這部 2006 年的 BBC 影集, 講的是一個曼徹斯特警察在車禍中昏迷, 醒來後卻發現自己在1973年, 於是他必須在一個沒有手機沒有網路, 所有觀念和價值都完全不同年代繼續辦案. 除了對 70 年代的懷舊之外, “Life on Mars” 的特色是案件都與當時的文化和社會相關, 主角叫做 Sam Tayler, 他的上司 Gene Hunt, 是個會用暴力辦案的性格老粗. 目前兩季已經撥完, 在英國叫好又叫座. 劇情始終對Sam時空旅行的解釋留下很大的想像空間, 讓觀眾可以自行解讀. 續集 “Ashes to Ashes” 把背景移到 1981 倫敦, Sam 就不再是主角了. 變成 Hunt 和另一個時空旅行回到過去的女警探搭檔.
發現這部影集是個意外, 反正台灣也看不到… 不過第一集最開始 “Sam時空旅行” 這一段拍的非常吸引人, 既有英式幽默又帶點感傷. 貫串其中用就是 David Bowie 1973 年超經典單曲 “Life On Mars”, 其中的副歌歌詞 “Take a look at the lawman beating up the wrong guy. Wonder if he’ll ever know.” 正好和當時警方的價值觀呼應. 其實我想說的是, 以前聽 David Bowie 的歌只覺得很好聽而已, 仔細看歌詞才發現這首歌是很犀利的社會觀察. 嗚~ 說得自己好想看這部影集, 沒有什麼比發現好東西又看不到更令人難受的了.
It’s a God awful small affair. To the girl with the mousey hair,
But her mummy is yelling, “No!” And her daddy has told her to go,
But her friend is no where to be seen
Now she walks through her sunken dream
To the seats with the clearest view
And she’s hooked to the silver screen,
But the film is sadd’ning bore For she’s lived it ten times or more.
She could spit in the eyes of fools As they ask her to focus on
Sailors Fighting in the dance hall.
Oh man! Look at those cavemen go. It’s the freakiest show.
Take a look at the lawman Beating up the wrong guy.
Oh man! Wonder if he’ll ever know
He’s in the best selling show. Is there life on Mars?
It’s on America’s tortured brow
That Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow.
Now the workers have struck for fame
‘Cause Lennon’s on sale again.
See the mice in their million hordes From Ibeza to the Norfolk Broads.
Rule Britannia is out of bounds To my mother, my dog, and clowns,
But the film is a sadd’ning bore ‘Cause I wrote it ten times or more.
It’s about to be writ again As I ask you to focus on
