If you should want to watch it, it’s called Black Lake and is best viewed subsequent
to overdoing the coke and being in need of a little grounding. It’s
unremittingly glum until the very final scene when a Volvo drives up to the
quayside. They’re so very reassuring, aren’t they, Volvos?
What on earth am I going to do with future Saturday nights?
Post Epilogue
I forgot to mention that after the Volvo had drawn up on the quayside, an Abba tribute band jumped out and began a spirited rendition of Mama Mia. I suspect I might have been hallucinating at that point because it's pretty cold in my living room. (You try watching a glum Swedish drama in a cold living room on a cold Saturday night in January and see whether you can manage to stay entirely on the rails.)
Post Epilogue
I forgot to mention that after the Volvo had drawn up on the quayside, an Abba tribute band jumped out and began a spirited rendition of Mama Mia. I suspect I might have been hallucinating at that point because it's pretty cold in my living room. (You try watching a glum Swedish drama in a cold living room on a cold Saturday night in January and see whether you can manage to stay entirely on the rails.)
7 comments:
I've seen Black Lake advertised and Wallander too, but I stay away from glum Swedish dramas because they depress me (you're not alone!). Have you ever watched Shetland? It's a relatively harmless police drama and I like the main actor (and Scottish landscape). Another series I think you might enjoy is Last Kingdom, based on the Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwell. It's centered on a character who is half Saxon, half Dane and his dealings/relationship with King Alfred. It's wonderfully written and acted and gives some interesting insight into the perspectives of pagan vs Christian. You have to ignore the violent parts, but I have to say it's rarely gratuitous (I imagine life WAS violent during the Viking raids). The problem is that it's on Netflix which you might not have. But if you know someone who does, you can ask to borrow their password and that would work (but I didn't tell you this :)).
I did used to watch Wallander, actually, but it was the English language version starring Kenneth Branagh. Whether it was less glum than the original Swedish version I don't know, but I found it entertaining enough even though every episode was shot through with soul-searching, emotional pressures and ethical dilemmas.
I do remember Shetland, but I never watched it simply because I hardly ever watch the TV. I think the reason I watched Black Lake was because I heard it described as 'creepy,' but when you've been sated on Japanese horror films it takes an awful lot to satisfy a taste for creepiness. Black Lake didn't come close by my standards, but it obviously must have had something compelling about it for me to carry on watching. Maybe I was just held in thrall by its extreme glumness. I am almost obsessively interested in the human condition after all.
Last Kingdom, on the other hand, sounds right up my street. The Anglo-Saxon period is one of my favourites, and Alfred - along with his descendants including Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians - is possibly its biggest name. But alas I don't have Netflix and I don't know anybody who does. I'll just have to keep the title in mind and watch out for an opportunity. Maybe the BBC or somebody will buy it one day.
The Last Kingdom actually began on the BBC (Season 1) and then Netflix bought it. But I have an idea: you can take the one month Netflix free trial (no limitations on what you watch) and then cancel it. You can (easily) binge-watch the 3 available seasons in that time. Netflix warns you 3 days in advance before the official subscription begins, but of course, you'd be on top of that.
It’s one of my oddnesses, Della, that I would feel uneasy about doing that. It wouldn’t seem quite right, somehow. And then there’s the fact that I still have restricted bandwidth so I would have to watch them after midnight. I’m rarely in the mood for serious things after midnight.
So I had a look at Amazon and discovered that it’s available on DVD. Problem is that it’s rather expensive, but these things usually turn up in charity shops eventually so I’ll keep my eye open for it. I can wait (I think.)
I do understand, though I'm assured by the younger generation that taking full advantage of free trials is not only expected, but part of these businesses'(overall successful) marketing strategies. The issue with your bandwidth is trickier. I hope you find it on dvd for a good price, but if I see it here on sale I'm sending it to you!!!
I know what you mean here. I do understand that today’s young people play the game of life differently than my generation did at the same age. The world is different now and they’re more in tune with it than I am, so I don’t blame or judge them at all.
But I suppose my position is that while I can’t be responsible for the methodology of the corporate world, I am certainly responsible for my own standards as they apply to me as an individual. I really don’t mean this in a sanctimonious way at all, it’s just that in a world so lacking in finer virtues, and which I sometimes find almost incomprehensible, the one thing I can hold onto is the old maxim: ‘to thine own self be true.’ So that’s mostly what I do (I’m not perfect, of course, but I do try.) And the fact is that I would feel uneasy entering any form of agreement – even with the ethically-challenged corporate world – secretly knowing that I am going to break it.
And dear Della, thank you so much for the offer, but please don’t go buying DVDs for me. I would feel awfully guilty…
I completely understand your ethical thoughts here, so sorry! We're somehow exposed to free offers in this house, maybe because we subscribe to a few things, I don't know. Once, we took a free trial period for Sky TV to watch Patrick Melrose (w/ Benedict Cumberbatch--well done btw) and then signed on for a few months afterward. We eventually did cancel, more because they didn't have anything great on offer. One can always compromise in this way, NOT to try and influence you, though!! :) I shall also try not to rush out and get those DVDs, as much as I think you MUST watch this series! Haha. (In my enthusiasm I did look it up on amazon but they only had 2 seasons and it was pricey) :( If I can think of another, better way, I'll be in touch! :)
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