直击资本主义矛盾的“视觉小说”——大卫·西蒙的美利坚都市浮世绘

The“Visual Novel”Directly Attacking the Contradiction of Capitalism:David Simon's American Urban Ukiyo-e

在新冠疫情和种族歧视双重危机冲击美国的当下,一部向来不受观众追捧却被学术界奉为经典的美剧在悄然创造着收视奇迹。究其原因,《火线》凭借纪录性的“视觉”呈现,再现意大利新现实主义形式特征;以严肃性的“小说”风格,互文古希腊悲剧“元叙事”模式,主题直击晚期资本主义的重重矛盾。如此,剧集透过巴尔的摩一座城市所反映的种种社会问题与当下的美国国情形成鲜明的对照。

At a time when the twin crises of COVID-19 and racial discrimination have hit the US,an American TV series that has never been popular with audiences but is regarded as a classic by academics is quietly creating miracle in ratings.The reason for this is that The Wire reproduces the formal characteristics of Italian neorealism with its documentary“visual”presentation.In a serious“novel”style and with intertextuality of“meta-narrative”mode of ancient Greek tragedy,the theme directly hit the numerous contradictions of late capitalism.In this way,the social problems reflected in the series through a city of Baltimore and the current National conditions of the United States form a sharp contrast.