Wolf Hall BBC2

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

i have yet to read the books so can not comment on the faithfulness &c of Wolf Hall

taken in its own rights as a TV drama i found the first episode completely mesmerising and compelling [utterly hooked]
stellar cast giving stellar demonstrations of the acting craft and Rylance has held the central focus brilliantly

[VodkaDilc]

I usually hate television versions of books which I have read, so I am hesitating. I have recorded the first episode, so I will probably sample it, since the reviews seem positive.

[aeolium]

I'm afraid I thought it dull and ponderous, for all the money and star actors lavished on it. I think it suffers anyway from the fact that the Tudors have been done to death on TV and film, in drama and documentary, and it's hard to make anything seem fresh about the story. I agree that Rylance, in anything, is tremendous to watch, and there were solid performances from old stagers like Bernard Hill, Anton Lesser and Jonathan Pryce as a super-slim Wolsey: I preferred Orson Welles in A Man for All Seasons, a play and a film which I still think is the best dramatisation of anything about the Tudors, with a script as sharp as yesterday's was blunt.

[jean]

It's the treatment of Cromwell that's 'fresh'.

I found the books riveting, avoided the stage version, haven't seen the TV one yet

[Barbirollians]

I have read the books and enjoyed them . I thought the first episode was terrific and its lack of melodrama an asset.

[DracoM]

I fear I too am finding it a bit ponderous. Acting is top quality - with names like that queuing up to get on screen how could it not be?- but the pace is almost funereal, and very specifically not what I feel is Mantel's pacing in the books.

The books cut ceremonial and get on to action, manoeuvring, HUMOUR, the casual and every day, but TV has to construct elaborate settings to create 'believability' eg astonishing wallpapers, and attention keeps getting drawn to this complex verisimilitude rather than to the politicking etc which i take to be what Mantel is about. Problem with most 'period' books on TV/ Film? Maybe it would have been better on radio?

[mercia]

apparently Ms Mantel is very pleased

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CiVns3nIfU

I assume the books, like the adaptation so far, run as a series of flashbacks and flashforwards (?). I think if I had blinked at the wrong time and missed the captions telling me we had leaped either forward or back in time, I would have been somewhat confused. But that's probably my fault for not being well-educated of the period.

[gradus]

I thought it was a good opener and I don't want to miss the next episode. Terrific performances all round and great production.

[eighthobstruction]

I read the novel....thought it's tensing odd but interesting....the detail of the time being my favourite thing. Found episode one thin....while knowing Rylance to be a good stage actor, I thought his portrayed demeanour to be a singular stillness of face and body that did not work for me....empty, sponge like....The very strange "Yeah" he uttered in answer to his fathers outright anger, The time lines were not well done....the cross examination of Katherine too quick and unanchored. This could have been a ponnient scene, but just passed as packing. Cromwells 'rise' to importance not obvious. Yes 'ponderous'....the funereal speed of his moving about the courtyards of royal court, with the camera following him poorly directed (nothing going on), no tension or propelling us forward....of course folk and production staff rave about it....BBC booking its BAFTA seats with its heraldry.... BUT....

[Anna]

I thought it was restrained, almost minimalist, in the dialogue department and scene setting but it's all about the politics isn't it. I think anyone who didn't have much knowledge about the characters who surrounded Henry and who expected a typical Tudor romp won't stick with it. I'm looking forward to the next episode.

I haven't read either books, Bring up the Bodies is on the bookshelf (bought as 3 for £1 in charity shop) and I was going to borrow sister's copy of Wolf Hall but didn't - she thought it very difficult to get into, bit too late to start reading it now I think.

[Barbirollians]

I think one has to be realistic . This is a six part series and appears to cover both books .

I suspect if we still had production values of the 1970s ( look for example at how many episodes there were of the Pallisers ) this series would be at least double in length and much more of what is missed from the books would be present .

[eighthobstruction]

I didn't realise it was both novels....Mmmmm?....makes me wonder even more....Over the last 20years there must have been 20 Tudor times history doc series + an equal number of drama histories (excluding/ ignoring the DAFT: The Tudors)....but this serial should be self-contained and water-tight....it's always interesting just to watch with a critical eye, rather than 100% looking for entertainment....I will enjoy it in some manner or another

[jean]

...I was going to borrow sister's copy of Wolf Hall but didn't - she thought it very difficult to get into, bit too late to start reading it now I think.

In Wolf Hall she did cause unnecessary difficulty by using he without further definition for both Cromwell and other assorted male persons, so that you sometimes had to go back and revise who you thought you'd been reading about.

She recognised that, and in the second book used he, Cromwell much more.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

subject to not being examined on the timeline i found the moves back and forth graspable ....
the Graun reviewer i think picked on the silence as 'listening' a lot more than 'talking'

Jonathan Pryce as Wolsey was an unexpected portrayal [not having read the books]

i found the absence of pace and plot [apparently or allegedly or both] refreshing ... the action would demand reflection but explanation may not be forthcoming ... actually i do hope the whole can live up to its first part Cromwell stands in the midst of loss, menace, and harm still silent and coolly calculating what might best be said

not had so much fun watching in absolute yonks ...

[Flosshilde]

In Wolf Hall she did cause unnecessary difficulty by using he without further definition for both Cromwell and other assorted male persons, so that you sometimes had to go back and revise who you thought you'd been reading about.

She recognised that, and in the second book used he, Cromwell much more.

I read the second book first & found that rather mannered & rather irritating.