People like beautiful things.
Beautiful costumes, beautiful buildings, beautiful people. And I don't mean 'beautiful people' as in the People magazine version. Sure, Matthew Crawley and Lady Sybil might make the cut for world's most beautiful people. But many of the other characters in Downton Abbey are beautiful in a different way, like Lady Mary. She's not exactly a pinup girl: there's something quirky about her looks. But she's beautiful because the unconventionalities of her face make her interesting, absorbing to watch. And there are many other sumptuous beauties in the series: jewelry, the red velvet of a dress, the austere, perfect place settings of a dinner table. People like to root for good guys and against bad guys...and then sometimes find out the bad guy was actually good, or vice versa.
Downton has more than its share of alluring villains: but unlike a typical soap opera, the story is so well-written and well-acted that the villainy seems quite real, surprising in its cruelty but understated in all the right ways. What happens is outrageous: the way it's told and acted is elegant and multidimensional.But people also like to see family conflicts in which it's difficult to tell which sister/mother/in-law is in the right.
In the sisterly triangle between Mary, Sybil, and Edith in Season 1, none of the sisters is exactly evil, but each has a pretty wicked moment. We can all relate to family conflicts in which each relative would try to claim the high ground, but none would really deserve it.People miss rules, restraint, and subtlety.
The problem with our let-it-all-hang-out culture is that when there are no rules, we can't have the thrill--or dread--of seeing rules broken and the consequences. So in order to have a constant tension between restraint and freedom, we have to step back in time, to when it actually mattered if a servant spoke out of turn, or if a lady behaved dishonorably.People are starved for the pleasure of a quality historical saga embellished with the beauties of its time, because so few have appeared in film in recent years. The miniseries is the perfect medium to satisfy this hunger, because it does what only novels can do otherwise: tell a long, rich, multi-layered story unlimited by the rigorous rules of a feature film.
Are you watching Downton Abbey? What makes it appeal to you...or not?
14 comments:
I most definitely AM watching :) I love this show to little bitty pieces!
What I think appeals to me the most (besides the visuals: sweeping gardens and regal rooms and pretty dresses) is the way it's centered around a period of time that seems so *pivotal*. The servants can sense the coming changes to heirarchy as can the gentry. It's RIPE with tension and excitement.
Plus, I do love the understated ways they can throw a barb with what seems to be complete civility :) Highly entertaining!
I'm trying to incorporate a little more TV-watching and movie-seeing, so I can study plot and characters (in hopes that it will be more efficient than reading novels), but no, I haven't seen this show. It sounds good though.
One thing you said stands out to me:
"The problem with our let-it-all-hang-out culture is that when there are no rules, we can't have the thrill--or dread--of seeing rules broken and the consequences. So in order to have a constant tension between restraint and freedom, we have to step back in time, to when it actually mattered if a servant spoke out of turn, or if a lady behaved dishonorably."
Especially that last sentence.. you touched on something I've been wondering about lately... I think in some ways, it's a lot harder to write a contemporary novel b/c there aren't as many boundaries where you can incorporate tension into the scenes for the exact reason you stated. If everything goes, and everything can 'all-hang-out,' I often find the creative playing field a bit harder than one with old-fashioned limitations.
Sorry, don't mean to divert your post, but your comment validated my recent thoughts. Carry on. :)
I love it all. Everything you mentioned. The conflict and the relationships and the problems these characters encounter are what keep me coming back for more.
I haven't seen this but will definitely check it out. Sounds good.
I'll look for it in the guide and record it.
It's one of those instances that I wish we had TV. It looks fascinating. I so hope it comes out on DVD!
Oh, I'm so hooked on Downton Abbey! I think you've summed it up so well. The greatest appeal for me {apart from the time period} is the juxtaposition of social classes. I love stories that show various viewpoints.
Rosslyn, you've made me want to watch this show! Is it still on? Do you know where I can watch the beginning?
Sarah - Good point about the transitional time in history. WWI certainly put an end to the lingering traces of the nineteenth century.
Barb - Long comments are encouraged here. :-) Yes, I agree about the difficulty of writing contemporary fiction. I'm reading an excellent contemporary novel right now (by Katie Ganshert) and it's just so foreign to what I do that I can only sit there and admire the skill!
Jill - We are kindred spirits enough that somehow it does not surprise me at all that you are a fan. :-)
Loree and Joanne - I look forward to hearing what you think, when you get around to seeing it.
Melanie - Absolutely! The class structure is fascinating, and many people may not realize how stratified England was (and how much of that is still left) because they tend to think of England as "like the USA."
Lorena - If you go to netflix, I think they have season 1. I even think you can download some of season 1 from the PBS website. Season 2 is playing on Sunday nights at 8pm: look for Masterpiece Classic.
Goodness I've heard a lot about this series! But you pinpointed it so perfectly: "The problem with our let-it-all-hang-out culture is that when there are no rules, we can't have the thrill--or dread--of seeing rules broken and the consequences"
I thoroughly enjoyed last season and have been waiting for the second season to start. I'm so excited they're doing something set during WWI. Having done research of this time period for two of my books, I was suprised how few books and movies are set then.
Margo, thanks! It's interesting how Downton suddenly became a buzz phenomenon this season. My friends and I were all buzzing about it last season, but you're right, it's everywhere now.
Stacy, that's true. Maybe it's so complicated that people find it intimidating. But Ken Follett's Fall of Giants on audiobook is a good comprehensive novel about the period.
I saw only one episode on my Apple iTouch, the first chapter. The small screen of the ipod did not concealed the excellence of this drama. I wish to have time to see more Downton Abbey (likely future-wise), it is historically well-produced, written and performed by exceptional actors. The direction was exceptional.
Curtis - I agree! Thanks for stopping by.
LOVE this show. I cannot wait for S3 now that I've seen the entire S2.
Cannot say what the appeal is except that the entire series is just stunning - both visually and the characters. Marvelous series.
Post a Comment