Black Mirror: White Bear (2013) review

Or your typical who is the monster, and who is the man.

Black Mirror - White Bear (2013) Just me and Manface.

Just to warn you there are going to be a lot of spoilers in this one. Do not read this review if you haven't yet watched the episode. I believe the point of Black Mirror lies in your own complete uninfluenced undertaking of it. In a series about the way we experience media you need to experience it through the intended media, not through the thoughts of others. It is all about your initial response.

Once again, I know Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror (2011 - ) is a TV series not a film, however I take the stance of; It's my blog and I'll do what I like.

I could argue that with quality of film making, arguable durations, as well as the debate of the role of cinema in today's society, not to mention the advent of the home cinema experience, that the roles and definitions of film are constantly blurring. (I mean heck, we don't even use film any more. The concept of 'film' is as ethereal as the content of the first episode in Black Mirror's new season.) I do believe that's this is true but these aren't debates I want to get into here. Maybe in a pub with a few vodkas. I'll see you there.

Anyway, where was I? Oh yes. It's my blog and I'll do what I want to.

So if Black Mirror: Be Right Back (2013) (you can find my review here) was this season's equivalent of Black Mirror: Fifteen Million Merits (2011), I guess Black Mirror: White Bear (2013)  is the new Black Mirror: National Anthem (2013). Not as good. But that's a huge compliment to the latter.

White Bear follows a girl (Lenora Crichlow) who wakes up in a house with no memory of who or where she is. Her only clue is a photo of a little girl she assumes is her daughter. As she ventures into the outside world she discovers a strange symbol broadcast on every television screen has indoctrinated almost the entire population. The few who are unaffected spend their days desperately attempting to escape the Hunters who,  in the absence of law or society, have become faceless, bloodthirsty killing machines. The majority of humanity however are now silent husks who spend every waking moment watching and filming the plights of the hunted. With the help of another unaffected (Tuppence Middleton), the girl must make it to White Bear, a transmitter tower with the intention of wiping out the signal, all the while with the niggling feeling that everything isn't quite what it seems.

Black Mirror: Be Right Back (2013) Review

Or happy Valentines day darling, one of us will die only to be kept alive by a creepy social media echo.

Black Mirror (2011 - Present):
An empty television screen reflecting into our soul. Spooky.

Now I know this isn't a film, but gosh darnit if someone is going to make me watch an episode for 1 hour and 10 minutes (I've included ad breaks in there to be tricksy) then I will classify it as a film if I want.

So, I don't really celebrate Valentines Day, and outside of the time spent at work Manface spent the majority of the day with his true love, Liverpool FC. I spent it in a separate room rekindling an old flame, my Xbox. I'm only using it for it's body though. Manface however is in a true affair of the mind, heart and soul. He's the real villain.

When we finally did regroup for the day we decided to watch the first episode in the new series of Black Mirror (2013) by Charlie Brooker. It had been setting on our scary, flashy, recordy device for a few days and by jingo it was long over due.

Charlie Brooker: - I Can Make You Hate.
Cheerful stuff.

Now, I love anything by Brooker. I could watch him for hours. Though I am absolutely positive that if I ever had to sit in a room with him for more than ten minutes not only would I hate him, but I would debate on whether or not I was morally obliged to put him out of his misery. I can be an annoyingly chipper sort. The kind who wakes up first thing after a heavy night and yet is still excitable and cheery. I can't comprehend that anyone can genuinely despise our existence so much; let alone do so and wish to continue being in it.

Thinking about it, I think Brooker would probably put me down first. He would think of me as some kind of borderline braindead collie. Bring it, Brooker.

If any of you don't know who Charlie Brooker is, just go check something of his out. I know a lot of you come over from the States (don't think I can't see you lurking there, I have stats and stuff. You can comment, I don't bite.) and I don't really know if any of his stuff ever goes your way. He's crude, he's scathing and above all he is massively cynical and monstrously witty. He doesn't like the popular or the populous for that matter and he will definitely make you know it.

His latest offering really is something special though. It's like the Tinman finally grew a heart. He's fallen in love and although every episode is that epic mixture of beautiful and harrowing, by the conclusion he is still desperately trying to think of ways to ruin it with his cynicism. It's as if he can't risk happiness. Completely bittersweet. Completely Brooker.