True Detective
Mar. 3rd, 2014 08:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sarnathSo I heard that True Detective had numerous and important references to Chambers's The King in Yellow, so naturally I had to watch it. The Lovecraftian connection, no matter how tenuous, is apparently my main weakness when it comes to new canons catching my interest.
But I definitely don't regret it! It's amazing in so many ways, from the American Gothic ambience and the flawed and complicated main characters to the compelling mystery and the way it's told. Unfortunately it's also terrible with the main female characters (though I think it it does a good job with the bit characters, especially the prostitutes) and sex in general. Not enough to stop me from watching, but it's definitely a disappointing flaw in an otherwise great show.
And then there's the HBO sex which is just silly, but I'll get to that later.
Mattew McConaughey has always been one of those actors I hate on sight, for some reason. it's something about his face, I suppose. Luckily I'd forgotten he was one of the main characters in this, so I decided to go on watching after trying out the first episode. No, I still didn't realise who he played even after watching a whole episode with him doing most of the talking. I'm just going to leave it at that.
To tell the truth, though, I was pretty much there after the opening. Whoever did the opening sequence and matched it with that music is a genius.
Something I absolutely love is how the setting is a character in its own right, and how alive and present it all is. The locations are amazing, and part of the story in a way I haven't often seen. The director makes brilliant use of them, and the lighting.
It fits really well with the truly Lovecraftian plot of secret crimes committed by a sprawling old family with roots who knows where and which is completely closed off to the outside. It's deliciously awful, and I love it. The crimes are truly horrifying, and the hints of what lies behind is so dark and terrible that it makes me shiver with anticipation.
It's obvious, I think, that it's inspired in part by Hannibal, though I think the shows aren't really that much alike; it's more about spooky ambience and cinematography than actual storytelling and characterisation. True Detective definitely leans more towards the unknown and possible supernatural (or at least ambiguous) elements, for example. But I think that if you like Hannibal this might be right up your alley. True Detective is darker, though, I think. It's not that it's bloodier or the murders are more horrifying, but the underlying philosophy is darker. It's not completely devoid of humour, but it's buried deeper.
That said, the whole religion discussion in one of the earlier episodes (I think, I just pretty much mainlined the episodes that are out) was kind of funny to a Swede like me, because not believing in the supernatural (including religion) is sort of the default in this country (using some criteria we're apparently regarded as a post religious society) and most people get by without existential crises or sinking into murder and barbarism. XD
Another culture clash became apparent when I got to the part about the daughter drawing crude pictures of naked men and women touching each other (and maybe having sex, I didn't see, it was so quick). I thought she had drawn pictures about her being abused or something, but that was simply naked aroused people with huge smiles on their faces. I mean, I remember friends doing similar when I was that age and all of us being giggly about it, and people starting reading erotic novellas and looking up sex scenes in books and so on (Clan of the Cave Bear was a favourite). It just seemed so normal! And then teachers were involved, and the mother was all "you're making something ugly", and I went "whoa, that will give her issues!" I mean, it's just sex. And Martin was all "why does she even know about this?", and I mean, why wouldn't she? And all that "girls always know before boys" stuff. I don't know, it just seemed so repressed and alien.
Something that made me laugh out loud, though, was the standard soft-core HBO issue sex. I mean, the rest of the show is kind of gritty and worn (in a brilliant sort of way), with great efforts to make it ugly and beautiful in both a realistic and darkly gothic manner, and then suddenly we have a glossy soft-core porno in the midde of it! It's so incredibly jarringly misplaced that the first time I actually did laugh out loud.
Which leads me to the women. Yeah, they're there as sex objects, pretty much. Except for the prostitutes. Yeah, I know, sort of baffling isn't it? Let me explain: the prostitutes (and other victims and even female criminals) are all pretty much part of the scenery, and therefore given loving care to be realistic and humanised. It's not as paradoxical as it sounds, and they were all really well drawn and sympathetic in their worn desperation. The madam in the hidden "bunny farm", despite being present only a short while made a lasting impression with her trying to eke out some dignity in a hopeless situation. That talk about owning their sexuality ached, because what is it they're doing but commodifying themselves to the most extreme point? Prostitution isn't about sexuality. It confirms the ownership men have over women and formalises it, and, well, I hope I'm not reading against canon here because this attitude is confirmed throughout the show. Not the least through the murders: "Women and children", repeated again and again, "women and children". I'm hoping it's a deliberate point.
Here is also where I think the show's greatest failing lie. There are no women in authority, no female police. The picture is lopsided. The recurring women (Marty's wife and his lover) are both perfectly groomed at all times, the wife being so despite working as a nurse. A nurse! At least at work she should look a little less like a professional model.
Which is another problem with these characters. They move and walk like models, not like women in the jobs they actually do have, It's a jarring contrast to the men. This is the same in in nearly every US show, but it's made all the more apparent here where they've made such an effort to make all other characters (the men and the bit parts for both men and women) so realistic.
So let's move on to some of the best parts of the show: the main characters. First of all, the acting is amazing. They draw two fascinating portraits, and even though Martin especially is nearly completely unsympathetic, there is still enough there to make me care, to make him understandable if not relatable. Rust is easier, because despite his nihilism he's basically honorable and caring (in his way). He has integrity, as Maggie says (though in connection with a scene that I really didn't like and didn't get the point of, or the characterisation choices).
I had a real Lovecraftian vibe from both of them. Rust is the one who's seen the impossible and come out the other side with a knowledge of the world that's forever changed him (but with a stronger constitution than Lovecraft's usual protagonists; I haven't seen him faint even once!) It's interesting that he's this way from the start. His past is still largely a mystery, after all (and the parts we've heard about seem to have been eventful, to say the least).
Marty is the innocent, that way. He's the one who's going to ahve his eyes opened and ~see things humans aren't supposed to see~ He still believes in normality, though I think we're seeing his awakening throughout the story. Despite being a douche in many ways, he's innocent to the true evils of the world, while Rust has seen and despaired. In contrast I think Rust is a bit of a disillusioned idealist. The contrasts between them is also why I think the portrayal of women are deliberate (if slightly failed); there is a marked difference in how Rust looks at women and How Marty does. For Marty they're still either objects, or at least The Other in some significant way. He loves his wife, but she's not his equal, not his partner, not an existence who could understand his feelings and thoughts or have them herself. Women are Different, to him.
Rust mostly treats people the same. Or rather, he looks at people the same initially? When he's angry at women he doesn't break out in gendered insults, he doesn't judge their actions differently from how he would a man's. He does use objectifying language in the abstract ("you akways did go for crazy pussy", IIRC) reducing women to their genitals a couple of times, but I'm not sure what that's suppose to mean as it contrasts so deeply with his actions. Habit of language? Script writers not thinking things through? Him actually having some skeevy opinions on women and sex? I suppose I have to wait and see.
But yeah, despite the flaws I love the show. The good parts are simply good enough that I bear with the unbalanced portrayal of women. And it might get better! Aside from Maggie and Marty's lover (I've been watching without subs and didn't catch her name) the women have been portrayed really well, it's just that the lack of them in other roles than victims of some sort is creating an impression that I don't like. The plot itself, and the slow but well-paced unfolding of its mysteries is brilliant. I'm completely glued to the screen when I watch, I can't even look away.
But I definitely don't regret it! It's amazing in so many ways, from the American Gothic ambience and the flawed and complicated main characters to the compelling mystery and the way it's told. Unfortunately it's also terrible with the main female characters (though I think it it does a good job with the bit characters, especially the prostitutes) and sex in general. Not enough to stop me from watching, but it's definitely a disappointing flaw in an otherwise great show.
And then there's the HBO sex which is just silly, but I'll get to that later.
Mattew McConaughey has always been one of those actors I hate on sight, for some reason. it's something about his face, I suppose. Luckily I'd forgotten he was one of the main characters in this, so I decided to go on watching after trying out the first episode. No, I still didn't realise who he played even after watching a whole episode with him doing most of the talking. I'm just going to leave it at that.
To tell the truth, though, I was pretty much there after the opening. Whoever did the opening sequence and matched it with that music is a genius.
Something I absolutely love is how the setting is a character in its own right, and how alive and present it all is. The locations are amazing, and part of the story in a way I haven't often seen. The director makes brilliant use of them, and the lighting.
It fits really well with the truly Lovecraftian plot of secret crimes committed by a sprawling old family with roots who knows where and which is completely closed off to the outside. It's deliciously awful, and I love it. The crimes are truly horrifying, and the hints of what lies behind is so dark and terrible that it makes me shiver with anticipation.
It's obvious, I think, that it's inspired in part by Hannibal, though I think the shows aren't really that much alike; it's more about spooky ambience and cinematography than actual storytelling and characterisation. True Detective definitely leans more towards the unknown and possible supernatural (or at least ambiguous) elements, for example. But I think that if you like Hannibal this might be right up your alley. True Detective is darker, though, I think. It's not that it's bloodier or the murders are more horrifying, but the underlying philosophy is darker. It's not completely devoid of humour, but it's buried deeper.
That said, the whole religion discussion in one of the earlier episodes (I think, I just pretty much mainlined the episodes that are out) was kind of funny to a Swede like me, because not believing in the supernatural (including religion) is sort of the default in this country (using some criteria we're apparently regarded as a post religious society) and most people get by without existential crises or sinking into murder and barbarism. XD
Another culture clash became apparent when I got to the part about the daughter drawing crude pictures of naked men and women touching each other (and maybe having sex, I didn't see, it was so quick). I thought she had drawn pictures about her being abused or something, but that was simply naked aroused people with huge smiles on their faces. I mean, I remember friends doing similar when I was that age and all of us being giggly about it, and people starting reading erotic novellas and looking up sex scenes in books and so on (Clan of the Cave Bear was a favourite). It just seemed so normal! And then teachers were involved, and the mother was all "you're making something ugly", and I went "whoa, that will give her issues!" I mean, it's just sex. And Martin was all "why does she even know about this?", and I mean, why wouldn't she? And all that "girls always know before boys" stuff. I don't know, it just seemed so repressed and alien.
Something that made me laugh out loud, though, was the standard soft-core HBO issue sex. I mean, the rest of the show is kind of gritty and worn (in a brilliant sort of way), with great efforts to make it ugly and beautiful in both a realistic and darkly gothic manner, and then suddenly we have a glossy soft-core porno in the midde of it! It's so incredibly jarringly misplaced that the first time I actually did laugh out loud.
Which leads me to the women. Yeah, they're there as sex objects, pretty much. Except for the prostitutes. Yeah, I know, sort of baffling isn't it? Let me explain: the prostitutes (and other victims and even female criminals) are all pretty much part of the scenery, and therefore given loving care to be realistic and humanised. It's not as paradoxical as it sounds, and they were all really well drawn and sympathetic in their worn desperation. The madam in the hidden "bunny farm", despite being present only a short while made a lasting impression with her trying to eke out some dignity in a hopeless situation. That talk about owning their sexuality ached, because what is it they're doing but commodifying themselves to the most extreme point? Prostitution isn't about sexuality. It confirms the ownership men have over women and formalises it, and, well, I hope I'm not reading against canon here because this attitude is confirmed throughout the show. Not the least through the murders: "Women and children", repeated again and again, "women and children". I'm hoping it's a deliberate point.
Here is also where I think the show's greatest failing lie. There are no women in authority, no female police. The picture is lopsided. The recurring women (Marty's wife and his lover) are both perfectly groomed at all times, the wife being so despite working as a nurse. A nurse! At least at work she should look a little less like a professional model.
Which is another problem with these characters. They move and walk like models, not like women in the jobs they actually do have, It's a jarring contrast to the men. This is the same in in nearly every US show, but it's made all the more apparent here where they've made such an effort to make all other characters (the men and the bit parts for both men and women) so realistic.
So let's move on to some of the best parts of the show: the main characters. First of all, the acting is amazing. They draw two fascinating portraits, and even though Martin especially is nearly completely unsympathetic, there is still enough there to make me care, to make him understandable if not relatable. Rust is easier, because despite his nihilism he's basically honorable and caring (in his way). He has integrity, as Maggie says (though in connection with a scene that I really didn't like and didn't get the point of, or the characterisation choices).
I had a real Lovecraftian vibe from both of them. Rust is the one who's seen the impossible and come out the other side with a knowledge of the world that's forever changed him (but with a stronger constitution than Lovecraft's usual protagonists; I haven't seen him faint even once!) It's interesting that he's this way from the start. His past is still largely a mystery, after all (and the parts we've heard about seem to have been eventful, to say the least).
Marty is the innocent, that way. He's the one who's going to ahve his eyes opened and ~see things humans aren't supposed to see~ He still believes in normality, though I think we're seeing his awakening throughout the story. Despite being a douche in many ways, he's innocent to the true evils of the world, while Rust has seen and despaired. In contrast I think Rust is a bit of a disillusioned idealist. The contrasts between them is also why I think the portrayal of women are deliberate (if slightly failed); there is a marked difference in how Rust looks at women and How Marty does. For Marty they're still either objects, or at least The Other in some significant way. He loves his wife, but she's not his equal, not his partner, not an existence who could understand his feelings and thoughts or have them herself. Women are Different, to him.
Rust mostly treats people the same. Or rather, he looks at people the same initially? When he's angry at women he doesn't break out in gendered insults, he doesn't judge their actions differently from how he would a man's. He does use objectifying language in the abstract ("you akways did go for crazy pussy", IIRC) reducing women to their genitals a couple of times, but I'm not sure what that's suppose to mean as it contrasts so deeply with his actions. Habit of language? Script writers not thinking things through? Him actually having some skeevy opinions on women and sex? I suppose I have to wait and see.
But yeah, despite the flaws I love the show. The good parts are simply good enough that I bear with the unbalanced portrayal of women. And it might get better! Aside from Maggie and Marty's lover (I've been watching without subs and didn't catch her name) the women have been portrayed really well, it's just that the lack of them in other roles than victims of some sort is creating an impression that I don't like. The plot itself, and the slow but well-paced unfolding of its mysteries is brilliant. I'm completely glued to the screen when I watch, I can't even look away.
