I’ve just – belatedly – watched the Deadwood movie. And I paused to reflect not only on the movie but the series.
David Milch penned Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue, and Deadwood. Any arguments about his being in the pantheon of TV greats have surely been put to bed. (I loved John From Cincinatti, but sense a minority opinion…)
Everything about is is just right. The writing, the performance, the sepia-toned cinematography…just. right. It’s not a film of excess, but about staying true to the source material. It respects the aging of the actors and actresses, not least Trixie and Al.
I’m a long standing fan of the series, and if you haven’t seen it, I urge you to do so. Not as flashy and well known as other HBO creations – Sopranos, The Wire – I’d argue it’s just as strong. Aaron Sorkin writes with a rhythm, and there’s no doubt Milch does as well here. There’s a vocabulary and rhythm to what he rotes that sets him, and his performers, apart. It can’t be easy to deliver his lines, unless you’re Mr Wu2, and his cast do him proud here.
This is a great send off to what » Continue Reading.