**SPOILER FREE**
The integral episode of Netflix’s original series Black Mirror is called “National Anthem.” It follows a man named Michael Callow. This Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is awoken in the wee hours of the morning to a phone call. We learn, with Callow, that a princess, Princess Susannah, has been kidnapped by an unknown actor. In order to insure her safe release the Prime Minister is given a simple task. He must “... have full, unsimulated sexual intercourse with a pig” as demanded in the YouTube video created by the kidnapper. In the 44 minute episode we are taken all over London to observe how people all over the city are reacting to the outrageous and sadistically hilarious demands.
Through the use of sub-plots and some impressive character development, the director and writers of this episode cover all levels of human interaction. We are shown how Michael Callow’s relationship with his wife is strained as the events unfold and she reads some crude internet comments about her and her husband’s sex life. We see the reactions of various government figures. Downing Street is thrown into disarray while various members of the government attempt to rescue Princess Susannah. The episode even plays with the large scale implications of this scenario through the news cycle over the course of the episode and the silence that befall the city in the final, climactic minutes towards the end. These levels explored by “National Anthem” are an interesting philosophical lesson about spectacle in the modern age.
Black Mirror is obsessed with screens (of course getting its name from the “black mirror” referring to our electronic screens). Nearly every scene of “National Anthem” contains someone watching a television. This this idea of spectacle is not entirely fiction and points out something, more true to life than we would like to admit. The broadcast spectacle of “National Anthem” practically paralyzed an entire city. Within the government the merit of sex with a pig is always referenced in tandem with public opinion. One of Callow’s advisors saying to the Prime Minister: “Strong undercut of sympathy. Ever poll indicates public understanding. Disgust with the captor, outrage at the whole thing. But not at you.”
“National Anthem” to me is an amazingly accurate interpretation of what may very well happen in our reality if such a scenario was to play out. Much of the acting outside of the main characters leaves much to be desired. In particular the UKN plotline adds an interesting layer to the overarching story, but the performances given my the members of the press are lack-luster to say the least. Rory Kinnear is fantastic to watch in his role as Michael Callow, and shows an impressive range of emotion throughout the episode. The directing and writing have their flaws with some odd phrasing and delivery, but that could just be my limited knowledge of English vernacular. The motivation of each character is clear and justified by the story, and the suspense of each pivotal scene is palpable.
This is a capturing first entry in the science fiction anthology series. It is daring from start to finish, without question. If you long for a return of something similar to The Twilight Zone this may be the show you’re looking for. Black Mirror with hopefully bring the same chops in the next episode: “Fifteen Million Merits.”
Citations:
“National Anthem.” Black Mirror, created by Charlie Brooker, directed by Otto Bathurst, starring Rory Kinnear season 1, episode 1, Netflix, 2010
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