The Sandman: A Dreamlike Ode to Neil Gaiman's Masterpiece
Dream (also known as Morpheus) escapes after decades in the clutches of a mortal wizard, and the Sandman plays out. He is the personification of dreams and is trying to regain his lost relics of power, the things that are needed to keep equal balance between the human and supernatural worlds. The Sandman is a perilous journey, a revelation, and a profound exploration of the meaning behind dreams and nightmares to humanity, and the themes behind the book weave a tapestry exploring the nature behind dreams and what they do to reality. It is a supernatural and existential narrative wound up with an air of mystery and of fantasy. It switches between the dreamlike surrealism and nightmarish horror; it’s a rich tapestry of emotions that pulls you in and captivates, and Tom Sturridge as Morpheus does an enigmatic performance; the ethereal arrogance and vulnerability of the character is done with the elegance of fingerpicking. Patton Oswalt, Vivienne Acheampong, Boyd Holbrook give sturdy support in bringing vivid, dark characters to life (and some of the storys occasional dullness tends to fade from the mind after the characters leave the frame).
Jamie Childs, Andrés Baiz and Louise Hooper skillfully visualize Neil Gaimans inventive universe. The score is a haunting mix of airy melodies and unnerving tones that completely sets the ambient atmosphere of The Sandman.
The sound of The Sandman merges imaginative storytelling with gorgeous imagery that makes their way into an offworld realm where fact blends with myth. The Sandman complements the narrative with more emotional resonance per scene and character arc, and stunning visuals, with cinematography painting a lush, visual narrative. The production design on The Sandman is absolutely gorgeous taking iconic and beautiful locations of the comics and adding its surrealistic and oftentimes terrifying feel of the universe into reality making each and every scene beautiful and immersive. More specifically, The Sandman is a magnificent spectacle that masterfully combines the known with the supernatural, and special effects were a key element in bringing the surreal about.
In particular, the kingdom of Dream is a great spectacle by itself, as it combines the known with the fantastical. As though they blended in naturally to the plot, they are able to capture the most mystical of things from the phantasmagorical to the merest abstract, creating a visual spectacle and thematically deep world.
The editing keeps at a constant pace, straddling tension as much as tranquility. It seamlessly connects several subplots while keeping the viewers energized and able to track the multiple nuances of the story without being distracted.
The pacing is at a variation between measured and brisk appropriate to the flow of the dream world. This helps with character development and storyline escalation, creates suspense and layers in the emotional depth as well without diluting the storyline. The Sandman does a good job in keeping up that familiarity and charm of Gaimans writing style, while tapping forcefully into the underlying philosophical discussion of the series.
While, The Sandman is a story based on rich visual storytelling and atmosphere deep, some might argue that some of the story’s complexity and its mythology, may be too huge and intimidate, making the journey less fascinating. If the series requires that careful, needy attention and engagement, it may not be for an audience looking for a more straight forward narrative, or watching The Sandman is like wandering through an elaborate dreamscape–either enchanting or haunting. Another series that’s full of depth and offers the viewer to take their thoughts there for a second to contemplate the lives and dreams we live. It’s a must watch for fantasy fansNeil Gaiman fans.
