Somber. Poignant. Thought Provoking. I was thinking about the film and its implications long after it was over. It echoes so many repeated events in history of committing acts of violence, all in the name of religion. The crusading party proclaiming itself morally correct and never guilty. To be honest, I never knew about the Cathars and their fate until I watched this miniseries. It really got me interested in learning more about them.
So much criticism from other people and low ratings because the feature was dark and portrayed a harsh reality of a very dark aspect of Christianity. I felt compelled to chime in with the minority of viewers who liked this feature. The film neither revels nor vilifies the darkness and violence of the antagonists. Instead it gives a realistic portrayal of historical events as much as we can know them. This is especially true during the Medieval ages. It was a time rife with examples of religions committing heinous and cruel acts of violence against "non-believers", all in the name of God and Christianity. There are plenty of examples from history where many were converted to Christianity under duress through acts of violence, at a sword point, hanging, beheading, etc. The film takes great care not to go overboard with either the victims or villains portrayal and paints a very haunting picture of medieval France and the Crusades and the Cathar massacres.
The acting was very good across the board for the Medieval portion of the story (with some minor exceptions). Tom Felton as Viscount Trencavel delivered an especially passionate and spirited performance as a noble and charismatic leader of Carcassonne. Jessica Brown Findlay as medieval Alaïs Pelletier du Mas and Emun Elliott as her husband, Guilhem Du Mas brought a very evocative performance as well, making the ending of the story that much more powerful and tragic.
The beautiful soundtrack, scenery and landscapes, believable settings, good costuming along with strong performances all contributed to an engrossing story. Though occasionally slow, the thick as tar tension, atmosphere and believable acting keep the story moving forward and viewers invested in the events and characters.
Perhaps my only one but big complaint was the back and forth switching between medieval and modern times. It was distracting at times, and I did not feel the 2012 events connected well with the past. Some plot points felt contrite and forced to fit the events of 1209 Carcassonne. The whole modern time arch felt just thrown together, not nearly as interesting, and realistic as the past. As if instinctively sensing that the 2012 events really didn't belong in the series, the scriptwriter's and actors' performances and the characters' stories were uninspiring and not nearly as compelling and believable. The modern part of the story did not connect well with the medieval part and was too disjointed to be its own separate story. I just found it too hard to care for its characters. I wish they had focused exclusively on Cathars of medieval Carcassonne. It was a fascinating story, albeit a tragic one, that deserves more coverage.
If you have an interest in history in general or consider yourself a history savant, then grab a cup of soothing chamomile tea and watch the miniseries. I am giving this film a high rating solely based on the strength of the medieval story.
