Tea at Trianon: 'Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light' Review

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Tuesday, December 10, 2024

'Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light' Review

I must confess that I am not a fan of Dame Hilary Mantel and have never read any of the Wolf Hall books. Several years ago I was asked by the publisher if I wanted to review the first installment and I declined, shocked that anyone would think that I would want to read a novel that had Thomas Cromwell as the protagonist. There is no world in which I can envision him as a sympathetic character. I have never watched the series although from the stills anyone can see that it is well-cast. However, I do not understand the choice of Mark Rylance as Cromwell. He is a brilliant actor, of course, but for Cromwell I picture someone like Leo McKern, who played Cromwell in the 1966 film A Man for All Seasons. However, I enjoyed the review of historian Matt Lewis at Made by History:

The first series of Wolf Hall encompassed the first two of Mantel’s masterpieces, Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies. The six episodes of this series will cover Mantel’s final installment, sharing it’s name. Director Peter Kominsky lamented that Dame Hilary was no longer with us to share the release of the series, but reflected on the central role she had played in its creation. He explained that Mantel was sending the manuscript for The Mirror and the Light in hundred pages batches as she was writing. Kominsky also revealed what Mantel’s explanation of the title, and it makes perfect sense after watching the first episode.
Henry VIII, played by Damian Lewis, is as menacing as ever. His control over those around him appears so complete he hardly needs to lose his temper any more. It’s like watching a parent threatening to count to five. Neither parent nor child knows what will happen if the number is reached. It works because the child doesn’t want to risk finding out. When one of Henry’s oldest friends questions his treatment of his oldest daughter, now deprived of her royal title and known as Lady Mary, Cromwell bundles him from the room. The sense that he has just saved the man’s life is palpable.
The first episode sees the Pole family, Yorkist cousins of Henry VIII, trying to advance their cause, and that of the Catholic Mary. Reginald Pole, who is in Rome, his education paid for by Henry, The king has asked for an opinion about his break with Rome. When it comes, it is not just a letter, but a book. Pole’s work, Defence of the Unity of the Church, enraged Henry, and we are shown plainly that what causes Henry annoyance causes Cromwell work.
Amidst juggling the demands of the fickle, short-tempered king, Cromwell is clearly working to heal the breach between Henry and Mary. Cromwell’s fondness for the young lady is plain, and he carefully arranges the pieces on the chess board he always seems to see in his mind to ensure Mary’s security is Henry’s victory. There is a revelation as to why Cromwell works so hard to see Lady Mary safe. The question that remains to be answered as the story unfolds is why Cromwell chooses to expose the reason when he does, to whom he does. (Read more.)