Hacker Cinema
The Borgias
2011 · TV series · 50 min episodes · 3 seasons
Created by Neil Jordan
Set in 15th century Italy at the height of the Renaissance, The Borgias chronicles the corrupt rise of patriarch Rodrigo Borgia to the papacy, where he proceeds to commit every sin in the book to amass and retain power, influence and enormous wealth for himself and his family.
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3 comments on Hacker News
I've probably seen a dozen movies and TV shows about various conclaves. This movie seemed like a well-made and perfectly normal movie about the subject... with a couple lines tacked on at the very end in a grasping attempt to seem edgy.
Jude Law's The Young Pope or even Jeremy Iron's The Borgias covered the subject better imho.
I agree with both you and jhbadger that the argument about recording dark scenes is one of the weakest he makes. I just didn't want to truncate any of the sentences I was quoting.
What are some examples of successful historical fiction or fantasy on the screen that aren't just contemporary views, mores, and habits dressed up in costumes? According to the original article, "Borgia: Faith and Fear" should count. I watched it because I read this very Ex Urbe article back in 2013. But nobody else I know watched it except at my recommendation. I knew a number of people who watched Showtime's The Borgias. I think that The Borgias reached more viewers. I don't know which one was a better investment, financially. Maybe the smaller audiences and budgets of Faith and Fear delivered a ROI equal or better to that of The Borgias.
Audience might tolerate significantly more historicity than they typically get now. But there doesn't seem to be an audience-driven clamor for more history in historical drama (at least on the screen; it's easier to find and cater to niche preferences among readers). It also takes more effort to understand a period and write for it than to just drape costumes over contemporary conflicts and ideals. That's one of the reasons that I read more drama than I watch. Productions for the screen tend to be more small-c conservative about imitating what succeeded recently, probably because failed experiments are more costly for movies and TV series than for books.
My favorite short take on ahistorical historical fiction:
https://pbfcomics.com/comics/now-showing/
in europe most of the the time if you turn on the tv you _will_ find the same stuff.
Holliwood movies, Game of thrones, Kommissar Rex, the borgias, eurovision song contest, european football championships, local versions of "the billionaire" or "big brother" etc.
Did you grow up in southern europe in the '80s? Then you probaly watched the same dubbed animes like "Captain Tsubasa". In eastern europe? Same, but this time it was Krtek. Are you a kid now? Then you are likely watching Masha & The Bear across the whole continent.