Customer Reviews

The Tudors: Complete First Season (Bilingual Widescreen Uncut Edition)

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Either you love "The Tudors" or you hate it. I have never met anyone who simply "liked" it, so I won't waste time talking about the show itself. Instead, I will address the subject of the Canadian DVD set release, which is superior to the US release when it comes to extras, but does cost a bit more as a result. This set includes:

+ All ten uncut episodes (the CBC trimmed them for content when they aired)
+ Deleted scenes
+ Blooper Reel
+ Cast & Crew Interviews
+ Promotional Material

The episodes are lovely. Nothing much to comment on there, apart from the fact that you can now enjoy the "porn lite" of the original show if that's your thing.

The Deleted Scenes include about fifteen minutes of moments trimmed for time or interest. They break down into the following segments (all included in a jumble together):

+ A missing scene from the opening segment, in which Henry's uncle the ambassador to Italy waits around in the court before being told he has been granted a private audience (and goes off to his death)

+ Thomas Tallis coming to court -- nothing much to see here. I'm bored just writing about it.

+ Buckingham at desperate prayer before his execution, before the guards come and drag him away.

+ The painter crafting his portrait of Katharine of Aragon and Henry Tudor, in which he experiences a vision of Anne Boleyn coming to stand between them. I'm not surprised this was taken out, as it was a little too surreal for the series, and including it would have been, in a word, absurd.

+ Margaret and Brandon on the ship together, presumably either on their way to France, or returning from it. Margaret is half hopeful that they will founder on the rocks.

+ Henry writing a desperate letter to Anne Boleyn wondering why she is ignoring him.

+ Thomas Tallis in a random conversation with a musician at court. I never have understood why he was included, so it's not surprising they cut this scene because it had no bearing on the plot.

+ Thomas More having a sketch done for his painting. This is the scene that should have remained in the show, because it has a lot of smaller plot points and characterization needed in order to make later events more understandable. The painter's family is starving, and he asks Thomas More a moralistic question of whether or not he should agree to paint the Boleyns for profit, because he believes the Boleyn family is responsible for the Lutheran "propaganda" being circulated at court. Thomas tells him that if he and his family have need of the money that painting would provide, he should paint them.

+ Another scene with Thomas Tallis and the dark-haired girl he wanted to marry, in bed together. He's arguing about why they cannot get married, and she says her sister's ghost would not allow it. (... yeah.)

+ Anne berates Cardinal Wolsey's reputation before Henry, and encourages him not to trust the cardinal because he must have his own agenda. This scene too should have been left in the series, because it explains why the following morning Henry leaves Wolsey without so much as a farewell.

+ A frosty dinner sequence between Norfolk and Wolsey, in which we get the feeling they have finally become sworn enemies.

+ Brandon proposes to Elizabeth, his ward, without much pomp or ceremony and it's clear from the look on her face that the marriage is far from her idea.

+ Thomas Tallis buries the second sister, with a lock of his hair, and sees both their ghosts. The conclusion to what was a ridiculous minor plot, but all the same, needed in order to "end" that storyline.

The Blooper Reel is HYSTERICAL... all for one thing. On some editions of this set, the sound is so off that it gets out of sync and makes the entire second half of the reel unwatchable. I happened to get one of these defective sets, which does not make for a happy customer.

I have not yet watched the cast and crew interviews, but I'm assuming they are the same ones showcased on the official Tudors website. The promotional trailers are three -- one longish general trailer, and two slightly shorter trailers with (surprise!) footage that never made it into the show, and makes one wonder where the REST of the deleted scenes are (like Anne meeting her father on his return from court on the front steps, or Henry standing atop a table shouting in the midst of a feast). They did not include some of the fantastic promo shots that I love most, however, so overall this set gets 4 stars. I took one off for the massive blunder concerning the bloopers.

Cette série est une magnifique évocation de l'Angleterre du roi Henry VIII, malgré quelques libertés prises avec l'histoire (le personnage de Margaret, la soeur d'Henry, correspond plutôt à Mary qui a épousé le roi de France et non le roi du Portugal, Marguerite de Navarre n'a jamais couché avec Henry VIII...).

Je trouve que la distribution est particulièrement bien réussie. Je pense en particulier aux actrices qui interprètent Catherine d'Aragon et Anne Boleyn.

Les décors sont magnifiques et les costumes superbes. La série est très audacieuse et c'est ce qui en fait sa grande force. Les principaux personnages sont très bien campés et on a très bien cerné leur personnalité complexe.

Une très belle réussite

This series takes a look at WHY Henry the VIII married Anne Boleyn, and the events leading up to Englands original break with the Catholic Church. While some people believe that Jonathan Rhys Meyers was a miscast in the title role mainly due to the lack of physical resemblance (he's a bit lanky compared to what historians suggest the real Henry to have been...robust and "built") however I believe that his acting abilities outweigh any physical discrepencies that might be present. Obviously the events that take place during the show occured over several years instead of what seems like a short period of time, and there's no difference in the physical appearance of Anne in the show, despite the historical proof that towards the end of their courtship, Anne was getting quite on in years (for the time period of course)and her peers at court, who obviously were her enemies, would come to describe her as a "crone".

All in all however, this is a nice delightful period soap opera/drama that is quite enjoyable to watch! Similar to "The Other Boleyn Girl" in paperback, "The Tudors" represent the time period well and the costumes are amazing!

Awesome show for anyone who loves history. The director of the show currently the same as that of the show "vikings" does an awesome job. Johnathan Rhys Meyers kills it as Henry.

Excellent! Great casting, acting, costumes and story-telling.
Can't wait. To start season two. I wish I'd watched this before reading Wolf Hall!

The Tudor era, while it has intrigued the modern public, has never been portrayed accurately in film or television. The Tudors shares in that tradition and is entirely a fictional tale never to be confused with fact. There were real people like Henry VIII, Anne Boelyn, Thomas More et al. but the series blightfully ignores what actually occurred. Henry Fitzroy, the king's illegitimate son, is killed off when he lived past Anne's execution. The Duke of Suffolk marries Margaret Tudor (who also is terminated)when he really married Mary Tudor and Margaret married the King of Scotland (allowing the Stuarts to assume the English throne in 1603 after the death of Elizabeth). And in the interest of twenty-first century values, the Tudor court supposedly was a hot bed of seduction and sex. Not. Read Eric Ives's biography of Anne Boelyn for something more realistic. And, of course, everyone is far too pretty, physically. Jonathan Rys Meyers bears no resemblance to Henry VIII and almost looks wimpy since he lacks the age (not old enough) and the physique of a middle-aged king who truly was a big man. Anne was not a stunning beauty, though like Cleopatra she always is so portrayed. The series, nonetheless, is addictive fun despite these sorts of faults. The key weakness is a proliferation of dumb and irrelevant sub-plots like the relationships of Tallis or Wyatt. It is well acted, with nice location shots, and a good build-up to the inevitable series of crises: the Great Matter; the fall of Wolsey, More, Anne, Cromwell and Norfolk; the split from Rome. Heads will roll and the audience gets to revel in the fun.

As the season opens, Henry VIII is bored with his wife and frustrated with his lack of a male heir. While satisfying his carnal desires elsewhere, he's also beset with political woes and the possibility of war with France. Cardinal Wolsey enjoys a privileged position at court until he fails to produce a divorce so the King can marry Anne Boleyn.

The story is exciting, glamorous, and titillating, so much so that it's easy to forgive the weaknesses - accents are questionable as are the hair styles (Henry has a buzz cut), and no one ages though the season spans many years. Jonathan Rhys Meyers doesn't look or act like Henry VIII to me, but he's young and enthusiastic. Natalie Dormer makes a tantalizing Boleyn, the sets are lovely, the production values high.

Those looking for accurate history will be frustrated with the writers' frequent disregard for facts, but overall, the program is riveting and quite enjoyable.

The Tudors: The Complete First Season (Uncut Edition) [Blu-ray]
While not being completely historically accurate, the major players are authentic and if the whole is in the details the filming is terrific. From the dark evening scenes where the castle is lit only by canlelight to the pre-Victorian idea of sex which lacks moralisty only pleasure and health to the authentic dancing and music. The actors are well casted and the treatment of the servents and women is accurate. Okay, it lacks some historical details about Margaret Tudor etc. but it's the first film I've ever seen that presents Thomas More as the blood-thirsty Catholic who burnt heretics in the name of the Pope. I own Man for all Seasons which presents him in a very different light and while I enjoy the movie and agree it earned oscars, The Tudors presents him more realistically.

If you watch this movie as an authentic soap opera, it's terrific. I agree with criticism that it moves some of the players around for the sake of drama, but Hollywood does that. Even the great Bette Davis in Elizabeth 1 portrays the queen as she should have been, not as she was, but that movie's well worth owning.

Pros: Authenticity of detail in the Tudor period. It gives the viewer a feel for life in the court of Henry VII, politically, culterally and sociologically. Costume, lighting, music, direction, acting and film shots are great.

Cons: Not entirely historically accurate.

This series follows the life of Henry V111 and his court. We are drawn into the politics of the day as well as daily life at court. Henry is passionate, sensual, playful, and all powerful. His interactions with the women in his life are captivating. The acting, costumes and sets are spectacular. I am now inspired to read the "real story". I am presently reading The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir. The book is even more fascinating than the series. See the series, and if you want more, buy Alison's Weir book. I recommend both highly!

The Tudors history is something only vaguely cover in the history class. The work on this serie is impressive because it make something very distant becoming very close, you can relate to almost all the caracter and it's a pure joy. I must had a special mention to Dormer (who play Anne) her acting is... divine. Buy that without hesitation.