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Beautifully acted bleak reality of a poor village as The British Empire starts to wind down. The photography is wonderful with some of the scenes appearing to be black and white, which they are not. Typical of BBC, it's not always possible to hear what is being said but it will become clear when you view a second time. Mother Middleton is spectacular – they did make her red-haired! I really enjoyed her in "Silk", but this role is a triumph. The opening episode with our young Bert being punished for being left handed hits home for me – my own father forced me (not brutally thank heavens) to write with my right – it was a different time. Bert's way of making money by entertaining his village-mates is amazing and you instantly get the impression he is true leadership potential. His willingness to take what the teacher dishes out quickly makes him special - is he deliberately taunting his sadistic school master? The development of the characters is masterful, Moffat never tells all, but just enough that you eventually form your impression. The truth about The Lord of the Manor, the Vicar, Vicar's daughter, the Investigator, all become apparent in this first series, but nothing is crystal clear. I was struck by how close this mirrors so many societies where it's all too easy to make quick assumptions. The treatment of the immediate post-war de-mob situation might have been too gentle as perhaps was the treatment of the Spanish Flu epidemic. These were horrible times as returning soldiers discovered they were not needed anymore. Series 1 is probably the best I've seen from BBC, ever, but is not for the viewer who wants razz, colourful costumes and sparkling wit. There's a lot of "British understatement" here which makes it very real. I eagerly await the second series.
score 10/10
pavelb-968-44685 14 March 2015
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw3201767/ |
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1-11-2020 13:37:06