Downton Abbey

Laurs said: Have you watched Poldark (5 seasons)?

I have not heard of this one. I'll check it out. Thank you for the thread link too!

In addition to the 5 seasons of Poldark, there's actually the 12 books written by Winston Graham that the series was based upon. The TV series ends around book 7, and the following books continue the story with the next generations! Great reads - here are the series titles: The Poldark Saga by Winston Graham
 
I think I saw longtimes the novel, I remember the picture of the character. I will see if I find the novel. Thanks.
You are right! It is based on a series of historical novels. It's a series of 12 novels, first one called Ross Poldark by Winston Graham. Another one to add to my watch list!

 
I liked Downton Abbey as well, but now I also wonder how much of it is a part of whitewashing the British Empire. It was not only genocidal abroad (more or less completely whitewashed) but even at home the conditions for a large portion of the working class were apalling. It is possible that rural areas like those depicted in Downton Abbey were much better than the cities though.
The British Empire, like the French, like all empires, was brutal, genocidal, and pro-slavery. In the series, which is a romantic comedy, of course, we don't see this reality; that's not its goal, but rather to make us "feel" what life was like for aristocrats, with their minor and major dramas, their money problems, their love affairs, their marriages, etc. The beauty of the places, the beautiful forests, the horses, the dogs, the cars, seem like part of another world, outside of time. The reality was quite different, even if we can sometimes glimpse the misery of the times. This isn't a superficial series; we see human beings caught up in their time, their status, their situation. Love is important, as is friendship, life, death, disappointments, failures, and successes. And that's true at the top as well as at the bottom.

The British Empire killed millions of people in India and Africa, and we don't see that in the series, even though some characters tell us that the system is cruel. We do see characters who represent those who fought to improve the living conditions of the poor. The series ends in 1925, the "Roaring Twenties," and soon comes the Crash, and then World War II and the end of the British Empire in India. But that's still a long way off in the series. What this film emphasizes is the British spirit, myth or not. And not all British people were aristocrats.

If you have a keen eye, you can also see that the series pokes fun at the rich, their artistic ignorance, or simply their ignorance of their past. With kindness, of course.

I'm not a fan of series, but this one grabbed me by the throat, if you can call it that. Aristocrats or not, the themes of the series touch us: family, parent-child relationships, family relationships, work relationships, couple relationships. An important subject is the commitment we have in our lives, in everything. I reflected on my relationship with my parents, on the one with my sister. I think that's what I liked most about this series, that beyond people's statuses, we see human beings who try to live as best they can, like all of us.
 
I also just loved Downton Abbey, don't forget to watch the excellent movies as well, the first, second, and the third will come out this September!
Thanks laurs. I saw the two movies, very well donne. I cried also a lot, specially looking the second one. Cinema is great. Watching one of the last scenes of the second film, I thought that in cinema, you experience emotions that in real life you don't even know exist. That's why cinema is a great school. One of the greatest inventions, along with the printer, of course!;-D
 
I am seeing Downton Abbey these days, I think it is a masterpiece series. I never felt so much emotion when looking a movie, and this series is a long movie, long long movie, and I can tell that if tears are good for the body, bringing health and good things to the body (I read some time ago something about how tears are good) I can say I am healing. If beauty heal, Downton Abbey brings beauty and humanity, specially beauty in these times where beauty is perceived as a bad thing. The two worlds, the Upstairs and the Downstairs are credible, the stories, the dramas, the hate and love, and the historical situation, the change, the evolution, the world. Everything is there. And the magnificent scenes and direction of the movie. I recommend this series but you will need Kleenex at your side, if you are like me, a super sensitive person. The actors are excellent, British actors are good, after all :-P.

I always loved sagas stories, the first one that I read and saw when I was young was The Forsyth Saga.

British humor, drama and comedy, tragedy, everything is at Downton Abbey.

I watched it last year and I have to say I totally loved it. Reading your post now, I want to watch it again! :lol: It's hard to find something as good as that! One of the things I loved the most about is the stories of the all the family members and as you say, the hate and love and how they solve their dramas (or not). It's beautiful, really.
 

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