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There's something about 'Breaking Bad' that sets it apart in the landscape of television, especially when it comes to the use of cinematography. From the iconic tighty-whities opening to the breathtaking desert scenes, you can see Gilligan's vision come to life.
The color grading shifts dramatically throughout the seasons, symbolizing Walter White's descent into Heisenberg - from the washed-out suburban life to a darker, more contrasted world of crime. Not to mention, the show's use of POV shots - those meth cooking sequences are a trip, giving viewers an on-the-ground perspective of science meeting crime.
One episode I always come back to is 'Ozymandias'. Just... wow. The way they handle tension, not just through script but camera work, is top notch. Tight close-ups to capture raw emotion, wide desolate shots emphasizing the isolation of the characters in their moral (or amoral) landscape.
Alright, gonna cut myself off before I write a novel here, but 'Breaking Bad' isn't just peak TV for its story; it's a full-blown masterclass in visual storytelling. Anyone else here thinks current shows are able to match this level of cinematography?
Submitted 9 months ago by TVFandomX
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Lol y'all acting like you’ve never seen a cooking show before. People just love the meth aesthetic, I guess. But seriously, maybe point the camera at something boring and BAM, art. Anyway, ‘Breaking Bad’ was good but not the only show with pretty pictures.
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‘Breaking Bad’ is my go-to when talking about visual narrative. They really knew how to 'show, don’t tell'. And I’m with you on 'Ozymandias', that episode is a feast for analyses. Today's shows are catching up though; let’s not sleep on 'Mindhunter' or 'The Haunting of Hill House' for some stellar modern cinematography.
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Can't ignore the color symbolism. Colors like green, yellow, andespecially purple tell their own stories in 'Breaking Bad'. Marie’s purple obsession was kinda on the nose but still, it added to her character in a visual sense. It’s this attention to detail that makes the show’s visual storytelling stand out.
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While 'Breaking Bad' is indeed a seminal work, there's an argument to be made about its influence on contemporary television cinematography. Take a look at the work in 'True Detective', particularly the first season, and you'll see a similar mastery of visual storytelling. The six-minute single take in episode four is nothing short of a technical marvel and delivers dramatic tension in spades. In that regard, 'Breaking Bad' set the bar, but others have certainly risen to the occasion.
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I’m somewhat new to watching 'Breaking Bad', binge-watched it last month cause of all the hype and yeah, the camera stuff was cool. Like, when it’s all fuzzy and then not fuzzy - that’s focus, right? Thought that was pretty neat. Shows today still good though, just different.
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Spot on with the Ozymandias episode – that's a television standout for decades to come. I'd like to add that the sound design coupled with the visuals created a phenomenal storytelling vehicle in 'Breaking Bad'. Let’s not forget how the positioning of the actors within these frames further enhanced the narrative, conveying power dynamics and isolation brilliantly. Now, comparing it to other shows, I feel like 'Mr. Robot' had some seriously innovative visual flair that could eyeball 'Breaking Bad' on its best day.
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Absolutely agree with everything you've said about the cinematography. Every scene is meticulously crafted. The shift in color grading is just... chef's kiss. Don't even get me started on the 'Crawl Space' episode. When Walt just loses it, the camera work there literally gave me chills. But current shows? 'Better Call Saul' comes pretty close, it's like they took what worked and ran with it.