So you’ve watched Mary and George, but have you seen The Passion or The Devil’s Whore?
Two Fantastic Stuart Dramas…
I could not be happier about the Mary & George hype. The new drama, on Starz, seems to have gotten people talking. (Even though it’s had mixed reviews.) Which is great, because I think there should be more shows and movies about the Stuart Dynasty.
The reigns of Stuart Kings and Queens, who ruled the Scots and eventually England, were NEVER boring. Remember the infamous Red Wedding in Game of Thrones? It was partly inspired by the “Black Dinner”, a horrific real life event in early Stuart history. The Stuart Dynasty could easily give the Tudors a run for their money in the drama department.
During the early 2000’s there was a mini Stuart renaissance, with two fantastic series released four years apart and largely forgotten. Which is a shame because they’re both worth watching. So if you’ve just finished your Mary & George binge, and you’re looking for more Stuart period drama, I got you.
Charles II, The Power & The Passion
Peer into Rufus Sewell’s endlessly soulful eyes as he channels the Merry Monarch. He may be a little too pretty to be a dead ringer for Charles, (and he’s missing the famous nose) but he’s very easy to watch and brings a wry wit and control that are absolutely perfect.
This BBC limited series plays like a beautiful highlight reel of Charles the Second’s greatest hits. It’s a show for true history fans…long, and not slickly edited like modern period dramas. Joe Wright, who later went on to give the world Pride and Prejudice, Atonement, and Anna Karenina directed. The score, by Robert Lane is gloriously regal. The costumes are fantastic. And the wigs…oh the wigs.
The camera work gets a little experimental at times, and if there were an Oscar for most close ups, this series would easily win it. The cast is stacked though, and all the actors are really going for it. Not many films can boast having both a young Voldemort and Senator Palpatine. Helen McRory (rest in peace) seems like an odd choice to play Barbara Palmer, but her acting is impeccable and she is suitably unhinged.
I appreciate that this series doesn’t shy away from the almost cruelly pragmatic side of Charles II. He was a survivor and a politician, and court politics could be unfair and even brutal. Historical epics that present events without trying to explain them away, (allowing audiences to form their own opinions), are rare these days. Real people are almost always really flawed.
The American release of this series by A&E chopped and edited it awkwardly, probably contributing to its lack of popularity in the States. The show in its entirety is currently free on the Tubi app, so go forth and get your Stuart drama fix.
*Bonus Drinking Game* (If you’re a Harry Potter fan, take a sip every time a character from the HP movies makes an appearance on screen.)
The Devil’s Whore
(Released as The Devil’s Mistress in the U.S.)
This is the War and Peace of British period films. It’s in two parts (originally four), but boy oh boy do you go on a journey. Angelica Fanshawe, (a fictional character), tries to survive the English Civil War and its aftermath. Along the way she bumps into real historical figures and lives through real historical events. Simple enough premise, but this time period is anything but simple.
This Channel 4 series has a STELLAR cast. Most notably Officer McNulty himself, Dominic West, as Oliver Cromwell, Michael Fassbender as Thomas Rainsborough and John Simm as Edward Sexby. Tom Goodman-Hill (of recent Baby Reindeer fame) rocks a 17th century mullet as Free Born John Liliburne. Andrea Riseborough is captivating as Angelica. The costumes are excellent…people actually appear to actually age as time progresses. The camera work is interesting (in a good way) and there are an endless amounts of beautifully composed shots.
At times liberties are taken with characters and at other times events are portrayed almost word for word as written in historical record. There are real character arcs. It all works and the fictional narrative is a perfect vehicle for exploring the very real post revolutionary power vacuum (with all of its chaos and competing ideas and ideals.)
In this the year of our Lord, 2024, nobody needs me to explain why they should watch a historical epic that explores revolution, religious friction, civil war, and the collapse of power structures in society. It’s food for thought and it’s free if you have an Amazon Prime Video account. (Americans, search for “The Devil’s Mistress”.)
*No drinking game here, just glorious mustaches everywhere. Also there’s an unintentionally hilarious early 2000’s CGI Satan that pops up from time to time. (Don’t say I didn’t warn you.)*