tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380787449357710778.post2896179606938572244..comments2023-10-29T06:28:21.667-04:00Comments on LUNA SEA NOTES: SnuffedCritics at Largehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18073851963852030361noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380787449357710778.post-74334286010405993082012-07-11T10:00:30.797-04:002012-07-11T10:00:30.797-04:00David Churchill responds: Hello Anonymous, thank y...David Churchill responds: Hello Anonymous, thank you for your long response to my piece on The Killing. I too prefer complexity and real human characters and drama as a counterpoint to the endless super cop drivel that's out there (I don't watch any of the shows you mention because I find them shallow). However, my point is that The Killing is equally shallow because it thinks it's deep when in fact all it does is take ONE emotion and rifts rifts rifts on it. You may not be looking for emotion, but that is all you get. But only one. <br /><br />I got it. It's a horrible and tragic occurrence. But the characters don't move emotionally at all. There is nothing but stasis here. And the rain. Oh, I know full well it rains a lot in Seattle as it does in Vancouver (where it's shot). But even that's not believable here. The rain is nothing more than a very heavy-handed metaphor for the story being told. I did not say nor imply everybody was happy in Seattle, I said not everybody was lost in a grim haze as they are here. Whenever I've been around tragic circumstances, and I have, in the real world somehow there are many moments of humour (grim and a little black though it may be) - it's inevitable. In The Killing there is none of that because the creators don't trust the audience enough to understand the nuance of humour (and many other emotions) in reaction to tragic circumstances. (That includes the rain. It rains so much because the creators don't trust the viewer to get that things are grim. What would have been more challenging is if it was a beautiful and sunny weather -- Remember 9/11? It was an absolutely glorious day. That is one thing I always remember about that day, how perfect the weather was. And that perfect day was turned into something horrifying). And realistic characters? The politicians, for example, are pulled from every dreary cliche-ridden play book I've ever seen. <br /><br />The inter-character development is weak and goes practically nowhere. The solution to the mystery was a Hail Mary at best that was not earned.<br /><br />We always appreciate comments from our readers, so please continue to read and comment. And we put our names to our pieces. If you wish to remain anonymous, that's fine, but we would like to know who is commenting on our work.Critics at Largehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18073851963852030361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7380787449357710778.post-85413507486156990602012-05-02T21:30:56.579-04:002012-05-02T21:30:56.579-04:00I don't think you know their audience as well ...I don't think you know their audience as well as you think. Your first point being that we seek sorrow. Let me tell you something; No story that includes the killing of a seventeen year old can be cheerful. There is nothing BUT sorrow to go with a murder. Thats the truth. Sure you have crime drama that gets you to pay attention to quirky cops and gritty police work. But thats just silly. Murder doesn't improve family dynamics, and it shouldn't.<br /><br />I had no idea that everyone in Seattle was friendly and happy. And I am especially surprised because some of the more gruesome murders in the USA have happened in that city. A very promising young female musician was stabbed no less then thirty times in Seattle in 2005. I also had no idea that it didn't rain in Seattle. I am not sure where you visited, but I think it might have been closer to Cloudcookooland. Thats the only known place where EVERYONE is friendly and happy all the time. In fact I had no idea that everyone likes sunny weather. I for one LOVE the rain, and find the relentless, cloudless sunny days oppressive. I am by no means alone. You are not everyone.<br /><br /> The audience of the Killing( and we are a very social lot) are not looking for emotion of any kind. We are looking for an absolutely tight, detail oriented plot. We are looking for perfect character development, and that includes the grief that accompanies loss. So far we have gotten both. I especially applaud the Killing for their unsentimental, no stereotyping examination of the working class. No jokes, no judgement, and lots of love. Its a very compelling mix.<br /><br />We don't know if Ahmed is innocent or not. Thats really not the point. And its less red herring then it is a view into Stan, Janik, Belko, and surprisingly Mitch. The Killing relies on the audience to watch what happens, and to make sense of it. Its not teaching any lessons. No one here is good or bad, right or wrong. Everyone, including the police is simply human, and thus very imperfect. But they all have plenty of dignity. However one thing is true in the Kiling as it is in real life....its almost impossible to get through it with your dignity unbruised. Life is very hard on self esteem. I would expect no less from a drama that emulates life so well.<br /><br />These people seem very real to me. They may not be the Simpsons, but they could easily live in any industrial metropolis. They have an understandable dynamic, and a plausible past. Again, I had no idea that all families in the USA were the same. Or that we need stereotypes to "get" people. <br /><br />Now lets look at the things the Killing doesn't have; It doesn't have annoying, Sherlock Holmes inspired police. No totally improbable guess work that against all odds turns out to be correct. I always hated that from the time my mom read Conan Doyle to me. The whole....She has chalk on her sleeve therefore she is a teacher.... BS always killed it for me. How does he know she doesn't have a chalk board at home? Or that she likes to rub chalk on her sleeves for that matter? Just because something is likely doesn't make it true. Most crime drama is so guilty of that its hard to watch any of them.<br /><br /> The cops are REAL cops. They aren't squeaky clean. Most real officers are not. At least not at the detective level. They are not Mentalists, they do not have OCD. Just smart people trying to do a hard job.<br /><br />And best of all, the clues are there. They just are not highlighted. Most crime drama has neither. This isn't about the emotional satisfaction of taming death by making neat, tidy, and fun. Thats what you are looking for. The audience of the Killing is looking for a challenge.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com