Watching Deadwood

At Eric’s urging I’ve been watching Deadwood. In some ways it’s a really hard series to watch, not least because of the brutally graphic depiction of violence, and the obscene language. But it’s also a beautifully written, powerfully acted series about humans in community. I just finished the first season, and have been watching the interviews on the “extras” disk. There’s a really interesting interview with David Milch, who is the writer of the series. Some quotes:

"The reason I think that ritual has such a pivotal function is because it serves as a mnemonic device, a crystallizing of the recollection of a moment of community."

"I think one of the things which is precious about the opportunity to work on Deadwood, is that we give ourselves in imagination to the reality of another world. We take joy in respecting its integrity. We treasure its difference, and that lifts us up as human beings. And it's a wonderful thing to do every week. I feel its a privilege to participate in a sacrament."

"My idea is that truths swallow each other up, and that the way to get to the most general or universal portrayal is to be rigorously specific and if the details are right and the emotional life of the character and the situation are both right, they begin to attract to themselves more general truths, and more universal themes. I think that the American story is neither more nor less than the story of all humanity. It's original sin re-enacted in a more contemporary setting."

"The failure to respect the common humanity of our fellow travelers, is to me the fundamental sin."