BEING FRANK政治宣言
Has Kevin Spacey’s president kept pace with real events? By KEVIN MA Kevin Spacey飾演的總統與現實世界是否如出一轍？撰文：馬樂民
WHEN THE US remake of British series
House of Cards first aired in 2013, some critics and Washington insiders criticised the show’s story as implausible and outlandish. Four years on, its stars now joke that the world’s real political environment has become so surreal that its writers are running out of ideas to surprise viewers.
House of Cards never aimed to be realistic; it has always been an over-the-top soap opera that happens to be about politics. Cynical and delightfully absurd, it’s the antithesis of the idealised Washington that Aaron Sorkin created in The West Wing. What elevates House of Cards among current TV shows is its unabashedly calculating antihero, Frank Underwood (played by Kevin Spacey), as well as the uniquely shadowy colour palette and sophisticated camerawork designed by director David Fincher ( The Social Network, Gone Girl), made possible by its generous budget of US$100 million (HK$780 million) for each season.
Corruption, betrayals and the scandalous lives of those in ‘the swamp’ continue to be the backbone of the show, but Frank is no longer the bully who always gets his way using charm and threats. He has been struggling with setbacks since worming his way into the presidency in the previous season, and nothing could prepare him for his greatest adversary yet: his wife, Claire (Robin Wright). This season also brings new additions to a cracking cast, such as the great Ellen Burstyn as Claire’s mother, Neve Campbell as a political consultant and Joel Kinnaman as the Republican nominee for president. These characters all play crucial roles leading to the season’s final shocking twist – a parting gift by departing showrunner Beau Willimon. If real world politics is too exhausting for you, the
House of Cards universe might not be the worst place to escape to.
For politics buffs, there are also documentaries The 44th President – In His Own Words, featuring two candid interviews with former President Barack Obama; and Trump: The Billionaire President, which traces how a New York entrepreneur made his way into the White House.
美國早年決定翻拍英國劇集《House of Cards》，首季於2013年播映，當時的評論家及華府幕僚批評故事誇張失實，令人難以置信。四年過去，如今劇中演員卻戲言，現實中的全球政治氣候變得更超乎想像，甚至令編劇亦自愧不如，坦言難以再構思出讓觀眾意想不到的新鮮橋段。
其實《House of Cards》從來不是以寫實掛帥，而是走誇張肥皂劇的路線，只是恰好以政治為題材罷了。這個劇集憤世嫉俗又荒誕離奇，然而卻引人入勝，與Aaron Sorkin的《白宮群英》中積極正面的華府大異其趣。《House of Cards》能夠於當今芸芸電視劇中脫穎而出，關鍵在於由 Kevin Spacey飾演不顧廉恥、機關算盡的奸雄
Frank Underwood，加上曾執導《社交網絡》和《失蹤罪》的導演 David Fincher 特有的幽暗色調和高超的運鏡技巧，以及每季高達一億美元（ 7.8億港元）的製作費。
在最新一季，貪污舞弊、背信棄義及見不得光的醜聞繼續成為故事的骨幹，但
Frank不再是單憑軟硬兼施就能為所欲為的大魔頭。他自從上季不擇手段登上總統寶座後，便一直拼命應付各種挫敗，但最令他束手無策的，卻是他的妻子Claire（Robin Wright 飾），她才是 Frank 的頭號敵人。這季新加入的演員陣容非常強勁，括由老戲骨Ellen Burstyn 飾演 Claire 的母親， Neve Campbell飾演政治顧問， Joel Kinnaman則是共和黨總統候選人。這些角色在劇中舉足輕重，是導致結局出人意表的關鍵人物，如此拍案叫絕的結局，正是本劇幕後功臣Beau Willimon 離開劇組前的告別獻禮。如果現實的政治令你感到厭倦和吃不消，那麼《House of Cards》裡的世界可能就是個逃避現實的好去處。
我們亦為熱衷政治的觀眾預備了《The 44th President – In His Own Words》這套紀錄片，節目先後兩次訪問前美國總統奧巴馬，他在片中暢所欲言；另外《Trump: The Billionaire President》則回顧紐約企業家特朗普入主白宮之路。