The English Civil War has the material for what seems could be a masterpiece, well Cromwell's not quite that. I won't disparage the film too much though because that does not mean it's bad either. The film reduces some of the complexity, the religious element is underplayed here, to make it more about a struggle for freedom in a more general sense. This makes Cromwell a fairly straight forward figure, as man who wants to do what is right, and Richard Harris plays him as basically a reluctant hero. The more interesting character is in Charles I played with great nuance by Alec Guinness. The depiction of the war it has a bit of fun with the parley, and the battle scenes are effective though not awe inspiring. The best portion of the film is actually after the war is over and the film allows for a bit more complexity as the winners struggle to decide what to do. We also get the most emotional scenes through Guinness's portrayal of Charles as a good man, but a bad leader. Cromwell is a good film, but I do hope they'll make a great film out of the events some day.
4/5
4 comments:
Who'd be your ideal Charles I and Cromwell for a 2010s version of this film? I'd say Simon Pegg as Charles and Dominic West as Cromwell would be my choices.
Calvin: West actually played Cromwell in The Devil's Whore in 2008.
Luke: No way! I had no clue, well even better then. Though if I had to pick someone else, I know I've been using them excessively as of late but Tom Hardy or Matthias Schoenaerts.
Calvin:
Going with someone over 40 for Cromwell, since we'll say it would be focused on the civil war and its aftermath, Damian Lewis seems a great fit.
I'll co-sign on Simon Pegg for Charles, I think given the chance he could knock a dramatic role out of the park.
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