“Show me a hero and I’ll write you a tragedy.” A phrase from the great novelist Scott Fitzgerald that seems to have served as a leitmotif for the entire work of David Simonwhich ends up placing almost all the characters of his series as heroes of their own stories. And it is a winning formula. ‘The Wire’, ‘Treme’, ‘The Deuce’, ‘The conspiracy against America’ and now also with his new series ‘The city is ours’.
However, this aforementioned phrase is the one that gives the title to ‘Show Me a Hero’, one of the miniseries he did for HBO in 2015 that was another superb exercise in rigor and excellent serial billing, a trademark of the house. It went unnoticed at the time, as happens with practically all of Simon’s works, which do not begin to emerge until after, more or less, seven years. And it’s been seven years since this one, so it’s still time to get it back on HBO Max.
price power
Throughout six episodes, ‘Show Me a Hero’ introduces us to the complex reality of the citizens, activists and bureaucrats of the city of Yonkersin the state of New York, during the eighties.
Nick Wasicsko (oscar isaac) is the young face of local politics, and as a newly elected mayor he must deal with a controversial court order. This order establishes the construction of a series of houses for unprotected families and without resources in the middle of affluent white neighborhoods.
Of course, this project will create an irreparable fracture in the city. Wealthy homeowners oppose the creation of these homes that will devalue the price of their propertieswhile these vulnerable families, mostly black and Hispanic, need a home and resources to escape the problems that drown them.
A rather urgent drama story, connecting urban planning, political gossip, racial tensions and economic powers. All in all, the series does not fall into sensationalism, and it was easy for it to have as main director Paul Haggis (‘Crash’).
As a good veteran of the medium, Simon knows how to take advantage of the extension and the division into chapters to give the required space to a complex and varied group of characters, which allows him to trace all the ideas and social criticisms that he wants to elaborate that also apply to today’s society. . An polyhedral exercise that achieves immense strength without resorting to easy and explosive moments. Well-constructed drama, pure and simple.
‘Show Me a Hero’: urban planning, money and race
Also counting on a prodigious Oscar Isaac in this complex and very interesting character of the mayor, who acts in part as the central axis of all the ramifications of the series, this becomes an absolute triumphanother example of Simon’s mastery.
Also an enriching piece on the intersection between discrimination and political and economic interests that never out of date, Unfortunately. As long as these injustices continue to occur, there will be a David Simon there to point them out.