The Borgias Season 1 Reviews

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1. Grady Harp

   October 30, 2011 at 6:57 am

   62 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

   
   The Borgias: In the Beginning, June 6, 2011

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   Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) –
     

     

     

   This review is from: The Borgias Season 1 (DVD)

   In 1492 while Columbus was sailing the ocean blue to discover the Americas things weren’t so tidy in Rome. It was a time when the papacy was in disrepair with popes having wives and mistresses and all manner of scandal (sound oddly familiar…) and from this period in history highly regarded writer Neil Jordan has pasted together enough information about the infamous Borgias – ‘the first crime family’ according to the PR – to create what resulted in a fascinating account of world history, a fitting series whose first season of 9 episodes are tied together in this package of DVDs.

   For starters, the opening title sequences are masterworks of graphics and art history albeit splatter or washed in blood. The series opens with the nefarious Spanish family taking over the important Roman power vested in the papacy: Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia (Jeremy Irons in a splendid tour de force of acting), becomes Pope Alexander VI when Pope Innocent VIII dies. As Pope, the elder Borgia gains election of his son Cesare (François Arnaud, a stunningly gifted young and handsome actor in one of his very first roles) to the College of Cardinals while his other son, the libidinous Juan (David Oakes) is made head of the military: these sons and the daughter Lucrezia (Holliday Grainger) are the children by the pope’s ‘wife’ Vanozza Cattaneo (Joanne Whaley), though the pope is now in the throes of a sordid relationship with Giulia Farnese (Lotte Verbeek). One cardinal – Giuliano Della Rovere (Colm Feore) – is out to depose the unctuous Borgia reign and works with outside forces to overthrow Pope Alexander VI and makes alliances with King Charles VIII of France (Michel Muller). In the meantime Lucrezia is married off to the rather piggish Giovanni Sforza (Ronan Vibert) for monetary gain for the papacy but prefers sleeping with the illiterate commoner groomsman Paulo (Luke Pasqualino). Cesare appears to be the wisest of the descendants (despite a love affair with a married woman) but the entire family wiles its way into the role of oily evil that sets the stage for the episodes to follow.

   The cast is uniformly excellent: there are cameo roles for the likes of Derek Jacobi, Sean Harris, Steven Berkoff, etc. The settings and costumes are enormously successful and the pacing of the action is fast – but not too fast to pause here and there for some rather graphic sensual scenes and gross and bloody fighting. it has the flavor of the times down to a fare-thee-well, making us eager for the next season to begin. Very worthwhile watching on every level. Grady Harp, June 11

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2. K. Harris "Film aficionado"

   October 30, 2011 at 6:31 am

   158 of 161 people found the following review helpful:

   
   Keeping It In The Family–A Historical Tale Of Intrigue, Manipulation, Scandal And Much Worse, May 20, 2011

   By 

   K. Harris “Film aficionado” (Albuquerque, NM) –
     

     

   This review is from: The Borgias Season 1 (DVD)

   Talk about niche programming. When the successful Showtime series “The Tudors” came to a conclusion last year (after all, Henry VIII could only have so many lives and wives), the network didn’t miss a beat in creating a program that would appeal to a similar demographic. “The Borgias” tackles an equally well known historical personage and gives the notorious Pope and his clan a sumptuous dramatization. Helmed by Neil Jordan, a writer/director whose “The Crying Game” won him a screenplay Oscar, the show further stacked the deck with the brilliant casting coup of Jeremy Irons in the lead role. The show highlights the entire family, not just patriarch Rodrigo Borgia, and showcases the seamy underbelly of corruption, manipulation, and brutality that have made the name synonymous with criminal enterprise. In fact, the family’s reputation for ruthlessness inspired Mario Puzo’s to mold the characters featured in “The Godfather” after the real life Borgias.

   With the first season of the show only running nine episodes, however, the full scope of the Borgia legacy is merely introduced. The premiere starts with the death of the reigning Pope, which leaves a vacancy that ambitious Cardinal Rodrigo (Irons) intends to claim at any price. Through back room deals and other nefarious deeds, Rodrigo ascends to power while making an enemy of Cardinal Della Rovere (a solid Colm Feore)–an act that will have long range repercussions as the exiled Cardinal aligns with outside forces to unseat the Pope. Appointing son Cesare (Francois Arnaud) as a Cardinal, son Juan (David Oakes) to military leadership, and arranging an advantageous marriage for daughter Lucrezia (Holliday Grainger)–the Pope is establishing a well protected position. Each child plays their part to precision as they deal with personal drama, romance, and intrigue. The show progresses with the Pope’s position becoming more precarious as the French Army marches through Italy with its sights on Rome. This is a primary story arc as the season reaches its conclusion.

   In every regard, “The Borgias” is a terrific technical production. The sets, costumes, and period details all look great. The action sequences, especially when it comes to the battlefield, are tense and brutal–with superb effects. The screenplays are smart–allowing a slow build tension and actual character development that heightens the impending drama. It’s great to have Irons back in a prominent leading role as he seems to have been wallowing in cheesy supporting turns for quite some time. Arnaud has a quiet intensity as, perhaps, the show’s most intriguing and complex character. And Grainger has a subtlety that gets under your skin–before you know what happened, she has transformed into a sly power player. But the cast is uniformly excellent with even smaller roles well delineated.

   I commonly look to cable and premium cable networks to provide more surprising and sophisticated entertainment, and Showtime has done an excellent job structuring a program for adult viewers. With these historical dramas, there will always be a contingent of people who will chime in on details of precise historical accuracy. I make no claims that this show is one hundred percent accurate, but it is certainly an effective and entertaining dramatization. If you enjoy lush period pieces, there is a lot to admire in “The Borgias” and that makes it an easy recommendation. KGHarris, 5/11

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