in multiple scenes Under the banner of heaven, the Disney+ series has clear similarities with the horror genre. And this despite the fact that all its atmosphere and argumentation is focused on suspense and a very strange police investigation of a real case. But writer Jon Krakauer’s 2003 adaptation of the 2003 book of the same name is a rare mix.
As well as ideas about good, evil and the mysterious, which are interconnected with each other in the idea of crime as the final darkness. In addition, the series explores, just like the book, concept of mechanisms causing violence. Among this mixture Under the banner of heaven tries to tell a stunning story from a distant and raw point of view.
Director and creator David McKenzie creates an incredible atmosphere to show more than just the brutality of the outrageous murder. Also go through the inner darkness of their characters. Result Under the banner of heaven it is a sinister journey towards pure evil. And this is not about an existentialist, religious or moral idea, although the series touches on all three points at different times.
Under the banner of heaven: murder and those who hide it
The argument is interested in the cruel nature of man. In what drives, pushes and breaks the fabric of the cultural and social. With such an ambitious premise, Under the banner of heaven plays with the perception that nothing is what it seems. And at the same time as necessary tell untold secrets provided that we are all capable of knowing them.
Of course, one of the most interesting things about this kind of storytelling is the idea of traveling in the shadows. Detective Jeb Pyre (Andrew Garfield) presents more than just a dichotomy between the world of light and what lies beyond. At the same time, there is an unsettling connection in the way the show uses the character to show that the mundane and the horror are separated by thin, imperceptible lines. Pyre moves from a love scene with his family to a trip to the crime scene.
He does this during the opening scenes of the series and analyzes the show’s point of view on how close we are to horror. What separates the life we consider normal from the extreme horrors? What causes both things to end up connecting with each other? Screenwriter Dustin Lance Black tries to answer questions through the age-old idea of the end of the world. More than what has already happened. And worse will happen than the viewer can imagine.
Horrors hidden in everyday life
in seven chapters Under the banner of heaven, the series tells the true story of the murder of 24-year-old Brenda Lafferty and her 15-month-old daughter. Of course, such a scenario is frightening in itself. But also, story adds swirling elements about what surrounds an event of this kind. From the idea of religion as the boundary between insanity and sanity, to a society that justifies violence. Under the banner of heaven covers a long stretch of hidden horrors hidden and forgiven by hypocritical morality. The argument is ambitious enough to keep the discourse going opposes the concept of goodness as a social fact. And he does this in an attempt not to sound like a Manichean, biased or expressing his ideas through judgment.
But perhaps it is precisely because of his ambition that he Under the banner of heaven there is something incomplete about him, or even an inability to elaborate on the issues he raises. In particular, regarding the idea of religion as a gag, or rather, a space of threat. The series questions the value of faith in terms of individual and collective interests, as well as the idea of dogma as a justification for violence. But he cannot connect such dissimilar ideas, through a deep look with an idea of \u200b\u200ba terrible. Despite Garfield’s amazing performance, which creates a stunningly brilliant, haunted, and tormented character, the series’ approach falters. And this is so because he fails to lift the perception of how murder, brutality and power are a mixture hidden under layers of meaning.
This though Under the banner of heaven he forgoes overt morbidity to tell from a distant point of view. Of course, being based on a real event, the show needs to go deeper and connect the dots to make up the infamous event. This succeeds when the plot fits the pieces of information into a well-built puzzle that impresses with its skill. But in more cases than necessary, the series leaves gaps and assumes that the information is clear enough to go into detail about specific events.
All secrets under silence
The program takes from Krakauer’s book the same sense of meticulousness in an attempt to maintain a discourse on violence, religion and morality. But whether because of his need not to take moral sides, or because of the mildness of the script, Under the banner of heaven easy to lose power. He does so as the increasingly painful details of Brenda and her daughter’s death become increasingly horrifying. And especially when using the hackneyed resource of several timelines to tell about two events at the same time.
On the one hand, the search for the culprit among all sorts of obstacles. On the other hand, one that surrounds and supports the narrative of Brenda’s life and what supposedly led to her death. The mixture between them creates a confused version in a gradual stage that leads to tragedy. However, the premise does not reach its highest point, or at least it is difficult for her to talk about it easily.
Under the banner of heaven not trying to compete with true crime they have become a genre in their own right. But he does it unwittingly. The result was a frightening case, told soberly, but somewhat incompletely.
Source: Hiper Textual
