Netflix Pick – The Last Kingdom
This week’s Netflix Pick is a historical action drama in the same vein as History Channel’s original series Vikings. The Last Kingdom follows a man stuck between worlds. The show starts off feeling slightly flimsy as far as historical facts go but as the story develops and the characters progress the debate of fact or fiction means next to nothing since you’re in it for what’s on the screen and nothing more. The settings are excellent and the battle scenes well done, especially for a BBC show that seems to be run on a relatively limited budget.
Raised a Christian, Uhtred’s (Alexander Dreymon) village was destroyed by an invading Viking force. Showing some serious backbone for a child Uhtred was spared and raised with the Vikings. When he returns to the Christian world to claim what he believes is his right he is constantly being asked to prove himself. Uhtred is often frustrated at not belonging anywhere but his determination gets undeniable results. The semi-self proclaimed king, Alfred (David Dawson), doesn’t respect ‘Uhtred the Godless’ and Uhtred feels very much the same. As the Vikings expand their raids and control through Wessex the two men find that they need each other.
The Last Kingdom – Christians
Set in real history, real locations, and with real characters The Last Kingdom starts off status quo but finds its footing a few episodes in. It’s a simpler story than many sprawling historical dramas but that makes the show more enjoyable instead of empty. Following a single man, Uhtred, the world isn’t painted in black and white. It isn’t the noble Christians vs the ungodly Viking Horde nor is it the hypocritical and back stabbing Christians versus the noble Norsemen. People are people in The Last Kingdom and Uhtred is one of the most capable. Going where the world takes him Uhtred has friends on both sides and allies when he needs them. Being a noble man who stands by his principals (for the most part) he is one of the few who can liaise these two opposing worlds. The story is very much a character piece grounded in real world history.
The Last Kingdom – Vikings
The set pieces and other historical aspects are absolutely stunning. Everything but the massive wide shots look like they are entirely practical effects and every costume looks period authentic. The buildings and ships had to be made in large portions, if not completely. The lighting appears very natural which takes some getting used to. A lot of the episodes appear very overcast but when you take the setting into consideration this isn’t just an artistic choice for the gray world the show takes place in but seems authentic to Wessex and England’s weather patterns.
The cinematography in the show, just like the story, gets better as it goes on. At first it is needlessly shaky. It seems the handycam method was tried to get the audience into the action. The first two episodes actually made me dizzy (probably didn’t help that I binged the entire first season while recovering from a vertigo attack). It was so bad it actually rips the audience out of the When the DP figured out what a tripod was and how to move the camera on the track a much more traditional way of shooting was adopted and the show could be immersive and enjoyable.
The show doesn’t support any huge name A-List actors. This, like the simplicity in the telling, adds to the enjoyment of the show. Some actors are so big they can only be seen as themselves. The actors in The Last Kingdom (one Viking warlord aside) are all fantastic in their roles and since they are faces you may, or more likely not, recognize you can see them as the character and not the actor. This helps a lot in historical pictures.
Despite the unsteady start The Last Kingdom quickly became a truly engaging show with a story that always flowed and evolved without losing its core themes. The show is completely un formulaic. The filming, like the story, takes a few episodes to be good but when that hits you can kick back and enjoy. The season goes out with a bang and will leave you sitting and waiting for the next one with eager anticipation.
