Wise Up: The Wire S4 Video Tribute

[falafel_musings]

Title: Wise Up
Song/Artist: 'Wise Up' by Aimee Mann.
Fandom: The Wire
Description: A tribute to the corner kids and the adults who tried to help them. 
Characters: Randy, Namond, Michael, Dukie, Bodie, Bubbles. 
Spoilers: For S4 Only.
Warnings: Violent and distressing scenes

The Wire S4 Meta: Because this shit is deep, yo...

I'm still knee-deep in working on my novel, but when I'm not writing/editing I've mostly been watching The Wire. I managed to finish my S4 tribute this morning. If you have not seen all of S4 yet, be warned this vid and meta is spoilery. If you have finished watching S4...did it break you emotionally? Because making this vid has been like therapy for me.

I was seriously worried about this song choice. Feel free to say if you think it's a bad choice. I can imagine getting slated on youtube by the wannabe gangster fans for using this sissy white girl music. Plus, the Wire theme is a Tom Waits song, so don't ask me why I missed my chance at usings a Waits song for this tribute too. But I just got Wise Up in my head and it wouldn't shift. I've always thought it was a very powerful song. I love the way it was used in the film Magnolia. I've noticed a pattern in my vidding song choices; that I like songs with repeating lyrics. The echoing line "It's not going to stop" was perfect for conveying the heartbreaking futility of The Wire.  

The main focus of this vid is the Corner Kids; primarily Randy, Namond, Michael and Dukie. I've done my best to weave together the trials and hardships the four boys suffer through the series - Dukie's struggle with poverty, Randy being branded a snitch, Michael being recruited by a ruthless drug gang, Namond being pressured into crime by his own mother. Really I felt gutted for all four of them over the course of the series. Even Namond who escapes in the end has to lose his real parents and his best friends in the process. I'm telling you, these kids make the four boys in 'Stand by Me' look like sheltered pampered little cherubs. 

This vid also features a lot of Bodie and Bubbles because I love them because I felt their S4 storylines were very relevant to my theme of the tragic corner kids. Bodie was the original corner boy from S1 and in S4 at age twenty he is feeling like an old man at the end of his career. I felt like Bodie's death in the final episode casts a big shadow over the series. It proves that when Namond was asked the question 'Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?' and he answered 'Dead' it was no joke. Bodie is one of those kids five years down the line. Bodie actually survived on the streets much longer than most of the Barksdale crew. Some people find Bodie's death heroic, but for me it was the ultimate expression of frustration and futility. Bodie was shot down defending his corner but it was those corners that sucked away his whole life along with the lives of hundreds of other Baltimore kids. I sooo didn't want Bodie to die, but storywise it is so perfect.

I felt Bubbles story was also important and worth featuring, because it was the story of an adult trying desperately to save a young corner kid and failing serverly when he becomes the accidental cause of Sherrod's death. I liked the theme in S4 of various adult characters trying to take a kid character under their wing; Prez with Dukie, Bunny with Namond, Carver with Randy, Cutty with Michael and even McNulty with Bodie. I tried to include as much as I could of all those relationships because they were all so beautiful and heartbreaking, for the adults as much as the kids. I gave Bubs the most focus, because his failure to save his kid had the most devastating impact on him. Man, I find it so sad that Bunny was the only one who was able to make a difference and even that was only a small difference, only helping one kid. 

Anyway, big thanks to anyone who takes the time to watch this.
 

Comments

[mavoorik.livejournal.com]

I stumbled across this and this was just really poignant and just wonderful editing and choice of shots. Really heart-breaking.

Also, I was just wondering if you could share this over to the lj community for The Wire fanworks/fic/art at thewireficart. I haven't really been actively modding it recently because just of the sheer lack of Wire fan stuff out there, but I'm trying to look for them again now! It would be really wonderful if you posted this there.

[falafel-musings.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for your comment. I'm amazed that this vid has recieved so much feedback since I didn't think there was much in the way of Wire fandom culture either.

I'm afraid I don't use my LJ account for posting anymore (see my last entry). But you're welcome to link this post to your community yourself. Thanks for the interest!

[foreverdirt.livejournal.com]

Wow. I've just finished watching season four -- this vid is a perfect tribute to the corner kids and their struggles.

[falafel-musings.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! I'm amazed at the response this vid has recieved...

[china_shop]

I came looking for this vid because I remembered it being really powerful and haunting, and now I'm all crying and stuff! Amazing. I tried to watch it from a vidding perspective (I've got into vidding since I first saw it), but was sucked into the story and heartache and despair of season 4. (Man, I need to re-watch!) Thank you so much for this!

(Do you have a download available, by any chance?)

[falafel-musings.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for your comment (and sorry it took so long to answer!). It means a lot to me that it moved you emotionally. I think you should be able to download this vid from Vimeo. But if not, let me know and I'll sort out a download link for you.

[china_shop]

Oops, I never got back to this. (Sorry! Drowning in tabs.)

Vimeo requires you to join up before you download, so I haven't, but I completely understand if you don't have time/inclination to provide an alternative download link.

[daybreak777.livejournal.com]

Wow. That was a moving vid and I don't even know this show! You've gotten so good at vidding, Falafel!! The transitions were so smooth and the song really moving. I liked the focus upon all of the boys' faces. I haven't read your notes because I might want to watch this show sort of unspoiled someday when I can stand having my heart broken. But what I want to say is so much in the US these boys' (and these boys live almost in every big American city, maybe every big city in the world) are nameless and faceless. But here you put a face to them. And in a few minutes outline their hopes, dreams, family and fate.

Great vid.

[falafel-musings.livejournal.com]

*eep* Thank you so much! I love that you got so much out of this vid even though you don't know the show. However the credit for giving faces to the Baltimore kids has to go to The Wire writers. Every season of 'The Wire' has a different theme (poverty, reformation, the media, etc). The S4 theme was education, showing how kids can slip out of the school system and get sucked into street crime. I'd recommend watching all seasons of The Wire but S4 is by far my favourite. It will completely break your heart.

[astridv.livejournal.com]

Wow, love this. I'm in the middle of a season four rewatch, and this vid captures their story arcs so well.