In recent years, American film and television has shown a visibly weak trend. Movie and TV drama scripts are heavily stereotyped and stereotyped, which sometimes makes people wonder whether the creators are humans or artificial intelligence. With the rise of domestic dramas, the influence of American film and television works in China has been greatly reduced.
However, due to the recent success during the US awards season, the American drama "Succession" has quite
"out of the circle" on the Chinese Internet, and it is particularly conspicuous against the backdrop of works of the same period.
Most of the works labeled as "suspected to be produced by artificial intelligence" usually have two requirements. One is to strictly follow the three-act structure of Hollywood standards, and the other is to uphold a moderate value. "Succession" does not occupy any of these two elements, and it can be said to be full of "humanity". The play alludes to the media tycoon Murdoch family, with the fictional media tycoon Logan Roy and his children as the core characters - Logan is ill, and the children are fiercely fighting over the inheritance of the family business, and they are collaborating. , repeatedly betrayed each other and repeatedly chose to join hands. In the cycle of struggle, with the death of Logan, the fate of the family also ushered in the clarion call of the final battle.
The success of "Succession" lies in the rapid selection of a group of die-hard viewers who will love it from the beginning of the first season to the end of the final season. And those who don’t love it always ignore it. Therefore, the show has such a high reputation thanks to the fact that it has become a fan work, which is objectively seriously over-praised.
Wearing a gorgeous robe
It is undeniable that "Succession" is a cultural phenomenon. When film and television dramas and traditional fashion media have been defeated by social media celebrities, this is the only work that breaks out of the encirclement and reshapes the glory of film and television fashion influence, single-handedly launching the concept of "quiet luxury" , leading the fashion trend in a short period of time. "Quiet luxury style" stands on the opposite side of the "stupid rich style" that has become a mainstream trend in fashion. It completely removes the characteristics of stupid rich that strengthen the trademark and is easy to digest. It keeps colors and styles as low-key as possible and pursues natural materials. and comfort, and suitable for long-term wear. "Succession" is a long-term advertisement for the high-end line of American local fashion brands. It ambitiously attempts to subvert the hegemony of defining "high-end" in the European luxury goods industry and redefine aristocratic dress in the new century in addition to the "old money style" originated in Europe. specification. When watching dramas goes beyond entertainment and becomes a fashion model, its cultural value increases invisibly.
In addition to introducing the concept of "quiet luxury", another reason why "Succession" has become a cultural phenomenon is that it has become a cultural benchmark. Unlike other film and television dramas, the audience of "Succession" is not attracted by film and television promotions, but relies on word-of-mouth spread after forming a relatively stable audience group in the early stage. In the United States, watching "Succession" has transformed from an entertainment choice into a way of identifying one's identity in cultural circles. Just like choosing "quiet luxury" style, it has become a lifestyle or even class that a person has or is pursuing. The embodiment of identity.
When a film and television drama becomes a cultural phenomenon, a dazzling aura will surround the work, like a gorgeous robe, preventing people from delving into the lint and lice hidden underneath. "Succession" So true.
Safety card in a turbulent world
Whether the American film and television industry has really begun to use artificial intelligence in screenwriting, or screenwriting is becoming more and more like artificial intelligence, the reason behind it all points to one: the general environment is not good, and the creators' ability to take risks has greatly increased. It has been lowered, so we have to play the safety card.
"Succession" is not a safe card?
The play completely abandons the three-act structure that has been tried and tested in Hollywood, but even artificial intelligence can learn it instantly. Conflict is the external manifestation of the three-act structure. The core of the structure is that the protagonist needs to overcome difficulties to complete self-growth and transformation. "Succession" only retains the conflict, and the character creation can be traced back to the older fatalistic mythology, without the need to lay out a growth curve for the characters. Almost all the main characters in the play are what they were when they first appeared and how they ended up.Although these characters constantly try to make different moves over the course of the four seasons, in the end it is still difficult to escape from the fateful arrangement and move towards the predetermined ending.
Fatalism can provide a sense of security. The source of security lies in the fact that fatalism is a passive acceptance mechanism. There is no need to regret what you have not done or what you have done, because the predetermined ending has already been written. No matter whether it is sad or happy, the gears of fate will eventually take people where they want to go. specific place. For contemporary people who are worried about the future and are hesitating between "rolling up" or "lying down", they may be able to gain some comfort by observing the fate of others and accepting the passivity of life.
In addition to the core of fatalism, "Succession" also uses a sense of stability as its core support in its form of expression. The whole drama is very different from other American TV dramas in terms of camera movement, actor performance form, editing and other technical techniques. It is more like a reality show than a TV drama. Stable characters are a winning formula for reality shows because they bring a sense of familiarity to the audience, and familiarity further creates a sense of security. Characters who provide a sense of security do not need to grow or change. In terms of film and television technology, "Succession" echoes the fatalistic core of the series.
As the saying goes, "Success is also a failure," the reality show's shooting techniques have brought loyal viewers to the series, but fixed characters with no growth will also bring aesthetic fatigue to the audience. At this point, the creators of "Succession" are undoubtedly smart: reality shows rely on characters that are lovable to the audience to determine the outcome. These characters may have shortcomings, big and small, but their humanity shines brighter. "Succession" focuses on the weaknesses of human nature - the family's "old leader" Logan is stubborn, controlling, sexist, and racist; the four children not only perfectly inherited their father's shortcomings and their biological mother's indifference and selfishness , or even worse, they are all rude, stupid, cowardly, bullying and afraid of the strong. This choice of
coincides with the other two safety cards played by the creator. One of these two safety cards is called "Family of Origin." In "Succession", Logan is the initiator of all tragedies. The different character flaws in his children are caused by his destructive desire to control them. The problems of the original family are also passive and fatalistic. The other one is called "Jumpy Boss." "Succession" may not be as sophisticated as those Korean dramas that beat up chaebols and pursue pleasure, but in essence they portray powerful people who occupy massive social resources as hopeless idiots. Watch the idiots bite each other and act ugly. Being exposed is like hitting a worker behind the back and scolding the boss, which creates a bad breath mentally. Rather than feeding the audience chicken soup for their souls, helping the audience release themselves in a turbulent environment is the new safety card.
What is safe is often conservative, and "Succession" is a culmination of conservative features in recent years, including heterosexuality, traditional patriarchy, white families and other elements. Even the surroundings of Logan and his children are "white." In America, "black" may be the new "right," but "white" is perfectly safe.
Relying on the mature film and television industry system, "Succession" is undoubtedly a successful drama. However, compared to its current reputation, it is seriously overrated. It is essentially a version of an American house-fighting drama starring men. A lice-covered robe does not become high-end just because of its gorgeous appearance.
Author: Dai Taojiang
Text: Dai Taojiang Editor: Xu Luming Editor: Shaoling
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