Somehow the word "dark" became synonymous to praise and critical acclaim when it comes to the world of film and television, especially in the science fiction and fantasy genre. The definition for dark as an adjective is "with little or no light" yet many critics and audiences use the word as a description of high-brow sophistication, believing it as an automatic indicator that it will be better.
Take for example the latest superhero flick, Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice. Yes, critical reaction to Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy has been high and undoubtedly Warner Brothers would want to cash in on that success but at what point do we draw the line? Do we say enough is enough when a symbol of optimism and hope like Superman becomes a desaturated tool of mass destruction? I personally don't think audiences need a depressed Superman walking around the cold mumbling to himself nor do we need to see the Power Rangers murdered in cold blood but many will agree otherwise. A good portion of the audience believes that content needs Game of Thrones level violence and gratuitous blackness to be worthy of viewing. Anything else is too light-hearted and comes off as camp, even when it's not.
I certainly see the appeal of a gritty drama. But I disagree with a notion that dark dramas make better content. Female characters should not be walking allegories for the numerous atrocities committed against them in order to be relevant or good just as curse words do not automatically make a film or TV show better. I think there is a belief that the stakes feel higher and the more emotionally compelling when propelled to a dark place but melodrama accomplishes just that for a specific audience yet rarely would you find someone who would place that genre above others in ranking quality.
It's truly bizarre how out-of-hand this is getting because content makers are almost pressured in adapting this tone for the sake of the viewing audience. There can be many positive attributes to stories that are bleaker in tone but the darkness should service the story, not shoehorned for the sake of it. Being dark is not an automatic quality stamp of approval. I'm totally okay with Supergirl being a happy go-getter whose biggest problem other than saving the world is keeping track of her boss' latte order. Not everyone is Batman, nor should we want everyone - or anyone for that matter - to be.
-Henry
Take for example the latest superhero flick, Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice. Yes, critical reaction to Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy has been high and undoubtedly Warner Brothers would want to cash in on that success but at what point do we draw the line? Do we say enough is enough when a symbol of optimism and hope like Superman becomes a desaturated tool of mass destruction? I personally don't think audiences need a depressed Superman walking around the cold mumbling to himself nor do we need to see the Power Rangers murdered in cold blood but many will agree otherwise. A good portion of the audience believes that content needs Game of Thrones level violence and gratuitous blackness to be worthy of viewing. Anything else is too light-hearted and comes off as camp, even when it's not.
I certainly see the appeal of a gritty drama. But I disagree with a notion that dark dramas make better content. Female characters should not be walking allegories for the numerous atrocities committed against them in order to be relevant or good just as curse words do not automatically make a film or TV show better. I think there is a belief that the stakes feel higher and the more emotionally compelling when propelled to a dark place but melodrama accomplishes just that for a specific audience yet rarely would you find someone who would place that genre above others in ranking quality.
It's truly bizarre how out-of-hand this is getting because content makers are almost pressured in adapting this tone for the sake of the viewing audience. There can be many positive attributes to stories that are bleaker in tone but the darkness should service the story, not shoehorned for the sake of it. Being dark is not an automatic quality stamp of approval. I'm totally okay with Supergirl being a happy go-getter whose biggest problem other than saving the world is keeping track of her boss' latte order. Not everyone is Batman, nor should we want everyone - or anyone for that matter - to be.
-Henry
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