Fall of Eagles (1974)
Director: David Cunliffe, Bill Hays, Rudolph Cartier, Gareth Davies, James Ferman, Michael Lindsay-Hogg, Donald McWhinnie, David Sullivan Proudfoot, Stuart Burge
Starring: Michael Hordern, Charles Kay, Barry Foster
Episodes: 13
Synopsis:
A look at the rise of the most powerful European dynasties in the 19th Century and their subsequent downfall.
Impressions:
I'd heard this series mentioned in a discussion about history and given how much I liked I, Claudius, I decided to check it out. On the writing side, I did find the editorial bent and a few of the character rants early on a little irksome, but especially as the series progresses, the dialog gets sharper and the performances more than make up for most quibbles. Standouts include Curd Jürgens as Otto von Bismarck, Barry Foster as Kaiser Wilhelm and Patrick Stewart as Lenin. A lot of the cast are good likenesses for their historical counterparts and sets and costuming are rather nice as well. The political intrigue and family drama are quite compelling and if you have any interest in the period from 1848 to 1918, you'll get an extra kick out of it. I recommend it for a watch at the very least.
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