In one of the scenes from Final list, from Prime Video, the camera zooms in on the weapon the character will be using in a direct close-up. He does this with careful lighting and gives the shot an elegant beauty. More than a point of view, the show’s close look at the world of guns seems part of the essence of the disturbing premise. The thing is, the focus is on the weapon, not the character James Reece, played by Chris Pratt. And indeed, to turn the use of all types of weapons of various calibers and degrees of danger into something very important and profound.
In fact, the stunt will be repeated throughout all eight episodes. The introduction of weapons in the series – as in Jack Carr’s play of the same name – is the only and unsettling moment in its premise. Not only because of the propaganda of the use of weapons as a solution to the final conflict. Also because of the way the show seems to be obsessed with a country that is debating the legality of the Second Amendment to its constitution.
In fact, the production considers the weapon and the legality of its use for a whole new level in similar rooms. In a large part of its chapters, the series pays tribute to the anti-system idea and the need for protection by private means.
Final list, which tells the story of a Navy SEAL who decides to take on the establishment with guns, is suspenseful in origin. Even though the series pays homage to the popular action movie, it presents a more complex situation. James Rees, the central character of the story, takes justice personally, as well as he uses weapons because it is his right.
This is a point that he clarifies at every opportunity and that the script emphasizes over and over again. In fact, for most of the series persistence in justifying executions and murders is obvious. And although Carr’s book poses the same situation, the original on paper analyzes the issue of the fact that the central character suffers. In the midst of a severe mental and physical crisis, Rhys must face the threat posed by his mental state.
Weapons as a dangerous attraction in The Final List
But in The Last List, while the feeling remains that Rhys must overcome his own pains, the main thing is violence. In particular, the statement that every American has the right – and perhaps even the duty – to protect his life by any means. And that includes, of course, weapons. Pratt’s character’s reaction to injustice reflects the position of the National Rifle Association. So much so that the series is full of dialogues in which it becomes clear that the only possibility is to take up arms against “oppression”. Suddenly the central power system becomes an enemy to be defeated.. And the military world, a romanticized and sublimated space as the only one in which the concept of justice is fully understood.
Of course, iconic Rambo already showed the premise of a one-man army over forty years ago. He did this as a perception of the warlike spirit of the country. But the conflict that arose in the franchise and in the first film had a deep pessimistic component. Abandoned by power, insulted, traumatized and turned into a persecuted person, Rambo was a symbol of the perversion of the system. But the success of ’82 was more philosophical than one might think. Especially since Rambo – at least in his first version – was a reflection of a broken country, torn apart by complex cultural wounds.
But final list he picks up the baton from simpler rethinkings of the premise and adds significant political commentary to it. Pratt’s character is a perverted and slightly intimidating symbol of the common man speaking out against injustice. One of the most frequently repeated phrases of the character is that supports the political gun debate in America. “I have to be able to protect my family,” Pratt’s character, who wields all sorts of weapons, insists. It also embodies a certain total paranoia against the control system of any kind of defensive weapons. Like a wounded, off-balance, and dazed war hero, the character shoots first and asks questions later. He does this with the conviction that it is his duty. And this is your right.
Saving the distance, the character bears a resemblance to William “D-Fence” Foster (Michael Douglas), the film’s ruthless gunslinger. Day of Rage Joel Schumacher. The controversial success of 1993 saw the character slip into vengeful discomfort and exercise the right to arms without shame. But unlike Final listSchumacher played with justification and, in the end, with the horror of weapons, in a brutal and complex approach. Amazon Prime series lacks nuance and especially, take a deeper look at just the idea of using weapons in response to a threat.
An uncomfortable opinion on a controversial topic
good part Final list shows the character of Chris Pratt as a man capable of anything to protect those he loves. And this despite his obvious mental problems and isolation from reality. But the argument shows Rhys as a hero due to his handling of weapons. As well as the center of an awkward version of judge and executioner that leaves little to the imagination. The series celebrates brutality, Rhys’ determination to kill, and a murderous drive without nuance. This is, without a doubt, a version of the mythical Rambo and his ilk. But while most of the protagonists of “armies of one man” are questioned, Pratt’s character is surrounded by mixed messages.
On the one hand, and while the show makes no secret that Pratt’s suspicions of a conspiracy are real, justifies his bloody step as necessary. On the other hand, he romanticizes the use of weapons and turns them into a character who kills without hesitation. This is a significant nuance in the usual similar stories. In this case, the character does not defend, does not defend, and does not internalize the idea of weapons as inevitable. In fact, he needs a weapon – and murder – to prove his point. So much and so difficult that for the last chapter, the line between the killer and the hero becomes very thin.
Amazon Prime production comes at an awkward time due to the look of the weapon. So far have been 308 shots in the United States in 2022 alone. According to the Archive of Gun Violence, this is a significant increase. To Final list, with all his use of guns as the last answer – the main answer – is almost unsettling. Especially when the series makes it clear that any area of control is non-negotiable. “Put them on trial? I am justice,” Pratt says at one point. Perhaps the most disturbing statement in a series full of them.
The series is part of a growing phenomenon. Several weeks ago, weird things, Netflix’s flagship series, featured a group of teenagers in an armory. The scene showed a room with an innocuous view of a supermarket as a hideout for the characters.
All the while choosing weapons, smiling and talking quietly. The scene, chilling the soul with its subtext, is directly related to what rises Final list. Weapons are part of a more confusing and complex notion of violence. The one that is currently the most complex and controversial. And also, perhaps, the most notable in its history. Bad news for any discussion that aligns with and supports a less militaristic version of the entertainment world.
