Continued from the previous post.:)
Secondly, the story telling in The Tudors has little of the moral ambiguity that was one of the main reasons why I enjoyed The Sopranos so much. I’m guessing back 470 years ago, ethical matters were maybe more clear-cut than they are today.
In 16th century England though, each story and incident is played straight with little of the complexities that you assumed should have factored into each character’s decision to say or do what they historically did. Each character wears their emotions and motivations on their sleeves.
Also, some of the story arcs don’t make sense either or just doesn’t get anywhere, e.g. Thomas Tallis’ homosexuality. The early baroque composer disappears at the end of season 1 fortunately – I’m guessing he got written off the series.
Henry VIII’s ‘great matter’, or his seeking of an annulment of his marriage to Queen Catherine of Aragon in order to wed Anne Bolyen, is given a lot of attention in the first two seasons too. Historically, his tussle with the Roman Catholic Church did indeed stretch over many years; but the case of The Tudors, it forms the central theme for too many episodes till the point of tedium.
The HD presentation is marvelous when it’s good but ultimately inconsistent. In the well-lit and gorgeous outdoor scenes, colors are bright and pop right out. However, a couple of settings were of the dark-ish sort and there was visible pixelation.
The production sets. A lot of the story takes place indoors, and little of it outside. It’s a small gripe: but I was wishing frequently for more scenes outdoors, e.g. in the gorgeous English country-side. Costumes are amazing and deserving of the awards it’s taken in that department, though they all look brand new and as though tailored using modern means. CG work is a mixed bag. The first season sky cam shots of London alternates between good and so obviously computer-generated. The second season fares better; there’s a aerial scene of Rome that’s absolutely stunning. If I could do a screen capture of it, I would and set it as desktop wallpaper!
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Is the series worth watching? Well, I think it is if you can put aside the casting issues. You’ll learn about English history, and the series is somewhat faithful to history, with many statements uttered by characters and incidents apparently actually having taken place hundreds of years ago. It’s not a facsimile of history though, and a Google search will turn up lists of historical inaccuracies on a per episode basis.
The series improves also from the first to the second season. Some episodes in the latter are absolutely incredible, e.g. Saint Thomas More’s final days and trial before the Lord Chancellor for his denial of the Act of Succession.
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