"DISTURBING DEATHS"
Ever saw I watched (3.01) "The Heart of the Truest Believer", the Season Three premiere for ABC's "ONCE UPON A TIME", I have experienced troubling thoughts about the series' writing. And recently, those troubling thoughts centered around the deaths of two recurring characters.
Anyone who had seen both the Season Three premiere and the Season Two finale, (2.22) "And Straight On 'Til Morning" would know to what I am referring. The latter episode saw two recurring characters, Greg Mendell and Tamara, attempt to destroy Storybrooke in an effort to rid the world of any magic. Before Regina Mills aka the Evil Queen and Emma Swan could foil their plans, they kidnapped the pair's son, Henry Mills, and took him to Neverland using a magic bean. Apparently, the leader of their anti-magic organization called "the Home Office", had ordered them to take Henry to Neverland, claiming that his presence was more important than destroying magic.
Upon their arrival in Neverland, Greg and Tamara discovered that "the Home Office" had never existed. They had been tricked by Peter Pan and the Lost Boys to bring Henry to Neverland, because Peter wanted the boy he believed possessed the heart of the truest believer. Realizing that the Lost Boys wanted Henry, Tamara ordered him to run. Meanwhile, an entity called "The Shadow" ripped Greg's shadow from his body. One of the Lost Boys shot Tamara with an arrow, badly wounding her. While all of this occurred, the Charmings, Regina, Rumpelstiltskin aka Mr. Gold and Captain Killian Hook arrived in Neverland via the latter's ship, the Jolly Roger. Rumpelstiltskin left his companions behind and appeared on the island. He eventually found the wounded Tamara, ripped our her heart and crushed it, killing her in the process. All of this happened before the end of the episode's first half.
My reaction to Tamara and Greg's fates really took me by surprise. I realized that the pair were merely recurring characters. But I never thought that the series' creators, Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis, would get rid of them so soon. I, along with other regular viewers of "ONCE UPON A TIME", knew that Sonequa Martin-Green, the actress who had portrayed Tamara, was scheduled to resume her role on AMC's "THE WALKING DEAD", which had been upgraded from recurring to regular, during this new television season. But I had no idea that Horowitz would get rid of her character so soon. Too soon, in my opinion. If Horowitz and Kitsis realized they would not be able to employ Martin-Green for more than one episode, they could have recast the Tamara character with a new actress. Would it have really killed them?
Why do I still have such a problem with Tamara and Greg's fates? It happened . . . too soon. And too fast. The writers of "And Straight On 'Til Morning" gave Greg and Tamara's kidnapping of Henry and journey to Neverland such a big buildup. To have them killed off - or in Greg's case - shadow ripped from his body in such a quick fashion left a bitter taste in my mouth. Unlike many fans, I never disliked the pair. But I have to admit that Horowitz and Kitsis really mishandled their characters. Their handling of Tamara proved to be even worse than their handling of Greg. Did the two creators planned to reveal how Peter Pan and the Lost Boys created an anti-magic organization in the first place? I no longer think so. After all, Greg was first contacted by "the Home Office" thirty years ago, after losing his father to Regina and Graham in Storybrooke. And what about Tamara? What led her to embrace this anti-magic agenda? When was she first contacted by "the Home Office"? Since Rumpelstiltskin had murdered her halfway through the episode, I now realize that viewers will never know the truth.
If I have to be honest, Tamara's death bothered me a lot more than Greg's. Greg merely had his shadow ripped from his body. Audiences do not really know whether he is still alive or not. Horowitz and Kitsis made it very clear that Tamara was killed. Now, this might have to do with the fact that Martin-Green was scheduled to appear on "THE WALKING DEAD" set. But as I had stated earlier, they could have simply hired another actress to replace her. And there are other aspects of Tamara's death that bother me. She was killed off before any attempt could be made to reveal her background. Audiences knew how she became acquainted with both August W. Booth aka Pinocchio and Neal Cassidy aka Baelfire. Otherwise, we know nothing about her past. The writers did not even bothered to give her a surname. And judging from the comments I have read on the series' message boards and forums, along with television critics from the WALL STREET JOURNAL blog, the HUFFINGTON POST blog and DEN OF GEEK; no one really cared that Tamara's background and her surname were never revealed. Instead, they crowed with glee that the pair was quickly killed off. They especially crowed over the manner of Tamara's death - either deliberately dismissing her remorse with sarcasm or ignoring it altogether. Their attitudes did not merely bothered me, it angered me beyond belief.
I had come to believe that Tamara's death merely confirmed what many critics have been complaining about "ONCE UPON A TIME" - their shabby handling of characters portrayed by non-white characters. Tamara was a prime example. Between her and Greg, the latter was given a background story, a surname and a questionable "death". Nor did the fans and critics regard him with the same vitriolic hatred leveled at Tamara. Horowitz and Kitsis could have developed Tamara's character in Season Three by recasting a new actress for the role. They did not bother.
But Tamara was not the only example of the series' poor handling of non-white characters. I still cannot help but shake my head in disbelief over that fight scene between Snow White and Mulan in Season Two's (2.08) "Into the Deep" in which the less experienced princess quickly defeated the more experienced and non-white warrior. Mulan, who was portrayed as a young woman from a well-to-do Chinese family in the 1998 animated film, was portrayed as illiterate in another Season Two episode, (2.11) "The Outsider". Her illiteracy prevented her from being able to read Chinese characters. Yet, the very white Belle, was able to reach Chinese characters after reading a book. I just . . . I just could not believe this. Poor Lancelot, who was portrayed by African-American actor Sinqua Walls, was killed off in the Season Two episode, (2.03) "Lady of the Lake", his only appearance on the show, until he had been mysteriously resurrected in Season Five . . . for a few episodes. In fact, his character was already dead and being impersonated by Cora Mills aka Queen of Hearts. And Cinderella's Fairy Godmother, who was portrayed by an African-American actress, was killed by Rumpelstiltskin during the first three-to-five minutes of the Season One episode, (1.04) "The Price of Gold". Only Sidney Glass aka the Genie-in-the-Lamp and Regina, who are portrayed by Giancarlo Espocito and Lana Parrilla respectively, avoided such poor handling. Well . . . somewhat. Espocito could not reprise his role in Season Two, due to his obligations as a regular cast member of NBC's "REVOLUTION". However, he could have been replaced by another actor. It would take another essay to write about the handling of the Regina Mills character, especially in the last five to six episodes of Season Two. But I found it annoying that she was the only major character described as "the Villain" by ABC's promotion for Season Three, when there was a bigger villain worthy of the title - Mr. Gold aka Rumpelstiltskin.
I am amazed. I had started this article with the intent to complain about the series' handling of both Greg and Tamara in "The Heart of the Truest Believer". I am still upset over their fates and the piss poor reactions by the fans and critics. But I now realize that what pissed me even more was that the show's handling of Tamara merely confirmed my worst instincts about "ONCE UPON A TIME"and the creators Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis - their inability to write or maintain decent characterizations for those roles portrayed by minority actors and actresses. But I should not be surprised. Despite the Hollywood community's pretense at being liberals, in the end it is just as narrow-minded and conservative as the worst bigot or pop culture geek.
"STAR WARS: EPISODE VI - RETURN OF THE JEDI" (1983) Review
The third movie and sixth episode of George Lucas' original STAR WARS saga, "STAR WARS: EPISODE VI - RETURN OF THE JEDI", has become something of a conundrum for me. It was the first STAR WARS movie that immediately became a favorite of mine. But in the years that followed, my opinion of the film had changed.
Directed by Richard Marquand, "RETURN OF THE JEDI" picked up a year after "STAR WARS: EPISODE V - THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK" left off. The movie begins with the arrival of the Emperor Palpatine aka Darth Sidious and his apprentice, Darth Vader to the Empire's new Darth Star, which had been in construction above the moon of Endor. Luke Skywalker, Jedi-in-training and Rebel Alliance pilot, finally construct a plan to rescue his friend, Han Solo, from the Tatooine gangster Jabba the Hutt. His plan nearly fails, despite help from Princess Leia Organa, Lando Calrissian, Chewbacca and his droids C3-P0 and R2-D2. Despite the odds against them, the group of friends finally succeed in rescuing Han and killing Jabba.
Following the Tatooine rescue, Luke returns to Dagobah to finish his Jedi training with Jedi Master Yoda. However, Luke discovers Yoda on the verge of death from old age. When the old Jedi Master finally dies, Obi-Wan Kenobi's ghost appears and verifies what Luke had learned on Bespin in "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK" - that Darth Vader is his father, Anakin Skywalker. Obi-Wan insists that Luke has to kill his father in order to destroy the Sith Order, but the latter is reluctant to commit patricide. Eventually, Luke returns to the Rebel Alliance rendezvous point, and volunteers to assist his friends in their mission to destroy the the Death Star.
I was not kidding when I stated that "RETURN OF THE JEDI" was the first STAR WARS movie to become a personal favorite of mine. I disliked "A NEW HOPE" when I first saw it. It took me nearly a decade to get over my dislike and embrace it. "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK" creeped me out a bit, due to its dark plot, the revelation of Darth Vader's true identity and Han's unhappy fate. The movie has become one of my two favorites in the franchise. But I loved "RETURN OF THE JEDI" from the beginning. By then, I finally learned to embrace Lucas' saga. And the positive ending with no potential of a sequel made me equally happy. And yet . . . my feelings toward the movie gradually changed. Although I still maintained positive feelings toward the movie, I ceased to regard it as my personal favorite from the STAR WARSfranchise.
"RETURN OF THE JEDI" did have its problems. One, the movie featured both a second Death Star and Luke's return to Tatooine. For me, this signalled an attempt by George Lucas to recapture some of the essence from the first movie, "A NEW HOPE". In other words, I believe Lucas used the Death Star and Tatooine to relive the glory of the first movie for those fans who had been disappointed with "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK". And there is nothing that will quickly turn me off is an artist who is willing to repeat the past for the sake of success.
Tatooine proved to be an even bigger disappointment, especially since I have never been fond of the sequence at Jabba's palace. I never understood why it took Luke and his friends an entire year to find Han. Boba Fett had made his intentions to turn Han over to Jabba very clearly in "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK". So, why did it take them so long to launch a rescue? Exactly what was Luke's rescue plan regarding Han in the first place? Not long after she arrived with Chewbacca, Leia made her own attempt to free Han from the carbonite block and failed. Had Luke intended for this to happen? Had he intended to be tossed into a pit with a Rancor? Were all of these minor incidents merely parts of Luke's plan to finally deal with Jabba on the latter's sail barge? If so, it was a piss-poor and convoluted plan created by Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan.
"RETURN OF THE JEDI" also featured the development of Luke's skills with the Force. Since the movie made it clear that he had not seen Yoda since he departed Dagobah in order to rescue Han, Leia and Chewbacca from Bespin; I could not help but wonder how Luke managed to develop his Force skills without the help of a tutor. I eventually learned that Luke honed his Force skills by reading a manual he had found inside Obi-Wan Kenobi's Tatooine hut. Frankly, I find this scenario ludicrous. Luke's conversation with Obi-Wan's ghost on Dagobah featured one major inconsistency. Obi-Wan claimed that Owen Lars was his brother, in whose care he left Luke. Considering Obi-Wan's unemotional response to Owen's death in "A NEW HOPE", I found this hard to believe and could not help but view Obi-Wan's words as a major blooper. Especially since Obi-Wan had reacted with more emotion over Luke's reluctance to become a Jedi and kill Darth Vader.
Many fans have complained about the cheesy acting and wooden dialogue found the Prequel Trilogy movies. These same fans have failed to notice similar flaws in the Original Trilogy movies, including "RETURN OF THE JEDI". Especially"RETURN OF THE JEDI". Mind you, the movie did feature some first-rate performances. But none of it came from Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher. I really enjoyed Ford and Fisher's performances in "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK". But I feel they really dropped the ball in "RETURN OF THE JEDI". They seemed to be phoning in their performances and the Leia/Han ended up rather wooden and unsatisfying to me. This was especially apparent in the scene in which Leia, after learning the truth about Vader's identity, seemed too upset to answer Han's demanding questions about her conversation with the departed Luke. Both Fisher and Ford really came off as wooden in that scene. When I had first saw "RETURN OF THE JEDI", I despised the Ewoks. My feelings for them have somewhat tempered over the years. But I still find them rather infantile, even for a STAR WARS movie. Although I no longer dislike the Ewoks, I still find that village scene in which C3-P0 revealed the past adventures of Luke and his friends very cheesy and wince-inducing. Unlike the past two films, the camaraderie between the group seemed forced . . . and very artificial. The Ewok village scene also revealed a perplexing mystery - namely the dress worn by Leia in this image:
For years, I have wondered why Leia would carry such a dress with her, during the mission to Endor. I eventually learned that the Ewoks created the dress for her, after she became their guest. And I could not help but wonder why they had bothered in the first place. Luke and Han did not acquire new outfits from the Ewoks after they became the latter's guests. And how did the Ewoks create the dress so fast? Within a matter of hours?
Thankfully, "RETURN OF THE JEDI" had plenty of virtues. One of those virtues turned out to be Mark Hamill, who gave the best and probably the most skillful performance in the movie as Luke Skywalker. Unlike the previous two movies, Luke has become a more self-assured man and Force practitioner, who undergoes his greatest emotional journey in his determination to learn the complete story regarding his family's past and help his father overcome any remaining connections to the Sith. He was ably supported by James Earl Jones (through voice) and David Prowse (through body movement), who skillfully conveyed Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker's growing dissatisfaction with the Sith and himself."RETURN OF THE JEDI" also marked the real debut of Ian McDiarmid's portrayal of politician and Sith Lord Palpatine aka Darth Sidious. Although the actor achieved critical acclaim for his portrayal of Palpatine in the Prequel Trilogy movies, I must say that I was impressed by his performance in this film. McDiarmid was in his late 30s at the time, but I he did a first-rate job in portraying Palpatine as a powerful and intelligent Sith Lord and galactic leader, whose skills as a manipulator has eroded from years of complacency and arrogance. Billy Dee Williams returned as ex-smuggler Lando Calrissian, who has joined the Rebel Alliance cause. Although his portrayal of Lando did not strike me as memorable as I did in "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK", I believe he did a very solid job - especially in the Battle of Endor sequence. I finally have to comment on the Jabba the Hutt character, who proved to be very memorable thanks to Larry Ward's voiceovers and the puppeteer team supervised by David Barclay.
"RETURN OF THE JEDI" also featured some first-rate action scenes. The best, in my opinion, was the speeder bike sequence in which Luke and Leia chased a squad of Imperial stormtroopers on patrol through the Endor forest. This sequence was actually shot in the Redwood National Forest in California. The combined talents of Lucas, Marquand's direction, Alan Hume's photography, the ILM special effects, Ben Burtt's sound effects (which received an Oscar nomination) and especially the editing team of Sean Barton, Marcia Lucas and Duwayne Dunham made this sequence one of the most exciting, nail biting and memorable ones in the entire saga. But there were other scenes and sequences that impressed me. Despite my dislike of the entire sequence featuring the rescue of Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt, I cannot deny that the scene aboard Jabba's sail barge proved to be entertaining. Even the ground battle between the Imperial forces and the Rebel forces (assisted by the Ewoks) proved to be not only entertaining, but also interesting. The idea of the Ewoks utilizing the natural elements of Endor to battle and defeat Imperial technology provided an interesting message on the superiority of nature. And if I must be honest, I found the destruction of this second Death Star to be more exciting than the first featured in "A NEW HOPE".
Despite the barrage of action scenes, there were a few dramatic scenes that I found impressive. The best one proved to be the confrontation between Luke, Vader and Palpatine aboard the second Death Star. Luke and Papatine's battle of wills over Vader's soul not only provided some interesting performances from Hamill, Earl Jones/Prowse and McDiarmid; it also resulted in one of the most emotionally satisfying moments in the movie. Another excellent dramatic scene featured Luke's discussion with Obi-Wan's ghost regarding Vader's true identity. Both Hamill and Alec Guinness gave excellent performances in the scene. It also, rather surprisingly, revealed the flawed aspect of the Jedi's righteous nature for the very first time.
After the release of the six STAR WARS movies produced by George Lucas, I realized that I no longer regarded "RETURN OF THE JEDI" as the best in the saga. Unfortunately, I now rate it as the least most satisfying film in the saga produced by Lucas. Certain plot holes and some weak performances made it impossible for me to view it with such high esteem. Yet, I cannot say that I dislike the film. In fact, I still enjoyed it very much, thanks to a first-rate performance by Mark Hamill, who really held the movie together; some excellent action sequences and a surprising, yet satisfying twist that ended the tale of one Anakin Skywalker. Despite its flaws, "RETURN OF THE JEDI" still managed to be a very satisfying movie.
"POLDARK" SERIES ONE (2015): EPISODES FIVE TO EIGHT
Within the past year, I had developed a major interest in author Winston Graham's 1945-2002 "POLDARK" literary saga and the two television adaptations of it. Series One of the second adaptation produced by Debbie Horsfield, premiered on the BBC (in Great Britain) and PBS (in the United States) last year. Consisting of eight episodes, Series One of "POLDARK" was an adaptation of 1945's "Ross Poldark - A Novel of Cornwall, 1783-1787" and "Demelza - A Novel of Cornwall, 1788-1790". Whereas Episodes One to Four adapted the 1945 novel, Episodes Five to Eight adapted the 1946 novel.
Episode Four left off with the death of Ross Poldark's uncle, Charles; leaving Trenwith, the family's premiere estate, in the hands of his cousin Francis. Ross' former kitchen maid and new bride, Demelza Carne Poldark, formed a friendship with Francis' sister Verity and accompanied Ross to a rather tense Christmas celebration at Trenwith, which was further marred by an unexpected appearance of the noveau-riche Warleggan family and friends. Ross also learned that copper had been discovered inside his mine and that Demelza had become pregnant with their first child.
Episode Five began several months later with the arrival of a traveling theater company that includes a young actress named Keren, who attracts the attention of miner Mark Daniels. The episode also marked the arrival of two other players - Dwight Enys, a former British Army officer and doctor, who happens to be a former comrade of Ross'; and young Julia Poldark, whose birth interrupted her parents' enjoyment of the traveling theater company's performance. The four episodes featured a good number of events and changes in Ross Poldark's life. Julia's birth led to a riotous christening in which he and Demelza had to deal with unexpected guests. Francis lost his fortune and his mine to George Warleggan's cousin Matthew Sanson at a gaming party. Ross learned that his former employee Jim Carter was seriously ill at the Bodomin Jail and tried to rescue the latter with Dwight Enys' help. The tragic consequences of their attempt led to Ross' ill nature at the Warleggan's ball. Dwight drifted into an affair with Keren Daniels, with tragic results.
Ross and several other mine owners created the Carnmore Copper Company in an effort to break the Warleggans' stranglehold on the mineral smelting business, while Demelza plotted to resurrect her cousin-in-law Verity Poldark's romance with Captain Andrew Blamey. The success of her efforts led to an estrangement between Ross and Frances. Demelza's matchmaking also led to financial disaster for her husband's new business venture. A Putrid's Throat epidemic struck the neighborhood, affecting Francis, Elizabeth and their son Geoffrey Charles. Not long after Demelza had nursed them back to health, both she and Julia were stricken by disease. The season ended with a series of tragic and tumultuous events. Although Demelza recovered, Julia succumbed to Putrid's Throat. The Warleggans' merchant ship wrecked off the coast of Poldark land and Ross alerted locals like Jud and Prudie Paynter to salvage any goods that wash up on the shore. This "salvaging" led to violence between those on Poldark lands and neighboring miners and later, both against local military troops. One of the victims of the shipwreck turned out to be the Warleggans' cousin, Matthew Sanson. After Ross insulted Sanson's death in George Warleggan's face, the season ended with the latter arranging for Ross' arrest for inciting the riot.
I must admit that I liked these next four episodes a bit more than I did the first quartet. Do not get me wrong. I enjoyed those first episodes very much. But Episodes Five to Eight not only deepened the saga - naturally, considering a they were continuation of the first four - but also expanded the world of Ross Poldark.
One of the aspects of Series One's second half that caught both my attention and my admiration was the production's continuing portrayal of Britain's declining economic situation during the late 18th century . . . especially for the working class. Both Episodes Five and Seven featured brief scenes that conveyed this situation. In Episode Five; Ross, Demelza and Verity encounter a starving family on the road to Turo, begging for food or money. A second brief scene in Episode Seven featured Demelza baking bread and later, dispersing it to the neighborhood's starving poor. However, the series also featured bigger scenes that really drove home the dire economic situation. Upon reaching Truro in Episode Five, both Demelza and Verity witnessed a riot that broke out between working-class locals and the militia when the former tried to access the grain stored inside Matthew Sanson's warehouse. I found the sequence well shot by director William McGregor. The latter also did an excellent job in the sequence that featured locals like the Paynters ransacking much needed food and other goods that washed ashore from the Warleggans' wrecked ship. I was especially impressed by how the entire sequence segued from Ross wallowing in a state of grief over his daughter's death before spotting the shipwreck to the militia's violent attempt to put down the riot that had developed between the tenants and miners on Ross' land and locals from other community.
Even the upper-classes have felt the pinch of economic decline, due to the closing and loses of mines across the region and being in debt to bankers like the Warleggans. Following the discovery of copper inside his family's mine in Episode Four, Ross seemed destined to avoid such destitution. Not only was he able to afford a new gown and jewels for Demelza to wear at the Warleggan ball in Episode Six, he used his profits from the mine to create a smelting company - the Carnmore Copper Company - with the assistance of other shareholders in an effort to break the Warleggans' monopoly on the local mining industry. One cannot say the same for his cousin Francis, who continued to skirt on the edge of debt, following his father's death. Unfortunately, Francis wasted a good deal of his money on gambling and presents for the local prostitute named Margaret. In a scene that was not in the novel, but I found both enjoyable and very effective, he lost both his remaining fortune and his mine, Wheal Grambler, to the Warleggans' cousin, Matthew Sanson, at a gaming party. But this was not the end of the sequence. Thanks to director William McGregor and Horsfield's script. The sequence became even more fascinating once the Poldarks at Trenwith learned of Francis' loss, especially Elizabeth. And it ended on a dramatic level with Francis being forced to officially close Wheal Grambler in front a crowd. I realize the sequence was not featured in Graham's novel, but if I must be honest; I thought Horsfield's changes really added a good deal of drama to this turn of events. Not only did McGregor shot this sequence rather well, I really have to give kudos to Kyle Soller, who did an excellent job in portraying Francis at his nadir in this situation; and Heida Reed, who did such a superb job conveying the end of Elizabeth's patience with her wayward husband with a slight change in voice tone, body language and expression.
I was also impressed by other scenes in Series One's second half. The christening for Ross and Demelza's new daughter, Julia, provided some rather hilarious moments as their upper-crust neighbors met Demelza's religious fanatic of a father and stepmother. Thanks to Harriet Ballard and Mark Frost's performances, I especially enjoyed the confrontation between the snobbish Ruth Treneglos and the blunt Mark Carne. It was a blast. Ross and Dwight's ill-fated rescue of a seriously ill Jim Carter from the Bodmin Jail was filled with both tension and tragedy. Tension also marked the tone in one scene which one of the Warleggans' minions become aware of the newly formed Carnmore Copper Company during a bidding session. Another scene that caught my interest featured George Warleggan's successful attempt at manipulating a very angry Francis into revealing the names of shareholders in Ross' new cooperative . . . especially after the latter learned about his sister Verity's elopement with Andrew Blamey. Both Soller and Jack Farthing gave excellent and subtle performances in this scene. Once again, McGregor displayed a talent for directing large scenes in his handling of the sequence that featured the wreck of the Warleggans' ship, the Queen Charlotte, and both the looting and riot on the beach that followed. Series One ended on a dismal note with Ross and Demelza dealing with the aftermath of young Julia's death and Ross' arrest by the militia for leading the beach riot. Although I found the latter scene a bit of a throwaway, I was impressed by the scene featuring a grieving Ross and Demelza, thanks to the excellent performances from series leads, Aidan Turner and Elinor Tomlinson.
If there is one sequence that I really enjoyed in Series One of "POLDARK", it was the Warleggan ball featured in Episode Six. Ironically, not many people enjoyed it. They seemed put out by Ross' boorish behavior. I enjoyed it. Ross seemed in danger of becoming a Gary Stu by this point. I thought it was time that audiences saw how unpleasant he can be. And Turner did such an excellent job in conveying that aspect of Ross' personality. He also got the chance to verbally cross swords with Robin Ellis' Reverend Dr. Halse for the second time. Frankly, it was one of the most enjoyable moments in the series, so far. Both Turner and Ellis really should consider doing another project together. The segment ended with not only an argument between Ross and Demelza that I found enjoyable, but also a rather tense card game between "our hero" and the Warleggans' cousin Matthew Sanson that seemed enriched by performances from both Turner and Jason Thorpe.
I wish I had nothing further to say about Episodes to Eight of Series One. I really do. But . . . well, the episodes featured a good number of things to complain about. One, there were two sequences in which Horsfield and McGregor tried to utilize two scenes by showing them simultaneously. Episode Seven featured a segment in which both Demelza and Elizabeth tried to prevent a quarrel between two men in separate scenes - at the same time. And Episode Eight featured a segment in which both Ross and Demelza tried to explain the circumstances of their financial downfall (the destruction of the Carnmore Copper Company and Verity Poldark's elopement) to each other via flashbacks . . . and at the same time. Either Horsfield was trying to be artistic or economic with the running time she had available. I do not know. However, I do feel that both sequences were clumsily handled and I hope that no such narrative device will be utilized in Series Two.
I have another minor quibble and it has to do with makeup for both Eleanor Tomlinson and Heida Reed. In Episode Eight, the characters for both actresses - Demelza Poldark and Elizabeth Poldark - had been stricken by Putrid's Throat. Both characters came within an inch of death. Yet . . . for the likes of me, I found the production's different handling of the makeup for both women upon their recovery from Putrid's Throat rather odd. Whereas Elizabeth looked as if she had recently recovered from a serious illness or death (extreme paleness and dark circles under the eyes), the slight reddish tints on Demelza's face made her looked as if she had recently recovered from a cold. Winston Graham's portrayal of Demelza has always struck me as a bit too idealized. In fact, she tends to come off as a borderline Mary Sue. And both the 1970s series and this recent production are just as guilty in their handling of Demelza's character. But this determination to make Demelza look beautiful - even while recovering from a near fatal illness - strikes me as completely ridiculous.
If there is one aspect of this second group of Series One's episodes that really troubled me, it was the portrayal of traveling actress Keren Smith Daniels and her affair with Dr. Dwight Enys. After viewing Debbie Horsfield's portrayal of the Keren Daniels character, I found myself wondering it Debbie Horsfield harbored some kind of whore/Madonna mentality. Why on earth did she portray Keren in such an unflattering and one-dimensional manner? Instead of delving into Keren's unsatisfaction as Mark Daniels' wife and treating her as a complex woman, Horsfield ended up portraying her as some one-dimensional hussy/adultress who saw Dwight as a stepping stone up the social ladder. Only in the final seconds of Keren's death was actress Sabrina Barlett able to convey the character's frustration with her life as a miner's wife. Worse, Horsfield changed the nature of Keren's death, by having Mark accidentally squeeze her to death during an altercation, instead of deliberately murdering her. Many had accused Horsfield of portraing Keren in this manner in order to justify Mark's killing of her, along with Ross and Demelza's decision to help him evade the law. Frankly, I agree. I find it distasteful that the portrayal of a character - especially a female character - was compromised to enrich the heroic image of the two leads - especially the leading man. Will this be the only instance of a supporting character being compromised for the sake of the leading character? Or was Horsfield's portrayal of Keren Daniels the first of such other unnecessary changes to come?
Despite my disppointment with the portrayal of the Keren Daniels character and her affair with Dwigh Enys and a few other aspects of the production, I had no problems with Episode Five to Eight of Series One for "POLDARK". If I must be honest, I enjoyed it slightly more than I did the first four episodes. With the adaptation of "Demelza - A Novel of Cornwall, 1788-1790" complete, I am curious to see how Debbie Horsfield and her production staff handle the adaptation of Winston Graham's next two novels in his literary series.
"THE JOURNEY OF AUGUST KING" (1995) Review
When the 1995 adaptation of John Ehle's 1971 novel, "The Journey of August King" hit the theaters, it barely made a flicker in the consciousness of moviegoers. In a way, I could see why.
"THE JOURNEY OF AUGUST KING" begins with widowed farmer August King traveling through the hills of western North Carolina in the spring of 1815, after selling his produce, making a final payment on his land, and purchasing goods at the local markets. During his journey, he learns about a hunt for an escaped slave. August eventually comes across the slave - a 17 year-old girl named Annalees. Although he is unwilling to expose her to slave catchers and her owner, a brusque farmer named Olaf Singletary; August wants nothing to do with her. But Annalees, sensing a sympathetic soul, literally follows August's wagon until she literally forces him to help her. For the next several days, August and Annalees engage in a tension-filled journey in an effort to dodge Singletary and his slave hunters . . . and fellow travelers, whose curiosity or friendliness threatened to expose August and his new travel companion.
Earlier, I had stated that I could understand why "THE JOURNEY OF AUGUST KING" barely made a flicker in the consciousness of moviegoers. One, the movie was based upon a novel that had been published 24 years earlier. And two, Miramax made little effort to publicize this ninety-minute film. I suspect the reason behind the lack of real publicity has to do with the film's subject - American slavery. Aside from the recent movie, "DJANGO UNCHAINED", the topic of U.S. slavery has not been that popular with moviegoers and television viewers in the past twenty years or so. I am not going to claim that "THE JOURNEY OF AUGUST KING" is a cinematic classic. But I do wish that Miramax had made a bigger effort to promote this film.
"THE JOURNEY OF AUGUST KING" had its flaws. There were times when the movie's pacing threatened to crawl to a halt - especially in its second half hour. At the beginning of the movie, August claimed that it would take him at least three days to reach his farm. Yet, the journey to his farm and a nearby trail for escaped slaves seemed to take him and Annalees to reach. Perhaps this is not surprising. I also got the feeling that most of the characters traveling on that road - including August and Annalees - seemed to be traveling in circles. There were times when the pair seemed to be ahead of Singletary . . . and there were times when he seemed to be ahead of them. Very confusing. I only had one final complaint. Thandie Newton gave an excellent performance as Annalees in this movie. But . . . there were times I found her Southern slave girl accent a little exaggerated. I guess I should not have been surprised, considering that the actress hails from Britain.
Thankfully, "THE JOURNEY OF AUGUST KING" possessed a lot more virtues than flaws. Despite her occasionally shaky Southern accent, Newton gave a first-rate performance as the extroverted, yet desperate fugitive slave, who took the chance to recruit the reluctant white farmer to help her. And Jason Patric was brilliant as the cautious August King, suffering from loneliness following the death of his wife. The actor did an excellent job in conveying his character's development from the farmer who allowed his compassion and loneliness to overcome his caution . . . and at the same time, maintain his quiet nature. More importantly, both Patric and Newton produced a sharp, yet slightly sensual screen chemistry. Larry Drake (from "DARKMAN" and NBC's "L.A. LAW") gave a subtle, yet frightening performance as Annalees' relentless owner, who is determined to recapture her. The movie also boasted a solid supporting performance from Sam Waterston as August's neighbor and a local lawman.
"THE JOURNEY OF AUGUST KING" had more to offer. One, it featured some solid direction by Andrew Duigan. Also, the movie was filmed in - where else? North Carolina. Not only did it looked beautiful, its beauty was enhanced by Slawomir Idziak's sharp and colorful photography. Although I would not view the movie's setting as an excuse to provide eye-catching costumes, I must admit that Patricia Norris did an excellent job in re-creating the styles of Early America Appalachia through her costume designs.
I was surprised to learn that author John Ehle wrote the movie's screenplay. I am usually wary of novelists writing the screen adaptations of their own novels. They tend to overdo it with over-the-top dialogue or protracted pacing. Granted, a third of the movie did suffer from a slow pacing, but I feel that Ehle did an otherwise excellent job in translating his novel into a movie. I was especially impressed by his portrayal of both August and Annalees. As I had noted earlier, August's character was very well developed, without the loss of his core nature. Some film critics have complained that Annalees was portrayed as a passive character. I never got that impression. Granted, August had to help her evade Singletary and his slave hunters. But critics seemed to forget that Annalees had more or less forced August to help her. More importantly, she steadfastly maintained her own sense of individuality - even to the point of reacting violently when she believed August was expressing sexual interest in her during the movie's first half hour. Ehle also provided a good deal of action and tension - surprisingly so for a movie that is basically a character study.
With the success of movies like the Academy Award winning movie "DJANGO UNCHAINED" and the 2013 Best Picture winner, "12 YEARS A SLAVE", I hope that more film fans would consider taking the time to view "THE JOURNEY OF AUGUST KING". It has its flaws, but I feel that it is a rewarding character study of two people during a period that is considered dark during this country's history.
"A CONVENIENT PROPOSAL"PART 3 - A Little Help From Friends"Say that again?" Barbara nearly screeched. Her blue eyes had grown wide with shock. Evelyn quietly repeated her announcement. That Rafe had asked her to marry him. Barbara continued, "And you're upset over that?""Who said anything about me being upset?" a petulant Evelyn asked.Martha rolled her eyes. "Honey, you should have seen your face when you came in. You looked as if you could take on Hitler, Tojo and Mussolini all by yourself. I'd say you were very upset."A sigh left Evelyn's mouth. Her shoulders sagged in defeat. "All right," she conceded. "I admit it. I am upset."Curiosity gleamed in Sandra's dark eyes. "Over Rafe's proposal?"Evelyn glumly nodded."Why would that upset you?" Barbara demanded. "That's something I've been dreaming of for years."In subdued tones, Evelyn described Rafe's proposal, word by word. Both Barbara and Martha reacted with groans. A disapproving frown touched Sandra's brow and the fourth nurse, Clarice, stared at Evelyn with confused eyes. "I don't understand. Aren't you glad that he proposed? I mean . . . well, at least your baby will finally have a father.""Which is why you should have accepted him in the first place," Sandra added, still frowning. "You have to think of the baby, Evelyn. He . . . or she needs both a mother and a father."Barbara threw her hands in the air out of sheer exasperation. "Have you two been listening? Rafe proposed marriage to her out of pity. Or out of some dumb male obligation to a dead buddy." Evelyn winced at the crude reference to Danny's death. Barbara noticed and quickly murmured an apology."What Barbara is trying to say in her most subtle manner," Martha continued in an arch voice, "is that Evelyn wants more than a marriage of convenience."Clarice shook her head. "I don't understand. If Lieu . . . uh, Captain Walker was still alive, I can see why she would be upset. But isn't that a moot point now that he's gone?" She turned to Evelyn. "Right?"Evelyn looked away. An increasingly familiar guilt tugged at her heart, as she answered, "Not quite, Clarice. It's a little more complicated than that."Sighs from the other three nurses filled the kitchen. Sandra removed her glasses and used a napkin to clean the lenses. "What Evelyn meant was . . ." she hesitated, her narrow face forming another frown. "Well, to be honest, I'm a little unsure about how she feels.""For crying out loud!" Martha stood up and headed for the refrigerator. "I need a drink." She reached inside the refrigerator and removed a bottle of beer. "Anyone else want a bottle?" she asked. No one answered.Evelyn took a sip of her coffee. "You see, it's like this, Clarice. About eighteen months ago, when we were stationed in New York, Rafe and I met and fell in love.""It was the funniest thing," Barbara added, laughter bubbling on her lips. "Evelyn told us all about it. They met when we were assigned to give physicals for the Army pilots at Mitchell . . ." The words died under Evelyn's direct glare. "Sorry, honey. Go ahead."Evelyn continued, "Thank you. Anyway, to make a long story short, Rafe and I had fallen in love and dated for about a month, until he left the States to fly with the Eagle Squadron in England. You've heard about the American pilots who fought with the RAF, right?"Clarice nodded. "Yeah. I saw 'A Yank in the RAF'."Americans, Evelyn decided, must be the only people who refer to movies in regard to history. She continued, "After Rafe left for England, the Navy shipped us to Hawaii. Rafe's squadron also came here. Then Danny and I received word that Rafe had been killed in a dogfight over the English Channel. We . . ." Memories of those three miserable months following Rafe's "death" hit Evelyn. She found herself struggling to fight back a wave of melancholy.Sandra's voice expressed concern. "Are you okay, Ev?""I'm fine. Fine." Evelyn took a deep breath. "Well, after Danny told me about what happened to Rafe, the next three months were hard." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "For both of us."Martha finished for her. "Three months after Evelyn and Danny learned what happened to Rafe, they started dating. Barbara saw them together, at the Black Rock Café.""That wasn't a date," Evelyn explained. "We had ran into each other at the movies. But after . . ."Clarice continued, "But afterward, you two began dating. I understand. You wanted to move on. And you fell in love."Evelyn remained silent. She did not know how to reply to Clarice's supposition. Had she and Danny really fallen in love? Or only Danny? She had wonderful memories of their two months together. And yet . . ."They fell in love," Sandra said, repeating Clarice's words. "And Rafe came back from the dead. He had been stuck in France all that time. Well, the Japanese attacked over a day after Rafe returned. Evelyn and Danny became engaged." She paused. "You two were engaged, right?"A brief hesitation followed before Evelyn could reply. "Well, I . . ." Someone interrupted before she could finish."Of course Ev and Danny became engaged," Martha interjected. "Especially after he found out about the baby."Evelyn quietly added, "I never told Danny about the baby.""What?" Four voices cried out in unison. A silent pause then filled the kitchen. Evelyn found herself facing eyes that either expressed shock or surprise.Martha finally broke the silence. "You didn't tell him? Geez Louise! Evelyn, why didn't you?""Because, he was about to leave for a dangerous mission," Evelyn explained. "And I didn't want him to become distracted."Sandra burst out with, "Golly Ev! I understand. Really, I do. But . . ." For the first time, she expressed signs of nervousness. "Your little noble act proved useless in the end, didn't it? Maybe you should have told Danny. At least he would have married you before he left." She paused. "Did Rafe know?"Evelyn hesitated. "Yes." Gasps burst out of the other nurses' mouths."You told Rafe, but not Danny?" Martha demanded."I didn't mean to!" Evelyn protested. "But I had to let Rafe know where we stood." Murmurs of understanding followed.Clarice stared at Evelyn with sad eyes. "Gee, you really must have had a difficult time, lately. The man you love is dead and you're having his baby.""Poor Evelyn," Sandra murmured compassionately. "We know it's been tough for you. But you still have Rafe. You may not be in love with him anymore," Evelyn glanced away to hide the bitter set of her mouth, "but at least he's willing to help you.""How do you known that Evelyn doesn't love Rafe anymore?" Martha protested. "For all you know, she had decided to stay with Danny because of the baby."The red-haired nurse dismissed Martha's idea with a wave of the hand. "That's silly. If she was still in love with Rafe, she would have never dated Danny in the first place." Martha's eyes rolled upward. "Who are you suppose to be? Mrs. Sigmund Freud? Or some student of the human psyche?"Dark brown eyes flashed with anger. "I do know Evelyn," Sandra replied heatedly. "And she happens to be a decent woman.""Oh brother!" Martha snidely shot back. "Look what we have here! Our very own bastion of morality!"Sandra gave the older woman a pointed stare. "Unlike Evelyn or myself, some people may be beyond help when it comes to leading a decent life. I wonder who."Martha retorted, "At least I'm not blind to possibilities other than moral ones. You know, the possibility that Evelyn may have dated Danny because she was lonely."All eyes turned to Evelyn. Sandra demanded, "Evelyn, who were you in love with? Rafe or Danny?"The pregnant woman winced at Sandra's direct question and the intense scrutiny from the other three nurses. "What is this?" she protested. "The Spanish Inquisition?""Yeah," Barbara added, glaring at the others. "You guys are all over the poor woman like locust. Let her breath a little. Sandra, why don't you give Martha and Clarice a ride back to the base. It's almost time for curfew."Sandra replied, "We're only trying to help. Besides, curfew won't arrive in another three hours or so.""Three hours can go by pretty fast. Now am-scray!" Barbara ordered.Grumbling to themselves, Sandra, Martha and Clarice slowly filed out of the kitchen. Sandra reminded Evelyn that she was available if the latter needed to talk. Once Barbara and Evelyn were alone, the blond nurse leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table. "Honey," she said, "I think we need to talk."* * * *Four pairs of eyes belonging to three pilots and a mechanic gawked at Rafe, following his earth-shattering announcement. "Uh Rafe," Red began, "did you just say . . .?""I asked Evelyn to marry me," Rafe repeated himself.Earl added, "And she said no. Huh." His thick brows formed double arches. "No wonder you seem pissed." Rafe shot him a dark glare. Earl's face turned red with embarrassment. "Sorry, Captain.""She said no?" Steve demanded. "Why?"Rafe shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I don't know. Maybe she didn't like the way I had proposed."His table companions mumbled their condolences. "Too bad," Gooz added, "considering that baby will be here any minute. I reckon it could use a daddy.""That baby?" Rafe's voice expressed irritation. "Evelyn's baby is a 'that'?"Gooz shot back, "Well, hell! How am I supposed to know whether it will be a boy or a girl? Do you?"A retort hung on Rafe's lips. However, he remained silent. He could not argue with the truth."Say Captain, what exactly did you say to her when you proposed?" Earl asked.Rafe recounted the exact words he had said to Evelyn. Both Red and Steve groaned aloud. Gooz rolled his eyes and Earl merely stared at Rafe with disbelief. "She actually got pissed off from that? Why?""Are you kidding?" Steve turned on the sergeant. "No woman in her right mind would accept a proposal like that. No matter how she feels about the guy."Earl demanded, "What are you talking about? Lieu . . . Captain Walker's girl is expecting a baby. He's gone and Captain McCawley here, has offered to help out. What the hell is wrong with that? He'll give the baby a name and a father - if he survives the war. And it's not like they have to stay married forever."Rafe wanted to slink away and die. Instead, he let out an audible groan. No wonder Evelyn had lost her temper. Jesus! Thinking about it now, his proposal did seem rather cold-blooded."Why don't you tell us the truth, Rafe?" Red quietly said. His voice sounded unusually tired. "About Evelyn."Earl's gaze shifted between the two officers. "What truth?"Taking a deep breath, Rafe confessed. "Evelyn and I first dated over a year ago. Just before I left for England.""Say that again?"Rafe told the mechanic the entire story. About how he and Evelyn first met, their separation, Rafe's months in the RAF, news of his death reaching Evelyn and Danny, their subsequent romance, his arrival in Hawaii and Evelyn's announcement about the baby. "Since she was carrying Danny's baby, I figured it would be best for me to bow out. Only, Danny was . . ." His eyes riveted toward the half-empty beach beyond, as he tried to force away memories of those moments in the rice paddy. "Well, Danny got killed and now, Evelyn is alone and pregnant.""And you still love her," Earl knowingly added. He shook his head. "Jesus! This all sounds like one of those Fannie Hurst novels my second wife liked to read."Red's eyes became blank. Steve cried out, "Huh?""Fannie Hurst," Gooz added in his usual laconic manner. "She wrote a lot of melodramas around ten or twenty years ago. "IMITATION OF LIFE", "BACK STREET". There was a new movie version of "BACK STREET" about a year ago. With Margaret Sullivan."Earl looked at the pilot as if the latter had lost his mind. "You read Fannie Hurst novels?"Gooz's face became rock-like. "Sure," he mumbled. "What's wrong with that?""Brother, if you don't know the answer to that, you don't deserve to be a pilot," Steve said, shaking his head. "Fannie Hurst."Earl turned to Rafe. "So Captain, you're still in love with this Evelyn. Does she feel the same about you?"Rafe sighed. "Hell, I don't know. She once told me that she would always think of me whenever she saw a sunset. I don't know if she still feels the same. What do you think?""Hell, if she got pissed off from that proposal you gave her, I guess she does." Earl paused. "Then again, what would I know? I've got two failed marriages under my belt. I'm the last person to give advice on romance. What about you, Steve?"The dark-haired pilot swallowed the last of his beer. "I haven't had a date since before the war, six months ago. Don't ask me." His glanced at Gooz. "Maybe you should ask the Fannie Hurst fan, here.""I may like Fannie Hurst, but I don't know a thing about romance," Gooz mumbled. "Sorry, can't help you."The table fell silent. The other pilots stared at Red, who merely shrugged.Rafe sighed. "Maybe I should just . . ."A pilot burst through the beaded curtain, interrupting Rafe. His broad face was red with excitement. "Hey! Morley's girl from back home has just agreed to marry him. Free drinks are on him." He immediately returned to the bar.Earl, Gooz and Steve immediately rose to their feet. "Free drinks Captain," Earl said. "Plan to join us?""That's okay." Rafe shook his head. "Maybe later."The three men disappeared behind the curtain. Rafe reached for the bottle of bourbon. A hand grabbed the bottle from his grasp. Red's. The red-haired pilot's face looked serious. "Can we talk, Rafe?" He nodded toward the beach. "While we take a walk?"A feeling struck Rafe that Red had something to say about his situation with Evelyn. He decided it was no time like the present. "Sure," he replied and the two men descended the small staircase from the bar and headed for the beach.END OF PART 3
