by Tammie (Tue Feb 02, 2010)
History fascinates me. Well, let me clarify - British history
fascinates me; American history tends to put me to sleep. Here's my
rundown of U.S. History: Battle, battle, paperwork, battle, election, battle, enslave
people, battle, election, paperwork, battle...you get the idea.
Sure we've
had a handful of assassinations and over-hyped infidelities, but nothing so
saucy as a leader hacking off the head of his wife or murdering his nephews
just to get ahead. Now that's interesting. I'm so envious of
the little kids who got to study that sort of thing rather than enduring
someone droning on and on about the battles of the American Revolution.
Certainly the most famous era for popular culture is the Henry VIII
through Elizabeth I bit, and I'll admit to it being a favorite for me as
well. It's funny how even though I know how the story plays out, I can't
resist devouring nearly every book and movie on the topic. I've read
enough of the history of that time to be able to criticize or praise each take
on the subject and some, although not historically perfect, are just too good
to not like - who can't love Cate Blanchett's Elizabeth?
So it was inevitable that I would come across the latest version of
history's favorite soap opera: 'The
Tudors.' The show, now in its third season, (and available on DVD) starts
when Henry is still married to Catherine of Aragon, but isn't far off from
meeting Anne Boleyn. Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays a wonderfully arrogant Henry
(although the acting can be a bit over the top at times). The show's sets
and wardrobe are gorgeous and the history is fairly accurate, not spot on but
this is entertainment, not someone's history thesis.
With all the trappings of a well-done soap opera - scandal, infidelity,
back stabbing - ‘The Tudors' sucks you in quickly. If the history bogs you
down a bit at times, there's always a rather explicit sex scene around the
corner with a tasty dose of male bodies and bums to grab back your attention
(to avoid that awkward feeling, I don't recommend watching this with your kids
or parents).
My only complaints about ‘The Tudors' are nit-picky. First, there
is no real sense of a timeline to what is going on. The show makes it seem
as if Henry's attempt to divorce Catherine and his courtship of Anne takes
place in only a year or two, whereas in reality it took about eight years (talk
about tenacious). Then there's Henry's age. He was forty-two when he
married Anne, but in the show he looks to be closer to thirty. But hey, a
couple of shots of Rhys Meyers' abs and it's easy to forget about these
details. I also have to complain about this show being so popular it takes
months to get the next set of discs from the library, but I guess that's my own
fault for not having cable.
‘The Tudors' is a fun and naughty indulgence that will have you glued to
the television waiting to see what happens next. Or at least waiting for
the next steamy bedroom (or forest, or dining hall) scene.
