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If Only Someone Had Overthrown The Regime
HBO’s latest limited series is desperate to say things about fascism but can only get as far as noticing them.
Kate Winslet stars as Elena Vernham, the chancellor of an unnamed central European country who comes to rely too heavily on the advice of her bodyguard, Corporal Herbert Zubak (Matthias Schoenaerts). The series’ visual approach attempts to do some of the heavy lifting, imbuing everything with doom-laden close-ups, coldly harsh lighting, and unnerving jewel tones set against dark gray backdrops. The idea that every shift into fascism can be condensed into one very general outline (stoke nationalist fervor, suppress marginalized populations, eliminate any democratic means of handing over power) may be appealing as a theory, but broad strokes don’t make for arresting storytelling.
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