Much better than others

cmradu

It's difficult to make straight-face judgment about such big movies, but I loved it. For someone trying to understand Machiavelli, the Renaissance, the Reformation, the Spanish Reconquista, the atrocities of conquistadors in the New World, the Xenophobia of the Italian Wars coexisting with the globalization of Politics (Avignon, Holy Roman Empire, America) and even a little of the soft underbelly of Catholic Faith, this is really good. Compared to others' sensationalism, this show is more like a loving son's explanation of a disreputable mother.. "yes, she was what you say, but look at the choices; and how did things change?"

It's also difficult to compare once immersed in one version of the Borgia story. But I thought the choice of Doman, and his accent, and all other actors well thought out. Narration by the Vatican Historian Burquardt puts it all into proper perspective, especially through the choice of Schefe's delivery. The comic is introspective and subtle and coated with the gut feeling one gets watching men executed by slow sawing in half, upside-down. Other productions seemed more careless to me, like casting the Three Stooges in an elaborate Hi-Def slapstick porno movie.

It's probably difficult to maintain the intensity, but there should be a season two.

score 10/10

cmradu 24 December 2011

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2540487/