The Flemish Bandits

I really liked the storyline and the character development. It makes you question if it really was like that in 17th century Belgium.

Asa fan of the old Flemish Masters, I couldn't miss Jan de Licht's exploits on Netflix. I binge watched it in two days, and I was hungry for more when it finished. It's a beautifully lensed period piece about bandits in Flandres, set in 18th century, duing the Austrian succession wars. The mini series opens en force, it has one of the best openings scenes, whose build up will remind many of the viewers of Tarantino. The casting is so spot on - many fresh faces for me, or maybe I'm not so well versed in European actors, but many of them with a pictural quality - hence many of the shots brought to mind paintings of sitters or Flemish portraits, you ve got to love those red-headed ladies, but also the men, great casting overall; but not only that, but the acting is very good, believable, which adds on to the already well fleshed out characters. Maybe the fact that the film is based on a novel helped, as many of the lines in the show are quote-worthy. It's a show about les nouveau riches, the new blood, about the bourgeoisie, about banditry and outlaws, but with relevance for today. It's a very contemporary show in tone - and aesthetics, although it pays homage to Pays Bas painting, it's very modern in terms of camera, those hand held's in the forrest, that I first saw in Black Death, are surprisingly fresh in a period piece about bandits and nobles. It can be read as a story from rags to riches, but with enough Belgian grit for the connaisseurs to enjoy. It's filthy and beautiful at the same time. The language is Flemish and it's beautiful, its mixture of Dutch and German and French, sounds so exotic to me. Watch it in original, with English or French subs.

I first must say I watched this in the original language and subtitled. That precludes me from catching a lot of the subtext that only understanding the spoke dialect gives one. That aside: The production levels on this series is high. The weapons master - got it RIGHT. The costumes, and, I am no expert, seem to be RIGHT. Everyone who isn't the higher ups, are appropriately dirtier as you go down the social scale, but it seems to be in place. The set dressers, got it RIGHT. So, why bad reviews? Maybe because it wasn't action by the second, but, characters are developed, plot lines merge and separate. I enjoy these foreign productions,I am watching it on Netflix, who I am told have production facilities world wide and bring content we would not usually see. Worth while entertainment.

Set in the heart of 18th Century Flanders, Thieves of the Wood is a pretty good period drama, even if it does fall a little too far into melodramatic waters toward the end of the series. For the most part though, the show does well to juggle its central cast of characters, with Jan the most likable out the bunch. With some gritty visuals and some decent production design, this Flemish drama is certainly enough to warrant a watch, even if it's unlikely to ignite the period drama scene.

Admittedly, I don't know an awful lot about this period of history, which is party why the drama is so appealing. At the heart of it though lies returning soldier Jan, who discovers that corruption is rife in his hometown, thanks in part to the sick and poor exiled to the forests. With a clear class divide this early acting as fuel for the conflicts ahead, on the other side of the fence is Baru, a new bailiff keen on instilling reform and changes. The third and final main storyline revolves around Heloise and together, this trio of characters essentially anchor the drama to the usual tropes you'd expect.

There are hints of a Robin Hood-esque plot at work here and throughout the series most of the drama revolves around a road being built which acts as the crux of conflict for both sides. As the series grows, this does change slightly to incorporate more romantic themes but there are a couple of nice twists late on that keep things interesting. I won't give too much away but suffice to say if you like character drama and soapy elements, Thieves of the Wood is a pretty good option.

Aesthetically at least, the show looks great. There's a stark contrast between the rich and poor here, deliberately showcased through extreme close ups of the mud and dirt, while wide, sweeping shots of the lavish interiors offers the reverse for the rich. It's a subtle trick but one that does work well to reinforce the themes that play out across the season.

In terms of costume and production design, Thieves of the Wood does well and there's a real effort to make this as authentic as possible. Early on there's a specific curse word used that I had to look up to make sure it was befitting for the time period but beyond that, the series does well to keep things consistent and believable.

With decent visuals and an unusual setting not often showcased, Thieves of the Wood doesn't really reinvent the wheel but does a pretty good job keeping things engaging nonetheless. If you're in the mood for a period drama, this is a pretty good offering and while I wasn't a massive fan of the romantic subplot, there's enough here to make for an unremarkable but pretty solid season of entertainment.

Production on a decent level when it comes to actors costumes scenery. Plot overall good however seems stretched at some points especially beginning. When it comes to bandits themselves they seem to be the most boring Ive ever seen. I cannot recall a single joke from this series but maybe that's just the way flemish are, that I dont know :D