While waiting a few months ago for the fluffy Rom-Com Home Again to start,I saw a trailer for what looked like a stylish, historical series. A few weeks later,I was thrilled to find out that the entire three-part mini-series had been put on BBC iPlayer,which led to me to loading up on gunpowder.
The outline of the mini-series:
Losing all hope of King James I of England and VI of Scotland, Catholics are left to look on in horror,as they are killed by Protestants ,and pushed into hiding. Witnessing the murders of those dearest to him, Robert Catesby vows to get revenge. Meeting fellow Catholics who want revenge,Catesby and Guy Fawkes gather gunpowder for a special opening of parliament.
View on the mini-series:
Bringing three Game of Thrones cast members along to this bonfire night, director J Blakeson (who did the very good 2009 Thriller film The Disappearance of Alice Creed) & cinematographer Philipp Blaubach give the show some of GoT grit,with musk and layers of fog covering the screen as Catesby plans the attack. Moving away from the "class" the Costume Drama is usually known for, Blakeson unexpectedly drills into the Historical Horror genre,with Blakeson expanding on his past Thriller work with blistering,bloody stylisation nailing the horrors inflicted on the Catholics.
Setting out the plan over the three eps, the scripts by co- writer/(with Ronan Bennett and Daniel West) lead actor Kit Harington (who is actually related to Catesby) never let the gunpowder get fired up,due to a focus on the melodrama state of Catesby,which causes any other interesting-looking character to largely be pushed to the side, and the political situation behind the attack to be left in muddy waters,that only spark during a tense escape/chase that stands as the set-piece of the series. Fighting against a hissing Mark Gatiss as Lord Robert Cecil, Harington gives a penny for the guy with a great performance as Catesby,with each murder Catesby witnesses,Harington uses the anger to light the fuse in his heart.
The outline of the mini-series:
Losing all hope of King James I of England and VI of Scotland, Catholics are left to look on in horror,as they are killed by Protestants ,and pushed into hiding. Witnessing the murders of those dearest to him, Robert Catesby vows to get revenge. Meeting fellow Catholics who want revenge,Catesby and Guy Fawkes gather gunpowder for a special opening of parliament.
View on the mini-series:
Bringing three Game of Thrones cast members along to this bonfire night, director J Blakeson (who did the very good 2009 Thriller film The Disappearance of Alice Creed) & cinematographer Philipp Blaubach give the show some of GoT grit,with musk and layers of fog covering the screen as Catesby plans the attack. Moving away from the "class" the Costume Drama is usually known for, Blakeson unexpectedly drills into the Historical Horror genre,with Blakeson expanding on his past Thriller work with blistering,bloody stylisation nailing the horrors inflicted on the Catholics.
Setting out the plan over the three eps, the scripts by co- writer/(with Ronan Bennett and Daniel West) lead actor Kit Harington (who is actually related to Catesby) never let the gunpowder get fired up,due to a focus on the melodrama state of Catesby,which causes any other interesting-looking character to largely be pushed to the side, and the political situation behind the attack to be left in muddy waters,that only spark during a tense escape/chase that stands as the set-piece of the series. Fighting against a hissing Mark Gatiss as Lord Robert Cecil, Harington gives a penny for the guy with a great performance as Catesby,with each murder Catesby witnesses,Harington uses the anger to light the fuse in his heart.