The Man In The High Castle

A story that transports people to an alternate reality usually challenges us to examine our own behaviors. Alternate universes are also important for us to understand our reality. Sometimes, we live in a box whether we want to admit it or not. We allow ourselves to believe we live in a reality that was shaped by our own choices, without realizing that realities can be shaped by events and environmental influences.  Rod Serling proved how effective the could be almost 60 years ago. He created a 5th dimension that transported people to a world that could talk about prejudice without impunity. And his show helped Americans realize we are not as tolerant as we would like to think we are. In fact, much was wrong with America and it's claim to being a democratic nation.

Amazon has decided to test that reality by releasing a series known as "The Man In The High Castle." The series is based very loosely on the book of the same title. (Fans of the book will most likely be disappointed) The series is based on an alternate universe whereas a series of events led to the United States losing WWII. The setting is early 1960s, and the United States is divided into 3 sections. The west is the Pacific Coast States under control of Japan. The east is controlled by Germany and the Rocky Mountain states are a neutral zone.

The two superpowers are Japan and Germany, not the US and USSR. As with our reality, the Japanese and Germans want to control the rest of the world. The intrigue develops with this very tense relationship among the superpowers. What makes the series so unique is that it breaks down the alternate universe intimately by an intriguing analysis of the main characters. There are plenty of twists and turns how we got to 1960. And the parallel universe of the real United States lurks in the background. The main weapon are missing film clips, that both sides want to hide from the general population.

There are so many levels to this series that are worth talking about. It challenges us to examine our policies of our past and present in the current United States of America. The revisionist nature of series allows for clever plot twists based on our own knowledge of history. While the story strays from the book, I actually like the writing as it provides a contemporary look at history from a lens of a totally different world. It gives the viewer a sense of good, bad, and indifference to how we see the world. This is the best part of the series. It surely encourages many to examine their own perception of history.