Friday 18 June 2021

Charles II: The Power and the Passion (2003 Joe Wright, scr Adrian Hodges)

Rufus Sewell (a lovely performance), Rupert Graves, Helen McCrory (great as the arch-manipulator), Charlie Creed-Miles, Who's the counsellor, Sir Edward Hyde? Ian McDiarmid, Christian Coulson, Shirley Henderson, Martin Freeman, Peter Wight, Diana Rigg, David Bradley, Alice Patten (Lady Frances), Emma Pierson (Nell Gwynne), Sean Biggerstaff, Anne-Marie Duff, Eddie Marsan. Marsan plays Titus Oates, who spreads a load of shit about conspiring Catholics, spurred on by Graves. This Protestant v. Catholic stuff is nuts - thank Wilder we've got beyond this, indeed becoming more secular.

Adrian Hodges of course wrote the fabulous My Week with Marilyn and Peter and Wendy. This is a four hour interpretation for the BBC, and launched Wright into feature films. It's not really my cup of tea.

Good imagery: sleet at Charles I's execution, light show at beginning of two, plague dead.

Despite Charles striving for religious tolerance, the Test Act effectively outlawed Catholics from holding public office.

DP Ryszard Lenczewski; Eigil Bryld additional photography. Music: Rob Lane. Lovely editing: Paul Tothill. Production design: Sarah Greenwood. No one smokes - it hasn't been invented yet. Wigs Way-Hay!




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