Complete Firefly noob - sell it to me! :)
POSTED BY: Sidane
UPDATED: Monday, August 22, 2005 15:36
VIEWED: 9261
PAGE 3 of 3
Yep, we're all hopelessly enfatuated with Inara.
It's great to hear that you liked it, Sidane.
Time for some Thrilling Zoics.
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Quote:
Originally posted by Whitefall:
First off, though my only knowledge of westerns is "Blazing Saddles", that black and white 'annie oakley' show, and more notably "Shane", I would offer that Firefly really has none of the simple things you look for in a western.
Sure, there might be pistols and the occasional shootout, but that makes perfect sense in the sci-fi side of this show. The sci-fi side is much stronger, with the ship and the economy the ship operates in all run by the sci-fi aspect. Pistols are cheaper: people buy them. If shooting people will get you money, some people will shoot people. (only one of the firefly gang is definitly in this category) So, simply put, you wont find the shovanism, heroism, and bravado that you find in classic westerns.
Instead, you find only the deeper meanings of the western: the dream of being free, and the idea that making do with all you've got is a way of life. Thus, if you liked westerns, but HATE sci-fi... well you still might like the show, but maybe not. But if you like smart sci-fi, and hate (or even dont mind) westerns, you should really enjoy this show.
I'll second that. Firefly is not a western in the sense of classical westerns where good guys wear white hats and bad guys wear black. Interestingly, bad guys wear hats period.
At the same time, I'd argue that different westerns (although perhaps not classic ones) end up finding parallels in Firefly. The moral stand Mal takes in The Train Job, for example, is similar to that of Gary Cooper in High Noon. Everyone expects him to watch out for number one, but his personal moral code holds both men to a higher standard. The much maligned Heart of Gold is not dissimilar from Unforgiven (hired guns working to help whores) and/or Magnificent Seven (ensemble gang hired to help villagers from abusive outlaws).
On a visual level, Firefly is based on the look and feel of many westerns. The horses, revolvers, wood shacks, etc. help a lot, but the atmosphere is a throwback to old westerns as well. Following a brutal civil war, "civilization" expands into new territories. Accompanying new settlers is a sense of lawlessness where the U.S. and/or Alliance can't or won't or doesn't exert much influence.
That said, the essay compilation "Finding Serenity" features an essay on the lack of chivalry in Firefly. In my estimation, that's not a strike against it. The total absence of women in westerns, except for damsels in distress, is one of my problems with it.
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Doo yoo know wat a rep-yoo-TAY-shun ees? Eet's pee-pull tock-eeng, gaw-seep, eet's not... to hold, tutch eet, yoo can't ... Now, for yoo, mai rep-yoo-TAY-shun ees not frum gaw-seep.
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SUNYATSEN wrote:
"On a visual level, Firefly is based on the look and feel of many westerns. The horses, revolvers, wood shacks, etc. help a lot, but the atmosphere is a throwback to old westerns as well. Following a brutal civil war, "civilization" expands into new territories. Accompanying new settlers is a sense of lawlessness where the U.S. and/or Alliance can't or won't or doesn't exert much influence."
It's not so much a "Western" thing as it is a "frontier" thing. The frontier being any place just a half a step past the city limits of "civilization". A place where a commonly agreed upon code of what's right and what's wrong replaces the enforcement efforts of a formal constabulary.
I think a great example of this is the opening of Our Mrs. Reynolds, where the townfolk aquire the services of folk competant to deal with the efforts of the marauders/pirates preying on those passing by.
If "the system" can't protect you, you have to take steps to protect yourself.
Of course, the Alliance calls this "vigilantiism"--people taking the law into their own hands.
To enjoy the flavor of life, take big bites. Moderation is for monks. --Robt. Heinlein
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