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lush colors and artificial lighting. This look gives Mad Men a distinctive appearance, a glossy edginess that is as inviting as the ad campaigns devised on screen. Everything from the Hitchcockian opening titles (Think North by Northwest) to the logo-aping opening tracking shot is an exercise in superior craftsmanship. The filmmakers have a keen eye for film history and film theory, examining many of cinema’s most hallowed themes and showcasing them in clever ways. In an episode titled “Red in the Face” for example, Pete buys himself a rifle and brings it into the workplace. When he sarcastically starts pointing the gun at feminine victims in the office, watch how the shot is filmed. The camera stares down the barrel of the gun, a clear reference to the concept expressed by theorists about the camera-gun relationship. Earlier in the show Mad Men also focuses on the role of cinema as voyeurism when Don holds a video camera at a birthday party and witnesses some shenanigans going on in his own home. Rather than turning off the camera, he watches quietly. The show is constantly referencing and re-referencing the styles and ideas cinema enthusiasts have been talking about for decades.
Despite all its glaring strengths, the show is not void of problems. The action that occurs at the office often overshadows the narrative at home. Scenes between Draper and his wife and other similar suburban melodramas do less justice to themes of female repression than the constant sexual prejudice and harassment that takes place in Manhattan. Mad Men also tries to give us some information about Draper’s mysterious background. Flashbacks are often poorly composed within the contents of the plot’s structure, inserted to fit within the larger scope of the story without any sense of rhythm or pacing. These scenes are underdeveloped and could be a simple case of first season posturing. Later seasons will be able to clarify whether this information resonates more. Right now, Draper’s character arc is better served in the present.
The Draper backstory is a microcosm of a larger problem that makes Mad Men a bit short of a masterpiece. Some ideas work better than others and the show tends to deviate from its main goals. But if one looks back on the first season of The Sopranos, similar problems are evident. As season two gets under way, it will be interesting to see if the show is able to rebound from some of its weaker subplots and build upon the themes and storylines that carry so much potential. As the show progresses through the 60’s, Mad Men has an opportunity to be just as vital as Weiner’s other work.
Mad Men offers an elaborate display of bonus material. At least two audio commentaries are offered for every episode that includes words from a variety of cast and ...
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