La reina blanca

Having read all of Phillipa Gregory's books on the Lancasters, Yorks and Tudors and having seen other adaptations of her work, I knew that this would be good entertainment even though it is rife with historical inaccuracies.

Being Gregory is a historian, I find her penchant for deviating from history as well as just making things up extremely distressing and annoying. The actual history is compelling enough and in no need of elaboration. People will read her books and watch her movies thinking them to be accurate.

So if you want good entertainment this is a good show. The casting is excellent, the costuming is fabulous and in general this is a very well made show. Just realize that it is not history but very loosely based on history.

I've seen a few period series, and almost all of them stand out for the same reasons and fall into the same traps. I remember, in particular, the famous and successful series "The Tudors" and another, less well-known, "The Borgias", but there are others. And after seeing these series, I feel that they are similar to each other, although they address different times, contexts, figures and geographies. Some even say, and I understand why, that this miniseries (one season, ten episodes) is a prequel to "The Tudors". It's not, the cast or crew are different, but it could be.

The historical period covered, of about thirty years, begins with the accession to the throne of the House of York by the hand of Edward IV, after the deposition of the unstable King Henry VI and the first phase of the Wars of the Roses. Much of the series will focus on the figure of this willful and charismatic monarch and his military chief, Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick. However, the main dish of the series is the women and their ability to influence: the king makes a debatable marriage with Isabel Rivers, harming Warwick's interests and creating a rivalry between the Neville and Rivers clans. The "kingmaker" will then go to France, kneeling before another powerful woman: Margaret of Anjou, wife of the deposed king, who used her connections to French royalty to raise money, supporters and troops for the House of Lancaster.

At a time when nobles had the power and money to arm troops for themselves, the support of the high nobility dictated the tide of events. The series shows this through the Stanleys (two brothers who, by strategy, place themselves on both sides of the conflict) and the Nevilles, who give Henry VI the means for a brief restoration that ends in his death, in the Tower of London, and in the death of Richard Neville at the Battle of Barnet. This neutralized this family power, with their daughters marrying York princes, who divided the family heritage and put it in the Crown assets. However, and staying true to the material of novelist Philippa Gregory, the series gives relevance to these ladies, particularly Anne Neville, who marries the Lancastrian heir and, after being widowed, the future Richard III. Personally, I have a lot of doubts here: everything indicates that Anne, far from being the strong and influential woman shown, was just a pawn in a game where she had little to say. The series ends with the defeat and death of Richard III at the hands of Henry Tudor's troops.

I apologize if I exaggerated the analysis of the historical facts, but being a historian, I thought it was pertinent to talk a little about it. On the other hand, I feel that I am not saying anything that cannot be learned from the Internet or from a good English history book. The series is good and interesting, although I have noticed some mistakes that are not understandable: women with their heads uncovered, nobles fighting on foot and without helmets, breeds of dogs that did not exist at the time, etc. It is in these details that we observe the ability of a series to be faithful to historical truth. Even so, the series fared somewhat better at this point than "Tudors".

The cast is good, although sometimes the performances are anachronistic (the characters sound and behave like people of our time) and dialogues are cheesy. Rebecca Ferguson deserves applause for a job well done and convincing, as do Max Irons, Aneurin Barnard, David Oakes, Tom Mckay, Rupert Graves and James Frain. The actors gave themselves to the characters and tried to be authentic, although they may not have always received the best material. On the negative side, Amanda Hale exaggerates and makes her character a fanatic on the verge of madness and Faye Marsay does what she can with her character, but takes on increasingly contemporary attitudes and gestures. I liked Janet McTeer's work, but I preferred a French-speaking actress in the role, because the character featured was French by origin.

Technically, the series is quite elegant and makes the best use of the Belgian settings where it was filmed, between Ghent, Bruges and Ypres. Equally well-made, the costumes seem appropriate for the time, except for the glaring absence of hats and head coverings or veils, an essential part of fashion at the time, as the painting so expressively reveals to us. The photography and filming work was very well done, the effects work well, the opening credits design is very well done, and the soundtrack is reasonably good.

Interesting story line for those of you who have the slightest clue of history. Other reviewers talk about "supernatural" plot lines. I had to chuckle. This series is based on a scandalous time in history. It is pretty factual with some added creative license. Historical events of this family and time involve accusations of witchcraft. This is not a Hollywood conjured up plot line with supernatural concoctions to make a series more interesting as other reviewers suggest. After this first episode, I would say it rates mountains above most garbage you see on US television. Elizabeth Grey reigned as queen for 19 years. I recommend a Google search for some of you to get a taste of the juicy storyline this series will bring.

Ostensively, this is based on three books written by Philippa Gregory; The White Queen, The Red Queen, and The Kingmaker's Daughter.

First, the White Queen/Queen Elizabeth (Rebecca Ferguson) who marries Edward IV (Max Irons) after his overthrow of the old ineffective King Henry VI and the cruel Bad Queen/Margaret of Anjou. Elizabeth had lost her husband defending the old King. Edward won the crown with his brothers Richard (Aneurin Barnard) and George (David Oakes) and cousin Warwick (James Frain). Neither the mother of the three brothers nor Warwick like the new queen claiming she practices witchcraft which she does.

The second is the Red Queen/Lady Margaret Beaufort (Amanda Hale) who is the mother of Henry Tudor. She burns with the conviction that her son will one day be King. She chaffs at all the slights imparted on her son and stays close to court waiting for an opportunity.

The third is Anne Neville (Faye Marsay), the daughter of Warwick and eventual wife to Richard. Her mistrust of Queen Elizabeth would ignite a whole series of internal family struggle after the death King Edward.

This is kind of like a prequel to The Tudors. If you like scheming and backstabbing, this has loads of that. This series likes to go with more the point of view of the women of court. It doesn't have any big battles or big set pieces. That's perfectly fine. There is still plenty of drama to be had. Rebecca Ferguson is quite good at the center stage. It is James Frain who steals much of the scenes. His presence is overwhelming and rises above everybody. He also has a great part. In fact, there are a lot of great performances from everybody. It helps that the Royal soap opera is so rich.

If you are of the disposition to enjoy extravagant production values, a handsome cast and plots compromised of devious political maneuvering, then it will be easy to appreciate BBC One's epic saga The White Queen for the rollicking good drama that it is. If, however, you are a narc for period accuracy, it's probably best to stick to the history channel.

Adapted from the best selling novel series The Cousins' War by Philippa Gregory, the show is set during the War Of The Roses, a conflict between the House of York and The House of Lancaster for the throne of England.

The subtext of the series revolves around the plight of medieval women, a fate fraught with perils equal to anything that their male counterparts faced on the battlefield. It's an oppressive, violent and often soul destroying existence from which not even the nobles from which the series draws it's focus are spared. In this way the The White Queen surprisingly possesses quite an insular focus despite the scope of the events that play out around the main characters. Interpersonal dynamics and the quest for personal power are the main factors that propel the narrative.

The pilot episode has actually been the weakest thus far, mainly serving the purpose of character introductions and setting the foundation of the central romance between Elizabeth Woodville and King Edward IV. This is not say that it is without merit, as the episode acts as an intriguing appetizer of promised delights to come. Initial patience is soon rewarded as the subsequent installments have upped the anti ten fold. Admittedly creative license has been taken in regards to a number of events, but there is no denying that The White Queen is thrilling melodrama nevertheless.

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