When we look at historical accounts the first thing we need to ask is who wrote them and why. Inevitably they are written by people who, for the most part, fell in line with those in power. That is to say, what they offer us, is one "version" of the truth but not necessarily the most accurate one.
Wolf Hall in one sense is one "version" of the life and times of Thomas Cromwell who became an "almost" indispensable adviser and administrator to King Henry VIII of Britain.
Its capably acted and well scripted stuff but does it really reflect the reality of Cromwell's life? An honest answer is no one knows for sure. What can be said based on known historical records is it does take liberties.
The depiction of Henry VIII as a hard working if depressed, put upon leader is something of a stretch, to say the least. Henry VIII would, by modern standards be described as a despotic, cruel, even sadistic (he had people boiled alive) dictator. Indeed, even by the standards of the time, he was not viewed favourably on the international stage. Moreover, Henry was hardly a capable leader either. An angry, temperamental and capricious loud mouth and show off, who was bolstered up, in large part, by advisers who effectively ruled in his stead (until Henry killed them off when he felt, reasonably or more often than not, irrationally, threatened by them).
Cromwell was not entirely the honest, practical, plainly spoken man he is portrayed as, either. Cromwell schemed and sold others, such as Thomas Moore, down the proverbial political river. That's not to say he was alone in his politicking or that he could simply divorce himself from it.
All in all, this is an interesting, polished, historical series. That said, it seems UK productions have an aversion to facing the warts and all reality of their own past. Instead preferring watered down, polite dramas, that mask as much as they reveal. Seven out of ten from me.
Wolf Hall in one sense is one "version" of the life and times of Thomas Cromwell who became an "almost" indispensable adviser and administrator to King Henry VIII of Britain.
Its capably acted and well scripted stuff but does it really reflect the reality of Cromwell's life? An honest answer is no one knows for sure. What can be said based on known historical records is it does take liberties.
The depiction of Henry VIII as a hard working if depressed, put upon leader is something of a stretch, to say the least. Henry VIII would, by modern standards be described as a despotic, cruel, even sadistic (he had people boiled alive) dictator. Indeed, even by the standards of the time, he was not viewed favourably on the international stage. Moreover, Henry was hardly a capable leader either. An angry, temperamental and capricious loud mouth and show off, who was bolstered up, in large part, by advisers who effectively ruled in his stead (until Henry killed them off when he felt, reasonably or more often than not, irrationally, threatened by them).
Cromwell was not entirely the honest, practical, plainly spoken man he is portrayed as, either. Cromwell schemed and sold others, such as Thomas Moore, down the proverbial political river. That's not to say he was alone in his politicking or that he could simply divorce himself from it.
All in all, this is an interesting, polished, historical series. That said, it seems UK productions have an aversion to facing the warts and all reality of their own past. Instead preferring watered down, polite dramas, that mask as much as they reveal. Seven out of ten from me.