If you love soap opera sagas, you've got to check out Master of the Game. It's a completely engrossing seven-hour miniseries about a family who created and maintained a diamond empire in South Africa. It starts off with an elderly Dyan Cannon celebrating her birthday with some remaining family members and friends around her. She's wealthy and famous, but as she looks at family portraits, she laments the course certain members took. What mistakes have been made? Who has died, and who has betrayed her? The rest of the seven hours are dedicated to a linear telling of her family tree.
Her father's story is beyond fascinating. Ian Charleson is an Irish immigrant in South Africa, looking to make his fortune in a diamond mine. He gets swindled by the evil Donald Pleasance (who else?) by signing a "partnership contract" in case he stakes a successful claim, but no one expects Ian to return from his expedition. When he does, Donald tries to steal his fortune (and even tries to kill him!) and Ian vows to get revenge. Ian's character changes over time, and he's incredibly well-written. You understand why he hardens, and no matter how harsh he acts sometimes, you still root for him and want to learn more.
Usually, the historical portions of a miniseries are riveting, but as time becomes more modern, those characters get exponentially less interesting, until the audience has nothing left invested in the family. That's not the case in Master of the Game. Although Ian's journey is definitely the most interesting, his descendants still have highly dramatic paths that keep you guessing and glued to the screen. I can't recommend this series highly enough to those who like the genre. It's enormously fun to try (and fail) to guess what's going to happen next, to root for some and against others, and to see how the dynasty was built. Dyan ages nearly seven decades, and I was very impressed by how she handled her movements, posture, and speech as an old woman. I also loved her character, as I did Ian's. You understand how she became wary and jaded, and why she's willing to risk everything for the company.
I've already ordered a copy of Sidney Sheldon's original novel and can't wait to read it! In the vast supporting cast, there's Cliff De Young, Harry Hamlin, Johnny Sekka, David Birney, Liane Langland, Cherie Lunghi, Barry Morse, Angharad Rees, Fernando Allende, Maryam d'Abo, David Suchet, and Leslie Caron.
A final compliment goes to Raymond Hughes, the costume designer. It's an absolute travesty Mr. Hughes wasn't nominated for his work during the awards season. In every scene, the women are draped in beautiful period clothes; I actually pressed pause several times so I could admire the garments frozen in time on my television set. Whether you love costumes, melodramas, or family empires, rent this 1984 classic. It's fantastic.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. When Angharad Rees gets a dizzy spell on the stairs, the camera blurs for a few seconds; and when the twin girls are playing on the staircase, the camera is a little handheld, and that will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!
