When the world was informed that the game from Naughty Dog will be adapted for the screen, the experts on the product were divided. Excitement mixed with skepticism. The work of Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley is the fifth best critically acclaimed PlayStation 3 game, and the awards and nominations for the creators for creating such an emotionally engaging game are really hard to count. As if that wasn’t enough, the premiere of the game took place in 2013. So the players were 10 years oldto become familiar with the actors who voice their favorite characters, to get used to a specific vision of the TLOU world and its specific narrative. For many, the game has become sacred, and interfering with it will always be a huge challenge.
Already after the broadcast of the first episode of “The Last of Us” it was known that the grandiose announcements of the series were not exaggerated and it will go down in capital letters in the history of similar productions. How did it happen that it was the series, already available to watch in its entirety on , that will become the one that will now be a point of reference and a model for other creators? There are many factors.
- Budget and creators
If you want to create a deeply depressing, disturbing, and at the same time completely immersive image on the screen – you call Craig Mazin. The creator of “” can capture the heart without unnecessary flashiness, tell stories of individuals that outline the tragedy of the whole. Those world-building skills in The Last of Us were invaluable. Like the contribution Neil Druckmann – the creators of the original, who also worked on the adaptation. Thanks to this cooperation, the series was made very “growo”. Camera work, staff, character behavior – sometimes they even suggest to us that we could grab the rain and take part in what is happening on the screen. The budget also played a significant role in the success of the series. The amount that was available exceeded the capital of the first five seasons “”.
- Courage
With respect for the source material, the creators were able to take full advantage of the possibilities offered by the change of medium, in which they tell the same story anew. They did not focus on player satisfaction, they were not afraid to expose some decisions to their critical assessment. The sanctity here was not the game itself, but the story, its characters and their relationships, which the viewer was supposed to understand as best as possible thanks to the events seen on the screen. This was often at the expense of action or lack of showiness. The creators chose to outline the missing context in the game, and also expanded the threads without worrying that they might lose interest and slow down the pace of the series. Already in the first minutes of the series we see a television debate about a dangerous virus. We learn from it how the insidious fungus works and that it may soon pose a threat to humanity as well. This makes the viewer’s anxiety stronger and more justified. The creators also attach great importance to the origin story of almost every important character in the series.
- Characters
None of the important characters seen on the screen are treated with neglect. Developing the threads of individual inhabitants of the post-apocalyptic world gives viewers the opportunity not only to better understand their motivations and behaviors, but also the rules (or lack thereof) that prevail in the unknown reality. In the series, we get to know the moving story of Bill and Frank, who showed how love is born in times of ubiquitous chaos and anxiety (in the game, the character’s relationship was only an interlude), David, who built a kind of religious cult around himself (his disturbing relationship with her community), which made the character even more terrifying, or Kathleen, a seemingly ruthless leader steeped in blind desire for revenge, who turns out to be a wounded woman carrying a huge responsibility on her shoulders.
- acting
Well-written characters would be useless if it wasn’t for the actors who were able to impersonate them fantastically. There are no missed shots in The Last of Us. The role players seem to be made for them. An additional plus here is the involvement of voice actors from the original in the series. It is true that this time they played different characters, but it is still a very well thought-out nod to the fans of the source material.
- Pedro Pascal/Joel Miller
Pedro Pascal, the serial Joel, stands out among the mentioned actors. His interpretation of the character is different than the one proposed by Troy Baker in the game, but it makes us unable to take our eyes off her. The sixth episode of the series is an absolute masterpiece by Pascal, the final proof that he deserved this role like no other. What seems to be the most important thing about Joel is that he is not, and does not try to be, a hero. His anger and determination are subtly replaced from episode to episode with helplessness, lack of strength, the desire to experience longed-for peace. Ellie is great, but this people like Joel make people go to the movies and watch TV shows.
He is a man of flesh and blood. He is far from a classic bully, a bitter grandfather or a man offended at the world, for whom he can sometimes be mistakenly thought of. Joel defies all stereotypes, surprises every time the viewer forms a complete picture of him in his head. He draws a completely different model of masculinity on the screen than the one we have been accustomed to in pop culture for years. His slow transformation, attempts to open up after an unimaginable series of disappointments and indescribable suffering is thoroughly moving. The last episode leaves us with a completely different Joel than the one we met in the first. The series does not justify his actions, does not romanticize his attitude, gives us the opportunity to independently assess the behavior of a man who for the first time in years tried to lower his guard, take off his gloves, but never put them down.
- Music and photos
Nothing would so subtly underline the general atmosphere of threat and decay as Gustav Santaolalla’s minimalist music. Once again, the creators bet on the principle: less is more and gained a unique, anxious atmosphere. The photos are not just a series of beautiful frames, which at times are almost identical to those that players remember from their games. The creators showed in a fairy-tale way how nature copes perfectly without human intervention. In subsequent shots of a world devoid of highways, factories and all attributes of civilization, we learn the overwhelming truth – we are only pests on earth.
- Balance and lack of pathos
In a series where the fate of the world hangs in the balance, it’s easy to fall into pathos. The creators, however, are able to convey the weight of the stake that each of the characters fights for by focusing on the tragedies on a small scale. With individual stories, they build a picture of a new reality, in which the meaning of the word “home” has disappeared, where there is no sense of security and no one can afford a good night’s sleep. In the face of tragedy, a ruthless fight for survival, the creators give themselves space to present crumbs of normality, and even weave a large dose of humor into the plot. It is also worth appreciating the great balance between action and story here. Although this is the element for which the series is most criticized – for me, the decision to limit the scenes with the infected to a minimum was a bull’s-eye. The creators show us at every step that this is not a series about zombies, about the apocalypse. This is a series about the fact that evil and good are relative, and the world is not black and white. This is a lesson for moralizers and hasty judges. This is a series about loss, pain, determination and protecting loved ones at all costs.
- Attention to detail
By introducing voice actors from games into the production, presenting viewers with almost identical frames that were in the source material, as well as placing an endless list of easter eggs on the screen, the creators made the series is not a copy of the original, but a clear homage to it.
- Episode three
The third episode of “The Last of Us” is groundbreaking on many levels. I bet it’s the story of Bill and Frank that we’ll refer to for years to come a breakthrough in the approach to filming a romantic relationship between two men. I don’t think anyone expected such a moving plot in the “zombie series”. Most viewers view the episode as a touching love story. For me, however, this starting point for reflection on what love is all about. As well as attempts to find an answer to the question of whether, given the absolute lack of choice and the atmosphere of a desperate search for a substitute for normality, the relationship between Bill and Frank can be considered in such categories at all.
- Moral
Although “The Last of Us” can hardly be called a moralizing series, it is not difficult to see what message accompanies the production. The biggest monsters on earth will always be people, even if there are strange creatures with mushrooms instead of heads running around.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
