timcurryis god
"Saudade," a friend told me, can mean ". . . a melancholy nostalgia for something that perhaps has not even happened. It often carries an assurance that this thing you feel nostalgia for will never happen again." Wiki quotes A.F.G. Bell:(dunno who that was)"a vague and constant desire for something that does not and probably cannot exist, for something other than the present, a turning towards the past or towards the future; not an active discontent or poignant sadness but an indolent dreaming wistfulness." As much as I resisted watching Mad Men at first, dismissing it out of hand i.e. "ew; a show that 'glorifies' advertising?" etc., once I viewed the first episode I was stunned (don't know how else to put this) at the visual accuracy of the time/ day/ era...I suppose it's fairly typical to feel nostalgia or longing for things that remind us of childhood; old photos of loved ones and family, perhaps from when we were infants or before we were born (for me, 1966). On this count alone, Mad Men held me spellbound. There's that painting, that fabric, those colors, the hairstyles, the scarves, shoes, cars, furniture, all things Mid Century Modern... it's a veritable visual time capsule or journey to the past. It's absolutely stunning in this way. But not just this; it's 1960's NYC. Upon first viewing, the delivery of the plot, the motion of the series is not typical, and can be somewhat frustrating for new viewers, but after a few episodes this will become more familiar. Looking back on it, it can be thought of perhaps like a sort of autobiography (of the main character, Don Draper), with many important steady characters and story lines that are interesting to follow and sort of fill in the details. The series is fairly historically accurate in depicting the male dominated world of advertising, business, etc. and social and familial mores of white middle class or petite bourgeois America. From "go" chauvinism/ patriarchy/ sexism is addressed and little seeds are planted in the supporting characters' story lines and words that blossom later in the series. Likewise, white nationalism, jingoism, and racism are addressed and portrayed fairly accurately, to such a degree that ******SLIGHT CONTENT SPOILER******* * * * beyond simply portraying the colonial conditions present in social reality and in social interactions between white characters and African characters, (which by the way, occurs in the very first scene of the series), or historical milestones, ~the assassination of Medgar Evers, the assassination of MLK, the assassination of Malcolm X~ beyond one-dimensional characters, even the shallowness of fake or phony liberalism is exposed in one memorable scene between "Joan," and "Paul." Likewise, the Korean War (which features heavily in Don Draper's past), the death of Marilyn Monroe, the Vietnam War, the assassination of JFK, and later that of Robert Kennedy, etc. are all incorporated into the screenplay/dialogue, as were the Manson Family murders, the police violence during the 1968 Democratic Convention, and the moon landing. But in this series, we are the people this is happening to, or rather the people watching television or listening to the news hearing of these events for the first time. It is a joy to watch Vincent Kartheiser (Peter Campbell), Christina Hendricks (Joan Holloway), Kiernan Shipka (Sally Draper), Stephanie Drake (Meredith the secretary), and Elizabeth Moss (Peggy Olson) play their characters; but just fantastic performances from every single character~ an amazing series in this way. I have to say once you've binged this series a couple (or four or five) times, you'll fall in love with Meredith, too. January Jones (Betty Draper) looks like she walked right out of 1963; it is amazing. From the business competition and warring, to newfound victories and transformations, the 1960's unfolds for us, through these characters, and especially revolving around their advertising agency, the companies that are their clients, the products they sell, and the office politics and dynamics. It's truly a nostalgia trip, and a bittersweet one. Throughout the years the agency transforms and it is exciting and suspenseful to watch this throughout the seasons, wondering what it will look like next, and how the autonomy of the employees will be affected. This aspect of the series makes it riveting. And the soundtrack, just lovely (each episode ends with a song from the time). The score has memorable themes as well. Somehow the main character, Don Draper, remains a mystery throughout the series. At the end, which I won't give away (and you shouldn't even try to find out!! It's all the more enjoyable that way!) I asked my friend (whom adores the show) "wtf was that about? What is this series about?" and she said: "Identity." <3
