matty_b
Posts: 12883
Joined: 19/10/2005
From: Outpost 31 calling McMurtle.
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: Dantes Inferno
 Played by: Rainn Wilson Appears in: The Office (2005-)
Throw a bit of fascism and geekery in the blender, and odds are high you'll end up with a meal bearing a strike resemblance to Dwight Schrute, the assistant regional manag-... excuse me, assistant to the regional manager of Dunder Mifflin, Inc., a paper sales company located in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Dwight lives on a beet farm (where he grew up), and is the top-ranking salesman in the company. Though he has German roots, he has an air about him that smells distinctively American. A firm believer in individualism, he is the kind of guy you'll meet at party that will claim that his success is his own accomplishment and that your failure is your own fault (he is also the kind of guy that'll claim his failure is your fault and that your success is his accomplishment).
There is nothing remotely realistic about Dwight Schrute. More than any character on The Office, he serves the comedic aspect of the show only. Yes, he is given both sympathetic and empathetic moments, but he is in essence a walking, talking joke jukebox. If he wasn't so damn funny, he would seem entirely out-of-place in... well, a lot of shows. Take, for instance, the episode where his co-worker Jim sends him faxes where he claims to be "future Dwight", who regularly gives him updates to warn him of certain threats. This kind of writing stands in stark contrast to the realistic presentation of the show, and look how fast that stops mattering when Dwight tackles Stanley because he thinks his coffee is poisoned, a moment made even funnier when Dwight sincerely tells Stanley, "You'll thank me later". Becaus he is too busy laughing, the viewer doesn't notice the logical cap: how can Stanley ever thank Dwight later when he isn't told why the hell he was just tackled?
Having not seen the original show, I cannot tell you how Rainn Wilson's take on the character compares to the original, but I can, however, tell you that it's excellent. As seen by, say, his turn in Six Feet Under, Wilson simply can't be normal on screen, no matter how hard he tries. Like Paul Giamatti, he is cursed with a look that gives him no chance whatsoever of passing as an every-man, but blessed with the fact that the constrictions of Hollywood means there's little competition in the kind of roles he was born to play. And Dwight Schrute is exactly the kind of role he was born to play. Why? Because Wilson truly manages to capture the essence of who Dwight is: a man who ranks personal success above anything else, thinks he is very succesful, but is deluded enough to not realize that, in the end, he is just a paper salesman that, time and time again, is fooled by a long line of hilarious pranks that have spawned an endless number of YouTube tribute videos.
Really glad you've included Wilson, as I've just started to watch The Office (US) and he is indeed excellent. I have just watched the episode where the fire alarm goes off and Dwight's appropriation of Billy Joel cracked me up no end.
"# Ryan started the fire! #"
_____________________________
quote:
ORIGINAL: Cool Breeze
Mattyb is a shining example of what the perfect Empire Forum member is.
|
Printable Version
RE: Dante's 15 favorite TV performances - 
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread