From the start of the pilot episode
on January 20, 2008, Breaking Bad has
been something else. Main character Walter White (Bryan Cranston) is a high
school chemistry teacher that lives in New Mexico with his wife and son. Walter
is diagnosed with cancer and has to think of a way to make ends meet for when
he is gone. Not necessarily thinking straight he decides to enter the dangerous
world of drugs with former student Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul). They start to
cook methamphetamine in an RV. What they originally think is a simple endeavor
turns into a battle for survival amongst drug lords.
Walter and Jesse dive head first
into the drug world with minimal experience. Walter forgets to mention to Jesse
that his brother-in-law is a DEA agent. This turns out to be a minimal hiccup
in their journey. Walt and Jesse have to prove themselves time after time to
various people that they are worthy in this industry. They finally prove their
worth by producing a blue crystal methamphetamine that is around 90% pure. They
continue to produce this product that has a very high yield and brings the
“druggies” back for more.
This show as a whole makes viewers
think, “Is this how we live today?” Seymour (2013) asks, “Are we torn between
pity and scorn for the morally crippled Walter White’s fumbling and now
crumbling attempts to keep everybody close to him alive, well and happy in the
midst of his sordid machinations?” Although Walter plays the ruthless villain
in this TV show, we are rooting for him 95% of the time. What is it that makes
us love the villains’ of this show? A lot of it has to do with the point of
view that the story comes from. The show rarely plays into Skyler (Walter’s
wife) or Walter White Jr.’s (Walter’s son) feelings. It focuses on the
villains’ roles.
Breaking
Bad uses different aspects of television programming to influence the
meaning making process. Breaking Bad does
an exceptional job of using different camera angles, lighting, and costuming. AMC
producer Vince Gilligan created this show in a light that made viewers think
Walter was doing the best he could in these immoral situations. Walter and
Jesse have to make irrational decisions and always think on their feet.
Something intriguing about this show is the fact that every little thing has
importance. Breaking Bad has a way of
taking something insignificant and making it vital. An example of this would be
the young boy riding his dirt bike across the desert in the beginning of an
episode. We later witness in season 5 episode 5 the death of this boy (shot by
Todd). The innocent and harmless boy that was driving by was viewed as a
liability in their scheme of stealing methamphetamine from the train.
Breaking
Bad does a lot of work with camera angles to capture the audience
attention. Seeing as this is a dramatic TV show, they use a lot of ‘rack
focusing’. Mittell says, “When a shot has a narrow depth of field, part of the
image will be out of focus.” The camera operator alters the focal point for
dramatic effect on a specific scene. A particularly great example of this comes
at the beginning of one of the Breaking
Bad episodes. In the beginning, Jesse is holding the tube full of Ricin.
The camera focuses on the Ricin, blurring Jesse. Then the camera focuses on
Jesse, blurring the Ricin. This precise scene gains significance as the plot
develops.
AMC’s Breaking Bad also does a great job in creating lighting that goes
along with the plot. When the mood is happy and playful, the lighting is bright
and colorful. When Walt, Jesse, or any other character is in a sticky
situation, the lighting is dark and resembles that fear or negativity.
This show does something very
interesting with costuming. Breaking Bad often
times dresses the characters in clothes that are plain and ordinary. This makes
the viewers’ focus on the plot more as opposed to material items. The show
would have a totally different feel if the characters were dressed in fancy
clothes. The viewers might pay more attention to what they are wearing if this
were a high fashion show.
Even more significant, are some of
the lines that are used in this show. Bowie (2013) argues that, “The lines used
aren’t just harmless throwaway gags. A lot of lines point to an absence of
humanism at the core of Breaking Bad—a
curious, regrettable flaw in a show that, undeniably, strives toward thoughtful
contemplation of the nature of good and evil.”
AMC’s Emmy® Award-winning show Breaking Bad does a great job of making
meaning out of camera angles, lighting, and costuming. Sadly enough, this show
will be coming to an end on Sunday, September 29th. The series
finale will air at 8 pm with millions of viewers tuned in.
AMC
website.
Bowie,
S. (2013). The Case Against Breaking Bad.
A.V. Club. Retrieved from
Mittell,
J. (2010). Television and American
Culture: Making Meaning. New York: Oxford
University Press.
Seymour,
G. (2013). ‘Breaking Bad’ is Watching You. CNN
Opinion. Retrieved from
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.