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Gunpowder

(64 Posts)
merlotgran Sat 21-Oct-17 22:15:42

Dark and mumbly.

Nothing changes.

BlueBelle Mon 23-Oct-17 06:42:18

Eleothan I am the same as you I really never thought about the idea behind the burning of the guy in my childhood bonfires and I m really sorry I joined in these shenanigans and even took my children to watch How awful, all these years it just been a replication of the baying crowds in that scene
I think we should watch these awful gory scenes ( even if it distresses us) to bring home to us how close man is to the barbarity we complain bitterly about still happening in other countries
I ve obviously heard of being hanged, drawn and quartered would he still have been conscious after his guts were pulled out though ? What was the name given to the type of killing of the mother?

Eloethan Sun 22-Oct-17 23:37:33

I thought it was well done and, although I often complain about the sound on these TV dramas, I didn't think it was too bad on this one.

I think it was necessary to show the level of viciousness and cruelty that was used during those times.

From my recollection, Guy Fawkes featured more prominently on 5 November when I was a child, and burning a guy just seemed like a bit of fun. Even as I got older it didn't occur to me that to trivialise and celebrate acts of savagery was, as I now feel, pretty horrible.

Grannyknot Sun 22-Oct-17 21:52:09

Ignore previous smile found him. Plus I realised many men with beards and big hats!

NfkDumpling Sun 22-Oct-17 21:47:55

I found it worth watching and thought it reflected the tensions of the time very well. But I was knitting a complicated Arran pattern throughout so I could avoid watching the more graphic bits!

Grannyknot Sun 22-Oct-17 21:24:00

Not watching the graphic bits, but finding it interesting on Catch Up). Who is the bearded bloke in the big hat (the actor)?

lemongrove Sun 22-Oct-17 18:11:36

I don’t think I will watch it after all, having recorded it.
I have enough problems hearing dialogue at the best of times, and the thought of a graphic depiction
Of hanging drawing and quartering gives me the shudders.

nigglynellie Sun 22-Oct-17 16:05:56

I love history and find it fascinating especially medieval till 19th century, modern history interesting but not fascinating!
The discovery of the priest was gripping and DH and I were really holding our breath. The executions were grim to say the least, but that's exactly how it was, baying crowd and all! Robert Cecil was absolutely how I would imagine him both physically and mentally, spooky and sinister! Yes there is a bit of poetic license but by and large it was thumbs up for us.

eazybee Sun 22-Oct-17 10:39:02

Kit Harington may be related to the Catesby family but he is not a direct descendant as Robert Catesby's son died without issue. Just one more inaccuracy in a dramatisation that owed more to Game of Thrones than the well-documented events.

hildajenniJ Sun 22-Oct-17 10:17:20

I started to watch it. Very dark and too much mumbling. I had 9 year old grandson here, so put it off when I realised how horrible the execution scenes were. I don't think I'll watch any more of it.

f77ms Sun 22-Oct-17 10:02:31

I agree terri . Cannot cope with cruelty on this scale .

TerriBull Sun 22-Oct-17 09:57:58

I declined to watch this programme, I love history and I am very familiar with the story but I can't bear torture and gore. Sadly some of the most hideous aspectsof man's inhumanity to his fellow man is still with us in the more repressive regimes around the world and the depths of depravity that ISIS sank to were as barbaric as anything from those ghastly times in our own country.

annodomini Sun 22-Oct-17 09:42:15

Blinko, our society is free of those ghastly executions and torture, but if you believe such practices are not going on in nations with which we have arms deals, think again. The 'dark days' are still around - just not here.

Blinko Sun 22-Oct-17 09:33:12

I started to watch but found it unbearably tense and then found the graphic depiction of state sanctioned sanctimonious viciousness too horrible for words. I'm so thankful to be alive today and not in those dark days.

Sparklefizz Sun 22-Oct-17 09:30:32

I didn't want to watch the gory bits on TV so checked out this instead as I feel woefully ignorant.

www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-10-21/gunpowder-bbc-real-history/

kittylester Sun 22-Oct-17 09:07:30

Dh watched it while I read. I couldn't cope with the 'nasty' bits. I find I'm a woose too and woosier as I get older.

Yes, Maw, Kit Harrington said he was a descendant of Catesby when he was on TV.

Imperfect27 Sun 22-Oct-17 08:27:31

Had this on in the background last night - DH was watching, I was half paying attention - interested, but busy with other things. However, I found the 'graphic' executions far too gory - unnecessarily so to my mind.

J52 Sun 22-Oct-17 08:22:47

I thought it was really good, not as simpering as some of the dramas on recently. It certainly paints James 6th of Scotland, 1st of England and Wales, in an interesting light.

The executions were quite graphic, but I didn’t know they used the spiked iron plate, so I learnt something.
I’ve been watching Outlander on Chanel 4, it’s violently graphic as well! I’m toughening up in my old age!

BlueBelle Sun 22-Oct-17 08:06:25

I enjoyed it if enjoy is the right word I thought the graphic part was very necessary to point out how the world was then I really only knew the basics of the giunpowder plot that we all know from school so it was quite an eyeopener and interesting to me The tension when they were looking for the priest was very well played, as was the mother’s killing The whole baying crowd really brought home to me the true hatred all over the world for other peoples religions The Catholics fleeing to Flanders really brought home the similarities of the Rohingya fleeing Myanmar at the moment and the violent killing of those staying How people like to fail to see what a violent country we were too

I always use subtitles for dramas to be on the safe side eyes aren’t brilliant so I sit nearer if necessary There’s always a way

grumppa Sun 22-Oct-17 00:24:19

My prep. school puppet theatre put on a gripping performance of the Gunpowder Plot in about 1956. I like to think our doggerel rhyming couplets were more easily heard than some of the dialogue tonight

Tegan2 Sun 22-Oct-17 00:01:32

merlot grin!

Anniepops Sat 21-Oct-17 23:02:26

DH struggling with sound but I had no problem...again! Admit it must be difficult with frequency, variation and tone. It will eventually happen with me too I expect. DH also amazingly said had no idea regarding the background of the gunpowder plot which I thought quite common knowledge. I must admit the persecution and execution hard to watch but is it still happening in our world? Yes.

merlotgran Sat 21-Oct-17 22:44:37

DH might have dodgy vision but his hearing is spot on so he's saying, "Who's that bloke with the big hat and the beard?" and I'm saying, "What did he say?" grin

Sar53 Sat 21-Oct-17 22:40:35

I enjoyed it, apart from the graphic bits, thought the beginning was very tense. I love English history and I don't know anything about the Gunpowder plot apart from it failing. Looking forward to seeing the rest of it.
I could hear it ok but OH struggled with the sound, he won't admit he's going deaf !!

merlotgran Sat 21-Oct-17 22:39:44

We were laughing about all the beards and big hats. Guy Fawkes has a shaved head so we can pick him out grin

maryeliza54 Sat 21-Oct-17 22:38:18

Oh that’s a pity merlot