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If you flick over to SBS right now, you’ll catch Big Love, a show that I’ve already gone on quite a bit about. The opening sequence however, deserves a mention. It’s classic HBO, a little surreal, a little very symbolic, accompnied by what Paul McCartney calls the best song ever written “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys.
Update: Get some insight into the symbolism of the opener with this comment.
As a Big Love fan and as an admittedly fascinated non-Mormon who has studied the religion a bit, I believe that the opening to the show was designed to sum up Mormonism visually. Each of the scenes represents a particular belief in the Mormon belief system and when I first saw Big Love, I couldn’t help but laugh.
As a disclaimer, this is all just my opinion.
When the ice breaks beneath the feat of Bill and his wives, it symbolizes their death. Mormons believe that families are forever, and in the afterlife they are reunited eternally.
After their death, Bill and his wives are seen stumbling through a series of bright white sheets. This represents stepping through the “veil” that separates this earth from the eternal afterlife. When mormons marry in the temple, part of the ceremony involves the husband symbolically pulling his wife through an actual white sheet. It represents the Mormon doctrine that after death, husbands must usher their wives into heaven through the veil (as women cannot get into heaven without their husband). Therefore, I believe that this scene undoubtedly illuminates this portion of the marriage ceremony as well as the principles behind it.
Finally, the end scene shows Bill and his wives atop one of many planets having dinner. This represents the Mormon ideal that upon attaining the highest level of heaven (the Celestial Kingdom), men each become a God of their own planet. And, of course, all of his wives are there to populate the planet with their “spirit children.” This scene gives the viewer a vision of where Bill and his wives will be after they die – running their own planet for all eternity.
Anyway – I’ve always wanted to blog about this but never had the chance.
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marco Reply:
February 17th, 2009 at 8:02 am
I think the ice cracking is simply that they are “skating on thin ice” with their lifestyle.
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Please can anyone tell me when the second series of ‘Big Love’ will be screened on UK television. I saw the first series but have seen nothing about a second series.
thank you
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i lived in utah for a number of years, thus, i understood all the symbolism behind the opening sequence… i also enjoy how they are semi masking the various sects in existence in the state. the ‘compound’ area is around 30 miles from where my second home is… and, yes, it is exactly as portrayed… it’s well done, i know a number of the bill, etc, polygamists. whatever rocks your boat, and if you can support your wives, and they are in complete agreement with the way of life, it works for me.
i have problems with the compound and other forms of polygamy…
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