Having originally missed the highly praised True Detective
when it first aired on television, I was one of many who clamoured with
excitement at the new Blu-ray release. And yes, while £32.99 for an eight
episode season is a little steep (no wonder you’re struggling, HMV), the price
tag is ultimately justified by the shows sheer quality.
The brainchild of Nic Pizzolatto, True Detective sets out to
dismantle the traditional “buddy cop” movie, and to redefine the genre as a
whole. Surprisingly then, the narrative of True Detective is nothing new, at
times bordering on clichéd. Mismatched Louisiana detectives Rust Cohle (Matthew
McConaughey) and Marty Hart (Woody Harrelson) must overcome their differences
in order to solve a sinister homicide, all the while accidentally infuriating
their superiors. Sound familiar? While the plot could have been copy and pasted
from generic thrillers like Bad Boys or Lethal Weapon, True Detective owes much
more to David Fincher’s Se7en, often treading in territory usually reserved for
the horror genre.
Although the plot is somewhat formulaic, Pizzolatto seems to
have little interest in narrative, instead opting to explore the turbulent private
lives of Cohle and Hart. In a quite brilliant twist, True Detective has two
narrative strands unravelling simultaneously; the first of which follows a
young Cohle and Hart as they struggle to solve a disturbing homicide in 1995,
while the second narrative is set 17 years later, where the two protagonists
(who haven’t spoken to each other for ten years) are being questioned about
their involvement in the infamous case of 95. This clever format allows for
some significant narrative manipulation, and ensures that the audience are almost
always kept in the dark from the word go.
The drama unfolds in the hurricane ravaged swamplands of
Louisiana; a savage landscape, at once beautiful and utterly devoid of hope.
Cari Joji Fukunaga’s direction is astounding, his camera languishing on the
lush foliage, barren marshland and desolate corn fields that infuse True
Detective with sinister melancholy; a sense of paradise lost. With the likeness
of a macabre Malick, Fukunaga is seemingly fascinated by the twisted logic of
nature, its cruelty, and its utter lack of morality – characteristics that True
Detective would claim to expose in us as a species.
The emergence of McConaughey as a significant acting talent
has stunned many over the past few years. A bizarre, yet brilliant, performance
in Friedkin’s Killer Joe back in 2011 revealed a McConaughey nobody had seen
before, and following knockout performances in Magic Mike, Mud, Wolf of Wall
Street and Dallas Buyers Club, the Texan has established himself among
Hollywood’s elite. Needless to say, McConaughey’s portrayal of the nihilistic
Rust Cohle does not disappoint. Mesmerising from start to finish, Cohle is True
Detective’s dark heart; mysterious, sinister and wildly enjoyable to watch.
Cohle’s defining moment comes in the final episode, when, confronted with
death, his entire belief system is called into question – McConaughey hits it
out of the park.
Harrelson, while not able to match the deranged intensity of
his partner, is on top form. Unlike Cohle, Marty Hart is a family man, forever
trying, and failing, to do right by his wife and kids. This isn’t uncharted
territory for Harrelson then, but the chemistry he creates with McConaughey is
electric, and there’s rarely a dull moment when the two share the screen. Michelle
Monaghan offers strong support as Marty’s wife, and while most other characters
are transitory, appearances from the likes of Kevin Dunn and Shea Wigham ensure
that the audience never loses interest in the various characters that drift in
and out of episodes.
True Detective forever lingers in the cool shadow of the
Southern Gothic, the show’s plot and setting a modern rendition of the macabre
tales of Flannery O’Connor. Likewise, many of Cohle’s deeply nihilistic
monologues could have been torn from an unwritten McCarthy novel, so bleak is
his unique philosophy. Like the classic Southern Gothic novel, True Detective
is obsessed with the flaws of its protagonists, and of our society as a whole,
where evil forever lurks in the darkness.
Unfortunately, the final piece of the puzzle Hart and Cohle
so desperately seek is a bit of a let-down. The writing from episode to episode
is exceptional, and it simply feels like we’ve been unnecessarily cheated with
what is quite frankly a disappointing reveal. Even theories offered by fans
seem like more logical – and better – alternatives to the narrative development
chosen by the writers.
Small gripes aside, True Detective is a tremendous viewing
experience. Eight episodes of unadulterated brilliance, an uncompromising
assault on the senses from the opening frame, and a brutally taught finale that
owes a fair debt to Silence of the Lambs. Perhaps more a repackaging of the
buddy detective genre, rather than a reinvention, True Detective remains a
stellar achievement none the less. Also, The Handsome Family’s Far From Any
Road is a contender for best TV show theme tune, ever!
Season two is already in development apparently, with Colin
Farrell set to star. I’d love to see Pizzolatto and Fukunaga tackle a new case,
with new detectives, and a new location, but I can’t help thinking that McConaughey
and Harrelson have set a standard that may prove extremely difficult to top.
Twisted. Bleak. Macabre. Horrifying. Bold. Brilliant.
Uncompromising. A Southern Gothic masterpiece.
