Wolf Hall UK Region
DVD Wholesale Quick Overview:
So here are the three most important things you need to know about “Wolf Hall”:
1. It’s based on the novel Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel – as opposed to anything by Philippa Gregory. This means a greater attempt at historical accuracy and less interest in romance and melodrama.
2. It is NOT The Tudors. Despite covering the same events and featuring the same characters, “The Tudors” was more of a costume drama with an emphasis on Henry’s six wives and all the subsequent sex, intrigue and betrayal. “Wolf Hall” concentrates more on the intricate politics of the time and the historical ramifications they had.
3. The main character is Thomas Cromwell – not King Henry or Anne Boleyn (who have surprisingly minor roles). As such, most of the events are depicted through Cromwell’s point-of-view, focusing on the politics of a single man and his personal relationships.
In short, people who come to “Wolf Hall” expecting something like “The Tudors” or a Philippa Gregory novel may well be disappointed. This is a very carefully and methodically paced show, one where actors are given plenty of time and space to inhabit their characters and deliver their lines. Most of the “action” is simply two people or more talking in a room, and there’s very little pageantry or overt drama.
But there are rewards to this subtlety. For instance, one memorable scene is Cromwell and Jane Seymour’s brothers calmly telling Jane what to do if the King tries to assault her – that screaming might do no good, so her best bet is to learn a prayer off by heart which she can use to appeal to the King’s sense of honour. The casual manner in which they discuss this potential threat to a young woman (one who seems utterly resigned to her fate) is just chilling.
Mark Rylance plays Cromwell as entirely stoic and inscrutable; a somewhat divisive performance that some may find one-note and others deeply nuanced. Since it’s up to him to carry the proceedings, your opinion on his Cromwell may well determine what you think of “Wolf Hall” in its entirety.
Claire Foy is a wonderful Anne Boleyn – capricious and passionate, but with growing panic behind her eyes as she feels her power waning. Damian Lewis is King Henry, and though it’s a surprisingly limited role in terms of how much screen-time he gets, it’s a role perfectly suited for him (they didn’t even need to dye his natural hair colour!). He captures the famous king’s intelligence, generosity, callousness, tempestuousness, and terrifying power.
There are plenty of other familiar faces: Bernard Hill, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Mark Gatkiss, Jonathan Pryce, Harry Lloyd – and even those like Joanne Whalley, who get only a couple of scenes, give it their all.
Fans of the book will be pleased to know that much of Hilary Mantel’s witty dialogue remains intact (honestly, why bother otherwise?) but you must be a patient viewer to appreciate what the show is trying to achieve: a careful and honest portrayal of Thomas Cromwell and the part he played in these pivotal years of English history.
-R. M. Fisher
DVD Wholesale Main Features:
Actors: Mark Rylance, Damian Lewis, Claire Foy, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Joss Porter
Directors: Peter Kosminsky
Language: English
Subtitles: English
Region: Region 2
Number of discs: 3
Rated: PG-13 Parents Strongly Cautioned
Studio: PBS
DVD Release Date: April 28, 2015
Run Time: 360 minutes
ASIN: B00T797AT4
