Wolf Hall

Hilary Mantel must be very impressed with the way BBC2 captured the spirit and tone of the turbulent Tudor era from the rise of Cromwell to the death of Anne Boleyn in Wolf Hall. The screenwriter condensed Bring Up the Bodies into just two episodes, but the storyline was easy to follow and did not feel rushed. All in all, I loved the series, both for the acting and the beautiful settings. Of course, Master Cromwell dominated by saying very little and conveying much with his masterful presence and quietly sympathetic character. At the same time, you had to admire the ambition and intellect he displayed in giving the king the wealth and freedom he needed to propel England into becoming a major state in Europe. Of course we know Henry's private life was marred by his obsessive need for a son, a desire fuelled by the tenuous nature of the Tudor's claim to the crown and the proliferation of Plantagenets that still existed at that time. Damian Lewis made an impressive Henry, still dashing and not yet quite a complete monster, although petulant and demanding. Mark Rylance's quiet almost withdrawn portrayal was so watchful, so intelligent, you feel this might well become his signature role. And Claire Foy made an intelligent and scheming Anne, who surely would have made a marvellous queen should she have managed to produce the sons Henry desired. All I want now is for Ms Mantel to finish the story of Cromwell's remarkable life, even though we all know it ends in tragedy.

Hilary Mantel's superb novels 'Wolf Hall' and "Bringing Out of the Bodies' manage to execute an extraordinary balance. On one hand, they rehabilitate the reputation of Thomas Cromwell, one of Henry VIII's advisors, who received wisdom portrays as a man of viciousness and ambition; according to Mantel, this picture dates only from Victorian times, and Mantel rehabilitates Cromwell as a surprisingly humanistic working class hero. But as the same time, she never strays into the territory of ascribing modern motives to the characters she wishes she have our sympathy, and "primitive" attitudes to the ones we're supposed to hate. Instead, she brings us inside the morality of the times: the fact that it doesn't map cleanly onto our own is precisely what makes the books interesting. This BBC television adaption can't quite replicate the stream-of-consciousness from inside Cromwell's head provided by the novels, and almost inevitably it's a bit more Tudors-by-numbers. But it doesn't do a bad job either, avoiding the obvious clichés and giving us a convincing realisation of Mantel's work that captures most, if not quite all, of its inherent subtlety. Mark Rylance is simply superb as Cromwell, and most of the other actors offer a convincing interpretation of their roles, especially Claire Foy as Anne Boleyn, the minor noblewoman who punches above her weight all the way to the chopping block. What's still to come is the third (as yet unwritten) book of the trilogy, and the fall that follows Cromwell's rise. I look forward to it as novel and television alike.

I don't like giving ratings of 10 out of 10 because it implies that it can't be improved, which is never the case, but when I see drama as well written and well performed as this I want to see ratings that reflect that and respect it, and my 10/10 aims to redress some of the, in my opinion, ludicrous ratings of 1/10 that I see have been posted here. First the imperfections: I'm not sure why Peter Kosminsky, whose work I very much rate, has gone for hand held camera work in what is essentially a static shot. I have no problem with hand-held camera work per se, but the reasons for its use in a wide shot are lost on me, and the result is a slightly irritating amount of camera shake. Secondly, the time shifts could be a little clearer - blink and you miss the captions, and that's if they've actually been included. I think on one occasion the shift was implied rather than signalled. I suppose it does keep the audience on their toes.

But now to its huge strengths. First and foremost, the acting. I've been lucky enough to see Mark Rylance on stage and on television many times over the years and I think he's a force of nature, with everything he turns his hand to innovative and mesmerising, whilst at the same time containing the actor's essential ingredient - truth. That there is always something going on in his head is evident, but what is all the more intriguing is that we can't quite tell what it is . . . The rest of the cast are brilliant too, and the brief scene between Damien Lewis as Henry VIII and Cromwell was a mini delight and leaves me drooling in anticipation of future encounters between these two.

The costumes and locations are as impressive as ever with BBC productions, and will no doubt gather in numerous awards (although one bit of what I imagine was a CGI rendering of a Tudor village in the background didn't quite get there). There have been criticisms about the darkness of the lighting, a result of Kosminsky using lighting by candles (albeit with special cameras). I watched it in HD in a darkened room and I can't say it caused me any problems at all, and in fact I commented on how light and airy some of the daytime scenes were, showing life in the day in the same light - literally - as it would be today, as opposed to the generalised gloom in some depictions of the period.

I thought the pace was well-judged, especially when one acknowledges the difficulties in squeezing Hilary Mantel's immense volumes into six hours of television, and Peter Kosminsky has kept events moving along without being afraid to linger a while on the subtle signals of intrigue that are never far from Mark Rylance's face. The fact that much of Kosminsky's work has been in the political arena is very obvious here, and he gives us a needle-sharp insight into the machinations of that world, indicating that in oh so many ways, things don't change that much. Apart from the costumes, of course.

I can't wait for the rest of the series.

I rate this 10/10 to counterbalance a couple of people who, perhaps used to watching flat TV shows, have given a most unfair 1/10 rate to a magnificent mini-series.

The acting is impeccable. Mark Rylance plays a remarkable Cromwell, completely taking over the audience with a subtly nuanced character composition. I've always enjoyed Damian Lewis, so it is no surprise his Henry VIII hasn't disappointed me in the least. But Claire Foy, what a talented, lovely interpretation! They, together with Saskia Reeves (an excellent actress), Jessica Raine and a constellation of great actors make Wolf Hall a truly powerful experience to view more than once.

The production boasts of a marvelous attention to detail, from indoors decoration to costumes, behaviours and dining-- a pleasure to relish on.

But what most impressed me (other people have hated the show for this) is the dim, realistic candle-lit night scenes. I have always deplored movies with fake candle-lit interiors which are an insult to viewers' discerning ability. Now you watch Wolf Hall and you can almost smell the dripping burning candles!

The action is very well plotted, considering the books are quite lengthy. There is nothing boring in this 6-episode great TV show and much to enjoy and admire. When episode 6 gets to the closing scenes, you end up wishing there were a second or third season (though, the truth must be said, no one would like to see Cromwell's ill-fated decapitation in Rylance's human and favourable depiction).

In short, if you appreciate exquisite direction and photography, excellent acting, a great script adaptation and a lavish historical production, you will find this show second to none.

As a life long Anglophile - with a special passion for the Tudors, I could not wait for this series - after only the first episode, I was not disappointed. Wolf Hall is the story of a (not so well known) Tudor personage Thomas Cromwell - lawyer and confidant of Cardinal Wolsey - who at one time early in Henry VIII's reign was "the most powerful man in England." After Wolsey's decline (none of them stay on top forever), Cromwell worked with King Henry VIII directly.

The fascinating thing about Cromwell is that he was a lowly born commoner, but possesses a quick mind, a sharp tongue and is utterly fearless. Mark Rylance is a great Cromwell - not striking in appearance - quite ordinary in fact, yet possessing the qualities that took him far. Even though after only a short glimpse of Damian Lewis in the first episode, I believe he will be a great Henry (based more on his past performances than anything else.)

Aside from being about one of the most interesting families and time periods in history, Wolf Hall's writing scintillates. These types of dramas are long on dialogue and short on action (so Fast and Furious or Mission Impossible fans - stay away), but the dialogue makes the story.

Some examples:

After Wolsey is disgraced (he failed to secure the annulment of Henry's first marriage to Catherine of Aragon from the Pope), Cromwell goes to Anne Boleyn - who is waiting in the wings as Henry wife #2:

Anne: "we only asked the Cardinal (Wolsey) for one simple thing (meaning the annulment)"

Cromwell: "It wasn't simple"

Anne: . . ."Maybe you think I am simple?"

Cromwell: "You may be, I hardly know you."

In Henry's court, no one talks to the next Queen in line like that.

Later, Cromwell visits Norfolk (who was an avowed enemy of Wolsey):

Cromwell: I hope he (The King) doesn't think still of invading France"

Norfolk: "What Englishman doesn't??" "We own France!!"

later same conversation:

Norfolk: "tell him (Wolsey) if he doesn't (go North) I'll come to him and I will tear him with my teeth!!

Cromwell:"May I substitute the word "bite" for "tear?"

Finally in the next scene Cromwell meets Henry and their subsequent discussion concerning a re-invasion of France shows how snarky and smart assed Cromwell can be - even to the King's face.

It is brilliant.

And of course if you have visited England, the scenery and castles will bring back fond memories of your visit.

The Tudors have been a popular subject of movies for some time (Keith Michell - 1970 Six Wives of Henry VIII; or a pretty complete list at http://tudorhistory.org/movies/), this one promises to be one of the best.

I cannot wait for subsequent episodes. DonB