Literalism vs. Reality in The Mandalorian

Criteria: The Catholic Film Podcast

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-R68p8Lkxgw

We enjoy The Mandalorian more than any other recent Star Wars productions. But its second season sometimes doesn’t trust us to suspend our disbelief in certain respects (a misguided literalism in its use of CGI for a major human character), while elsewhere expecting us to accept, on ideological grounds, things that are unbelievable even in its fantasy setting (a disproportionate number of tiny women somehow able to throw around men much bigger than they). This prompts a discussion of the difference between the suspension of disbelief and unreality in a fantasy setting.

After discussing Star Wars (the recent films and the dangers of indiscriminate “fandom”) and things we appreciate about The Mandalorian’s production (its soundtrack, its use of virtual sets), our discussion of Season 2 begins about 17 minutes in.

Links

The Marvel Symphonic Universe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vfqkvwW2fs

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/thor-ragnarok-composer-acknowledges-marvel-scores-sound-same-1054503

Rear Projection: How It Works https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwe4Fan41Is

The Virtual Production of The Mandalorian, Season One https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUnxzVOs3rk

Alexi Sargent, “The Undeath of Cinema” https://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/the-undeath-of-cinema

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Music is The Duskwhales, “Take It Back”, used with permission. https://theduskwhales.bandcamp.com/