The Bear is FX’s latest smash hit, a compelling story about Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), a classically trained, fine dining chef, trying to save his recently deceased brother’s failing Chicago sandwich shop. Carmy struggles to bring his new enigmatic crew up to speed on proper restaurant etiquette, cooking techniques, and deep cleaning. What truly makes this show so special is the cinematography; the chaos during dinner service is often captured in one take, with the camera following Carmy as he weaves his way through the kitchen amidst yelling, accidents, dropped plates, and stove fires. The camera work is smooth and flowing, in direct contrast to the intense, fast-paced nature of undertrained, but well-meaning, chefs scrambling around a cluttered, small kitchen.
Every episode of The Bear is stressful to watch in the most enjoyable way. Everyone yells and screams over each other, the strong personalities of Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri), Tina Marrero (Liza Colón-Zayas), Richie Jerimovich (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), Marcus (Lionel Boyce), and Neil Fak (Matty Matheson) clashing together violently. While one would expect many jump-cuts and flashes around the kitchen, the camera remains stable and follows Carmy like a shadow, showing his frustration, exasperation, and brief moments of pure joy. The fluid movements are pleasing to the eye and lend a way to digest the chaos to the audience. There is little time for respite, as constant issues arise in every dinner service and disputes are commonplace.
As someone who is frequently overwhelmed and experiences sensory issues, the cinematography compliments the pandemonium and creates a healthy dichotomy that brings the audience directly into the kitchen but doesn’t allow viewers to be bumped or run into. The Bear expertly captures what it is truly like to work in a kitchen; it is a nod to those who work in the industry, as well as a way to create empathy between diners and chefs. As patrons, we never know what is going on in the closed-off kitchen, but The Bear highlights the reality that most people in the restaurant business contend with every single day so that we may have a meal.
It is easy to forget that this is not an actual kitchen or a reality series. The entire cast is real, raw, and accessible. They aren’t uppity or forcing their performances, it seems to come naturally to the cast. The Bear is truly one of a kind and is one of my most beloved shows.
