Few shows get everything right. This one gets more right than wrong but there are weaknesses. The strengths: the cinematography is absolutely stunning. For six hours you can indulge in the unspoiled, sunny countryside of 19th century Sicily, one beautiful shot after another. Likewise, the costumes are beyond beautiful; someone deserves an award for their beauty and variety. And then there's the acting: most of the cast is adequate, but there are two absolutely standouts: the first is Kim Rossi Stuart, one of those actors who can convey deep emotions with just a facial expression, a twitch of the eyes, a slight curl of the mouth. But the most extraordinary performance belongs to Benedetta Procaroli. She is actually the center of the story, and without her dazzling skills, the show wouldn't have worked. And that's because of the program's weakness: it's very slow, as though everyone on the production could barely labor in the hot Sicilian summer sun. There are long intervals where nothing happens, and although it's a beautiful nothing, too much nothing is boring. This show just barely avoids that -- thanks to the acting, the scenery, the costumes.
