The basic setup of the novel is great and really could have provided some interesting "fictionalized" history surrounding the intrigues of Henry VIII's court. While the broad outlines of characters and relationships are based on historical fact, there's a long list of departures from the record that Gregory took as she sought to portray the lesser known sister of Anne Boleyn, Mary, who indeed was a mistress of the King's. It could have been a sterling examination of sibling rivalry and backstabbing politics in the rough and tumble world of the English aristrocracy, but in this mostly awful television adaptation it's more like a Tudor era Big Brother.

Yes, you read that right. For some unknown reason, director Philippa Lowthorpe seems to think the story needs "tarting up," and so we get lots of handheld, supposedly voyeuristic shots of Anne, Mary and brother George cavorting with each other as Henry plots some way to preserve his lineage. Not only that, there are actual confessional segments with the characters divulging their deepest thoughts directly to the camera that I half expected to end with appeals for immunity or banishment. It's so patently silly, and so at odds with the historical character of the piece, that I couldn't help but laugh. Not a good thing, when several of the characters are marching inexorably toward their executions.

There are some redeeming qualities to this production, and they lie mostly with the performances. If Jodhi May's Anne is at times a bit too contemporary for her own good (not to mention historical accuracy), May does an excellent job showing Anne's transformation from an exuberant adolescent to a resigned and strangely spiritual martyr. Natascha McElhone does a similarly fine job with Mary, traipsing a fine line between coquettishness and shock and sadness that she's ended up on the sidelines despite providing Henry with his much sought after male heir. Jared Harris makes a dashing younger Henry, albeit a Henry with a dark rakish side as he plots his way out of two marriages.

Evidently the Brits were less than thrilled with the supposedly paltry budget spent on this television movie, but as UK telefilms go, it's really par for the course: sets are minimal, but effective, and costumes are fine if not overwhelming. The piece includes some effective, if again anachronistic, underscore by Peter Salem, working a strange amalgamation of Tudor motifs with a John Adams-esque minimalism (as in the composer, not the President).

One can only hope that after this less than engaging effort, and the failure of the big screen adaptation earlier this year, filmmakers are less likely to proceed to Gregory's sequels to Boleyn.

The DVD

Video:
This is one of the most appallingly bad transfers of a BBC telefilm I've seen in a long time, and that's saying quite a bit. For some reason, BBC efforts that have been shot on film always tend to look soft, with lots of grain, but Boleyn takes this to heretofore unimagined levels. The color and contrast are similarly horrible, especially in the outdoor scenes, where everything is blanched to the point of unrecognizability at times. I have to assume this was a directorial choice, supposedly meant to give the film some verite cred. On the plus side (if it can be seen as a plus, since it gives you even more of the soft, poor contrast image to watch), this is an enhanced 1.78:1 transfer.

Sound:
The standard stereo soundtrack fares a bit better, with excellent fidelity and decent separation. Balance between dialogue and underscore is fine, though directionality is minimal. No subtitles other than closed captioning are available.

Extras:
None are offered.

Final Thoughts:
This is a pretty abysmal television movie, made all the more inexplicable by the potential of its source material. I guess if you're a fan of the big screen version this might be worth an evening's rental just for comparison's sake. Otherwise, Skip It.

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"G-d made stars galore" & "Hey, what kind of a crappy fortune is this?" ZMK, modern prophet