My Essays Immortalised (FTV1010: Contemporary Television Studies)

Question 2:

Analyse the narrative structure and style of one of the screened episodes of one of the series studied in weeks 2-7 (or any other) and discuss how this particular structure and style positions the viewer and how this positioning helps to construct the meanings of this episode and the series as a whole.

Lately, the original HBO mini-series Generation Kill has been screen on Malaysian television. The miniseries is comprised of seven episodes, each one hour long. This war drama was based on a book of the same title, written by Evan Wright, a Rolling Stones magazine reporter embedded with a Marine Corps reconnaissance unit during the Iraq War’s first phase. The series documents the experiences that the marines had since they left the training camps in Kuwait, till the occupation of Baghdad. This essay discusses the narrative structure and style that this series has and how it positions the viewer to helps viewers develop an understanding about the series.

Wright was embedded with the United States Marine Corps 1^st Reconnaissance Battalion, an elite unit that was regarded as the ‘tip of the spear’ for the invasive force in Iraq (HBO a, b). Wright was placed under the care of Brad “Iceman” Colbert, a Sergeant that highly respected by his fellow marines and even some superiors (HBO b; Wright a). Most of the series revolves around the crew that was in Sergeant Colbert’s Humvee, the first in Bravo 2 platoon’s convoy. Essentially, this series is like a road trip movie, filled with absurdity, filthy jokes, sarcasm and darkly funny elements (HBO a, Poniewozik). Through a grunt’s point of view, we experience the imprecision of war, civilian casualties, incompetent leaders, insufficient supplies and see how the journey affects the Recon Marines as human beings (HBO a, b).

The narrative structure of Generation Kill is notably different from traditional war films. It is not heavy on fast paced action, firefights end fast and killing is not glorified (Stanley). The series tells a story about a young generation of American warriors that grew up with violence saturated media and how they discover the facts of life in war (ABC Australia; Poniezowik). Thus, Generation Kill is not an action or thriller film but a war drama. However, unlike traditional war dramas, it is non-emotional. There are neither sentimental scores nor emotional scenes that drag tears (Leonard; Stanley). It’s a war drama that is flat, matter-of-fact, accurate, yet interesting.

Generation Kill, like many other HBO series [The Sopranos, The Wire, Six Feet Under, etc.] can be classed in the super-genre of quality television. Generation Kill bears all the hallmarks of a quality television series. It breaks away from traditional war genre films, being non-judgemental and non-emotive (Stanley). The production has pedigree – Ed Burns and David Simon produced the critically acclaimed series “The Wire” (Ryan; Hughes; Stanley). The series has multiple viewpoints and storylines accompanying each character. The series is also writer based; it’s wholly based on Evan Wright’s account of the war, originally written for Rolling Stone magazine, now it’s a bestselling book with the same title (Poniewozik; Stanley). Allusions were made to both high and low culture - Sgt. Colbert was reciting lines from Julius Caesar (“Stay Frosty”), while in a different episode, his driver, Corporal Joshua Ray Person was quoting Ice Cube the rapper (“Screwby”). Pop-culture icons like South Park, Grand Theft Auto and Avril Lavigne are also cited (Leonard; Poniewozik). Like most quality television series, Generation Kill also approaches controversial subject matters. No subject matter can be as controversial as war and the justification of killing. Most of all, the series aspires realism. The producers put a lot of emphasis on realism, even to the point of having a marine act as himself in the series (HBO a). The series received good reviews from many television critics and has obtained critical acclaim in a time where television is thick with original, high quality television shows (Woods; Hughes).

The emphasis of realism and faithful story telling makes this series a somewhat journalistic documentary of what occurred in Iraq (HBO a, b). The narrative structure of the series is obviously drama-like, but the happenings really did occur. Told from Wright’s honest reportorial and can be backed by the marines that were there with him. Wright’s account is regarded by some, as the best military journalism the Iraq War (HBO b). Moreover, realism in the series is made with the intent of not only immersing viewers into the realm of combat in Iraq (Shales; Ryan), but also to impress and pay tribute to the Marines – even the 1st Recon Marines – that has been there and done that (HBO a; Woods). Thus, you may call it a docudrama rather than a regular war drama (Shales).

Realism in the series begins with Wright’s truthful writing about the war. The relationship that he, Sgt. Colbert and Lieutenant Nathan Fick has allows that Wright to be accepted into their world and write about them with great detail (HBO a; Wright a). Lt. Fick even has a line in the series that says, “Write these as you see it, we are not here to stop you” (“Get Some”). Riding with Sgt. Colbert gives Wright the privilege of being in one of the first vehicles in the assault on Iraq (HBO a). Wright was also able to bond with Sgt. Colbert’s crew and the rest of the enlisted men in Bravo 2 Platoon and get a grunt’s view of things (HBO b). Individuals and opinions that he wouldn’t have met and listen to if he was riding with an officer. David Simon and Ed Burns, the producers of the series, loyally follow the book, and successfully emulated the realism of the book into the television screen (Poniewozik).

To retain realism in the miniseries, the producers brought in Evan Wright to be their co-writer, and several marines from First Recon that was with Wright to be their military advisors (HBO a, Shales). Staff Sergeant Eric Kocher and Staff Sergeant Rudy Reyes were in charge to give military training to the actors (HBO a). They also teach military jargon, gear maintenance and weapons handling techniques. SSgt. Reyes plays himself in the movie (HBO a ;Ryan) and SSgt. Kocher goes on to play Gunnery Sergeant Rich Barrett, from Alpha Company, instead of himself (HBO a ;Woods). There are always actual marines on set to ensure that the details are as true to life as possible (Woods). Other marines from First Recon also came into set to talk to and share experiences with the actors that are going portray them (HBO a). Photographs and personal account from these marines are used to capture other marines as realistically as possible (HBO a).

The issues and themes discussed are also realistic and believable. The marines are always ill-equipped to go to war. There is always a shortage of maps, food or even batteries to run their night vision gear and thermal optics vital to their combat effectiveness (“Get Some”). Their Humvees also break down constantly and spare parts are hard to come by. Sgt. Colbert and Cpl. Person had to spend their own money ordering parts to upgrade their vehicle (HBO a; “Get Some”). Logistics in the Marine Corps is less than perfect, Cpl. Person is quoted in the series, saying “See, the Marine Corps is like America’s little pit bull. They beat us, starve us, and once in a while they let us out to attack somebody” (“Get Some”; Stanley).

The imprecision of war is an ominous theme in the story. We see a generation of young marines who discover that war is nothing like the violent video games and movies they grow up with and nothing goes according to plan (ABC Australia). We see the humanity in marines, normally perceived as highly efficient cold-blooded warriors. In one incident, the imprecision of war is shown in the episode titled “Combat Jack”. The Recon Marines had set up a roadblock at night, the rules of engagement are simple; Shoot down any vehicles that ignore warning shots. A car soon appears on the road. Warning shots were fired, but the car accelerated towards the road block, horns blaring. The Recon Marines open fire and the car screeched to a halt. Two men came out with hands in the air. The Recon Marines check the men and the car for weapons, only to discover a young Iraqi girl in the backseat with her brains pouring out. The marine who saw it could not speak for a minute, blatantly shocked. When asked why they didn’t stop at the warning shots, the Iraqi men apologised and the father asked if he could take his daughter’s body. It becomes apparent that some Iraqi civilians don’t understand warning shots. They think that they are being attacked and panic. Nothing ever goes to plan in war especially in a country with different cultures and mindsets.

From a grunts point of view, we see the incompetence of superior personnel, another common theme that Generation Kill has (Ryan; Leonard). Several officers in the series like Captain Dave ‘Captain America’ McGraw, Captain Craig 'Encino Man' Schwetje and the commander of First Recon, Lieutenant Colonel Stephen 'Godfather' Ferrando makes decisions that are deemed unwise by the enlisted men. A good example of this is where in the episode “Screwby” Encino Man endanger the lives of his men by trying to order a danger close (within 200 meters) artillery strike on a RPG team that does not exist. Then men immediately recognise this as a ploy to acquire a promotion. Luckily the sheer incompetence of Captain Schwetje saves the men, as he designated their coordinates wrongly (Stanley). Another unpopular leader in the series is Captain America. He is constantly in hysteria, jamming up the radios with nervous blabbers and has a habit of collecting souvenirs [Republican Guard beanies, AK-47 rifles] from fallen enemy troops (Stanley). In two instances in the series, he tries to bayonet captured war prisoners. He was reported for mistreating war prisoners once and was placed off duty for only 30 minutes, whereas the team leader under his command, Sergeant Eric Kocher, faces a full formal investigation (“Stay Frosty”; Wright b, c).

Another style often employed by the producers in this miniseries is the existential condition. The characters often question the moral rightness their actions and that of their superiors. Like the roadblocks and warning shots mentioned earlier. The rules of engagement are constantly changing, making the decision to open fire difficult. In one instance, a change in the rules of engagement harmed innocent Iraqi civilians. During an attack on an air field shown in the episode titled ”Screwby”, Lt. Col. Ferrando makes the rash decision to lower the bar of the rules of engagement; Any Iraqi was declared hostile. This effectively removes the rules of engagement. While racing towards the airfield, Lance Corporal Harold James Trombley reports to Sgt. Colbert that sees running Iraqis, unsure of whether they are armed. Sgt. Colbert, following orders from the commander, allows LCpl. Trombley to open fire. Later in the day, Iraqi shepherds brought two Iraqi boys that were shot to the marine camp for help. It is revealed that they were shot with 5.56mm rounds, bullets used in American rifles and machine guns. The company corpsman, Robert Timothy 'Doc' Bryan deduces that LCpl. Trombley was the one that shot them and was angry because the children were unarmed shepherds. Sgt. Colbert takes the blame saying that he gave out the order (Poniewozik; Wright b). This incident makes LCpl. Trombley unpopular among the Recon Marines, but nobody seems to remember that Lt. Col. Ferrando was the one who declared every Iraqi hostile. Later in the series, ‘Doc’ Bryan kills two terrorist by shooting them in the head and is troubled because he does not feel remorse doing so. How the marines justify a kill involves their morality and beliefs.

The narrative structure and style used by the producers of Generation Kill are used to position the viewer into a certain mind-set; constructing meaning from the series into one that is in line with what the writer, Evan Wright, wishes to tell. The storyline in the series is often confusing at times (Shales; Stanley; Tucker). It’s hard to pick up what’s going with all the military jargon and abbreviation going about (Ryan). In fact, even some of the characters look the same (Shales; Leonard; Tucker). In is hard to tell apart Captain Bryan Patterson from Alpha Company and Captain Schwetje from Bravo Company (Ryan). Perhaps the producers wish to emulate the confusion and the uncertainties that a fresh marine has going into combat (Tucker).

Wright’s character, played by Lee Tergersen, is often referred to as “Scribe”, “Rolling Stones” or “Reporter”, and never by his own name, Evan Wright (Ryan). Tergersen’s character has very little lines and only speaks to ask questions. Perhaps the producers, or Wright himself, wants the centre of the story to be the Recon Marines, not the writer (Ryan; Stanley). The “Reporter” offer a means for the viewers to clear some doubts with the story, like why LCpl. Trombley is called Whopper Junior. Tergersen’s character finds out that LCpl. Trombley is referred to as that because it’s sold in Burger King. In military phonetic alphabet that is BK, which also stands for Baby Killer. Trombley has been called that ever since he shot those shepherds (“Stay Frosty”; Wright).

The miniseries is above all things, realistic and highly believable. This immerses the viewer into the world of the Recon Marines and lives their memories for 68 minutes per episode. The comradery that each of the characters have makes the viewers feel as though they are a part of their ‘pack’, brothers that will take a bullet for any other Marine and trust the other to do the same for him. It is also aimed to make American viewers appreciate and support their troops (Shales).

The series is non-judgemental and non-emotional (Stanley). It shows the issues faced by the Recon Marines but it does not give a one sided opinion of the issue, there seems to be two sides to each issue. It allows viewers to make their own judgements and have their opinion (Hughes; Tucker). Furthermore, the agenda of the story is not clear (Shales; Stanley). The purpose of the mission is always changing, there is no clear storyline. This is so because the real world is not a story, the battlefield is fluid and ever changing. Generation Kill documents this well. Instead of telling a story the writer shows to us what is really happening. This is their jobs, this is how it’s like in Iraq and this is how they act under such a situation (Hughes).

The most obvious and definite statement that Generation Kill makes to the public is the incompetence and sheer stupidity that superior officers (Leonard; Ryan; Stanley; Shales). Maybe this theme is intended to transverse up the hierarchical structure all the way to President George W. Bush’s administration, noting how futile and stupid the war on Iraq is (Shales).

In conclusion, Generation Kill is a quality war drama that aspire realism above anything else. It documents the complicated, frustrating, and numbingly revolting jobs that this new generation of American Marines carry out in the Iraq War. Several prominent narrative structures and styles have been utilized by the producers to make this miniseries realistic, different yet interesting. The series positions viewers to discover the hardship that American armed forces face in Iraq and have viewers make their own conclusions about issues faced by the Recon Marines.

(2460 Words)

Bibliography

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“Get Some.” Generation Kill. Prod. David Simon & Ed Burns. HBO. New York. 13 July 2008.

“Screwby.” Generation Kill. Prod. David Simon & Ed Burns. HBO. New York. 3 August 2008.

“Combat Jack.” Generation Kill. Prod. David Simon & Ed Burns. HBO. New York. 10 August 2008.

“Stay Fosty.” Generation Kill. Prod. David Simon & Ed Burns. HBO. New York. 17 August 2008.

HBO (a). “Generation Kill: Making of Generation Kill.” 10 July 2008. Online video clip. YouTube. Accessed on 18 Sept. 2009.

HBO (b). “Generation Kill: About the Story.” 11 July 2008. Online video clip. YouTube. Accessed on 18 Sept. 2009.

Hughes, Sarah. Generation Kill: An Iraq drama with a difference from the makers of The Wire 23 July 2008. guardian.co.uk. 19 Sept. 2009

Lane, P.J. “The existential condition of television crime drama” Journal of Popular Culture, 34.4 (2001): 137-153.

Leonard, John. HBO’s Terrific Summer Buzz Kill 6 July 2008. New York Magazine. 19 Sept. 2009 <http://nymag.com/arts/tv/reviews/48312/>

Poniewozik, James. Theatre of the Absurd 10 July 2008. Time Magazine. 19 Sept. 2009

Ryan, Maureen. The unflinching and affecting ‘Generation Kill’: Not your father’s war movie. Chicago Tribune. 19 Sept. 2009

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Tucker, Ken. TV Review Generation Kill 4 July 2008. Entertainment Weekly. 20 Sept. 2009. <>

Woods, Sean. Best Miniseries Generation Kill. Rolling Stone. 17 Sept. 2009

Wright (a), Evan. The Killer Elite 26 June 2003, Rolling Stone. 17 Sept. 2009

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Wright (c), Evan. The Killer Elite, Part Three: The Battle for Baghdad, 26 June 2003, Rolling Stone. 17 Sept. 2009

Mark: 39 / 50

Remarks: "You have clearly done your research although perhaps you could've cued more widely in[-]text. Your observations are sound and are interesting, but i feel your conclusion is simply a summary rather than a closure to some sort of thesis statement. But overall, well done!"