Charles II

[anyother]

Jan 20, 2011 8:32:58 GMT kissmekate said:

Jan 20, 2011 7:35:19 GMT nell said:

Plus the first one is starring some guy called Rufus Newell (sounds a bit dodgy to me)

Wonder if he's related to some Rufus Sewell who was born in the US in 1940 (as stated on my Dark City DVD)

Gosh, you two have to very special editions of Charles and Dark City !

[kissmekate]

He's holding up well for his seventy years, huh?

[ekaterina]

Well, I finally finished to watch it! And it was as great as you'd said it would ^^ I wont make any review, firstly because i dont think you'd need it LOL, but mostly because i'm not so good with words as to make a review LOL
As you all have mentioned it was great to have so much Rufus, in almost every take, a real pleasure! and how moving his performance is, especially when he's about to cry or in anger! really amazing, it always surprise me even though i've seen it many times.
And now of course I will have to get my hands on the dvd!
oh! just more thing, at the beginning I didnt like the wig quite much LOL but have to say that now i'm quite fond of it LOL hahaha

[robela]

Just watched Charles II again after seeing it when originally on the BBC in 2004. That is when I first fell for Rufus.. He makes this part his own (just like he has done recently in Zen). I might be biased but isn't he the most incredible actor!! The emotion he portrays without even speaking is amazing.
Does anyone know how historically correct this is? I mean Charles was such a nice man in comparison to all the rogues around him! And of course he is so handsome (that any woman would fall in love with him) and of course Charles II really was not handsome at all.
The production was really well done and Ruf made the whole thing so moving to watch. It was lovely to see it again and I will be watching it many more times. I didn't really think much of Helen McCrory playing Diane Villiers - I thought she over-acted and was not portrayed to be beautiful enough as DV was supposedly a beauty and I didn't like the french one Minette who was crying the whole time but thought Shirley was very good as Catherine. Now going to watch them both in The Taming of the Shrew. Too late now though have to wait until tomorrow. I know I am in for a treat.

[robela]

Forgot to say. Thank you for the screencaps of Charles II and for the videos on Utube. They are great thanks for posting them!!!

[tipou]

robela: charles 2 is my favourite rufus work, it is so so so good and well played by everyone and beautiful to watch.
for accuracy, i believe that the wikipedia references to the series is quite thorough, it is a good start to investigate the truthfulness of the project - i beleive that wikipedia is always a good start anyway!
they even make comparisons between the long and short versions.
i am not a specialist of english history but it seemed to me that the general outlook was quite logical, of course, they downplayed the darker sides of charles, but kind of rehabilitated the character somewhat.
what do our english co-rufusians think?

[robela]

Thanks for that Tipou. On reflection I think I have been hasty criticising the acting it was all great acting. I will check Wikipedia thanks. Sometimes they don't stick to the truth but like to elaborate. I know that The Tudors, which has been mentioned on this thread I think is not historically correct which made me stop watching after a couple of them as they were (like someone on here mentioned) a Soap Opera. And I do admire Helen McCrory as an actress (and she had a relationship with Rufus for a while) so obviously has great taste. Ha! It is a great production. Did you see the film of Pride and Prejudice which Joe Wright did a couple of years later. That is excellent as well. Although would have liked Rufus as Mr Darcy!! of course.

[anyother]

Jan 29, 2011 9:05:03 GMT robela said:

Although would have liked Rufus as Mr Darcy!! of course.

Me too, excellent idea, Robela!

[kissmekate]

Jan 29, 2011 9:05:03 GMT robela said:

I know that The Tudors, which has been mentioned on this thread I think is not historically correct which made me stop watching after a couple of them as they were (like someone on here mentioned) a Soap Opera.

I was especially annoyed that the last three wives were so miscast, at least with regard to their looks. And Henry was far too pretty (dark and relatively slim until the end instead of red-haired and fattening over time). I don't even want to think about the historical accuracy ...

Although would have liked Rufus as Mr Darcy!! of course.

I know he'd hate hearing it, but he does have the perfect looks for historical stuff, and he's absolutely gorgeous in period costume *sighs*

[GreenEyesToo]

Jan 28, 2011 23:56:27 GMT robela said:

The emotion he portrays without even speaking is amazing.

That's what particularly struck me about him when I first saw this, Robela (this was the first role I'd seen him in) - emotions just flit across his face in an instant. My favourite scene for that was when Lady Castlemaine was trying to entice Charles to seduce the sleeping Lady Frances - uncertainty, desire then rejection of the idea were there and gone in a split second.

What annoyed me about some complaints of Rufus's performance in Zen, that he was wooden (him of all people!), made me think (as I've expressed elsewhere) that some people wouldn't recognise subtlety if it smacked them in the face!

Does anyone know how historically correct this is? I mean Charles was such a nice man in comparison to all the rogues around him!

That just goes to show how successful a portrayal by Rufus it was! I thought Charles's behaviour was reprehensible several times in the TV series, notably his double-crossing of his ministers, who were often his closest friends, "for the greater good". All political machinations, of course, but even so, to condemn friends and supporters to death.....not nice. I'm just glad they showed the torment Charles went through over those decisions, but he still made them. From reading the biography, he seemed to be a very charming man (then again, who's going to turn down a proposition from the king? Apart from Lady Frances, of course! ) so Rufus didn't even need to act that, it comes so naturally to him!

Diane Villiers <.....> was supposedly a beauty

17th century ideas of beauty were very much different from 21st century ones, though. I googled and found this portrait of her:



Not exactly a stunner!

and I didn't like the french one Minette who was crying the whole time

Totally agree - I wanted to slap her face most of the time I was watching her!

Jan 29, 2011 9:05:03 GMT robela said:

Did you see the film of Pride and Prejudice which Joe Wright did a couple of years later. That is excellent as well. Although would have liked Rufus as Mr Darcy!! of course.

He has played Darcy! At the Royal Exchange theatre in Manchester in 1991 - it's where he met Helen McCrory. She was playing Lydia Bennett, and made the comment in a radio interview that it was the only time Lydia ran off with Darcy instead of Wickham! ;D

[kissmekate]

Thanks for the pic, GE2! Helen McCrory without make-up fits the role perfectly.

[francesca]

Jan 29, 2011 0:28:52 GMT tipou said:

robela: i am not a specialist of english history but it seemed to me that the general outlook was quite logical, of course, they downplayed the darker sides of charles, but kind of rehabilitated the character somewhat.
what do our english co-rufusians think?

Of course some of Charlie's behaviour was reprehensble but he must have been charming, his wife loved and never left him in spite of all the women
And judging the monarch, so much of what we ( British ) consider to be part of us comes from his reign, his work to establish freedom of religion, freedom of speech,( his courtiers certainly said what they liked about him, sometimes to his face.)
The establishment of the Royal Society and the Royal Observatory
on a lighter note the re-opening and freedom of the theatre, literature prospered, where would we be without Restoration comedy. the rebuilding of London, St Paul's Cathedral, Horse racing , sailing as a sport not a necessity.
Sorry to go on but we Brits owe quite a lot to Charlie

[robela]

Thanks for all your views - you are all so resourceful!

This was only my second time of watching it , the first time being seven years ago, so will have to study again at length.

Rufus is much more handsome than the original Charles was (from portraits) but he showed the humanity of Charles' character out in his portrayal. I know he acted badly towards ministers who had helped him but we have to remember that it was a dangerous time in history and he was avoiding what happened to his father happening to him. Rufus' portrayal of Charles was stunning like you all agree the feelings and emotion were so patently obvious even when he was just sat thinking and not speaking. He is the best and no one will ever convince 'us' otherwise. As for anyone saying he was wooden in Zen. I cannot believe that anyone would even think such a thing. It is totally not so. He doesn't put a foot wrong in Zen as almost all the comments I have read agree.

I don't watch the Tudors (which is on tv here in England tonight as it is totally not accurate. It is about Katharine Howard tonight who I have previously read about and she was about 13 when he wooed her. She was completely taken up with him being the king at first but was then made by her family to marry him. He at the time was in his 50's, fat and old (yes 50 was old in those days ;D ;D) with ulcers on his legs. Not at all like the 30's something good looking actor Jonathan Rhys Meyer who plays him.


I know that Rufus played Mr Darcy at the Royal Exchange theatre in Manchester and I can't believe that I didn't find out about it and go as I live in Manchester.

Thanks for the portrait of Lady Castlemaine. Yes beauty was held in a different light then wasn't it.

I am about to watch TOTS so really looking forward also Tristan & Isolde.

[robela]

Totally agree with your comments Francesca on what we Brits owe to Charles!!
You put in very eloquently. I had not thought of it like that but so true.

[dippyponge]

I watched Charlie today while doing the Ironing (it sure makes ironing more enjoyable ) as I have promised to lend it to a friend and I know how long it took to get tots back from her.
I haven't watched it for a while and as I watched it I thought this is good. As people have said his emotions are very well done. I wont go into to too much detail as I should really be going to bed but I especially liked how he adapted his style of walking as he got older. It wasn't to exaggerated but very stubtle (isn't everything he does subtle?).

Anyone who says Rufus can't act is obviously not watching his films close enough. I don't know if it is just me but if i am watching a Rufus movie with anyone I feel the urge to say, did you that emotion in his eyes? or, did you see that look of disapointment? Sometimes as someone has already said, his feeling are in his eyes so fleetingly that you wonder if everyone else can see what you see. Earlier I watched Zen - Ratking with my husband and he remarked on Tania's tears. He said that her one single tear rolling down her face was good acting (and he is right) but while he was telling me that he missed the small amount of wetness and emotion in Zen's eyes, I wanted to tell him but my husband already thinks I am a little onsessed with Mr Sewell (Hmm, don't know what gave him that idea.) Anyway enough of me. I'm off to bed .