TV’s New Grunt Work
'The Wire' was brutal. Now David Simon tries Iraq.
Viewers who are faithful to HBO's enormously intricate cop drama "The Wire"—or even just you dabblers—should know what to expect from "Generation Kill," the new Iraq War miniseries from "The Wire" creator David Simon. That is, a learning curve as steep as a black-diamond ski course and a teeming population of Marine grunts who, like a teeming population of Baltimore cops before them, speak tactical jargon like bards. Simon's programs can feel like homework, but they tend to unfold in surprising ways that reward the massive investment required. "Kill" is no exception.
That said, it's a shame that Simon hasn't learned to sprinkle a little sugar on his harsh critiques. The servicemen of "Kill" are not a pleasant bunch to be around. These are hard-core Marines who didn't join for tuition money but because they wanted a piece of the action. They're second-string athletes itching to get in there and lay waste, and they bide their time lobbing racial slurs at one another and lusting over the grade-school girls who mail them letters of encouragement. The most fascinating of the bunch is Cpl. Ray Person (James Ransone, a former "Wire" denizen), a fount of filthy wisdom who posits that the Iraqis' unsatisfying sex lives are the catalyst for the war.
It's a tough sell to the American audience that has already proved its uninterest in depictions of the Iraq War, from underperforming documentaries like "No End in Sight" and "Taxi to the Dark Side," to Steven Bochco's 2005 dramatic series "Over There," which couldn't even muster a million viewers for its finale. At this point, everyone has a position on the war—you think it's a disaster or you don't—and there's more than enough daily news flotsam to fill the gaps. Plunging into a seven-hour series on the topic just seems like, well, overkill.
But "Kill" has an element that previous attempts have lacked: a proxy for the audience. Lee Tergesen (from HBO's "Oz") plays Evan Ross, the real-life Rolling Stone contributor who's embedded with the battalion and wrote the acclaimed book on which the series is based. The Ross character mirrors all the reactions a viewer is likely to have: he's as baffled, revolted and depressed by what he sees as we are. For him, looking away isn't as easy as flicking at the remote. As engrossing as "Kill" can be, it's grim enough that most viewers won't be able to resist that impulse.
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Member Comments
Posted By: BennettGordon @ 07/11/2008 5:09:08 PM
Comment: The gritty realism of the show is definitely worth watching, and the directors sprinkle some humor (if not sugar) throughout the series. One of the directors of Generation Kill, Susanna White, talks about that a bit in an interview I just published on Utne Reader. Here???s the link:
http://www.utne.com/2008-07-10/Arts/UtneCast-Generation-Kill-Director-Susanna-White.aspx?blogid=32
Posted By: BennettGordon @ 07/11/2008 5:08:46 PM
Comment: The gritty realism of the show is definitely worth watching, and the directors sprinkle some humor (if not sugar) throughout the series. One of the directors of Generation Kill, Susanna White, talks about that a bit in an interview I just published on Utne Reader. Here???s the link:
http://www.utne.com/2008-07-10/Arts/UtneCast-Generation-Kill-Director-Susanna-White.aspx?blogid=32
Posted By: Chilcott @ 07/11/2008 3:34:39 PM
Comment: Again, you underestimate us. We Americans are really smart and capable of doing whatever it takes to read challenging books, think hard things, and watch a masterpiece such as Generation Kill. Did you watch the series or worry about guiding your readers to something too hard "for them." Did it ever occur to you that many of your readers have lost friends and families in this war? That is hard, isn't it? Generation Kill is demanding, yes, thank God,. Its creators believe the audience has faith, intelligence, and the ability to endure. For once, we won't feel compelled to flick the remote. PS: spellcheck can't do everything. It is real-life author Evan Wright, not Evan Ross, who is portrayed with tightly held awe by the fine actor Lee Tergesen. Many Americans including the Columbia/Harvard School of Journalism judges actually read Evan Wright's book. It wasn't too hard for them; why don't you give it a shot? You are correct about one thing only: there is every reason for us in a time of war to be "baffled, revolted, and depressed" because to be anything else in a time of war reflects a true failure at the heart. If Americans have anything in common, it is their bravery and their heart -- something Generation Kill portrays unflinchingly and with mega-doses of profane humor in the spirit of great faith and hope that puts real lives at risk. The drama of the series is deep within us: we want the grail unveiled and will pursue it even if it alludes us. Percival when lost in the forest, lets go of his reins. But then you seem to have your hands on the remote -- reins the rest of us are willing to give up for the sake of the truth. Feel better in your fictions and weigh-loss fantasies that claim precious hours of our hard-won free time in a failing economy on TV. Flick if you want to the feel good stuff that makes your reviewing a little less risky for your career. We Americans want something else and we can handle it, and hang on. A 7-part series really isn't too much to ask of citizens and warriors like us.