MovieChat Forums > The Last Kingdom (2015) Discussion > Only one major problem with the series

Only one major problem with the series

posted 8 years ago by CitizenCairParavel
14 replies | jump to latest

Alfred. Really? I believe there should be literary license in these series, but this one went beyond the pale with Alfred. I don't like it when people cash in on the names of famous people only to then totally warp what history tells us about them. Alfred from the historical sources is one of the greatest, most Christian, wisest, and most merciful of all to rule England. This series at the beginning made him a spiteful, petty perversion of the Christian monarch the sources portray him. By the end I almost felt like he was going to embrace paganism. Sad. I loved the story, but next time please quit cashing in on the names of famous people and then warping them (other examples were the movies Noah and Exodus: Gods and Kings.)

[–] Scifi71 8 years ago

The author of the books (this Alfred is based on) is not a fan of Christians and a huge lover of the Vikings. He admits his own prejudices went into writing Alfred in his books. The whole point is to make Uthred out to be the hero of the English., not Alfred

Humankind cannot bear very much reality. ~T.S. Eliot

[–] CitizenCairParavel 8 years ago

Sad. He should have written about another character then. Revisionism is dishonest.

[–] xenopharb 8 years ago

That begs the question if what you know as history is really accurate.

[–] beeger 8 years ago

Correct. Who were the ones that wrote King Alfred's history? This was 1,100 years ago.

[–] OmarFirestone-1 8 years ago

IMHO Butchard and Cornwell are "breaking the fourth wall" in the scene where Alfred is explaining the value of the written record to Uhtred: "History shall remember [me] as ..."

As the victor of the Battle of Edington his self-characterization as a "righteous and just king" is the surviving one; not the oral tradition of Guthrum and the Danelaw Vikings. One can be sure the actual punishment for publicly questioning King Alfred's Piety/Legitimacy/Manhood/[whatever] in post-878 AD Wessex was death most painful and not "grovelling in the mud begging for forgiveness".

Omar

I drank WHAT? - Socrates

[–] 8tangerines 8 years ago

Yes. I think Citizen makes clear his basis for assessing the historical accuracy of "famous people" when he includes Alfred the Great with Noah and the characters in Exodus: Gods and Kings.

[–] chucknorrissinspiration 8 years ago

"losers write no history books"

[–] cupcakekid (37) 2 years ago

They do. Some Chinese history is based at least in part on records left by the previous dynasty. Of course some will be censored.

[–] Phidippides 8 years ago

So maybe Martin Luther King Junior was as they say he was in the history books, or maybe he was actually a Chinese assassin. Depends whose history is accurate, right?

http://www.westerncivforum.com

[–] joe-809 8 years ago

I don't think Cornwell dislikes Alfred, and in the book he credits Alfred with creating the idea of a united England. That isn't as clear in the first season of the series, but I still think Alfred comes across as a powerful force. In the later books he is also more supportive of Uhtred and grateful for his service.

Cornwell's intent, IMO, is to flesh out and humanize the man behind the legend. If you want a series showing "Alfred the Great" as a larger-than-life superhero, this is not for you, but do you think that was likely his true nature?

OP Citizen, I suspect you are actually offended by the series' negative (but IMO accurate) perspectives about Christianity. You say that you feared Alfred was "going to embrace paganism"; at most, Alfred was flirting with tolerance. If you find that offensive...well, quit watching, unless you plan to cheer for Bishop Aessir and his ilk.

[–] VGsam 8 years ago

; at most, Alfred was flirting with tolerance. If you find that offensive...well, quit watching, unless you plan to cheer for Bishop Aessir and his ilk.

yet, We have yet to see Uthred practice "Tolerance" ecxept to fake it to gain his land/money or something he wants.

hopefully that wil come later.

[–] Galileo_Figaro 8 years ago

Uhtred is probably the most tolerant person on the show or in the books. He was content to let Mildrith practice her faith. The only times he bristles at Christianity is when he is getting screwed over by its adherents in the name of its God. Christians who see no problem lying and cheating him because he's a pagan. Not so tolerant of them.

In later books Uhtred even has good things to say about Christianity, even conceding that it has a civilizing influence on people and encourages them to strive to be good whereas the Norse pantheon has no such tenets.

Most of the people Uhtred considered to be the best people he's ever known, his friends and the people he has loved throughout his life where Christians. He just loves the gods of Asgard more because he finds them more exciting. They are also the gods of his ancestors and Uhtred takes his heritage very seriously. Uhtred is more of a troll towards the Christians than anything. It's mostly for his own amusement.

By the standards of his day, Uhtred is the king of inclusivity. Don't be too surprised to see him bring out a lute next season and sing Kumbaya around a camp fire.

[–] Jes' Sayin' (6398) 5 years ago

Alfred's story as we read about it is probably a little too positive to be entirely true. Having an illustrious ancestor king who was said to have done incredible things had good propaganda value for his successors. No doubt he made mistakes and had doubts from time to time. Exploring a bit what those might have been is not entirely a bad idea.

[–] Ace_Spade (9577) 5 years ago

See, I loved the character on the show. Dawson rocked every scene, which helped, but I thought Alfred was a great character.

He stuck to his religious principles, but unlike his wife (his horrible wife...) he wasn't petty and angry about it. He does grind on Uhtred, but it's always political (like when he basically blackmails him, trying to make Uhtred swear to protect Alfred's son; Alfred isn't motivated by cruelty, but by fear and care for his son...)

I thought he was clever, wise, noble, and a great king.

The show does show him as tricky (scheming, even), and sometimes overbearing or frustrating, but I don't mind conflict or imperfect characters. I like them more.

And the scenes between Alfred and Uhtred towards the end of season three!? Holy smokes, that was amazing stuff, with this unspoken surrogate father/son bond they've got, this love and respect that fights with their frustration with each other...! It was GREAT!