So, has anyone else seen Dexter? I just finished Season One. And I want to talk about the flawed narration. The Voice Over seems to suggest that Dexter is our humble narrator, and many things are given to the viewer as Dexter learns, but as the season continues the narration drifts from his Point of View (and what he knows) and starts treading in the Hitchcockain-Bomb-Before-the-Blast reveals (I.e. Showing the ice truck killer in action...around episode 8). But the Voice over never changes. This is a common thing in TV and Hollywood Film. There seems to be no trigger, and yet, the narrative drifts in that direction. It bothers me. Why are we given VO and led to believe that we only learn things as the main character does, and then when shit gets real, the narration starts leaking? Am I wrong to question this (let me stop for a second to say I loved Dexter and will continue to watch it, but this little trait rubs me the wrong way). Why can't filmmakers stick to their guns...why do they cheat?
Ok enough of that.
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I'm about to order all my books for school. Shit. There's a lot.
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This is the first time I'm not totally stoked to go back to school. At WWU I'd be shitting my pants waiting to get back to Poetry with Beasley or de la Paz, of Film with Park or Askari, or Fiction with Trueblood (Damn I wish I would've studied with Guess and Magee) or NIL with Purdy, but here I'm just sort of like "Man I hope this quarter is better than the last." I think it might be better, but we'll see. I will miss poetry with Richard Greenfield. Anyway, next week, back to it.
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I made some black bean hummus the other night. Hella good. Maybe less garlic next time.
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OK. that's all for now.
Love,
Joshua
6 comments:
THIS IS THE CAMERA CONSCIOUSNESS!!!
http://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHNG_enUS332US332&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=%22camera+consciousness%22
Do you have more? That's a small post...?
and I'm not sure, it explains the narrative showing the viewer things outside of the knowledge of the main character, who is also the subject of the narrative...am I right? I'm not sure...but I think this post on Camera Consciousness, only points the the ability to let a narrative drift from the actual events the narrator/main character witnesses, however, it doesn't explain drifting out of those set arrangements...I don't think
people read your blog? woooaaah...
Is it the filmmaker cheating? Or is it the network telling the filmmaker that they should change certain things if they want their show to get picked up for subsequent seasons?
Oh Dave you should turn off that Propagandi record for a second...just kidding.
Well, it could be that, except that the narrative constantly moves in and out of Dexter's POV, even though it's been set up to be his (the voice over). This isn't uncommon it happens when the writer/filmmaker feels cornered, when they need to add suspense by giving the main character something they don't already know, but the viewer does (It gives the viewer a tension, the main character doesn't have). Hitchcock used that shit all the time--he was a master of that though, and his reasons for using that narrative seems to always coincide with what's been set up.
I want to know more about this Camera Consciousness thing, but I couldn't find a lot. I want more...a book, full article, etc...
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