'Treme':
Season 1 Blu-ray review
Treme is one of the greatest TV shows that you don't watch but really should do. The brainchild of David Simon, creator of The Wire and Generation Kill, Treme is a sprawling ten-part series focusing on the good folks of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Whilst this may not seem the most compelling idea for a show, especially when Spike Lee has dealt with a similar subject matter in the superb When The Levees Break documentary trilogy, the root of Treme's appeal is in the vibrant jazz music that permeates the life of each character, musician or not.The various threads of Treme are spread widely across a main cast of characters that number over a dozen, though as the show progresses (including a very surprising "death" towards the end of the season) the main protagonists begin to get more focused as we follow the radio DJ Steve Zahn and his on-off relationship with struggling chef and HBO regular Kim Dickens, professor and writer turned celebrity blogger John Goodman, his long-suffering wife Melissa Leo and down at heel street musicians Lucia Micarelli and Michiel Huisman. All have just about managed to keep stoic in the face of Katrina, though as the months continue after the initial disaster, the lack of support they receive from both the government and the local council is palpable.
Wendell Pierce is perhaps the stand-out cast member as Antoine Batiste, a band-leader for hire trombonist who effortlessly vacillates between fatherhood spread across two different women and charlatanism as he haggles with taxi drivers and taps up jazz-loving Japanese businessman for a new horn, but still manages to nearly scotch the deal when an argument breaks out over who played which instrument on an obscure extant recording. He is ably matched by Clarke Peters as Albert Lambreaux, an Indian chief who will take pride of place in the Mardi Gras regardless of the political pressures that come with attempting to squat a habitable historical area of the town ear-marked for demolition.
The socio-cultural issues are perhaps somewhat diluted when compared to The Wire, since the music holds pride of place within the very foundations of Treme, and perhaps this is why the show has yet to find its feet with audiences. However, it really is well worth your time, even if the pace is very much influenced by the New Orleans way of life and cameos from the likes of Elvis Costello and Steve Earle nearly topple proceedings into parody.
With such a show as this, sound is just as important as picture quality - fortunately the Blu-ray release exceeds expectations on both counts. The show was shot digitally and ergo the picture quality is tantamount to perfect, while a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio track for each episode lets the music truly shine.
Released on Blu-ray and DVD on Monday 30th May 2011 by Warner Home Video
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