Review of Gunpowder

The Gunpowder trilogy on the BBC has drawn criticism for the violence and cruelty which it portrays. This is understandable. However, the tortures shown in such shocking detail were historically accurate. So was execution by hanging, drawing and quartering.

Any depiction of royalty which gives a romantic fairy-tale view of the splendour of the court and ignores the methods by which the autocratic rule was maintained is frankly dishonest.

The second episode in which Catesby (played by Kit Harrington) witnesses the burning of two "heretics" (actually Jews) in Spain is a fair indication that the methods of autocracy did not vary much between the regimes in Britain and Spain.

The persecution of Catholics in this country was clearly depicted as a means by which the aristocracy, and in particular Lord Robert Cecil (played by Mark Gatiss),  enriched themselves. Religion was used as a means of social control and as a pretext for torture and murder.

The interchange between  Fr Henry Garnet (played by Peter Mullan) and Cecil in the final episode is particularly telling. Cecil accused Fr Garnet of causing the gunpowder plot. Although he is not named by any conspirator and is depicted as opposing the plot, his preaching was enough to hang him. He responds by drawing attention to Cecil's role in causing the troubles. You cannot expect that people who are so persecuted will not respond in kind.

Anne Vaux (Liv Tyler) plays a strong female character in a period when patriarchy kept women firmly "in their place". I wouldn't dream of giving the plot away (no pun intended) but for most of those involved it was unlikely to end well.

Although gruesome, this is a very good series and well worth watching.