In play Unscripted drama
Benjamin Markovits
At the end of Brecht’s Threepenny Opera, the robber Macheath stands ready to be hanged. He is guilty as charged, but at the last minute his reprieve arrives on horseback, a pardon from the king. “So that at least in the opera we can witness,” runs the commentary, “mercy, for once, take priority over justice.”
We see these reprieves in sports all the time. Manchester United used to make a habit of them—including those two injury-time goals against Bayern Munich that won them the Champions League in 1999. I was a grad student watching the match in the college bar and I remember the sudden release of tension, also known as joy. Also, a lot of spilled beer. But if Liverpool’s comeback against Barcelona in last year’s Champions League semi-final had been scripted, it would have inspired very little response. There was no last-minute winner— the drama was gradual. Even if you made a movie of the events, after the fact, how could you recreate the intensity that Liverpool fans felt watching the goals unfold? At best you might be able to give the kind of pleasure you get from a scratched itch.