Les Tudors

Well, it's gorgeous, well-acted but far too much tampering with the facts of history. Henry had TWO sisters, not one, and it was his sister, Mary, who was married off to a king in his dotage - and it was to the king of France, not Portugal. Margaret was married to the Scottish King, from whence comes the Stuart claim to the English throne. Don't watch this for your history exam! Just enjoy the costumes, set, fiery acting and music. The portrait of Henry, though, is wonderful. Lest we forget; he was quite handsome and charismatic in his younger days. As he continued getting his way both in politics and the bedroom, he grew more and more self-absorbed and ruthless. One good historical item is pointing out that, whatever was going on in separating from the Roman church, most of the English reformers had little use for Luther and wished to distance themselves from the continental reformation. Odd that today the Anglican Communion and the Lutheran church work hand-in-hand in aid efforts and acknowledge more readily our common bonds. Just FYI, the word "protestant" actually means one who protests the abuse of the Sacrements, which was rampant in those days.

Having finished the first season and rewatched it a half dozen times as I wait impatiently for Showtime to unveil the second season of "The Tudors," I have to admit that this show has intrigued me in the history surrounding Henry VIII and his unfortunate wives better than any before it. The producers say it's "80% accurate," and that's an apt description, but what impressed me so much was that within that 80% are some little-known and often overlooked moments that make for great drama. Like the fact that the little wrestling match between Henry of England and Charles of France actually did take place, or that the only time Queen Katharine lost her cool in all that she was forced to endure was over the succession, and subsequent threat to her daughter's rights to the throne. Even certain of the dialogue is ripped right from the pages of history.

True, things are pushed out of order so as to move the story along at a more rapid pace, and the worst bastardization of history comes in the form of the preposterous mingling of Henry's sisters Margaret and Mary into one individual (oddly enough, they don't even bother to push through the fact that one marriage lasted eighteen years and produced several children, which would have given them a lead-in for producing a later series built on this one about the heirs to the throne), but the reality is that this is solid film-making. The production value is exquisite, the original score is absolutely gorgeous, and then there are the performances.

It is a downright shame that Maria Doyle Kennedy and Sam Neil were given no mentions in the Emmy nominations, because while the rest of the cast is outstanding, they really deserve critical acclaim. Kennedy's Katharine of Aragon is perhaps the most authentic and sympathetic depiction ever to reach the silver screen, large or small, and the audience has responded to her with overwhelmingly positive emotions. I know that she broke my heart more than once, as much as made me want to stand up and cheer, particularly in the eighth episode. Neil is not quite as unlikable as Wolsey could be, but in the second half of the first season hits his stride and is absolutely phenomenal in the finale.

The one thing that rather disenchanted me was the amount of pointless sex and skin revealed on the part of random ladies of the court. Henry certainly had his flings but they were not as often as depicted, and to be perfectly honest, one is left wondering what he sees in these naked trollops when he has a far more beautiful and enchanting wife lingering in the background. (It also doesn't give the audience much empathy for Henry, who seems incapable of "making love." Even his eventual tryst with Anne Boleyn has more primal boredom to it than wooing.) I know it was a low ploy by Showtime, cashing in on the "sex sells" shallowness of our culture, but the story is much more profoundly lingering without it.

Some of Showtime's artistic license can be excused as its goal is entertainment, not historical accuracy. What is INexcusable is its choice of Jonathan Rhys-Meyers ("JRM") as Henry8. As a preliminary matter, JRM is too short. Henry8 was 6', which would correspond to 6'4" or so today, so he loomed over men around him. Shorter than most of the men in the cast (including Sam Neill and Jeremy Northam) JRM looks (and acts) like a Jack Russell amongst a pack of larger breed dogs. (Henry8's other notable feature was his red hair, and Showtime could easily have rudded JRM's hair to give more historical accuracy.) Henry8's physical superiority and characteristics were legendary, and certainly contributed to his confidence and his ability to intimidate strong-willed subjects and foreign potentates. This was a case where size mattered and Showtime simply should have cast the part of Henry8 with a larger actor.

Moreover, JRM does not understand Henry8. JRM, whose lack of classical training is painfully obvious, portrays the king as a nouveau riche goomba. Had JRM greater understanding he would have realized that meretricious swagger is not the same as confidence. JRM's Henry8 would be at home on 'Growing Up Gotti' while the aplomb and skill of the other actors (most notably Neill and Northam) show him up as common and juvenile.

None of the foregoing will matter, however, to viewers looking for mindless entertainment, and whatever its deficiencies, viewers are forced to learn some rudiments about one of history's most intriguing monarchs.

The Tudors is a fantastic show which showcases the life and times of King Henry the VIII. As the opening of the show tells the viewer, "You think you know a story but you only know how it ends. To get to the heart of a story you have to go back to the beginning." I'm sure a lot of people watching the show are watching it for entertainment and not because of its historical accuracy. I personally love Tudor England and know a lot about it. The show takes many liberties, but that's why it's entertainment and not a biographic film on the King. It's fascinating to see what is kept of what many believe to be true and what is changed. Things such as basing Henry's sister Margaret after both his sister Mary and his older sister Margaret is very interesting turn. The first four episodes have been phenomenal works of cinematic art which I hope will continue on for seasons to come.

Now I am no historian as I have said in one or two of my previous reviews, but I do take an interest in it. The Tudors I especially loved learning about, and by year 4 I was able to tell my class a few facts about Henry VIII, his life and his wives without referencing a book or asking the teacher for help. This is an imperfect but good and quite interesting series.

I do agree though about the inaccuracies. I would be lying if the writers didn't take liberties with the truth, or got a bit over-creative. I am especially talking about Henry's sisters and also flipping France for Portugal. Also I think the writers could have focused more on his musical skills and physical dominance not to mention the fiery red hair of his, as that was what made him famous and also what made stand out from the rest of the kings and queens.

I do agree to some extent about Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Granted he is dashing, has riveting eyes and does show some compelling acting chops. But... he is the wrong build, too tall and too thin and I also think he is too young for the part as well. Consequently any time shifts don't quite come across as believable.

Some of the earlier seasons could have done with more character development. It has improved significantly over time, as has the acting, but when it started I did think it was rather sketchy and underdeveloped.

Faults aside, The Tudors does look exquisite. The sets and scenery are truly sumptuous, with a very convincing Tudor look, while the costumes are often mesmerising. The photography is always top notch, while the editing is crisp and props authentic enough. I am also quite taken with the music in this show. The main theme has a wonderful Medieval lilt to it, while the background scoring is almost cinematic.

The writing is mostly good. Even with the inaccuracies, I do think the dialogue is thought-provoking and entertaining. The story lines are compelling enough, well paced and written with heart in my opinion. There are scenes that do make me emotional or do disturb me. In particular there was a recent episode where a woman was tortured and burned alive, the impact that had was almost reminiscent of the beginning of Elizabeth and some parts of Witchfinder General, scenes which disturbed me greatly.

The direction is solid enough as well, while the acting is in general fine. While the wrong build and age, Meyers as I said before does show some good acting and emotion. Out of his wives, I have liked Joely Richardson and Natalie Dormer most. My favourites of the cast though are Jeremy Northam and Sam Neill, who are both inspired casting and both give excellent performances.

All in all, this is a good if imperfect show. If you want a truer account of the life and six wives of Henry VIII though, watch the David Starkey documentary Channel 4 mini-series The Six Wives of Henry VIII, which I learnt a lot from, or the film Henry VIII and his Six Wives with Keith Michell, while compressed it benefits from splendid acting and a wonderfully sympathetic Henry. 7/10 for The Tudors. Bethany Cox