The opening scenes of "Godless" are truly captivating, with well-chosen angles and visually appealing aesthetics. However, as the plot progresses, the script, direction, and editing begin to decline. Superfluous scenes accumulate, neglecting central characters in favor of parallel plots that only prolong the narrative without contributing significantly.
Another downside is the frequent use of handheld cameras, which make the images slightly shaky, compromising the visual quality of the miniseries in some shots and conveying a sense of amateurism.
In a scene where Sheriff Bill McNue faces some troublemakers, he demonstrates a certain ineptitude and a slight trace of cowardice. However, the same sheriff, when seen in a flashback about Alice Fletcher's past, reveals himself to be fearless and skilled marksman, rescuing Alice from imminent danger posed by savages.
In the last episode, the biggest flaws of the screenplay conceived by Scott Frank stand out. For example, in the confrontation between the Griffin gang and the ex-black soldiers, the abundance of cuts confuses the viewer, making it difficult to identify the shooters. Right after, the clash between the Griffin gang and the women of La Belle is another tumultuous sequence, full of cuts that obscure the action and make it difficult to understand who is attacking whom. Furthermore, the decisions and solutions to the conflict seem simplistic and poorly executed, undermining the credibility of this action-packed finale.
In the final showdown between Frank Griffin and Roy Goode, the former dies and the latter is seriously injured, passing out after the confrontation. However, the narrative does not adequately clarify the subsequent timeframe, leaving doubts about Roy's quick recovery, who appears healthy after being shot by Griffin. In one of the final scenes, we see the burial of Whitey Winn, whose name is mentioned by the sheriff in his farewell sermon. However, the inclusion of this isolated burial, without context for other victims of the confrontation, seems arbitrary and unnecessary, suggesting a lack of narrative cohesion. It would be more consistent to show the burial of all victims, not just a secondary character.
Ironically, even though the screenplay is the crucial point of any film, it was weakened in "Godless". Interestingly, despite this, Scott Frank's work was nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special, as well as for the Writers Guild of America Award in the category of Best Long Form - Original Writing. However, the series did not win in any of these awards, and it would have been absurd if it had won.
In summary, "Godless," in its opening, promised to be a beautiful spectacle of the western genre, but Scott Frank's inconsistent screenplay and direction fail to sustain it throughout its episodes, leaving the feeling that it could have been much better. I felt like I wasted my time that could have been better spent.
Another downside is the frequent use of handheld cameras, which make the images slightly shaky, compromising the visual quality of the miniseries in some shots and conveying a sense of amateurism.
In a scene where Sheriff Bill McNue faces some troublemakers, he demonstrates a certain ineptitude and a slight trace of cowardice. However, the same sheriff, when seen in a flashback about Alice Fletcher's past, reveals himself to be fearless and skilled marksman, rescuing Alice from imminent danger posed by savages.
In the last episode, the biggest flaws of the screenplay conceived by Scott Frank stand out. For example, in the confrontation between the Griffin gang and the ex-black soldiers, the abundance of cuts confuses the viewer, making it difficult to identify the shooters. Right after, the clash between the Griffin gang and the women of La Belle is another tumultuous sequence, full of cuts that obscure the action and make it difficult to understand who is attacking whom. Furthermore, the decisions and solutions to the conflict seem simplistic and poorly executed, undermining the credibility of this action-packed finale.
In the final showdown between Frank Griffin and Roy Goode, the former dies and the latter is seriously injured, passing out after the confrontation. However, the narrative does not adequately clarify the subsequent timeframe, leaving doubts about Roy's quick recovery, who appears healthy after being shot by Griffin. In one of the final scenes, we see the burial of Whitey Winn, whose name is mentioned by the sheriff in his farewell sermon. However, the inclusion of this isolated burial, without context for other victims of the confrontation, seems arbitrary and unnecessary, suggesting a lack of narrative cohesion. It would be more consistent to show the burial of all victims, not just a secondary character.
Ironically, even though the screenplay is the crucial point of any film, it was weakened in "Godless". Interestingly, despite this, Scott Frank's work was nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special, as well as for the Writers Guild of America Award in the category of Best Long Form - Original Writing. However, the series did not win in any of these awards, and it would have been absurd if it had won.
In summary, "Godless," in its opening, promised to be a beautiful spectacle of the western genre, but Scott Frank's inconsistent screenplay and direction fail to sustain it throughout its episodes, leaving the feeling that it could have been much better. I felt like I wasted my time that could have been better spent.