Following the success of films such as 1913 and All Quiet on the Western Front, Netflix took a chance on a WWI French limited series (8 episodes) that follows four Parisian women in 1914 France as their lives intersect - Marguerite, a Parisian prostitute (Audrey Fleurot), Suzanne, a feminist nurse (Camille Lou), Agnes, Mother Superior of a convent (Julia De Bona), and Caroline, a house wife propelled to command her husband's family factory (Sofia Essaidi).
The miniseries covers the waterfront on tone - melodrama, love, lust, depravity, immorality, graphic violence, reversals of fortunes, reversals of misfortunes, hopes, betrayals, plot torques, and sufficient intrigue to add this series to the suspense genre as much as it sits squarely in history and drama.
The performances by the four female leads were unflinchingly nuanced, as were the performances by the equally compelling "lead" male cast ensemble. Cinematographer Jean-Phillipe Gosselin used his full tool box with every type of shot, angle, lighting and color saturation choice, and mis-en-scene. Laurent credited creator Cécile Lorne with the designs for the fascinating characters and noted that, while the characters were fictional, the crew included two historians (Laurent also kept military advisors on the sets). This series differentiates itself from most war films in that it is a portrayal that starts with a civilian perspective.
This series had little marketing and is currently Netflix's number 2 or 3 show in the US as of today by word of mouth. It is a definite recommend. My only criticism is of the last 5 minutes of the entire series - it was way too melodramatic, and I did not like the writers' choice for the fate of one of the characters. The other 6 hours and 47 minutes are well worth the watch. @netflix.
The miniseries covers the waterfront on tone - melodrama, love, lust, depravity, immorality, graphic violence, reversals of fortunes, reversals of misfortunes, hopes, betrayals, plot torques, and sufficient intrigue to add this series to the suspense genre as much as it sits squarely in history and drama.
The performances by the four female leads were unflinchingly nuanced, as were the performances by the equally compelling "lead" male cast ensemble. Cinematographer Jean-Phillipe Gosselin used his full tool box with every type of shot, angle, lighting and color saturation choice, and mis-en-scene. Laurent credited creator Cécile Lorne with the designs for the fascinating characters and noted that, while the characters were fictional, the crew included two historians (Laurent also kept military advisors on the sets). This series differentiates itself from most war films in that it is a portrayal that starts with a civilian perspective.
This series had little marketing and is currently Netflix's number 2 or 3 show in the US as of today by word of mouth. It is a definite recommend. My only criticism is of the last 5 minutes of the entire series - it was way too melodramatic, and I did not like the writers' choice for the fate of one of the characters. The other 6 hours and 47 minutes are well worth the watch. @netflix.