The White Queen: The Complete Series [DVD] [2017]

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Dangerous times. England in turmoil, as so many contenders jostle for the throne - behind the scenes all manipulated by powerful women (some positively scary). Elizabeth, wife of Edward IV, has magic on her side - she adept at creating storms to delay invasion or to cause a miscarriage at sea. Anne, daughter of Warwick the Kingmaker, becomes as unscrupulous as he, eventual cause of concern for husband Richard III. Religious fanatic Margaret will do anything to ensure her son is crowned Henry VII. The War of the Roses - complete with witchery, bitchery, butchery. Whether historically accurate or not, it makes compulsive viewing. Although at times hard to follow (certain relationships and storylines somewhat complicated), the box set makes it easier to keep track - especially when a handsome booklet is included, complete with family trees and potted biographies of key characters. Scripts are strong, acting fine, production values high. (Interesting bonuses explaining how sets and costumes were created). Battle scenes are disturbingly convincing - nothing glorious, simply carnage amidst mud. In extra features cast speak about their roles. Philippa Gregory, on whose novels the series is based, tells how contemporary chroniclers had all been men, often with contrasting points of view. By focusing on the women involved, she offers an interesting new perspective. Presented too are intriguing new theories about what really occurred - never more so than what befell those young princes in the Tower. Who gave the order? Was it actually carried out? Certain traditional historians may tut-tut, but most viewers will be royally entertained. Recommended.

Based on the successful novel by Philippa Gregory, this historical fiction focuses mainly on the women behind the powerful men in the "Wars of the Roses" - the family battle for the English crown in the mid to late fifteenth century between the Houses of York and Lancaster. It overflows with intrigue, strategising, politicking, plots, murder, romance, witchcraft, magic, and lots more besides. Shown over ten hour-long episodes, it is gripping from the start, and tells the lesser known Tudor story - the story of how the Tudors came to power in the first place. The actors performances are tremendous. The female actresses really shine through, especially Rebecca Ferguson's fantastic portrayal of "the White Queen" Elizabeth Woodville. She displays cunning, romance, decisive decision-making and loyalty in a stand-out performance. Faye Marsay is memorable as Lady Anne Neville, "the Kingmaker's Daughter" and queen consort to Richard III. And, Amanda Hale gives an emotive and driven portrayal of Lady Margaret Beaufort - "the Red Queen" and mother of Henry Tudor. The striking Max Irons is on the mark as Edward IV, although he does look incredibly youthful - right up until the time he dies! James Frain is scary and imposing as the strategising Richard Neville - 16th Earl of Warwick and known as "the Kingmaker". And Aneurin Barnard gives probably the most definitive performance of all as Richard III. He starts off as a quiet and honorable man in the shadow of his two elder brothers, but is drawn to the power of the crown which he grabs, and his moral compass never recovers. It has to be said that the well-known image of Richard III as one of the worst kings in English history is not on display here, as it is suggested that he did not order the murder of the "Princes in the Tower", and also he did not poison his wife in an attempt to marry a younger woman and produce a male heir. In fact, he is portrayed in quite a favourable light - certainly a relatively new and not entirely improbable depiction of a much maligned historical figure. But it is the role of women that defines this series. Although the men carry the titles of power, it is the women who appear to have at least an equal strength and level of influence. Their powers of magic and sorcery are taken very seriously, but their real power lies in them influencing men near to them - husbands, brothers, uncles and sons. The driving forces of the "Red" and "White" queens being the virtual power-brokers for their son and husband respectively is illuminating. The costumes are very well produced - all performers look striking and authentic to the period. The set designs are impressive, but at times they do not look totally genuine. Very few authentic sets were used - almost all were designed from scratch by the production crew. Period dramas come alive when "real" sets are used - this was one negative here. And, it was sometimes difficult to distinguish which interior set was which - many looked similar. This was partially explained in the extras as the set designer said he did use the same set for many locations and altered it for each, for example with tapestries, furniture or lighting. Having said that, the grand Gothic Hall in Bruges Town Hall representing Westminster Hall was a stunning location, as was the atmospheric Church of Our Lady - also in Bruges - representing St Stephen's Chapel. The problem was that these stunning locations were only used briefly - there could have been more of them. Philippa Gregory gives an interesting interview in the extras, explaining her enthusiasm for focusing on the female contribution to the historical events. She points out that most historical records say almost nothing about the women - she certainly set the record straight here. And, she points out that the series differs markedly from her novel - the series incorporates many more characters than she had in the book - but she says she is pleased the screenwriters freshened it up with a different emphasis. Overall, "The White Queen" is a fantastic series that appears to accurately portray events of a lesser known time in English history - the "Wars of the Roses". Even if it uses artistic license to fill in holes in the recorded history, it is done in good taste and with a high degree of probability and authenticity.

Llego mucho antes de lo programado, en perfectas condiciones, estoy muy satisfecho con la compra.

Wunderbare Serie, die im spätmittelalterlichen England spielt. Im Zentrum stehen drei Frauen, die maßgeblich die Politik während der Rosenkriege (des großen englischen Bürgerkriegs im Mittelalter) mitbestimmten - Anne Woodville, die Frau Eduards IV., Margaret Beaufort, die Mutter Heinrich VII. und Anne Neville, die Gemahlin Richard III. Diese wichtige Phase der englischen Geschichte umfasste rund 30 Jahre und endete mit der Festigung der Macht unter den Tudors. Das Land stand damals vor dem poltischen und militärischen Abgrund, zerrissen von ständigen Machtkämpfen der Adelsfraktionen und bedroht durch französische Intervention. Kulturell jedoch gehörte der englische Hof zu den glanzvollsten nördlich der Alpen. Diese Serie, wenn auch nicht immer historisch akkurat, gibt diese Zeit spannend und anschaulich wieder.

Sono un'appassionata di storia inglese e dei romanzi di Philippa Gregory da anni, i suoi cicli di libri sui Tudor e sulle guerra delle due rose sono molto coinvolgenti e ben scritti, e anche molto attuali; i personaggi e le situazioni eccezionali che essi vivono sono descritti con grande coerenza e realismo e soprattutto dal punto di vista femminile. Già "L'altra donna del re" è stato ridotto per la TV inglese e per il cinema. I suoi sono romanzi, ma alla loro base c'è un'accurata documentazione storica, e trovo che sia un ottimo modo per imparare la storia appassionandosi ad essa, e soprattutto per rendersi conto che il fascino del potere e della ricchezza ha sempre esercitato, esercita ed eserciterà sull'essere umano una tentazione irresistibile, per il quale si è disposti a combattere con tenacia e convinzione fino ad arrivare a giocarsi tutto, anche la vita. Il ciclo di "The White Queen" prende in considerazione 3 romanzi (La regina della rosa bianca, La regina della rosa rossa e La futura regina), dove le vite di tre donne eccezionali si snodano contemporaneamente, facendole continuamente scontrare e mettere in competizione. La trasposizione visiva è ottima, il cast eccezionale, così come le ambientazioni e i costumi; il blu ray è un notevole valore aggiunto alla visione. Il dvd è in inglese e senza sottotitoli, quindi fruibile da chi ha una buona padronanza della lingua. In questo momento stanno trasmettendo le 10 puntate in italiano su sky. Imperdibile per chi ama la storia e per chi è interessato a sondare gli aspetti più profondi della natura umana.

My reference point for understanding British history is the reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603). The story of The White Queen (aka Elizabeth Woodville, Dame Elizabeth Grey) is told from the point of view of Elizabeth I's great grandmother. This is the woman who famously stopped and petitioned King Edward IV on the road side one fine spring day in 1464. Edward was at once smitten by her beauty and married her even though she was neither a royal nor of high social rank. She turned out to be pretty savvy at statecraft. The series covers political events in England between 1464 and 1485. From the third or fourth episode in the pace of the action picks up and we are treated to all kinds of political maneuverings and a generous palette of scheming characters. The sets, plots and drama were all very enthralling. I found the sex and nudity tastefully done and appropriate to the storyline. The whole production was excellent and brought alive a period in British history I had previously ignored.

Pedido recibido correctamente y a tiempo. Me ha encantado la serie y la recomiendo de verdad. Se trata de la adaptación de unas novelas históricas,con lo cual tampoco hay que exigir completa rigurosidad con lo que sucedió realmente, cuando muchos de sus episodios todavía constituyen un enigma para los historiadores. Sin embargo, la trama es muy entretenida, los personajes sumamente atractivos y la recreación, la música y los escenarios estupendos, como suele pasar en las series de la BBC. Como dato muy interesante, decir que, aunque no se indica, la versión italiana tiene audio y subtítulos en varios idiomas, incluido el castellano, lo cual fue todo un puntazo. Muchas gracias a la persona que lo indicó en una de las opiniones publicadas con anterioridad.