Judging by the content of the pilot, this film covers a wide range of information. If you cut out the pornographic scenes of BH that HBO is used to, it can become a video material for studying American society and culture during Prohibition in universities. In addition, the pilot was directed by Martin Sr., which also made a good start for its subsequent directors.
The episodes are so hard, I'll give up the idea of "sit back, relax, and enjoy my favoruite episode" for the time being, take notes, mainly to record the points that I find interesting. However, due to limited knowledge, there should be some valuable information that I have overlooked.
Title: Boardwalk. The Boardwalk is another label of Atlantic City besides casinos. It was built in 1870 and was destroyed by a storm. It was restored in 1889. It is still the signature scenic spot of Atlantic City until today.
pilot:
1. A scene at about 8 minutes and 40 seconds: before Prohibition is about to take effect, people carry huge wine bottles marked "John Barleycorn" to celebrate. Barley John, derived from a folk song of the same name, will anthropomorphize barley, an important raw material for beer and whiskey, and Barley John is also synonymous with wine.
The background music for this section is Battle Hymn of the Republic, a patriotic song that is well-known in the United States. If you think the tune is familiar, it’s not surprising. Its tune was later borrowed by a number of different types of songs. Probably the most famous example is the Manchester United team song. (Actually, the English Premier League’s Tottenham and Leeds United have also changed the words.
Yes, I have used this song) 2. Uncle Nucky’s brother Eli has a line saying: You thought I'm Lilian Gishi, huh?
Lilian Gishi: Lilian Gishi, the number one actress in the film period, has participated in Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation", "Lai Marriage" and so on.
3. Al Capone, do not explain, you can refer to a lot of movies ("Scarface", "Iron Face Selflessness", etc.), the interesting one is the actor, Stephen Graham, who played Dillinger's partner baby-faced Nelson in last year's Public Enemies, last century The "Public Enemy Number One" in the 1930s was active in Chicago like Capone.
4. Two interesting images: One is the stroller in the celebration of "Barley John", which is filled with wine. It may mean that although alcohol is banned, various criminal activities (smuggling of smuggling alcohol) are about to start. The second is the incubator stared by Uncle Nucky. The incubator was a novelty with the nature of technological revolution at the time, perhaps implying the background of the era full of change at that time.
5. Old Martin used Iris shots both in the beginning and end of the film. This technique is often used in 1920s silent films, reflecting the master's profound film skills. The scene scheduling in the film (such as Uncle Nucky out of the hotel to the club, activities in the casino), the suspension of Al Capone before the flashback, and the FBI's overhead shots in the forest are also deeply imprinted by the old horse.
6. A black man appeared in the pilot. There are not many scenes for the time being. The character actor Michael Williams who plays Omar in another HBO masterpiece Wire.
Finally, congratulations to Uncle Steve Buscemi from being a neurotic bastard and villain to the throne of big brother! I haven't seen him play the male number one yet!
Episode 2:
There are several very obvious literary/ cinematic allusions in this episode.
1. Magaret is reading Henry James' The Ivory Tower in the hospital, which
is Henry James' unfinished work. According to Wikipedia, the novel mainly describes how the protagonist accumulates wealth and the impact of his corruption on the surroundings.
There is a saying in the book: Everyone has an indescribable degenerate side.
It can be seen here that the screenwriter is cleverly borrowing novels to refer to the same theme in American dramas.
2. It was also Magaret, who read George Sang's poem. This allusion is also groundless.
George Sang is not only a female writer, but also a feminist pioneer (in the 19th century, he engaged in extramarital affairs and abolished marriage). This revolutionary figure also corresponds to the vigorous feminist movement in the play (the first episode mentioned that women Fighting for the right to vote)
3. The cultery salesman of the girl who wants the unspoken rules in the film has a line when greeting Nucky: "Leonard Barrymore ate at the knife and fork restaurant last night."
Barrymore is the most famous in the United States. One of the performing arts family. Lionel Barrymore often appeared in Griffith’s early films. Famous works include Frank Capra’s It’s a wonderful life.
His brother is the famous actor John Barrymore (one of the first actors to play Holmes). He and his brother had Co-starred in "Yasen Luoping". His granddaughter is Drew Barrymore
4. Lucy clamored to make Nucky grow a beard, like a man like Douglas Fairbanks.
Douglas Fairbanks, Douglas Van Punk, the number one actor in the silent film period. The first actor to portray Robin Hood and Zorro on the screen, his wife is the famous actor Mary Pickford (Mary Pickford), the first American sweetheart.
Van Punk founded the "Lianyi" film company in 1919 with Bikfu, Chaplin, and Griffith. He is also one of the founders of "The Academy" and the host of the first Oscars.
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