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Monday, 15 August 2022

The Sandman: A Hope in Hell

 "I am hope..."

Why does Lucifer not just counter with despair, or nihilism, or some such dreary bollocks? Never mind; I usually tune out suring any but the quirkiest of fight scenes, but this one is so beautifully poetic- and, though I remember the comic book only dimly, I believe it's faithful, more or less. So is the evocative and myth-like scene with Nada, a woman he loves but has sentenced to Hell because he does not forgive her after ten thousand years. This is powerful stuff, like the ancient myths.

Meanewhile, John Dee, cynical, insane and troublingly powerful, meets Rosemary, a damaged yet kind and good woman. Yet this does not comfort us. Those masterful scenes of tension in the car and the petrol station, and his cruel killing of the shoipkeeper, show us he is capable of casual cruelty. So his casual kindness to Rosemary, even if it gives her immunity from harm, is merely a sign of terrible capriciousness. This man is dangerous.

I love the poetic depictiuon of Hell, even if it doesnt quite import the idea from the comic that the punishments of the damned arise from their own subconscious. I love the stoicism of Dream. I love the humanity of Matthew, although he's a crow. This is beautiful telly.

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