 |
This six part drama gives a sympathetic portrayal of Thomas Cromwell's part in the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, the break with the Papacy and the rise of Protestantism. Hilary Mantel's novel, on which this drama is based, is a Protestant riposte to the Catholic-inspired film `A Man For All Seasons.' In Wolf Hall, Cromwell is a meditative self-made lawyer and minister, loyal to his former master Wolsey, and deeply interested in the new Lutheranism. In contrast, Thomas More is painted as a vain scholar, who defends a corrupt papal system and burns heretics with enthusiasm. However, the real monsters here are the home-wrecking intellectual beauty Anne Boleyn and, above all, Henry himself --- a man so obsessed with begetting a male heir that he's prepared to rip up the constitution, break international alliances and murder wives and ministers. Cromwell facilitates Henry's crimes, partly because he is sympathetc to Protestantism, but mostly because he believes the alternative is a return to the evil times of the War of the Roses, with rival claimants to the throne. He does, however, take a more personal pleasure in bringing down Anne and her courtiers, since Anne butally evicted Wolsey from his palace, while her courtiers celebrated his fall from royal favour. As well as the key political themes, this drama also gives a fascinating insight into Cromwell's household -- his priivate life and misfortunes, his family and servants, his legal practice and his young protege's, and his growing wealth and influence as a small-scale lord of the manor. This all helps to develop Mantel's message, that Cromwell had many admirable and human qualities.There are subplots involving the powerful ambassadors of Spain and the Papacy, as well as a serious exploration of the strands of early English Protestantism and its Continental influences. To convey all the complexitiies of the novel, to keep the audience entertained for 6 hours, and to compete with the world view presented by the multi-Oscar-winning `A Man For All Seasons', it was necessary to return to the high quality values of that film, in terms of the screenplay, acting, sets and direction, avoiding the pitfalls of cheap sex, misplaced humour, shoddy sets and mediocre acting, which have undermined many previous BBC productions. In achieving this, Wolf Hall is triumphantly successful. Mark Rylance is at least as compelling as Paul Scofield, wihich is to say that he sits with Alec Guiness as Smiley and Derek Jacobi as Hamlet, in the Pantheon of top BBC acting performances,.Jonthan Pryce is wonderful in the first episode, as Wolsey, leaving the impression of someone worthy of Cromwell's enduring loyalty. The scenes between Rylance and Claire Foy, as Anne Boleyn, are magnetic. Anton Lesser also gives a great performance as a less than saintly Thomas More. Damian Lewis is slightly unconvincing as Henry, who is a secondary character in Wolf Hall, as he was in AMFAS. As a historical drama, Wolf Hall is a more than worthy successor to previous British TV productions, `The Six Wives of Henry VIII,' `Elizabeth R' and `Edward ViI'. My own view is that Rylance's unique style of acting makes it the finest ever production. Four years after broadcast, the enduring memory is how much meditative thought and emotion he can convey sitting alone in a room saying nothing. Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Excellent series well produced with good sound and image. Probably makes Cromwell more a servant to Henry than a schemer and often self-centred character.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Surely one of the best BBC series ever produced. Superb acting from all of the cast set amongst a very realistic background and holding true to the author, Hilary Mantel, novel of a period in the latter part of Thomas Cromwell's life as he rises to power during the reign of King Henry 8th.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Beautifully rendered in every way. A brilliant visualisation of Tudor England. Superb acting, excellent lighting and dramatic effects.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
DVD is in excellent condition. I love the series anyway and recommend it to anyone who has read the Wolf Hall novels
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best-selling in DVDs & Blu-rays
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Save on DVDs & Blu-rays
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- You may also like
