INTERSECTION
K7 Bulletin
Tuesday September 12
PHOTO: HBO
THE GOLDEN AGE OF PORN “The Deuce" details the emergence of pornography in the 70s. We checked out the pilot. Eivind Langdal red@k7bulletin.no
Sex sells, right? So what does that say about a show that oozes sexuality, yet is never interested in turning its audience on? Probably that it’s the latest work by David Simon, whom any self-respecting adult will recall once created "The Wire", aka The Greatest Show Ever Made. If that doesn’t turn you on, you need televisual viagra. It’s somewhat appropriate that HBO, which has come under criticism for its liberal depiction of sex (a critique that's as dumb as it's conservative), should create a show about the emerging porn industry of the 70s. How surprising, then, to learn that the show’s pilot doesn’t touch on the subject at all (there's a penis before the 20-minute mark, though). Like the first-ever episode of the "The Wire", the 90-minute pilot of "The Deuce" plays like the first chapter of a book. It establishes its main characters, hints at later events, and trusts its audience enough not to cheapen the plot with gratuitous foreshadowing. To call it “slow” would be
misleading. "The Deuce" is not slow. It’s just confident. Sexual Theatre Like other shows by Simon, the cast of «The Deuce» is sprawling. James Franco does double duty, playing twin brothers Vincent and Frankie Martino, the former a barman working seven days a week, the latter a degenerate gambler. Maggie Gyllenhaal is «Candy», a prostitute who, in the pilot’s best scene, explains to a virgin john why she doesn’t charge by the hour, but by the orgasm. Candy is also one of the few prostitutes who works without a pimp, arguing that she can take care of herself. In fact, the show ruminates a lot on the dangers of prostitution, making us understand how a job transfer for a street girl into pornography can be both safe and dignified. The rest of the cast is a mix of pimps (including two played by «The Wire» alumni Gbenga Akinnagbe and Method Man), prostitutes, policemen, as well as
a female student whose academic prowess is no indicator that she’s immune to the allure of the seedy streets of New York. The pilot doesn’t readily share how all these characters are connected, apart from the thematic fact that they play their part in the same sexual theatre. The lack of immediate explanation is forgivable. «The Deuce» is commendably authentic, making you feel like you were dropped into Hell’s Kitchen in the 70s. There is no nostalgia here, only pure, unadulterated realism. A Difficult Pilot to Review Because of its patient storytelling, reviewing the pilot of «The Deuce» is somewhat tricky. There is no guarantee that the show can sustain greatness throughout its 8-episode first season. One could be easily forgiven for wondering if it can maintain its pacing too, especially because its first episode has no actual depiction of pornography, despite that being the primary subject of the show. Perhaps equally
baffling is the decision to postpone the introduction of several major characters to later episodes. And yet, it works. There was little in the first episode of «The Wire» that hinted at the show’s greatness, and that show did quite all right (among critics, at least, if not necessarily among audiences and award shows). True, not everything David Simon touches turns into gold («Generation Kill» was spectacular, «Treme» less so), but there is definitely hope for «The Deuce». After all, the 70s was such a strange time when it comes to pornography. After all, 1969-1984 was known as the “Golden Age of Porn”, with X-rated movies almost reaching mainstream acceptance (and even playing in theaters). Considering how things have changed since then, it’s no wonder someone wanted to create a series out of it. In that sense, we should be very glad it’s «The Deuce».