Edward the King
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Movie Reviews of Edward the King
Movie Review: Good old-fashioned TV
Summary: 5 Stars
This thirteen part series does something very rare in TV: it tracks the entire life history of a single individual, seven decades in all, patiently showing all its defining events. The choice of subject did not make things easy: the vapid, womanizing Edward VII is not a very sympathetic character, though the sharpest edges have been blunted a bit in the re-telling; his marriage to Alexandra, for instance, was nowhere near as warm as it is depicted here.
The series was filmed in the early seventies. Inevitably, the execution is not up to the standards of authenticity we've become accustomed to in later years. Most of the indoor scenes (i.e., nearly all) were filmed in slightly too small, slightly too stuffy stage sets, not quite stylistically believable and with cardboard landscapes outside the windows. There is little sense of royal grandeur, and at times it feels like `Upstairs, downstairs". The eventual coronation is suggested rather than shown. Outdoor scenes do use apt locations, but look as if they are slightly out of focus. Costumes are excellent though, and faithfully follow the changing fashions.
The acting too is more of the old-fashioned stage than of modern TV, but that is not at all a bad thing. It may be overly emphatic at times - the way Queen Victoria over-articulates her words is a case in point - but it is also consistent, stylish, and quite believable. By the time we come to Albert's death, you may be as surprised as I was at the extent to which it genuinely moves you. The acting, in fact, is supremely fine, with John Gielgud as a luxury cast member doing a delicious Disraeli. But the whole thing is carried by the two female leads: Annette Crosbie as a feisty, hot-tempered yet endearing Queen Victoria, and Helen Ryan as a vulnerable, touching, somewhat child-like Queen Alexandra.
The screenwriting is very deft, but what else would one expect from Harold Pinter himself? It is quite amazing how a natural sense of the flow of time is maintained, yet without any scene ever feeling hurried. Transitions are very cleverly handled, the writer not being afraid to do an appeal on the intelligence of the viewer, something increasingly rare in TV. Necessary background information is ingeniously worked into the dialogue. That dialogue itself is surprisingly natural; only at the very end does the eulogy of the prime minister on the dead King sound as if he is talking to the camera.
The aging of characters is well-handled too, mostly; but the metamorphosis from young Edward to older Edward requires a fair degree of tolerance: the young prince turns from a frisky adolescent into a stocky middle-aged man in a matter of months. Of course, there is no good way to solve the problem of aging in a series that tracks an entire life-history; doing it through make-up would probably have been quite as bad, if not worse.
The bombastic music with its Wagner and Elgar overtones, is dated; the title tune bears an unfortunate (if not entirely inappropriate) resemblance to the final chorus of `HMS Pinafore'. Strangely, every episode is cut into two `parts', the second opening with the title image and a brief fanfare.
The series is extravagantly spread over 6 DVDs, when it would have easily fitted on 4. The image quality is variable; at times there are disturbances that make it look as if the DVD was recorded from a regular video tape. There are no extras, and there is no booklet or anything else to guide you. But all that is of secondary importance.
Movie Review: "The Peacemaker"
Summary: 5 Stars
This review refers to "Edward The King" 6 volume DVD set(All Things Family)
I must add my 5 stars to the others already here. This was truly a superb series that gave a good look at the life and times of Edward VII of England. The King who waited a lifetime to sit on the throne, and while he didn't get to rule for very long, became known as Edward "The Peacemaker", for his gift of diplomacy around the world.
The series is well written, enlightening and entertaining as well. From Edward's birth, while his mother Queen Victoria ruled England,his education, his family, his Randy ways(he was quite the playboy, even after he married) through his years of waiting quite impatiently to be King, through his sickly years and finally his death, this series brings quite an awareness of the events.
Queen Victoria ruled for more then 50 years. The first several episodes, really revolve around her. The politics and family matters while "Bertie" as he came to be called(named Albert Edward after his father), was young. The quest to have him educated in a royal manner, the scandals he created as a young man(which continued into his older years), the need to find him a suitable wife, and finally the Queen's unwillingness to abdicate, even in her old age, to let Bertie take over. He was 60 by the time he did. Even then the political figures, tried to keep him from "ruling". But King Edward, left his mark in the early 20th century by being quite astute in foreign affairs, and keeping England safe.
Powerfully acted, Timothy West plays the adult Bertie. He gives him not just an air of regalness, but adds a very human, and fun-loving quality as well. Annette Crosbie, wonderful as always, is Queen Victoria. Also look for Sir John Gielgud in a few episodes. The screenplays for each episode are written in a way that will draw you into every word of the wonderful dialogue. It's a great history lesson spanning nearly 70 years, and giving faces(so to speak) to all the crown heads of Europe of the time. I was amazed to find out how so many of them were inter-related through birth or marriage.
This a 6 volume set. There are 13 episodes at about 50 minutes each. 2 episodes to a disc, except for volume 6, which has 3. Each DVD is in it's own case.
I thought the transfers were very good. The picture was clear, colors vivid, jewelry sparkled, and I loved the costumes. My only small complaint might be in the sound department. The dialogue would go in and out. I set my sound to 2-channel stereo, which worked better, but at times there was still some sort of echo. It wasn't enough to take away from the enjoyment of this series, or to take a star off of my rating. It also might have been nice if there were some kind of bonus features. It is apparent that much love and work went into every detail of this program and I would have liked to seen some interviews with cast and crew.
Looks like the outside sellers have the better deal, even for a new edition at this time.
A fabulous addition to your Royal collection
Here is an all regions edition(check with sellers for dvd details):
Edward the Seventh
Enjoy....Laurie
also recommended:
Gandhi
Movie Review: Another Sweeping British History Series
Summary: 5 Stars
Edward the King was produced in Britain in the 1970s. In the late 1970s US audiences saw it on PBS. Although it can be a bit soap opera-like in places, overall Edward the King is another fine series from the heyday of British mini-series.
The series begins before the birth of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales with a good depiction of the often tense relationship between the young Queen Victoria, her husband Prince Albert, and her mother the Duchess of Kent. Annette Crosbie does an excellent job of portraying the highly emotional Queen. Over the next few episodes we see young Bertie, as he was known, as the victim of Prince Albert and Queen Victoria's weird theories on child-rearing and the proper education for a young Prince. Eventually we see Bertie as a young man rebelling against his parents and beginning a life of pleasure and dissipation which was only slightly diminished by the death of Prince Albert and Bertie's own marriage to Princess Alexandra of Denmark. Bertie's adult life, jumping from mistress to mistress to gambling den to countless other forms of pleasure and indulgence, make up the bulk of the next few episodes. Eventually, Bertie becomes King Edward VII and the focus of the series shifts to international politics, depicting the King as "the Peacemaker" who adroitly defused several international crises and deftly managed his own widespread family, including his nephew the Kaiser and nephew in law the Tsar, while still managing more than a few illicit pleasure along the way.
The series can be a bit mawkish at times, particularly with some of the background music which evokes the worst soap opera stereotypes, but overall its fun and pleasing to watch, and the many characters, including the many Royals and politicians, are well depicted and historically accurate.
Movie Review: Very Enjoyable Rarely Seen British Miniseries
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of those series that came to America as a special although they should have sent it right to Masterpiece Theatre, Alistair Cooke would have had someone great commentary on it I'm sure. Despite his short reign, Edward the VII is still remembered on both sides of the Atlantic thanks to this series. Something to keep in mind for this DVD release. This is NOT (as pitched by everyone including the manufacturer themselves) a 6 Disc set. The manufacturer was apparently too cheap (or lazy) to put 3 episodes on 1 disc even though it could have easily been done and put episode 13 by itself in another disc included in the case marked "6". So it is really a 7 not 6 disc set. All in all though, it is another PBS/BBC show that deserves to be in any personal collection with shows like I, Claudius, Elizabeth R, Six Wives of Henry VIII and even Edward and Mrs Simpson (about Edward VIII non coincidentally).Movie Review: A Good look at Edward and his age
Summary: 5 Stars
One of the better miniseries about King Edward,his life and his brief reign. This film also shows Britain at its height of power.
Just before it was to be drowned in blood from the two World Wars. Which effectively ended a way of life and thought never to return. Altogether a very good way to sneak a look at the Edwardian Era and life at the very top.
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