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“...vast accession of strength from their younger recruits, who having nothing in them of the feelings or principles of ’76 now look to a single and splendid government of an Aristocracy, founded on banking institutions and monied in corporations under the guise and cloak of their favored branches of manufactures commerce and navigation, riding and ruling over the plundered ploughman and beggared yeomanry”
Thomas Jefferson, Letters of Thomas Jefferson
PLOT
"Hundreds of cash-strapped players accept a strange invitation to compete in children's games. Inside, a tempting prize awaits with deadly high stakes. A survival game that has a whopping 40-million-dollar prize at stake" or "Korean's Hunger Games".
SCRIPT
It has a simple premise but it crafts a beautiful story on it. The main characters are fleshed out well and they get a nice development and arch. It feels like Game of Thrones but the dread is present since the first episode and it grows on you. I like the gradual and appaling turn which takes one character, who evolves in the villain towars the end. The real villain is carefully hidden and the minions and the frontman are interesting and fascinating. The cop is useless and I don't understand his role. Sure, he builds up one of the twists but afterwards he falls in the darkness. There's little explanation about the VIPs also. I think that a lot is left out to explain it in the next installment, which is frustrating.
The best aspect of this script is how it manages all its themes which are capitalism, poverty, family, friendship, love, death, welfare and betting. It feels like Parasite, because the Capitalism and its sins are front and center.
Like every Korean production, this series is pretty gory and grants a cynical perspective on our reality, a perspective which we lack in most countries.
It's time to recognise the fact that we can learn something from the East and that it's necessary to synthesize our frames of mind.
Script: 9/10
ACTING
Almost all the actors do a great job. Just a few are bad: the ones who play the VIPs. They're so bad that the overall quality of this series plummets a bit during their screentime. It's hard to understand how and why the producers decided to cast such incompetent actors. Nonetheless the Korean actors are all at the top of their game and they're able to deliver a wide range of emotions with great ease. I like the fact that Lee Byun-Hun, which is the biggest actor among the cast, has been cast in a minor but pivotal role, which enabled him to show all his skills. Jun-jae Lee carries the show on his shoulders masterfully.
Acting: 7/10
PHOTOGRAPHY
I find interesting the decision to counteroppose the real world bleakness with the games colourful sets, to underline the fact that for the host the games are fairer than our life. There're a lot, a lot, of gorgeous images of the city, the games, the doss-house and the island. Light and shadows are used masterfully and colours are relevant. There's a lot of symbolism spread all over the series and if you're able get it your experience will be better.
Photography: 8/10
EDITING
It's very well edited and it tries to be original most of the times. Sometimes there's a little redundancy of slow motion but overall I think that it's placed carefully. I like a lot how the series uses the tilted camera technique to make each scene more dynamic and show the grandeur of each set. Overall is pretty satisfying, even though it isn't the best kind of editing I've seen so far.
Editing: 6/10
SPECIAL EFFECTS
Most of it is practical. This is what makes this series remarkable. The SFX are gorgeous. Just look the previous picture. Are you not impressed?
The CGI is used just a few times but, unfortunately, it's a bit fake and it shows. I think that the show would've been better without them, because they're a little unpleasant and break the show's realism.
Special Effects: 7/10
SOUNDTRACK
It's original and fits the sinister and juvenile games which are displayed here. It's simple but striking and after a while it becomes pretty ominous. Not only it enhances the dread but it's also able to amplify the few positive moments. It isn't the best one I've ever heard but it grows on me.
Soundtrack: 7/10
COSTUMES
One of the most impressing aspects of this series. The minions and the frontman have unforgettable costumes which reminds us of the show's logo and the "perfect face" filter of tiktok, which is weirdly ingenious. The player are defined by their costumes too, as well as the VIP's, which masks represents predators and high status animals. The host has one which represents his character perfectly. I'm impressed because usually costumes are overlooked but here are an integral to the plot and theme.
Costumes: 8/10
CONCLUSION
Script: 9/10
Acting: 7/10
Photography: 8/10
Editing: 6/10
Special Effects: 7/10
Soundtrack: 7/10
Costumes: 8/10
AVERAGE: 7,42
An incredible series which deals with relevant themes in an original and cynical way. A must watch.
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Screenplay: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Cast: Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Oh Yeong-su, Wi Ha-joon, Jung Ho-yeon, Heo Sung-tae, Anupam Tripathi, Kim Joo-ryoung
Soundtrack: Jung Jae-il
Running Time: 50 minutes
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- Netflix a ieșit din nou în evidenta , tot cu un serial despre jocuri , dar marca Koreea și o popularitate imensa . Deci asa a început vizionarea serialului, de prin auzite .
- premisă ( o societate secreta aduc pe o insula jucători care sunt înfundati în datorii sau sunt într-un plan economic nasol , și concurează pe viata și pe moarte ca să obțină niște banii cinstiți. E bun , dar și jocurile sunt diferite ) , ca formă de serial cu niște concurenți care trec de niște obstacole pentru a câștiga banii au mai fost realizate , dar acesta parca vine cu ceva diferit și interesant .
- chiar te atrage să-l urmărești, te face să-ți pese de unele personaje care sunt conturate pe baza trecutului , împletesc foarte bine relațiile cu ceilalți mai mult sau mai puțin. Atât de bine este realizata conturul personajului încât într-un episod ( de trădare) trezește niște tristețe.
- dacă tot suntem aici , serialul încearcă sa ne arate cum acționează omul în acele situați, cum ziceau Nord coreeni : bine au caracterizat statul democratic 😅
- multe planuri narative , îl face diferit de alte seriale cu aceasta temă , jocuri interesante pentru distracția boierilor , 10 % din personaje de altă naționalitate, a reușit sa jongleze cu multe chesti chiar ok.
- mi-a plăcut că-ți explica prin anumite secvențe anumite chestiuni , dar reușește sa scoată și unele secrete sumbre ale concursului . Cu toate astea 9 ep , au reușit să mă facă curios de ce urmează, căci finalul te pune pe gânduri. Hmmmm
Nota personală : 8.3/10
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