I do love a good period drama.
Always a fan of historical fiction – especially anything echoing a bodice-ripper – I jumped at the initial series of ‘Rome’ produced by the BBC in conjunction with HBO. Both these institutions hold a certain gravitas in their own leagues. BBC – stalwart of well-acted dramas such as ‘Pride and Prejudice’ in the early ’90s (Oh, Mr Darcy!) and recently came up trumps with ‘Sense and Sensibility’ (Oh, Mr Ferrars!) joined forces with the rambunctious reputation of HBO (sorry, been watching the ‘Romeo and Juliet’ director’s commentary and the word has stuck in my head) with a previous record including, of course, ‘Sex and the City’.
So, with ‘Rome’, what we get is a hybrid. A ‘Sex in the Classical City’ if I can get away with such liberties. And my, my; the Romans knew how to have a good time. Cue fantastic blood-thirsty fights, brilliantly acted bitchy sequences between aristocratic ladies, and of course, a multitude of sex scenes. Yum. I was instantly hooked.
I recently purchased the second series and I’m working my way through it in my spare time. (So it’ll take me a while I guess, not having much spare time currently) There is much more torture taking place in this series, and I know that there’s a highly charged torture/sex scene which I am sure has had much written about it elsewhere. It’s a good one. It got me thinking, as these things usually do…Firstly along the lines of…‘I wonder what it would be like to be gagged and taken from behind…’ before changing tack and considering the power that the woman in the scene holds.
In it, she is supposed to have been whipped for insubordination, but she’s such a wily one, our Gaia, and she ends up having it off with her persecutor, Pullo. The sexual tension between them had been brewing for a while and it bubbled to the surface in this instance of physical punishment. Through the very fact that he was unable to resist her he had relinquished the control into her hands.
She is the ultimate Minx. She has used her sexuality to her advantage and quashed any semblance of control he had over her in the act of fucking her. Bravo. But at what cost has this little skirmish taken place? She has goaded on the man by humiliating him – he couldn’t even flog the damn woman without shagging her – his lack of control in a split second is what plays it into her hands forever.
Sex has always been used as a weapon of control. And to give in to carnal desire is associated with being weak. Sexualised women in the past have always been looked down upon – ‘They have no *control* over their lust’ being the stereotypical Victorian view. So it is nice to find that in this Classical fiction by the BBC and HBO, that they have portrayed various women, both plebs and aristos, as having that sexual dominance over the men even back then. Their lust and desire is what gives them that control, not takes it away.
Hmmm, Sense and Sensibility. I saw that. I’ve met Dom, who played Willoughby. He’s very nice.
Ahem. Sorry. Carry on.
Very nice indeed – Oh, actually no…Bit too baby-faced for me. And a cad in the story too.
Don’t *you* know the high society, ILB! Glad to hear he’s a lovely chap.
I preferred Kate Winslet and Emma Thompson in Ang Lee’s Sense and Sensibility myself. Kate Winslet: thank the gods, brothers and sisters, for a real women, Hallelujah! With all the size 0 clones out there, it’s so lovely to see a full-bodied woman on the screen who doesn’t give a roaring ++++ for all the crap in Follywood. LWhat a ovely, utterly lovely woman with hips and breasts! My oh my oh my.
Does that mean you’ve seen the BBC version over in Seattle, Beau?
Kate Winslet: I think she’s alright. Better now she’s not trying to sell out to the blockbusters anymore. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – quite a good turn in that so I gather. (And a film title from a fave poem of mine; good ol’ Mr. Pope.)
I liked Rome. I only ever saw the first series, unfortunately, but I mean to see the second. It was kinda racy too. Fractal’s a big fan of HBO’s stuff and made me watch Deadwood which I have to say is *absolutely fucking brilliant*. And does have a bit of raunch in it too, it is HBO after all.
According to Fractal and one of his fellow pedanty types (:P) Rome is actually perhaps the weakest HBO drama (their comedies are never up to as much at all). But I like it.
And it had Kev in. Good old Kev.
I’ve never really been into the idea of gags, but now *I’m* wondering what that’d be like! And it sounds sexy! Damn you, LadyP!
Why feels my heart its long-forgotten heat? It was LadyP wot dunnit
Ah oui! Good ol’ Mr Pope! and yes we see a great deal of the BBC’ s tand Granada TV’s top productions here on Public Television. The entire Jane Austen series was just on and I look forward to and hope that Cranford will be shown here also. Better damn well be or they’ll here for many hundreds of thousands of us Vic Fic fans, er Victorian fiction,fans, that is.
In 1976 I believe it was the first BBC show we saw was the original Forstyte Saga with Nyree Dawn Porter as Irene and The First Churchills–Then came Henry the Eighth and Elizabeth with Glenda Jackson. Amazing stuff that. Compared to the drivel on American TV these were literally consumed by millionss across the nation, and we still do here and in Canada. Not quite the backwoods we used to be, love. 
Mais oui, Kate has been a lot more judicious in choosing roles in recent times. Damn fine actress. Bonne nuit, lovely Lady P. A demain.
Sorry Lady P, not much sleep last night. My fingers apparently want to go their separate ways regarding typing.
I’ve had many a naughty thought over Pullo myself. I was hooked instantly when I first watched Rome. I found it nothing short of delicious. The visuals are so rich, the tones so dark, the characters torn in their own human struggles. Most certainly a favourite of mine.
Oh, not to mention the copious sex scenes and punishment – meow!
You sum the series up very well there, Naughty Secretary, glad you share my taste in historical dramas with me!