Series Last of us, from HBO and available on HBO Max, ran into a problem that seemed insurmountable before it was released. This is an adaptation of one of the most successful video games of recent years, while respecting the basics of the story. Which since its launch in 2013 boasts a cinematic score that has raised some questions. Will this be one of many proposals set in a dystopian future? Will it find its place in the science fiction genre regardless of the source material?
The production, led by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, exceeded all expectations. Last of us it is much more than a well-told story. This is an exploration of a world in ruins that goes beyond threats from surviving or infected monsters. This is a discreet journey about the value of hope, the promise of a future despite violence, and the importance of love in extreme situations.
Last of us This is the premiere of the year and you can only see it on HBO Max.
Last of usrecreating one of the best stories in video games
But the video game adaptation series did something else. He retained a sense of intimate connection with a variety of painful events in the midst of a global tragedy. Last of us leaving aside the violent scenes, blood or unnecessary bloodshed to carefully build the relationships that bind his characters.
He explored various scenarios for the survival of a population destroyed and besieged by a danger that seems to be unstoppable. The result is a meticulous account of the years since the fall of civilization, including stories of love and mourning after thousands of tragic deaths. All in the context of a search for a second chance for the population of the world.
From the ruins of the city Boston to a peaceful life Jackson. scenario Last of us He goes through many possible scenarios after a biological collapse that no one could have foreseen. He does it realistically, away from drama and with an emphasis on practicality. The staging aims to impart a sense of error and human ambiguity to each of the circumstances shown.
clickers (clickers), fruit of contagion cordyceps, they are not as important – at least in what is shown in the series – as human aggression. Throughout the first season Last of usmuch of the violence it comes from armed survivors or fanatical and unscrupulous groups. A perspective that gives the argument a fatalistic view of cruelty and fear.
The series format allows for more narrative context than a video game.
One of the most amazing elements of adaptation Last of us that was all the additional information that was added during the first season. This included additional contextualization of how, why and under what conditions the fungal infection broke out and how it spread.
Through two prologues in the first and third chapters, the plot manages to achieve something that could only be guessed at in the game. Build a range of realistic and scientifically verifiable causes about the possibility of a major biological catastrophe.
In addition, unlike other works of this style, more attention was paid to infection. IN Last of us, the outbreak is the result of a process that has been developing for decades due to global warming. The plot also elaborates on how the contagion became a pandemic, detailing the massive catastrophe.
All this creates an atmosphere with terrifying authenticity that almost documents the catastrophe in real time. He also delves into events that could exacerbate a similar situation. Violence in the streets, the transformation of the government into a totalitarian entity, the sudden death of civilization. Last of us he managed to make his plot more than just an exciting experience, he turned it into a frightening one. In the same way, it is a painful dispute with tinges of disaster, which, despite efforts, will eventually engulf the whole world.
Survival in the worst conditions
But the biggest contribution of adaptation Last of us to the material he comes from is the way he contextualizes his characters. Joel, played by Pedro Pascal, comes to life in slightly different dimensions than the game, without losing its essence. The story begins with the aftermath of a personal trauma and ends with his redemption as the protector of a girl in the ruins of the world he was born into.
From my side, Ellie (Bella Ramsey) is a survivor who was born knowing nothing but the post-apocalyptic world. Despite this, the young actress brings optimism, independence and energy to her role. Also, deep enough to hide the emotional wounds an orphan might suffer in the midst of a disaster.
The decision of the creators to add minor figures, which in the source material are only of a referential nature, enriched the narrative panorama of the work. Last of us. This episode of Bill (Nick Offermann) and Frank (Murray Bartlett) was one of the best moments in television history.
The plot is not limited to a brief meeting with Bill, as happens in a video game. Instead, he carefully builds a story parallel to the central plot, with the help of which he manages to show what happens outside the plot. quarantine zones or anarchy in abandoned cities.
This twist gives the production a depth that mimics some of the source material’s most famous moments. With its unhurried step and the search for a goal in spite of hopelessness, adaptation Last of us depicts life in the midst of the desolation of the apocalypse.
What distinguishes Last of us other apocalyptic arguments?
Through the years Last of us this marked the way forward for other video game consoles. With its deep and emotional storytelling, richly detailed visuals, and detailed exploration of the destruction landscape, the game has become an iconic game. Its serial adaptation achieves the same but expands on the atonement and makes it the end of an intimate journey. A nuance that adds depth to his characters, new places to discover, and especially the central conflict.
What would you do to save what little is left of the world? This is a big question that the first season of the series raised. Last of us. The answer lies in nine chapters that cover human nature from its highest to its most vicious manifestations.
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After all, the conclusion is part of the strength of Neil Druckmann’s work as a whole. all tours lead to finding a reason to continue despite the tragedies behind. An element that gravitates above all towards the last chapter of the season and brilliantly closes the production premise.
Source: Hiper Textual
