparison: good, bad; wisdom, ignorance; faith, doubt; light, darkness; hope, despair; have everything, have nothing; go straight to heaven, fall into hell, so that anyone can find a suitable sense of substitution .
Dickens's logic is established in that: indeed, different people's feelings in the same era may be completely contradictory. Some people are like a fish in water, some people are not at the right time. Have you ever thought that the unsatisfactory self in this era will have a completely different achievement if you travel to another time?
When you feel powerless about the times, you can't love it, but you can't hate it, can you do something other than shut up?
Recently, I was inspired by a theory in the official account of the "Middle Risk Rescue Office". In an unfree environment, is it possible to first try to make the greatest achievements in the current space? The "Middle Risk Rescue Office" official account summed up this view as "choose to be free".
This is a very optimistic and positive direction.
◣ Watching Vincent in the play, at the beginning of the play, he was working night shifts, rushing to and fro on both sides of the river (you can read the map above) and working double jobs to support his family. The two bosses had no understanding or sympathy for his situation. At home is a wife who is never home, and a mother-in-law who is addicted to soap operas. On the street he begged the gunmen for mercy and succumbed to his wife's male playmates in the billiard hall. What's not too much is that he also has an idle gambling brother, and the creditor can't find anyone, so he will collect the debt.
Depressed enough?
But keep reading, you will find that Vincent has walked out of his own path of freedom in such a world.
＊Insert song here: Cui Jian - Rock on the New Long March Road
＊The public account has the most complete article layout
He found a profit model for a Korean restaurant where he worked part-time.
He used the strategy of "first cup for free" to obtain new customers from the street at low cost, and used the inspiration from the street window to implement the service level of the bar. Waiter topless) senior customer source. Because of the upgrade of this part-time job, he can quit the bartender job in another store without any worries.
He reached an agreement with the debt-collecting mafia to pay in installments, and with his brother-in-law, who manages the construction site, joined forces with the boss to provide workers with cash withdrawal services. They earn fees from the cash withdrawal service, and workers who want to have cash for the weekend don’t feel that the lost 5% is exploitative. It’s a “win-win.”
Next, because of his outstanding management skills, Vincent was chosen by the boss to be a professional manager of a failed tavern. Vincent, who is good at employing people, has gathered a group of right-hand men. He led everyone to renovate the bar, revamped the cheesy cocktail list, and changed to more fashionable background music. Coupled with the accumulation of good people, the business of the bar was booming. From struggling to support his family in episode 1, to having himself and his own territory in episode 3, Vincent has made a qualitative leap. (Of course, according to the creator's plan, he will continue to grow)
If you are forced to do something you don't want due to the situation, it is not called "choose to be free", but just cowardice. What is commendable is that Vincent's steps are all out of active choice, and he follows his three views. He can be called a Confucian businessman in "Degenerate Street". Vincent chooses not to steal, even though he is eager to solve financial problems; not to offer female college students to please the police, although he understands the need to have a good relationship with the police; not to be a pimp, although prostitutes say he is suitable for it; not to be a gangster, Although the father-in-law's family has ready-made resources. You know, pimps and gangsters can be up the food chain on this street.
Like he said "I'm building something". You can see him laying bricks every episode.
◣ Also struggling is the prostitute Candy.
Candy is the only sex worker on the show who doesn't have a boss (a pimp).
Although the pimps on the street came to lobby one after another, she was not tempted.
Other prostitutes said they would be lazy without pimps, apologized humbly to exploiters, and worked servilely.
Candy, a single mother, has the perseverance to keep driving herself, and the wisdom to protect herself.
When dealing with a virgin, the boy was so excited that it ended before it officially started, and shyly and angrily shouted that it was unfair and wanted to do it again. "You charge 40 for a full set with others, and 40 for me. You don't do anything at all!" Candy asked after learning that the other party was a student, "Then what does your dad do?" The boy said, " Car dealers." Candy said, think about it, would he give him a car for free because of a happy customer? Again, this is my job. The boy bought it, took out the check from his grandmother and paid for the second round.
There is a girl who takes over the pornographic job temporarily in trouble, and asks Candy to save the scene. Candy became interested in filming there.
She asked this question curiously on the set, and even stole a tape and went home to study it.
Candy's childhood movie dreams are inspired. And, she sees it as a road to freedom. She didn't want to sell her body in fear on the street anymore, and she didn't want her son and mother to look down on her.
She invites people in the industry for dinner consultation (just like we use the "Zai Xing" app now). The other party thought she wanted to be an actress, but Candy refused the salary jump from 30 to 600 yuan.
She doesn't want to make quick money or be a star, she wants to be a creator. She doesn't want living expenses.
I believe that many of those who are reading this are migrant workers. Think about the lure of 20 times your salary. Ask yourself, between a dream that is too far away, and money at your fingertips - the moon and sixpence, which would you choose?
◣ A firm move forward like Vincent and Candy is different from the life philosophy of "the present is drunk and the present is drunk".
Why would workers prefer to be paid less? Because they want to have fun in time. Including Vincent's brother Frankie, the same is true: gambling, visiting prostitutes, drinking, taking drugs, spending their lives chasing so-called happiness, the marginal utility has been diminishing, and finally there is nothing but self-paralysis. "There is no good thing to look forward to in front of you, and there is no past to be proud of behind you. It is worthless fleeting years, and there is not much left."
◣Such a firm move forward is also different from the life philosophy of "just live by".
The cops and lawyers in the series who turn a blind eye, live in their respective roles in compromise for the world, "Another day, another dollar", and have no ability to change, so they just lie down and go with the flow. Some full of blood turned into a sigh.
◣ Also, I want to talk about Abbey, a female college student.
According to the hint of the plot, her family background is at least above the middle class, but when she discovers the absurdity of the world, she is determined to break away from her class and jump into the lower world.
She has sex with a college professor. From the seduction in the classroom to the posture of the female upper position, it is obviously an active choice. After she was done, the professor kept talking under her, "Why am I doing this? I was wrong, I shouldn't have done it with you." She straddled the professor, smoking a cigarette, using the philosophical definition she learned from the professor One by one, they hit back at the professor's sanctimonious appearance.
On the eve of the exam, she helped the classmates who wanted to refresh themselves to buy illegal drugs, the police showed up, and the classmates ran away. She was caught in the police station, and was taken to the bar by the scheming police. She dropped out of school the next day.
Needing to be self-reliant, she went to find a job. Seeing a man full of smoking, she said that she had asthma and was not suitable for this job, so she went out and took a cigarette.
Later, the telemarketing work did not go well. After two days, I quit my job.
Back at the hippie share house, I had a blast with my ex-colleague, and woke up to find that all the money my mother gave was stolen. I can't even get the 10 bucks rent. The drink is the leftover McDonald's drink from the roommate and raw water.
*Insert song here: Alanis Morissette-Ironic
＊The public account has the most complete article layout
Abbey's behavior represents another philosophy of life: not taking a comfortable road, but choosing a more muddy road at every intersection, deliberately putting himself in a situation where there is no way to go. (Of course, the so-called "smooth path" is also based on the judgment of mainstream values.)
Later, she took the initiative to look for Vincent to find a part-time job, which was the only attempt she did not leave happily.
Sociologist Max Weber said that "man is an animal hanging on a web of self-woven meaning", which is also one of the fundamental differences between man and animals and animals. So, every step of our choices expresses who we are.
How can I be so embarrassed that I'm always trapped in sadness, complaining that I have no choice?
Today I watched "Angel Road" - a reality show in which the American underwear brand "Victoria's Secret" selected Chinese models. Some contestants were very angry after being given a low score or were eliminated, and scolded the camera, "Do the judges understand?" You know, "Victoria's Secret" is just a brand (or a brand in decline). Don't feel degraded just because a single customer doesn't approve, right? There is a huge world beyond this stage.
Think of the above example as a metaphor. You know, this is the worst of times and the best of times. Schopenhauer's "one can do what he wants, but not what he wants" makes sense. Put your anger aside and put your energy back on what you're trying to accomplish, which is probably the best thing you've ever done, and it's best to start with that mindset.
Hot blooded? Unfortunately, this is only our own interpretation, the main creator does not want to make an inspirational drama.
When I first saw keywords such as the 1970s and 42nd Street in Manhattan, I thought "Legend of the Fallen Street" was a project dedicated to Donald Trump, in order to please the dragon. After all, 42nd Street is where Trump made his fortune. In 1975, Trump bought a dilapidated hotel on 42nd Street near New York's Grand Central Station at a very low price and rebuilt it as the Grand Hyatt in 1980, which became an important milestone in his real estate career. The famous Trump Tower is also in the adjacent block.
Obviously, he has committed the mistake of saving others by himself...
A reporter from the British "Guardian" once asked this question, "Is it a coincidence that the sex revolution, the legal change in the definition of obscenity, the rise of the porn industry, and the time and place of Trump's fortune?
As a result, let alone gifts, screenwriters David and George are both super black fans of Trump . George told reporters that if Hillary Clinton had been a man, she would have been elected by now ("There's no doubt if Hillary Clinton had been a man, she would be president now.").
Simon says drily: "Growing up is a phrase I would not use about the president of the United States. I don't know where he grew up. I have no explanation, I have a million explanations, for this man and what he lacks as a human being. Certainly he's misogynist and his understanding of sexual equality is minimal and he's drawn to him an incredible reservoir of anger against women and against people of colour. There's a lot of anger out there in American society; he's drawn all of it to him and he's weaponised it. It's interesting."
(This paragraph of David's speech about Trump is quite intense. I will not translate it. If you are interested, just read it~)
From the interview, it can be seen that in the United States, politics also affects artistic creation. The pilot episode of Fallen Street was actually filmed in 2015. Screenwriter David said that if Trump is president, they have to throw away 60%-65% of the original story idea. Therefore, when the political situation was turbulent and the results of the general election were uncertain, the main creator decided to simply wait until the general election was over before starting the filming. This decision helped HBO avoid $12-14 million in losses.
"Misogyny" (misogyny), was mentioned repeatedly in various interviews with the creator and star. The original intention of the main creator is to put "misogyny" on the stage, to discuss the impact of the development of the American pornography industry on the relationship between the sexes over the past 50 years, and to point the sword to the "misogynist" in the White House. Screenwriter David believes that pornography affects the way men and women see each other and the way they sell things, from beer to cars to jeans. Pornography is deeply ingrained in our culture, and even if you're not consuming porn, you must be consuming its logic. Although David admits that he has no way to prove this conclusion.
For example, "The Wire" seems to be about drugs, but it is actually about race; "Legend of the Fallen Street" is about the pornography industry, but it is actually about gender issues. So, this is certainly not an inspirational story, but critique and reflection.
This denial, or neutrality, of the porn industry directly affects the shooting style of the series. The creators deliberately control the pornographic passages in the series to be unattractive, boring, and purely work in nature, rather than showing sexual excitement. Because they think they have to show what they want to express ("you have to show what you're talking about.").
Of course, there are also viewers who think it's ridiculous to tie "pornography" and "misogyny" together, guessing that this is just the screenwriters to oppose Trump. The reason is: Although the pornographic films in the early years were indeed not very beautiful, some women were used; but don't forget that there were also men who were used. Things are different these days, female pornstars earn more than men, and as long as they work hard, they can earn a lot and retire early. The audience thinks screenwriter David's remarks are more like an old conservative (the American right, representing the bourgeoisie and social conservative forces), rather than his advertised liberal who knows the porn industry (the American left, representing the middle class and social conservatives). commoner class).
I have to say that the above remarks are not without merit. Although the main creator has great ambitions, judging from the performance of the series so far, I don't quite understand the motivation for this creation. Maybe the creator is dissing Trump so often in the media just to grab attention to boost ratings?
If the main creator really wants to criticize misogyny and racism, why not use the protagonist Vincent to reflect it, but let his words and deeds show an attitude of objectifying women and despising Asians? Don't you worry that the protagonist's halo makes everything backfire? Starring James Franco did reveal in an interview that David would "kill" his protagonist. So, wait and see.
I don't think the show's future is shaky, given the vacillating attitude and inconsistency that the creators have shown in interviews.
"I think in some ways you can get lost in either being too puritan or too prurient in this piece and what you have to do is basically attend to the why, the why of how this comes to be. That's what makes it a grown- up story.”
(From screenwriter David)
In any case, "Legend of the Fallen Street" has only 3 episodes released so far. The characters are still growing, and no one can say what will happen in the future. I am also very curious.
*Insert song here: David Bowie-Cygnet Committee
＊The public account has the most complete article layout
"Legend of the Fallen Street" is a screenwriter-led series. That is, David and George mentioned earlier.
Due to the particularity of the subject matter of the pornography industry, when straight men David and George started to create, they realized that this ship must have a large number of women on board. If they do it from the perspective of men, something will definitely happen. (“We realized, to try to do the story, two middle-aged straight guys, it just wasn’t going to work with just us,” Pelecanos told UpRoxx ’s Alan Sepinwall.)
So they turned to female director Michelle Maxwell MacLaren to set the tone. Michelle McLaren has co-directed Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, and Breaking Bad. She directed the pilot and season finale of Fallen Street.
Maggie Gyllenhaal, who played the prostitute Candy, also worked on the series. Maggie can be said to be a Hollywood connection. She was born in Los Angeles to an Emmy-nominated TV director and producer, a screenwriter mother who stood on the Golden Globes podium, and an actor Jake Gyllenhaal brother.
I admire the image sacrifice she made for the role in "Legend of the Fallen Street": undisguised aging, natural breasts, and a stomach without a vest line... the performance of the 70's Orioles is natural. Maggie did a lot of preparation for the role, including visiting porn actress Annie Sprinkle and reading books about the porn industry, such as "Porno Star" by Tina Russell.
I like the details in Maggie's performance very much, and I specially selected three passages to represent:
1. Early ambitions for the pornographic film industry
2. Careful longing
3. Disappointment after being rejected
The protagonist James Franco talked to the screenwriter David about the play three years ago, and told David that he wanted to direct. David was noncommittal at the time ("I don't know dude. You might be the guy who does everything, but I don't know."), but later decided to let him try. The third episode we've seen so far is Franco, and there will be another episode to follow.
Franco was nominated for an Oscar for "Best Actor" in 2011 for "127 Hours." If you look at his IMDB page, you will see that he is quite a hard worker and has a lot of work done every year. Franco also went back to school to study film after 8 years as an actor. In addition, he has been actively trying to be responsible for more work outside of acting.
He said Martin Scorsese painted Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Sidney Sidney Lumet's "Dog Day Afternoon" and "Serpico," plus "The French Connection," were the "textbooks" of his youth. He is also a fan of screenwriter David and likes The Wire very much.
Film actor Franco became interested in the television industry after reading a book called "Difficult Men".
In "Legend of the Fallen Street," he finally fulfilled his dream, taking on the main role (and also in two roles), director, and executive production.
It just so happens that the popular online drama "Chasing the Murderer in the White Night" also has the setting that the protagonists are "twins". Pan Yueming also played two brothers, a policeman and a suspect. Probably because of the need to strengthen the difference between the two brothers, the role of the policeman always has a rigid feeling of tying his hands and feet. In contrast to Franco's performance, you will feel that the two brothers he played in "Legend of the Fallen Street" are both natural and relaxed, just different people.
In addition, from a practical point of view, of course, it is impossible for a person to split into two roles to play opposite roles at the same time, and it is not Sun Wukong, so he can only rely on film and television technology to make blindfolds.
In "Chasing the Murderer in the White Night", you can see how the director and the cameraman use the misplacement of the stand-in and the camera lens to make the two people appear at the same time. However, the team of "Legend of the Fallen Street" really made a magic effect of the two people in the same mirror , which is incomprehensible. For example, the following punch shot:
The input of resources is divided into "li" and "face". Aesthetically, "Legend of the Fallen Streets" references images from older films, such as 1972's "Super Fly" and 1976's "Taxi Driver".
Starting from various details, combined with CGI special effects, a believable 70s Manhattan 42nd Street is built, giving the feeling a material form.
Graffiti, garbage, neon lights, high crime rate, porn shops... The endless 42nd Street is both dirty and tempting. Almost all of the history of the ups and downs of the entertainment industry in New York can be condensed into this street. Today, "the Deuce" has become "New 42st". No matter how much I miss it in the 1970s, I can't go back.
Like me, I would also like to see Xidan North Street in the 1990s, and Chengfu Road (Wudaokou) around 2000.
Do you miss any street?
♥ Thanks to the FIX subtitle team
♥ References:
WeChat public account: Middle Risk Rescue Office
Call of the Wild Mountains: A Reborn Journey to America on West 42nd Street
Sophie Gilbert: The Deuce Is David Simon's Best Work Since The Wire
David Smith: David Simon: 'If you're not consuming porn, you're still consuming its logic'
Christina Radish: James Franco on 'The Deuce' and David Simon's Three-Season Plan
Gregory Wakeman: Maggie Gyllenhaal on Trump and why 'The Deuce' is more vital than ever
Charles Bramesco: The Deuce review – David Simon's 70s porn saga is a dazzling achievement
Olivia B. Waxman: The Deuce and the Real History of Why the Porn Industry Flourished in the '70s
Addie Morfoot: 'The Deuce' Creator David Simon Explains Why Now Is the Perfect Time to Look at Misogyny in the Porn Industry
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