Thomas Hoffmann
The series The Last of Usby HBO and available on HBO Max, had a challenge that seemed insurmountable before it was released. That of adapting, respecting the essence of the story, one of the most successful video games of recent years. Since its release in 2013, it has boasted a cinematographic invoice, which raised some questions: Would it become one of many proposals set in a dystopian future? Would it manage to find its place in the science fiction genre independently of the original material?
The production, headed by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, succeeded, and well above most expectations. The Last of Us Is much more than a well-narrated plot. It is the exploration of a world in ruins, that Goes beyond the threats of survivors or infected monsters.. It is a careful journey about the value of hope, the promise of a future despite violence and the importance of love in extreme situations.
The Last of Us is the premiere of the year and you can only watch it on HBO Max.
The Last of Usthe recreation of one of the best stories in video games.
But the series adapted from the video game did something more. It maintained a sense of intimate connection with a variety of painful events in the midst of a worldwide tragedy. The Last of Us left aside the violent scenes, the gore or the unnecessary spilling of blood to build, with care, the relationship that binds his characters.
He explored the various scenarios of survival for a decimated population besieged by a danger that seems impossible to stop. The result is a careful account of the years following the fall of civilization, encompassing love stories and mourning processes in the aftermath of thousands of tragic deaths. All in the context of the search for a second chance for the world’s population.
From the ruins of the city of Boston to the peaceful life in Jackson. The script of The Last of Us goes through the multitude of possible scenarios after a biological collapse that no one could foresee. It does so realistically, devoid of drama and with an emphasis on practicality. The production is concerned with bringing a sense of human error and equivocation to each of the circumstances it depicts.
The clickers (clickers), the result of the contagion of the Cordycepsare not as important – at least as far as the series shows – as human aggression. Throughout the first season of The Last of Usmuch of the violence comes from armed survivors or from fanatical and unscrupulous groups. A perspective that gives the plot a fatalistic view of cruelty and fear.
The serial format allows for more narrative context to be given than in a video game
One of the most surprising elements of the adaptation of The Last of Us Was all the extra information that was added throughout the first season. That included more contextualization about how, why and under what conditions the fungal infection broke out and the way it spread.
Through two prologues in the first and third chapters, the plot manages to accomplish what in the game could only be inferred. Build a series of realistic and scientifically verifiable reasons. about the possibility of a major biological disaster.
Also, and contrary to other productions of the style, greater attention was paid to contagion. At The Last of Usthe outbreak is the consequence of a process that took decades to develop due to global warming. The plot also concretizes how the infection became a pandemic, by narrating in detail a large-scale disaster.
All of this creates an atmosphere with terrifying fidelity that almost documents a disaster in real time. It also delves into events that could make such a situation worse. The violence in the streets, the government turned into a totalitarian entity, the withering destruction of civilization. The Last of Us has managed to make its plot more than just a thrilling experience, it has turned it into a frightening one. Likewise, it’s a painful plot with tinges of catastrophe that, despite best efforts, ends up sweeping the world.
Survival under the worst conditions
But the major contribution of the adaptation of The Last Of Us to the material it comes from is the way it contextualizes its characters. Joelplayed by Pedro Pascal, comes to life in dimensions somewhat different from the game, without losing its essence. The story begins by showing the consequences of a personal trauma, ending in his redemption as the protector of a little girl in the middle of the ruins of the world in which he was born.
For its part, Ellie (Bella Ramsey) is a survivor who was born knowing nothing but a post-apocalyptic world. Despite this, the young actress brings optimism, independence and energy to her role. Also, enough depth to encompass the emotional wounds that an orphan in the midst of a hecatomb could suffer.
The creators’ decision to add secondary figures that in the original material are merely referential has enriched the narrative landscape of The Last of Us. The episode of Bill (Nick Offermann) and Frank’s (Murray Bartlett) story resulted in one of the greatest moments in TV history.
The storyline is not limited to a brief encounter with Bill, as it is in the video game. Instead, it carefully constructs a parallel story to the central plot, with which it manages to show what happens beyond the quarantine zones or anarchy in abandoned cities.
This twist gives the production a depth that emulates several of the source material’s most celebrated moments. With its leisurely pace and its search for purpose in spite of hopelessness, the adaptation of The Last of Us portrays life in the midst of the desolation of the apocalypse.
What distinguishes The Last of Us Of other apocalyptic plots?
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For years, The Last of Us set the path for other video game console experiences to follow. With a deep and emotional storyline, a visual section rich in detail and exploring the landscape of destruction in great detail, the game became a landmark. Its series adaptation achieves the same, but expands redemption and makes it the end of an intimate journey. A nuance that adds depth to its characters, to the new places to be discovered and, especially, to the central conflict.
What would you do to keep what little of the world is left standing? That’s the big question posed by the first season of the series. The Last of Us. The answer comes in nine chapters that cover human nature from its highest to its most perverse points.
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In the end, the conclusion is part of the power of Neil Druckmann’s work as a whole. All the tours lead to the search for a reason to go on, despite the tragedies in tow.. An element that gravitates especially in the last chapter of the season and brilliantly closes the premise of the production.