Mine is not as negative as most comments, I rather enjoyed this miniseries. It has much to offer: a fascinating (and historically true) story filled with wars, deceit, treason, adultery and murders among some of the famous medieval kings and queens of France and England; great settings; beautiful costumes; and a very colourful and lavish photography. I read in some comments that there was a prior adaptation in 1972 of the same book, but I didn't see that one so I can't compare the two and have to judge this one on it's own merits.
Next to my positive comments, I also have some doubts. First of all the dialogues, someone obviously thought that it would add up to the weight of the story to let everyone speak as if they were the president of the French Republique addressing the Nation: in heavy bombastic rhetorics. This gets a bit on your nerves after some 10 hours.
Then there's the rather complicated storyline, with many genealogical links between all these historical persons, spouses that I confused with lovers, and all kinds of political factions. The script takes too little time to make all these goings on properly understood to a viewer who is not too educated in the historical backgrounds.
It didn't help that scenes changed back and forth from England to France and from one year to another without warning or a written text in the image (like they do in most other historic movies: "London, 1380" for instance, that would have helped me a lot!).
Furthermore I was a bit taken aback by the art direction, which seemed to take the historical context as an excuse for a rather free and eclectic interpretation of how interiors, furniture and costumes could (or should, according to the director?) have looked like in those medieval days. The ominous countess Mahaut walks around in wide robes of shocking purple and poisonous green (probably illustrating her murderous mind), that could as easily have been worn on a ball in the roaring twenties. Thrones, beds and cradles would not have seemed out of place in Tolkien's halls of Middle Earth, and some of the palace's interiors were so sized up with CGI that they looked more like scenes out of Flash Gordon or Batman's Gotham City. It did work, I have to admit, but don't expect any historical authenticity on that account, it's all for the (presumed) medieval, more or less Gothic effect.
The acting is okay, for as much as one can overlook the weird dialogues. I didn't know any of the French actors, apart from Jeanne Moreau and Gerard Depardieu of course, the latter only has a small part and ends on the stake in part I, where with his dying breath he cries out the curse that sets in motion the story of the movie.
Jeanne Moreau on the other hand plays her crucial part in almost every scene, she is like the indefatigable focus of the story. She never was a classic beauty and now, at age 77, with her worn down face, she all the more shows how character and charisma can create their own kind of beauty. It's absolutely fascinating to watch her face and see her act with an almost youthful buoyancy, and she plays the part of the manipulating, devilish and murderous countess Mahaut to perfection, her false angelic smile sends shivers up your spine.
The other protagonist is played by Philippe Torreton, who has a great screen-presence and the panache of a young dark-haired Rutger Hauer. The rest of the cast is adequate, with special mention of the stunningly beautiful Julie Gayet as queen Isabella.
All in all, I liked it, it's good and solid entertainment, I rank it 7 out of 10 (and a heartfelt 10 for Jeanne Moreau).
Next to my positive comments, I also have some doubts. First of all the dialogues, someone obviously thought that it would add up to the weight of the story to let everyone speak as if they were the president of the French Republique addressing the Nation: in heavy bombastic rhetorics. This gets a bit on your nerves after some 10 hours.
Then there's the rather complicated storyline, with many genealogical links between all these historical persons, spouses that I confused with lovers, and all kinds of political factions. The script takes too little time to make all these goings on properly understood to a viewer who is not too educated in the historical backgrounds.
It didn't help that scenes changed back and forth from England to France and from one year to another without warning or a written text in the image (like they do in most other historic movies: "London, 1380" for instance, that would have helped me a lot!).
Furthermore I was a bit taken aback by the art direction, which seemed to take the historical context as an excuse for a rather free and eclectic interpretation of how interiors, furniture and costumes could (or should, according to the director?) have looked like in those medieval days. The ominous countess Mahaut walks around in wide robes of shocking purple and poisonous green (probably illustrating her murderous mind), that could as easily have been worn on a ball in the roaring twenties. Thrones, beds and cradles would not have seemed out of place in Tolkien's halls of Middle Earth, and some of the palace's interiors were so sized up with CGI that they looked more like scenes out of Flash Gordon or Batman's Gotham City. It did work, I have to admit, but don't expect any historical authenticity on that account, it's all for the (presumed) medieval, more or less Gothic effect.
The acting is okay, for as much as one can overlook the weird dialogues. I didn't know any of the French actors, apart from Jeanne Moreau and Gerard Depardieu of course, the latter only has a small part and ends on the stake in part I, where with his dying breath he cries out the curse that sets in motion the story of the movie.
Jeanne Moreau on the other hand plays her crucial part in almost every scene, she is like the indefatigable focus of the story. She never was a classic beauty and now, at age 77, with her worn down face, she all the more shows how character and charisma can create their own kind of beauty. It's absolutely fascinating to watch her face and see her act with an almost youthful buoyancy, and she plays the part of the manipulating, devilish and murderous countess Mahaut to perfection, her false angelic smile sends shivers up your spine.
The other protagonist is played by Philippe Torreton, who has a great screen-presence and the panache of a young dark-haired Rutger Hauer. The rest of the cast is adequate, with special mention of the stunningly beautiful Julie Gayet as queen Isabella.
All in all, I liked it, it's good and solid entertainment, I rank it 7 out of 10 (and a heartfelt 10 for Jeanne Moreau).