Well this is pretty great! I had avoided this initially but I'm glad that I gave it a chance as it is brilliant.
Watched the first three episodes already, great acting and writing. Looking forward to episode 4 tonight.
I like it a lot but one thing that is putting me off is these are all supposed to be Russians yet I hear some actors who are talking in specific British accents, some trying to put a Russian accent on and also some american accents.
I have come to expect quality from HBO and this mini-series has exceeded my expectations. I hadn't heard much about it until I saw a promo just before the Game of Thrones premier in April. Like a previous post mentioned it was a bit distracting at first with all the English accents but the storyline and craftsmanship quickly overshadowed that. An episode or two more beyond the 5 in the series might have been nice but the producers, IMO, have managed to cover all the important details in the 5 hours in a way that the viewer understands it all without feeling like some details are missing. Most definitely a nice make good for the wet fart that season 8 of Game of Thrones turned out to be. BTW - has Stellan Skarsgard ever given a performance where he hasn't growled his lines?
Episode five was quite good. I'm pretty sure that the screenplay will be studied at many a screenwriting course for its structure.
Agreed. 90% of the episode was just in the court(or hearing?) yet every moment was captivating. Really enjoyed it.
Roose Bolten for the prosecution, your honor. The episode was very, very well crafted. Even though you knew the story, the flash backs to the events that lead up to the explosion still had an edge of the seat quality to them. It is rare when the dialogue, acting, and cinematography come together so seamlessly.
This was an excellent miniseries. Btw. Russia is starting its propaganda counterattack: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jun/07/chernobyl-hbo-russian-tv-remake Afraid of a successful TV show. Tells you everything you need to know about this country.
The character trait that defines the Russian state, and to a certain extent - Russians themselves, is paranoia. Centuries/millenia of invasion from all sides helped reinforce paranoia of enemies - external and internal, real or imagined. Paranoia led to the establishment/invasion of buffer states to protect against threats - real and imagined - from Germany, China/Mongols/Huns, Ottomans, etc. Back to the show. I liked the show. Nuclear radiation/sickness does not lend itself visually in a theatrical format, but they did a very good job of developing characters, and the moral dilemmas that they faced. Maybe there will be a narrative/show about Fukushima in a few years?
I totally get the need of Russia to protect themselves from western invasion. It's not that they haven't legitimate reasons to do so. It's the apparent need of the Russian state to defend everything the Sowjet Union ever did that bewilders me.