Mozart In The Jungle is unabashedly a comedy but it’s probably the only television comedy I’ve seen that has been so artfully framed, directed, and edited. The show focuses on talented young oboist Hailey and eccentric maestro Rodrigo as its heroine/hero. Like its characters, the show haphazardly juggles its tones between dry and down to earth to incredulously surreal. The world may sometimes struggle to establish its internal logic but its sexy charm saves it from being unbearable. Rodrigo’s turbulent character rhythm also tends to trickles into the show’s pace, driving it teeter on the edge of confusing and boundary-pushing. Still not sure if it’s a strength or weakness.
The comedy comes in many forms (dry, character, broad, absurd) with brushes of whimsical and bizzarre. Coupled with the gorgeous cinematography, they create a sparkling world where possibilities abound. For example, Rodrigo (and the audience) often sees and speaks out loud to visions of a powder-wigged young Mozart during his times of crises which his friends easily brush off. An entire episode is even told/shot in an artsy documentary form made by one of the seondary characters. Anchoring the show is the enormous heart the characters have for their music, quietly showing the sacrifices they make to exist the way they do.
New York City and classical music is here delightfully paired and perfect for each other. Many establishing shots are underscored by manic classical pieces that are fitting for the pace of the city and the desperation of its characters. The show loves classical music but it also doesn’t take it too seriously, consciously but effortlessly turning its perceived “stuffiness” on its head. Because the public may generally view classical pieces as inaccessible to contemporary sensibilities, we become forced to experience it through the characters’ new, blood-pumping points of view. The disconnect is bridged yet the humour capitalises on the subversion.
NYC is painted with familiarity, the way someone who lived there would perceive it. It’s never cloyingly charming nor intimidatingly cold, often using warm palettes like greens and browns but takes care to include urban greys and blacks. Here, the city is not romanticised but lived in…with a little something special. After all, the characters we follow are much like the virtuostic people who walk among us – quite human but touched by something extraordinary.