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 Game of Thrones 1 (2011)
Reviewer: Charity Bishop
George R.R. Martin's bloodthirsty fantasy novels have found their home on
HBO in Game of Thrones. An epic, sprawling
story full of memorable characters and sinister events,
it quickly sweeps you up into its complicated world
while reminding you that not all fantasy is as innocent
as Narnia.
White walkers have not been seen in
centuries, but the Guardians of the Wall fear their return
with the approaching winter. Summer has lasted for ten years
and the cold is coming. But of more immediate concern is the
news that the King's advisor has died, and he comes to Winterfell to invite Lord Stark (Sean Bean)
the position, much to the concern of Lady Stark (Michelle
Fairley), who fears
her husband's absence will mean misfortune for them
all. King Baratheon's presence in the northern kingdom
brings unease when his wife Cersei (Lena Headey) is
discovered by Lord Stark's son as having a "special
relationship" with her twin brother Jamie (Nikolaj
Coster-Waldau). The boy is thrown from an upper window and
the family is left to deal with the horrific consequences.
Lord Stark's illegitimate son Jon (Kit
Harrington) travels north to take the black cloth and become
a Guardian of the Wall, and strikes up an unlikely
friendship with Cersei's older brother, Tyrion (Peter
Dinklage). Meanwhile, across the Narrow Sea, the
official heir to the throne is seeking out means of
reclaiming his kingdom. Viserys (Harry Lloyd) has arranged a
marriage between his sister Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) to Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa),
a chieftain lord who has promised to help him reclaim his
throne. But as the two armies prepare for war and unravel a
shocking plot of betrayal and murder, an ancient evil rises
in the north...
In purely cinematic terms, Game of
Thrones is a masterpiece. It creates a fascinating and
dangerous world in which an unforgettable cast of characters
dwell. Some we love, and others we love to hate, but none of
them leave us with a lack of emotion. The detail and setting
is immaculate and the cast is incredibly strong, ranging
from the big-screen names mentioned here to later
appearances by such individuals as Aidan Gillen, whose
character proves more interesting than most, the lynchpin
that drives all, a clever man who is more than he seems
(one early prophetic line of dialogue has him telling Lord Stark, "not
trusting me was the wisest thing you have done since you got
off your horse") and Charles Dance. But the tagline of this series is "don't
get too attached," and that proves true: in these stories,
no one is safe and before the end, some of our favorite
characters will die.
Sean Bean is the main driving force of
this first season, and arguably its strongest point. This is
assisted by the fact that he is the "leading character" but
it is hard not to come to love him for the smaller things,
such as the pride he takes in watching his youngest daughter
learn to handle a sword. He is also one of the few truly
"good" men involved, since elsewhere we have fornicators,
rapists, warlords, and pimps. Unfortunately, the fantastic storytelling
comes with a heavy dose of violence, sex, and nudity, along
with the not-so-occasional f-word. Game of Thrones
is a hard series to review, because it seems like just when
I was settling into it, some pointless sexual content or
nudity would throw it off course. It tends to be as graphic
as possible for purely shock value, which at times
undermines the incredible writing used as its foundation. I
cannot say that it is an enjoyable experience because in
many ways it is heart-wrenching, but it creates a unique
world that I have never experienced before... and at times,
a world I would not care to experience again.
Sexual Content:
Each episode has at least one graphic sex scene, with accompanying
female nudity; elsewhere, both women and men are shown completely
naked, for varying lengths of time. One of the more awful things I
fast-forwarded through was an extended monologue from a character
while two of his whores "practice" on one another in the background.
An incestuous sexual relationship between siblings is not only
shown, but becomes a major plot arc. Another man is involved in a
homosexual affair with one of his knights (they are shown kissing
and... preparing to do other things). Another subplot involves an
eight year old child suckling from his mother's breast.
Language:
Infrequent but profane, with uses of the f-word.
Foul language intrudes on numerous occasions, often
referencing male and female reproductive organs in
vile terms.
Violence:
The violence becomes grisly on more than one
occasion, ranging from knights in jousts being stabbed in
the neck and suffocating in their own blood to beheadings
and dismemberments. Men are sliced in half, have boiling
gold poured over their head (with naturally fatal results),
have their tongues ripped out through their throats, and
much more. Animal lovers should also be forewarned that an
angry knight who has just lost a joust cuts his horse's head
off with one fatal blow. Lord Stark is forced to put to
death an innocent northern wolf that is a pet to one of his
daughters when the queen becomes displeased with it
(off-screen). We watch as a man disembowels a dead deer and
then proceeds to skin it -- on camera. A witch slices a
horse's throat open, and we watch it founder and cry out as
it dies.
Other:
There are multiple
references to pagan gods, and a satanic ritual that involves
a blood sacrifice and the "restoration of life" (in exchange
for a death). |
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