There is one advantage that a mini series has over a feature length film and that is the ammount of time it can spend on character and plot developement. This series does that with bells on, add to that some excellent acting, directing and photography and you find yourself with a series that ranks as one of the best I have seen this year.
Everything about this screams originality, not least the subject matter a war that was played down by the mainstream press at the time as a minor skirmish in Africa is revisited here in a semi educational but non patronising way, (unusual for the modern BBC). As usual for a Hugo Blick drama the scale is epic and the plot completely unpredictable the casting manages to be broad and inclusive without patronising anyone, again unlike most dramas on BBC1.
Well I watched the whole thing and by the final episodes the only reason I did was for the addictive Leonard Cohen theme song and to see which character was going to vomit next. The series started strong but just fell apart in the final episodes to the point where I'm not even sure what the point of the series even was.
Bravo ! While hopless with Netflix nowadays, I found this amazing siries.
I am sure this show seemed like a good idea at the time but no, sadly it's a complete shambles..
Look forward to Hugo Blicks projects as they are always different and thought provoking and although not as satisfying as The Shadow Line this is a excellent drama.
Black Earth Rising is an interesting idea for a drama yet as is often the case with the mainstream media, the tale doesn't fit well with the truth. The sense that the US/UK and other Western powers are, fundamentally, a benevolent force, that has a parental role in Africa, belies the imperialist/colonial truth that lies at the heart of their involvement in this part of the world.
John Goodman was great - as he consistently is, plot was good and am sure that a lot of viewers learnt more about the Rwandan tragedy than the average person knows. Could have had a stronger cast...........
Having just seen the last episode and knowing that the operating cameraman was killed in Ghana whilst filming a car stunt I have to question the writer producer directors sense of taste.