The Violent Earth

The plot and characters are hardly worth commenting on - you have seen them before. The performances are competent and the sets adequate for a low budget drama. The most noteworthy thing about this series is that it was meant to be set in large part in the country now called New Caledonia. This is a French territory in the south west pacific which has a troubled history, largely as a result of colonial occupation and which is still unstable. The real history of those islands is interesting and dramatic. This mini-series reduces it to dull cliches. It is rendered even more unwatchable by the main characters having to preface what they say to each other by phrases like, "You are melanesian...." They have to say things like that because they so obviously have not the slightest drop of melanesian blood in their bodies. Perhaps they assume that the audience for this will be too stupid or ignorant to know the difference. There are many fine melanesian actors - the makers should have made an effort to use some of them here. A sad waste of celluloid devoted to what could have been in interesting subject - as colonial in its attitude as the colonialism it attacks.

"Hear, hear" for Pixie463, so well-inspired in his or her praise of this 3-part saga... 20 years ago, soon after the films were shot!

I find it striking that this little piece of IMDb turf is somehow in the saga's image: lost in an ocean of thousands of referenced movies or series, a distant speck overshadowed by blockbusters continents, mentioned here by three rare commentors who reached its shores at 5 or 10 years intervals (now four, 5 years after my both eerie and touching predecessor), when you can spend a night failing to go through hundreds of dissing comments "on the continents"!

The saga is brilliantly in the "colors of life", tragic and heart-beating, deepening human history by spanning 3 generations, opportunately showing how "it all happens for a reason", and also illustrating how much character any of us needs to endure the (numerous) hardships of life and how much faith (of any color) we must kindle to maintain hope that, after all, it's all worth it and does bring us a measure of grace if we've worked to deserve it.

I caught the first part 5 years ago on « France O' » (the French public channel devoted to France' overseas territories, their current culture, their history, etc.), and it made that kind of memorable impression me. These days, France O' is rerunning the 3 parts, I taped #2 and 3, just finished watching the 2nd... and can't go to bed without lingering on it.

French actress Claire Nebout (Hélène) is charismatic as usual and I'm delighted to have discovered Claudia Kevan (Jeanne) in E2, her acting is superior all the way through.

Since we're in Australian waters or just about, I must say it brings back memories and emotions of being enthralled, decades ago, by "The Thorn Birds".

Heartilly recommended if it ever reaches one of your shores!

The three part mini-series, "The Violent Earth", is a beautifully told story with wonderful acting and gorgeous scenery.

As the lives of three generations of a French/Austrailian family unfold, you are captivated by the power of the strong, independent women in the story and by all the adventures they experience. Horrors of massacred loved ones, conflicts with local natives, typhoons, marriages, revolutions, and deaths are all part of this terrific television film. You won't be disappointed with the stories presented, and the cinematography is something you'll never forget. If there is ever a chance to see this stupendous mini-series, definitely stay home and take the chance offered you.