The show Mad Men does an amazing job of creating the setting in the first episode of season 1. It incorporates details that really set the time period so anyone can understand that it takes place in the 60’s. The director presented the title of the show “Mad Men” and a definition of what is a “Mad Man”. The definition explicitly says the time period late 50’s and the use of Don Cherry song “Band of Gold” from 1955: a classic. The intro shows ads and billboards with women plastered all over them. The women were dressed with the 1960’s haircut and fashion trends: red lipstick, blouses and skirts, high heels, the updo haircut with bangs. Their costumes are created to fit the time period. For men they are dressed in business suits in monotone grey, bluish color. They have pocket squares The haircut for men was a comb-over with a little spiked up in the front, they also carried around brown rectangle briefcases. In essence the mens costumes implied where the men were going─the office. In addition to their costumes were cigarettes. Every single character at some point in the episode is either smoking or drinking. They smoked and drank in the office. It was the norm; it adds on to the effect of setting. New York City is where the office is located. The director does a great job showing sprinkling that information throughout the episode because you can hear in the diegetic audio buses, cars honking, people walking, construction, the characters New York accents and their choice of words. For example Joan Holloway is showing the new secretary, Peggy, around and mentions “if you make the right moves, in a few you years you will end up in the city with the rest of us” but continues to say “if you are really smart you will be out in the country and won’t have to come to the city at all”. The effect of her words is not only setting but also time period because during the 60’s everyone wanted to move out into the suburbs and have the conformed family.
I think this show and this specific episode was perfect for creating what life was like in the 60’s. I love the simple camera shots and story that go with it. There is drama, mystery, dramatic irony and everything that makes a good story in a life where conformity was praised. You think you know everything about a character until something in their life changes and then you know nothing about who they are. I think the character Don Draper is a sad man. He hides from his past and is haunted constantly by it and his own wife doesn’t know who he truly is. It bothers me how women during that time weren’t respected at all. Every misogynist comment makes me ache and want to scream. It presents how far as a society we have come to make the world a better place for women. I think this show is a must watch.
This is a great read on season one of Mad Men! I love that you've used the entirety of that first paragraph to focus on the objective qualities of setting, both through costumes/makeup and also through attitudes (misogyny, smoking, etc.). Consider how your word choice can guide you away from neutral comments (especially in terms of costume/hair choices) and frame that information so we get more tonal flavor (positive or negative)-- in other words, how can we KNOW that these are good or bad choices? Subjective stuff is great. Still pulling good ideas from the film, but really focusing on YOUR feelings (sympathy, admiration, etc.). Really great stuff. Would have liked to see your title come alive a bit more-- Mad Men is the perfect title for the show, so what would be a perfect title for your review?
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