The
movie
If
you had the pleasure of watching Foyle's
War: Set 1,
you'll know that Foyle's War isn't your typical mystery
series, which perhaps leads it to confound expectations at first.
It's that originality that gives the series its strength; in its
thoughtful and complex stories, Foyle's War is equally
outstanding whether considered as a serious period drama or as a
mystery series. Michael Kitchen stars as Detective Chief
Superintendent Foyle, a quiet and dedicated man who is trying to
maintain order in his corner of England while all around him, World
War II turns life upside down. Set 1 established a high bar of
quality for the series, and Set 2 follows through with another four
episodes that are as good, or even better, than those in the first
set.
The
hallmark of Foyle's War is its consistently thoughtful and
complex treatment of the ethical issues of the war, and its realistic
portrayal of the daily life of the British under the constant threat
of a German invasion. It's a worthwhile experience especially for
viewers in the United States, a country that has been embroiled in
many wars but yet not had a realistic threat of conflict on its own
soil since the Civil War. And of course, as with the excellent Set 1,
the stories are marvelous: they're engaging, well-crafted, and
intelligent mysteries that capture viewers' interest early and don't
let go.
Set 2 opens with the complex "Fifty Ships," in which
Foyle's concern with a series of lootings from bombed houses turns
into a murder investigation. When the trail of evidence suggests a
connection to a prominent businessman involved with the start of the
Lend-Lease program, Foyle is faced with the question of whether the
ends can justify the means. The situation is ethically complex, and
there are no easy answers presented, either for Foyle or for the
viewer.
Next comes the equally well done "Among the Few."
Honeysuckle Weeks gets a chance to shine in this episode, as her
character Sam goes undercover to find out what's going on at a fuel
depot that features some suspicious activity. Foyle's son Andrew, who
was introduced in the first set, comes more into the picture here as
well, when Foyle discovers connections between the fuel depot and
several of Andrew's friends.
"War Games" puts Foyle and his assistant, Milner, up
against big money, as they suspect that a prominent businessman is
involved with some sort of illicit dealings with Nazi Germany. An
unreported burglary, and the seemingly unrelated deaths of a
secretary and a member of the Home Guard, come together in a nasty
tangle.
The
set closes with "The Funk Hole," which has the weakest
opening of the four episodes here, as it falls more into the
traditional pattern of "detective investigates a houseful of
suspects" that Foyle's War usually departs from with such
excellent results. Fortunately, though, partway through the episode
the story develops in a very interesting direction, as Foyle is
charged with a serious crime while his investigation turns up a
murder as well as a theft. The conclusion is handled well, leaving
Foyle's War: Set 2 on a strong note.
The
four episodes of Set 2 take place in the fall of 1940, following the
pattern of Set
1, whose four
episodes are set in the spring and summer of 1940. It's interesting
to compare Foyle's War to other series with a historical
setting, many of which tell stories that are essentially independent
of the setting. This seems to be particularly the case with
mysteries: favorites like the Poirot or Lord Peter Wimsey
series are given more color and character by their early-20th-century
settings, but there's nothing that really ties them to their time and
place. The same most definitely cannot be said of Foyle's War,
which makes the 1940s setting an integral part of each and every
episode. As a member of the civilian police, Detective Chief
Superintendent Foyle is not directly connected with the war effort,
except through his son Andrew, who is a pilot; nonetheless, there is
no escaping the effects of wartime either personally or
professionally. Rationing, the Home Guard, invasion drills, and
falling bombs are all constant reminders that Britain is in a
precarious position. Human nature being what it is, some things
remain the same... such as the existence of people who see wartime as
an opportunity to make money or gain power, either legally or
illegally. What's perhaps most of note in
Foyle's War's historical setting is how seamlessly it's
integrated into the story, or looking at it the other way, how
seamlessly the stories are woven into the real historical context of
wartime Britain.
But
while the line between legal and illegal seems as firmly drawn as
ever, in these episodes Foyle comes up against the fact that right
and wrong aren't so easy to define. Michael Kitchen does a truly
marvelous job of bringing Foyle to life as a complex and extremely
sympathetic character; he's a man of few words but strong principles,
at once strict yet humane. In episodes like "War Games," we
see Foyle faced with situations that put pressure on him from a
personal as well as a professional front, and we see him struggling
to do the best he can, to bring as much justice as he can in less
than ideal circumstances. "Among the Few" also brings out
the more personal side of Foyle, showing that despite his deep
reserve, he's a man who loves his son dearly and cares about the
well-being of those around him. I've seen very few series in which I
liked the central character as much as I do in Foyle's War:
between the excellent scripts and Kitchen's outstanding performance,
the character of Detective Chief Superintendent Foyle is what really
brings Foyle's War to the top of the heap. I'm sure that I'm
not the only viewer who's hoping for a third (and fourth...) series
of this outstanding series.
The episodes presented here are the original, uncut 100-minute U.K.
versions, originally broadcast in 2003.
The
DVD
The
four 100-minute episodes of Foyle's War are packaged in
individual keepcases, inside a glossy paperboard slipcase.
Video
Foyle's
War appears in a lovely anamorphic widescreen transfer, at its
original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. While the image does tend to be on
the soft side, it's otherwise excellent, offering a clean, clear
picture with attractive and natural-looking colors. Contrast is
handled well, so the image always looks good whether the scene is
indoors or out, brightly lit or dimly lit.
Audio
The Dolby 2.0 soundtrack does a nice job of handling everything
that's thrown at it. Dialogue is consistently clear and distinct,
though sometimes a little on the flat side, and is well balanced with
the rest of the track. Special effects such as planes and bomb
blasts, along with the subtle musical theme, are integrated well into
the overall sound, with volume levels handled well.
Extras
On
Disc 1 ("Fifty Ships"), we get a 13-minute joint interview
with Anthony Howell (Sgt. Milner) and Honeysuckle Weeks (Samantha
Stewart), with the two actors discussing topics such as their
careers, and their personal thoughts on the characters and situations
of Foyle's War. Also on this disc are text production notes
for Foyle's War in general and "Fifty Ships" in
particular, a behind-the-scenes photo gallery, and cast
filmographies. Each of the other three discs has cast filmographies
and production notes for their respective episode.
Final
thoughts
If
there's any need for an example of the best of British television,
Foyle's War would do very nicely: this thoughtful,
well-written series presents a complex and sympathetic main character
(played to perfection by Michael Kitchen) with difficult problems to
solve on both a practical and ethical level. The setting in 1940s
Britain is extremely realistic, and it's more than mere window
dressing, as the stories all revolve in some way around the war
effort and the conflicts, both internal and external, that it
inevitably causes. Acorn Media has done another nice job in
presenting the set, with the episodes of Set 2 appearing in their
original widescreen aspect ratio, and anamorphically enhanced. Set 2
easily gets a "highly recommended" rating, and by the way,
if you haven't seen Set
1, that's highly recommended too.
Buy: