Set in England around the 12th Century, this production is a rather curious mix of Braveheart, Gladiator and Mad Men! Braveheart and Gladiator for the rather enthralling battle-sequences in all their bloody glory, together with the musical stylings (reminiscent of both); and Mad Men for the style of story-telling: a myriad of inter-woven mini-stories that are all connected in some way, at the same protracted pace.
My only criticism at this point has to be the explicit characterisations: you know the creepy-looking bad guys from the offset with their long dark greasy hair (a la Alan Rickman from Harry Potter) as well as the protagonist heroes (Rufus Sewell looking quite butched up as 'Tom Builder' whose trade just happens to be a... well, Builder!). Also of note is the obvious attempt to please the unconvinced with the (unnecessarily) gratuitous sex-scenes, and other moments of sexual insinuation. Not quite as bad as The Tudors (for which I stayed with for only a handful of episodes), but a little patronising for the viewer... I'm sure the novelisation is a touch more subtle and nuanced.
Who would have thought a story about the building of a Cathedral in the context of British Politics could be made to seem so entertaining and engaging! A Cain and Abel storyline, doomed love, forced love, the nature of family (the harmonious and the dysfunctional), and the seemingly overwhelming power of church and monarchy vs the simple morality (apparently) of the decent under-class...
Not a masterpiece, but engaging enough. I look forward to the next episode!
No comments:
Post a Comment