Period dramas are ten a penny. Period dramas that are done well, not so much. But La Peste is in a league of its own.
The first thing that hits you from the off with this is that it aint going to be an easy ride. The impending sense of doom and unease is present from the outset; helped enormously by incredible performances from the cast. What I loved about it straight away was that I totally believed this was the 16th century. The production team must have gone to extreme lengths to get this right and they absolutely knock it out of the park. Not since Deadwood have I seen a period drama with this much attention to detail. It's just staggering. Everything down to the lanterns they carry to the window frames and the overall grime and filth that most of the story takes place in. You're just there. You can practically smell the streets in this. It's THAT realistic. The Auto-da-fé scene in the final episode is a particularly brutal one with a hyper-realistic burning at the stake that, none too subtly, shows the savagery of the Inquisition and indeed the 16th century in general. I literally felt ill watching that bit. So much so, I had to watch a making-off to remind me it wasn't real. It's gloves off all the way with this one. Be warned, it's not for the faint-hearted. I can literally think of no scene in anything that is more gut-wrenching. Once again, incredible job by all involved. Also, the story itself is a fascinating and well-told one. It keeps you guessing throughout and you won't see a false note from any of the cast. Absolutely brilliant.
The first thing that hits you from the off with this is that it aint going to be an easy ride. The impending sense of doom and unease is present from the outset; helped enormously by incredible performances from the cast. What I loved about it straight away was that I totally believed this was the 16th century. The production team must have gone to extreme lengths to get this right and they absolutely knock it out of the park. Not since Deadwood have I seen a period drama with this much attention to detail. It's just staggering. Everything down to the lanterns they carry to the window frames and the overall grime and filth that most of the story takes place in. You're just there. You can practically smell the streets in this. It's THAT realistic. The Auto-da-fé scene in the final episode is a particularly brutal one with a hyper-realistic burning at the stake that, none too subtly, shows the savagery of the Inquisition and indeed the 16th century in general. I literally felt ill watching that bit. So much so, I had to watch a making-off to remind me it wasn't real. It's gloves off all the way with this one. Be warned, it's not for the faint-hearted. I can literally think of no scene in anything that is more gut-wrenching. Once again, incredible job by all involved. Also, the story itself is a fascinating and well-told one. It keeps you guessing throughout and you won't see a false note from any of the cast. Absolutely brilliant.