One good thing about this historical miniseries is that a showcase was provided for some very fine but little known actors who should go on to greater career achievements. Chief among them are Maria Kennedy Doyle, who played Katherine of Aragon, Henry's pious first wife; Natalie Dormer, a sensuously vixenish Anne Boleyn; the charismatic Henry Cavill as the Duke of Suffolk; a marvelous young sylph named Tamzin Merchant as Catherine Howard who beautifully captured the haughty immaturity of a youthful bride slowly turning to desperate fear as her position in the king's court deteriorates. And these are only a handful. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as the tyrannical Henry VIII is a graceful, handsome, passionate and magnetic actor but his range is limited; he is at his best when making love lustily or exploding with royal rage. Generally he tries very hard but too often the effort shows, especially in the crucial final episodes when his character suddenly ages and declines into near invalidism. To JRM's credit, he had to work against the mighty obstacle of miscasting, for he looks absolutely nothing like the real Henry, not even in stature, for Henry towered above his peers, whereas JRM is of average height.
Outside of the performances and the stunning décor, the complicated political and social relations of the 16th century dynastic patchwork of Western Europe are laid out ably enough through the interactions of the main characters in a manner not entirely boring. When the names of monarchs and locations of battles and identities of endless emissaries get confusing, we can always distract ourselves by feasting our eyes on the comely faces, heaving bosoms, sumptuous costumes or sparkling jewelry of the principals.
Essentially, it's an attractive and titillating soap opera that opens up a distant era just enough to pique the curiosity of the uninformed and stimulate them into further historical investigation of a pivotal juncture of world history.
Outside of the performances and the stunning décor, the complicated political and social relations of the 16th century dynastic patchwork of Western Europe are laid out ably enough through the interactions of the main characters in a manner not entirely boring. When the names of monarchs and locations of battles and identities of endless emissaries get confusing, we can always distract ourselves by feasting our eyes on the comely faces, heaving bosoms, sumptuous costumes or sparkling jewelry of the principals.
Essentially, it's an attractive and titillating soap opera that opens up a distant era just enough to pique the curiosity of the uninformed and stimulate them into further historical investigation of a pivotal juncture of world history.