The twenty-first century, somehow imperceptibly for mankind, turned into the era of serials. Every evening, millions of viewers in all corners of the world cling to monitors to enjoy the throne struggle from George Martin, the divine wars from Neil Gaiman, the romantic experiences of teenagers from dozens of book series adapted for the screen. And the filmmakers themselves do not sit around, scribbling new scripts that rely only on their own imagination.
Sometimes, having seen something especially interesting, the viewer turns to Yandex or Google for help in the hope of finding similar films and reliving the emotions they like. Recently, after reviewing a couple of recommendation articles on the topic, I discovered that among the relatively new series, Gossip Girls fans are advised "13 reasons why". Naturally, I immediately decided to check.
So, for those who do not know, "Gossip Girl" is a series that aired in the late 2000s - early tenths. It lasted six seasons and made the starring actors stars. The most striking of them was the cutie Blake Lovely. The film is based on a series of books by Cecily von Ziegesar. But - the key word. In the original, at least, there is no Breer - Chuck branch, for the sake of which millions of fans stuck to the screens, suffering along with the amicious Miss Waldorf for their forbidden "demon". The plot of the film tells about the golden youth of New York, who is going through personal, family, school, and later career dramas. And the ubiquitous gossip is watching their every step, posting juicy details on a special site, which has become the most popular media outlet in the metropolis.
"13 Reasons Why", again, for those who have not yet seen, this is a film based on the novel by Jay Asher. How much the original and the film version correspond to each other, I do not presume to judge. But something tells me that to shoot four seasons one book at a time is close to the text - not an easy task. The plot of the plot revolves around a schoolgirl who committed suicide and left thirteen tapes exposing her classmates of meanness and even crimes.
Attention, experts, the question is: how are these two series alike? Well, except that the events of the first episodes send viewers to high school. But in one case, it is an elite institution for the offspring of millionaires from New York, and in the other, it is an ordinary secondary school in a small provincial town. The heroes of "Gossip Girl" are the kings and queens of not only parallels, but all the secular parties of the area. Their life, of course, is not sugar, and sometimes even throws up disgusting surprises, but in general, everyone has a strong rear and reliable friends. In 13 Reasons Why, social issues are at the forefront. The line is sharply drawn between popular guys and losers, the topic of bullying among teenagers is being discussed. Yes, both there and there, there are drugs, alcohol, erotic problems, but they have a different background. If in "Gossip Girl" all life is pure entertainment, and school intrigues grow into intrigues of a secular society and financial fraud, then in "13 reasons why" life is pain, and mistakes have a fateful meaning, because throwing a couple of millions to solve them is possible not. In general, the characters, the message, the atmosphere - there is nothing, nothing at all. And for the viewer, accustomed to the idea that there will always be Serena and Chuck for any Blair, Hannah's total loneliness and the horrors she witnesses turn into shock.
Which is better: "Gossip Girl" or "13 Reasons Why"? To be honest, I do not understand how they can be compared with each other. If comparison is really necessary, it makes sense to include a newer film in a selection of films similar to "Veronica Mars". There, the plot begins with the death of the girl, and there are plenty of horrors too, and the psychological atmosphere is very oppressive, and the crimes are much more terrible than romantic relationships with someone else's boyfriend or even husband. You can, with due diligence, draw "13 Reasons Why" to "The Game of Lies" or "Pretty Little Liars", although this is not without nuances. But how legitimate is it to align the suffering of Hannah Baker with the anguish of Serena Vanderwoodsen? It's like saying that blue and red, oak and chamomile, chili and raspberry cheesecake are the same thing.
