inkingideas: Also- shout out to my uncle who is the artist of…
Also- shout out to my uncle who is the artist of the painting in the background :)
It was just a small thing during an episode that had many things I loved, but I thought it was very effective the way the painting was partially hidden (by Adele, then by Jane) at the beginning, then was revealed when Jane sat down and she and Rochester were alone. Because it wasn’t until then that I realized what it showed: an abstract female figure in a suggestive pose.
In effect the painting became another character in the scene, hovering between Jane and Rochester. Its bold colors and suggestion of the “male gaze” added to the sexual tension, underscoring Rochester’s interest in Jane, his repressed passion, even as he struggled to keep it under wraps.
I’ve made a conscious effort not to analyze too much. From the beginning I was drawn in by the show’s sincerity, and didn’t want to break the spell by talking too much about what was happening in our world, as opposed to Jane’s. I’ve limited myself mostly to “liking” others’ commentary, or adding my own brief comments without reblogging. But I’m breaking that rule here, so I might as well mention something else I’ve said already in a few places.
I was really impressed by the episode. It was long, and complicated, with the Adele portion at the beginning, the interaction between Jane and Adele and Grace about the fingerpainting, the Jane+Rochester part shown here, and then the final re-entry of Grace and Adele and the opening of the present. And of course, it’s all one take.
I noticed that thing some others have commented on, with the lines seeming a little stilted at times, but I don’t hold that against the show. Besides seeing it as a potentially valid way for the characters to behave in that moment, I consider it in the context of how the show is being made: as a labor of love by a young (in one case, really young) cast and crew, stealing time away from the demands of their lives to create and share this beautiful thing. If they had an extra couple of days for rehearsals and additional takes, I’m sure they could have made the final product even better — but that’s like saying the scene that introduced Rochester would have been better if he’d ridden a motorcycle with Pilot in a sidecar: Why, yes. That’s probably true. And which of us is going to supply this hypothetical motorcycle?
I’ve always been a sucker for a long, unbroken shot. I know creating one is technically demanding, but the result can be so powerful. It removes the artificiality of a cut-together scene, puts the viewer in a real moment. But it’s a high-wire act. They can’t pick and choose from multiple takes, using the best version of each line, tweaking the timing. What you see is what you get. One flub and it’s ruined.
I think about the degree of difficulty of that scene, and I get excited about how awesome the result was. I loved it. I love the ambition of the show’s creators. They’re not just going through the motions. They’re pushing themselves, trying to make something worthy of their love of the material.
I’m so grateful. I can’t wait to see what comes next.
Reposted from http://lies.tumblr.com/post/53448120272.
Tags: AoJE.
