joss whedon's FIREFLY and SERENITY

à propos of our conversation in class today -- this just in, via email:

I was just wondering what you thought of Serenity/Firefly the TV series if you saw either of them.

as it happens, i saw the film as soon as it came out -- having already viewed the entire TV series on DVD from the public library.

as you can probably guess from that, i think it's brilliant. i'm very impressed with whedon's creativity. it may be a bit too difficult or challenging for the average viewer, for whom [particularly in the case of television] material is often pitched at the lower end of the middle of the spectrum. remember, from the point of view of a sponsor, a TV show is just a way to get the viewer to watch their commercials. if the viewer is put off in any way -- including because s/he is confused -- one risks having h/er turn the TV off -- which is, from a sponsor's point of view, fatal.

i do *not* get the sense that whedon sacrificed his art on the altar of commerce. at least not in the making of the TV series. those shows are edgy and creative and transgressive of boundaries, in a number of healthy ways. those i know who have made it through the whole series [including the pilot, which -- perversely -- was *not* shown before the other episodes] find themselves playing the 'which FIREFLY character is your favorite?' this, of course, is related to our monomyth template [item #10, 'identification']: one is far less likely to identify with a character one doesn't resonate with and care about. but whedon has succeeded in creating a whole shipful of characters with whom one tends to engage strongly, and about whom one tends to have intense opinions. that is a measure of his success.

the film, i think, differs in some predictable ways from the TV show. [1] its production values are of course higher, which reflects the bigger budget whedon had to work with. [2] it can't assume a narrative arc of many hours, the way a [putatively] season-long series can; so it has to offer a potted history of the situation for the viewer who has no prior exposure. [3] the film is measurably more *violent* than the TV series -- a reflection of the fact that, when it comes to cinema, violence sells.

whedon's shows don't seem to be the most easily-marketable material, but this may just be an index of their ingenuity and originality: the classic 'ahead-of-his-time' syndrome. i remind you of the poster that was made in the 18th century, advertising an upcoming organ recital: 'please come to the such-and-such kirche this sunday at 4 pm to hear an organ recital by johann bach. herr bach is an accomplished organist and also a very passable composer.' artists, that is, are often not recognized or fully appreciated during their own lifetimes.