I watched the 2015 "Wolf Hall" miniseries, produced by the BBC, which follows the career of Thomas Cromwell (Mark Rylance) as he becomes one of the chief advisors to King Henry VIII (Damian Lewis) during the Tudor period. Six episodes condense two historical novels by Hilary Mantel, covering roughly seven eventful years. "Wolf Hall" is known for an absolute murderer's row of fine British acting talent taking part in the dramatization of the court intrigue, including Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Wolsey, Anton Lesser as Thomas More, and Claire Foy as Anne Boleyn.
"Wolf Hall" stands out from other historical dramas about Henry VIII's reign for being primarily concerned with the politics over the relationships. This version of Thomas Cromwell is a fascinating character, a man of humble birth, but possessing incredible intelligence and strategic skill. It's endlessly entertaining to watch his performance, which is always calm and calculated on the surface while he's quietly doing battle in every conversation and interaction. It helps to have some foreknowledge of the historical events being portrayed, or at least all the major figures in play, but I was able to keep up pretty well. The early episodes center around Cromwell's relationship with his mentor, Cardinal Wolsey, whose downfall is presented as the primary reason for Cromwell's hasty climbing of the political ladder, trying to find as many allies as he can.
However, the reason I'm writing this review at all is really to gush about Claire Foy. Anne Boleyn is one of the antagonists of the piece, characterized as a shrewd, power-hungry manipulator with a very mean streak, and Foy makes her a treat to watch. In every appearance she commands attention, and despite everything that historically happened to Boleyn, keeps her tremendously unsympathetic until almost the very end. This may not be the most accurate take on Anne Boleyn, but it's easily one of the most memorable. High marks also go to Damian Lewis, whose Henry VIII seems nice enough until you realize the kind of unchecked power he's all too willing to use to get his way. I had some trouble keeping the various power players at court straight, but an almost unrecognizable Bernard Hill as the unpleasant Duke of Norfolk stood out.
The production strives for realism, with a good deal of the series having been shot in existing era-appropriate buildings and locations. Night scenes are often darker than the norm, with some only lit by candles or firelight. Interior scenes are generally pretty dim, which accounts for some of my trouble telling one courtier from the next. However, this approach also results in a wonderful immersiveness to the show, where the characters feel like they actually inhabit the environments. There are liberties taken for the sake of entertainment value, of course, but there was clearly a lot of care that went into everything we see onscreen. I especially enjoy the costuming. Cromwell's wardrobe improves with his station, so you can mark his rise just based on what he's wearing, and there are plenty of eye-catching looks for Anne Boleyn and her entourage.
I haven't read Mantel's novels, but I appreciate how well written the series is, with scripts by Peter Straughan. The dialogue is such a treat to listen to, modernizing the language to a degree, but never feeling too far out of its own time. The way the show is structured also works very well, with Henry and Anne's famously rocky marriage often center stage, but since the show primarily follows Cromwell, some famous events are reframed in new contexts, and the early events play out in the background of his family's personal tragedies.
The last four years of Thomas Cromwell's life are covered in a sequel miniseries, "Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light," which just came out a few weeks ago and will be hitting PBS sometime in 2025. I hope to see it as soon as possible.
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