"The Tudors"

[feaito]

The Cable Channel "People & Arts" is currently airing the miniseries "The Tudors", starring Jonathan Rhys-Mayers. I like very much historical dramas, in spite of the inaccuracies that they may have, but when I saw some scenes of this miniseries when advertised by the channel, I felt that the dialogue was delivered by the characters like if they belonged to the XXth Century and not to the XVIth Century. When I saw the synopsis, something did not seem right.

Anyone has seen this series? Are they worth watching?

Thanks for any feedback.

[moira finnie]

I felt that the dialogue was delivered by the characters like if they belonged to the XXth Century and not to the XVIth Century. When I saw the synopsis, something did not seem right

I had the same impression when this ran here on tv. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers gives us the "I was a teenage Henry VIII" version of history. I had the impression that the young actor was in way over his head in this one. The producers seem to think that hormones explain this complex period in history in its entirety.

While watching the two episodes that I saw of this series, I kept thinking of the way that Robert Shaw in A Man For All Seasons played the king with a wit, curiosity, and playfulness as avid as his sex drive. Maybe the later episodes were more subtle, but I gave up on this one because of that "off" feeling that you detected straight off, Fernando.

[traceyk]

This is sort of off topic, but a long time ago, I read a book called The Autobiography of Henry the VIII, with notes by his fool, Will Somers. It was a fictional autobiography of the king and while it embellished history a bit, was still an enjoyable read. Margaret George is the author.

[feaito]

BTW, my wife and I gave up watching the series. Too many historical innaccuracies and the first chapter wasn't really that good. IMO J. Rhys-Mayers is not believable as the young Henry. He looks like a guy out of Calvin Klein Ad. Catherine of Aragon looks almost like if she was 15 years older than Henry and that was not the case. And the XXth Century atmosphere bothered me. My wife was annoyed by the tennis match depicted in that chapter.

I think that we gave it up for good.

[traceyk]

BTW, my wife and I gave up watching the series. Too many historical innaccuracies and the first chapter wasn't really that good. IMO J. Rhys-Mayers is not believable as the young Henry. He looks like a guy out of Calvin Klein Ad. Catherine of Aragon looks almost like if she was 15 years older than Henry and that was not the case. And the XXth Century atmosphere bothered me. My wife was annoyed by the tennis match depicted in that chapter.

I think that we gave it up for good.

Tennis goes back that far doesn't it? Not the game exactly as we know it today, but hitting a ball back and forth over a net with a racket?

[feaito]

BTW, my wife and I gave up watching the series. Too many historical innaccuracies and the first chapter wasn't really that good. IMO J. Rhys-Mayers is not believable as the young Henry. He looks like a guy out of Calvin Klein Ad. Catherine of Aragon looks almost like if she was 15 years older than Henry and that was not the case. And the XXth Century atmosphere bothered me. My wife was annoyed by the tennis match depicted in that chapter.

I think that we gave it up for good.

Tennis goes back that far doesn't it? Not the game exactly as we know it today, but hitting a ball back and forth over a net with a racket?

Yes I told her that, but she did not like it anyway. There was something wrong with the atmosphere of the game. I don't know, she felt that the attitudes of some characters didn't feel from the XVIth Century.

[traceyk]

They do that a lot in historical movies. Use modern language and attitudes. Probably so people can "relate" to the characters better.

Read something (can't remember what it was now) about movie remakes, especially those based on books, how the film makers will sort of tailor the film to match with prevailing attitudes and so forth. Adding scenes that weren't in the originals or books so that modern people will be more likely to attend. Like the totally feminist slant in the most recent "Little Women." I read the book and I don't remember Marmee being quite so modern, for example.

[feaito]

They do that a lot in historical movies. Use modern language and attitudes. Probably so people can "relate" to the characters better.

Read something (can't remember what it was now) about movie remakes, especially those based on books, how the film makers will sort of tailor the film to match with prevailing attitudes and so forth. Adding scenes that weren't in the originals or books so that modern people will be more likely to attend. Like the totally feminist slant in the most recent "Little Women." I read the book and I don't remember Marmee being quite so modern, for example.

You are right Tracey. I have read before people's complaints about Marmee's out of place feminism in the 1990's "Little Women" version. Similar complaints were written in relation to the relatively recent "Pride & Prejudice" adaptation (starring Keira Knightley).