The Tudors - S01 E01

An absolute classic of style over substance. If you have even a basic knowledge of the Tudor period avoid it.

I have just finished watching, back to back, the entire 4 series, all 38 episodes. When it was first on television I ignored it because reviews suggested the historical facts had too much artistic licence and not enough actuality and the characters did not fit the traditional representations.

All this was true, but, whilst the actors did not follow the characterisations we've all become used to through Charles Laughton's Henry VIII to the classic 'A Man for All Seasons' with Paul Schofield, this was in its way refreshing. There are comparatively few portraits extant today for the period, even including those for Henry VIII and his wives. Those that exist seldom depict anyone in their twenties or younger. The lesser known people who made up the cavalcade left no guidance for the age of film to refer to.

A good example of how this has been used to advantage is the young King Henry VIII bears little, or no, resemblance to the familiar portraits.However, in the last episode there's a profile shot of Rhys Meyers during a scene with Holbein where he could have stepped out of the same portrait. This metamorphosis has been used to great effect on all the characters that aged throughout. Very few people have much resemblance to themselves, 40 years plus and onwards into old age.

The dialogue only a couple of times fell into modern phrases or cliches, which was good going across 38, 50/54 minute episodes. Costumes and furnishings were excellent, no zips around and the Tudor 'clunky' or chunky style jewellery beautifully reproduced.

Without doubt the acting was excellent, particularly Henry Cavill as Suffolk; Joss Stone as Anne of Cleves; Sam Neill, who was outstanding as Worsley and so many others. It was good to see Peter O'Toole and Max von Sydow in cameo roles, talent still shining through.

Thirty eight episodes is a lot of time to spend on a reign which in popular films is usually encapsulated in a running time of no more than 3-4 hours. This enabled the period itself with its political, religious, sexual, events and attitudes to be portrayed in some detail, even though rearranged to make a fore-shortened point. Some real life characters have been merged; time has been played around with to simplify events that might have muddled a few people without historical training, but the theme remains true to what did occur. So I wouldn't recommend using the film as back up for an historical essay or exam, but it's very useful in giving glimpse of 16th century life at 'the high table'. It should be noted most of the episodes are not suitable for family viewing having many nude and sexually detailed scenes and others contain violence including graphically described executions and torture. The makers have clearly decided to ‘show it like it was’ without euphemisms whenever possible.

The depiction of the siege of Boulogne is superb and must have cost a fortune to re-create. Hand to hand fighting, cannonry, explosions and tunnels plus a French female combatant. There are some good, comradely touches too within the ranks. This is also a feature of the series in that the usual depiction of the era is life was ‘nasty, brutish and short’ whereas here kindness features as a constant backdrop to torture and malice.

Appearing in each episode Jonathan Rhys Meyer carries this modern load well. The ageing process is admirably subtle. The hairstyle of the king moves from almost a modern hair cut of brushed up and cropped to a conventional brushed back and neck trim. This contrasts with Suffolk, who has the reverse process, resembling at his death a superannuated hippie which reflects his increasingly laid-back attitude towards his fellow mans' preoccupations. In some respects Suffolk's 'life journey' is exquisitely portrayed and unexpected in what has been described as a soap opera derivative. Youth is a time for leisure, pleasure, sex and brawling/fighting - a good time. Middle age brings a deeper understanding of peoples' motives and emotions and an awareness of discretion when his best friend could make him 'a head shorter' at any time. Older and infirm he prefers to spend his time with his mistress having made compromises with himself over deeds of the past he'd rather forget.

There is little to criticize in Jonathan Rhys Meyer's performance throughout. There was just one anomaly that particularly caught my attention and this would be about episode 5 or 6 of Series 4 to the final episode where to simulate age JRM has lowered the tone of his voice and roughened it. From having a purely English accent he suddenly sounds as though his vocal chords have been thoroughly washed several times over with Liffey Water and might burst into 'Dublin in the Green' now and then. I thought it might be my hearing so looked him up and discovered he is in fact an Irishman, which explained a lot and reassured me I didn't need a hearing aid, or two.

The writer of the series, Michael Hirst, has been quoted as saying he wanted to produce a soap opera type of show that would attract viewers rather than history buffs and he’s clearly succeeded. Whether intended to or not though, he also has produced a series which has much original thought and interpretation of events. There will have been several historians like myself viewing who will have thought, ‘that’s possible’ because the paucity of sources about an individual’s thought and actions means only official documents and ‘the winners’ in a situation get to create the records. For example there is almost nothing available about the people caught up in the Catholic Recusant rebellions in the north of England.

Later this year I’ll run through the series again to pick up what I missed the first time around; something I feel many other people will do too.

Don't blame the King! His advisers were dodgy to say the least. The safest places in Tudor times were the village hovels, hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil. Religion being a front for barbarism and bed-hopping. Great series, wenches, maidens, and sadist abound. Big choppers an asset for survival.

If you can overlook the (seriously) dodgy history then this is a good series. A fabulous piece of drama; just don't believe anything it claims happened!

Amazing series, great actors... an insight into our monarch, the times and human nature itself. An incredible story that is so well told. Beautiful music! Well worth watching!