Before mentioning TV series, I want to discuss American culture first. I think one of the greatest strengths of the American nation is that it is good at absorbing, learning and then innovating and improving. Although many of their achievements seemed appalling at the time, today they seem to be important achievements in human civilization. In 1776, the American Revolutionary War was won, and representatives of the states convened in Philadelphia to draft the world's first written constitution. At the time, many countries were very contemptuous of the document, some even requiring a monarch in Europe to rule the United States. But today it seems that this document is a significant progress in the history of human civilization. As we all know, the United States has the system of the law of the sea, while the United Kingdom has the oldest and most complete system of the law of the sea in the world. This document, including many subsequent legal articles in the United States, was drafted with many ideas from the Magna Carta and English law during the Glorious Revolution in England in 1218.
Having said so much, I just want to express one point: innovation is not a bad thing. It is not the first time in history that the United States has borrowed from the United Kingdom, and the Constitution is one of the representatives. I also believe that everyone has seen an animation called The Lion King. Anyone who has seen The Lion King knows that the story is actually Hamlet, also known as the Prince's Revenge, Shakespeare's classic masterpiece. This adaptation can be considered a classic. It can be seen that innovation is not bound by ideology.
I think the adaptation of art reflects the different understandings of the same literary work by human beings at different times and in different historical environments. Human cognition, and even moral values, change over time. This is all normal. We don't have to be in a hurry to throw bricks at a new idea.
One of Elementary's greatest strengths is that it reflects American inclusivity. It focuses on the inclusiveness of the United States, emphasizing human rights, women's rights. Watson is an Asian female doctor, and an important police officer in the story is also a black man. These ideas are very reasonable and very interesting. In London 200 years ago, the status of women was clearly discriminated against. They were unable to receive formal medical training, or even formal education, let alone be roommates with an unmarried man and go on adventures together. But today, after so many democratic movements, the social status of women, as well as Asians, and blacks has been considerably improved. We Asians, women and black brothers have enough intelligence and ability to be a police officer and a doctor. If the Sherlock Holmes story lives on today, why couldn't he have a deep friendship with a woman?
I actually can't understand why some women can't accept that Watson is a woman. Have you subconsciously admitted the view that "we women are not as good as men"? I admit that men and women have subtle differences in their emotional perceptions. But on the whole, our overall experience of friendship will still reach a consensus.
In a sense, elementary is very much in line with the original in its social setting. Bold, but very original. Note that what we are talking about here is different from the ordinary conforming to the original. What we say is conforming to the original is that the Sherlock Holmes in the original is placed in today's society. In the past 200 years, human society has undergone earth-shaking changes. We have invented airplanes, computers, atomic bombs, two world wars, four major empires have collapsed, experienced two economic depressions, and overcame the 8-year war of resistance. People's Republic of China The establishment, the Cold War between the United States and Russia, the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the world has a thing called the United Nations, Germany has a female prime minister, and the black American became the president, and we flew into the universe and landed on the moon. After such a big change, I would like to ask, is it really so unbearable to change a novel character? Instead, I'd say it would be weird if the background didn't change.
The American adaptation shows the culture of this country, it shows the openness and inclusiveness of this country. The BBC version focuses on the conservative, traditional, polite and distant cultural heritage of the British. Just as everyone has a favorite dish, these two versions of Sherlock Holmes are sure to be something everyone loves.
Relatively speaking, I really like CBS elementary. I can't promise I'm not biased. As a woman, as a Chinese viewer, of course I'm biased towards the American version.
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P. S. Talk about Watson's image. I really like the adapted Watson. Liu Yuling's appearance is not beautiful, not even delicate. But playing Watson really tastes good. I can't even tell where it's good. In the series, she has a female concern, sometimes restrained, sometimes real, just right, without making people feel that she is artificially disgusting. Watson is very hardworking and strong. Her intelligence is just right. She does not have unparalleled wisdom, and at the same time, she is improving little by little. Liu Yuling showed a unique charm of oriental women, with perseverance in tenderness and emotion in subtlety.
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