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Apr. 24th, 2011 10:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatThe second episode of Game of Thrones was much much better than the first. And they are moving rapidly through the book. In some respects it works better - the jumping from points of views, which in the book often felt jarring, you'd be in one, there'd be a cliff-hanger, and suddenly you are in another for about 30 pages. Here it's faster. Less plodding through intricate and textured description. We don't need descriptions of each character, their clothing, etc.
And the casting is pitch-perfect. I don't care what anyone else says - Lena Headley is perfect as Cersei...she has the right blend. Of course I loved Headley long before SCC, seen her in a lot of films and tv shows over the years. Excellent actress - she disappears into her roles with a quiet grace, embodying each character with fierce strength.
Also Ayra - the little girl playing Ayra is blowing me away. There's not a false note here.
Peter Dinklage as Tyrion is inspired, and more or less how I envisioned him. He's amongst my favorite characters. And whoever they found to play Prince Joffrey? He's exactly what I envisioned and just as repulsively beautiful - Prince Viserys twin.
I think the fast pace is a good idea - because in some respects it plays out like a Shakespearean Tragedy of epic proportions. Think MacBeth meets Hamlet with more than a touch of Richard the III, and you'll know what I mean. Dwell too long, and things get unbelievably grim and a bit plodding - which is sort of my problem with The Killing - it's too slow, although different genre, different rules, so not fair to compare them. We've been through this before - comparing two different genres gets dicey, because their aims are so different.
Anyhow...no time to do a lengthy review. Just extremely pleased with this show. It's right up there with the Good Wife and Justified in the quality department. Direction, writing, acting, production value are all working for me. Along with pacing.
Do wonder if it works as well for people who haven't read the books? I don't remember Game of Thrones all that well, if anything the series is bringing the books back to me. I read Game five years ago. Example - I forgot most of Catelynn's arc (mostly because the character grated so much on my nerves in the books that I kept scanning, here - I find I like her a lot better). So I can't tell you precisely what is different between the two. It feels fairly faithful, just a bit faster paced and I think they combined some things and left other things out? Focusing on the important bits. There's a few side stories...that may have gotten dropped. Martin is incredibly thorough with his world-building. I kid you not about the amount of detail in these books. It may help watching this - to know exactly where each character is headed more or less. Makes certain bits, ironically amusing. And other's far less painful.
And the casting is pitch-perfect. I don't care what anyone else says - Lena Headley is perfect as Cersei...she has the right blend. Of course I loved Headley long before SCC, seen her in a lot of films and tv shows over the years. Excellent actress - she disappears into her roles with a quiet grace, embodying each character with fierce strength.
Also Ayra - the little girl playing Ayra is blowing me away. There's not a false note here.
Peter Dinklage as Tyrion is inspired, and more or less how I envisioned him. He's amongst my favorite characters. And whoever they found to play Prince Joffrey? He's exactly what I envisioned and just as repulsively beautiful - Prince Viserys twin.
I think the fast pace is a good idea - because in some respects it plays out like a Shakespearean Tragedy of epic proportions. Think MacBeth meets Hamlet with more than a touch of Richard the III, and you'll know what I mean. Dwell too long, and things get unbelievably grim and a bit plodding - which is sort of my problem with The Killing - it's too slow, although different genre, different rules, so not fair to compare them. We've been through this before - comparing two different genres gets dicey, because their aims are so different.
Anyhow...no time to do a lengthy review. Just extremely pleased with this show. It's right up there with the Good Wife and Justified in the quality department. Direction, writing, acting, production value are all working for me. Along with pacing.
Do wonder if it works as well for people who haven't read the books? I don't remember Game of Thrones all that well, if anything the series is bringing the books back to me. I read Game five years ago. Example - I forgot most of Catelynn's arc (mostly because the character grated so much on my nerves in the books that I kept scanning, here - I find I like her a lot better). So I can't tell you precisely what is different between the two. It feels fairly faithful, just a bit faster paced and I think they combined some things and left other things out? Focusing on the important bits. There's a few side stories...that may have gotten dropped. Martin is incredibly thorough with his world-building. I kid you not about the amount of detail in these books. It may help watching this - to know exactly where each character is headed more or less. Makes certain bits, ironically amusing. And other's far less painful.
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Date: 2011-04-25 04:59 am (UTC)This is the biggest change to me. They've altered lines and scenes, really softened Catelyn's character. She's far more likeable in the TV series than in the book. It's hard to express the nuance in how it's changed, but she came off a lot more cruel and self-involved in the book (she ordered Jon to leave Bran rather than simply allowing him to come say goodbye). I actually like her character in the TV series where as I didn't care for her much in the book. They also have added much to Cersei's role. I noticed in the pilot how they added the scheming scene during Arryn's funeral, then we have Cersei telling Catelyn how she lost her first son to fever and Lena Headey was so incredible in that scene. It's like -- is she just vindictive? Does she maybe care? What's her deal? She keeps you guessing and I'm left wondering if Cersei is just that good of an actress herself.
And yes, the casting is perfection.
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Date: 2011-04-25 04:57 pm (UTC)So both of those were different from the book?
The scene during Arryn's funeral is a great addition - because it acts as short-hand for a lot of things. Martin took longer in the books to explain some of it - actually most of it was explained in the sex scene Bran ends up witnessing, where they discuss it. Rather prefer how they do it here - because it makes the Lannisters a bit more complex from the beginning.
Cersei gets across to Jamie in that scene that she's not as fearless as he is. That she is worried about her husband finding out. And Jamie lets us know how dire the consequences would be if Robert did, but why at the same time he is willing to risk it. So much conveyed in the space of five minutes.
Also her scene with Catelyn is wonderful. I think part of the difference is in how the actors are interpreting the characters. Hedly for instance, states that she thinks Cersei did care for Robert initially and may have loved him, but he called out another woman's name or indicated he preferred someone over her and that was part of the reason she turns so solidly against him. Interesting interpretation.
In the books, I imagined Cersei as being colder and more calculating. But I think this may work better. Makes her a little more likable or a villian you love to hate.
Also, Catelyn is given a bit more warmth. I think Martin struggled with his adult female characters...a bit, they come across as colder in his novels...here they are a bit warmer.