We’ve
moved from a fake TV special/documentary to a real one. Imagine,
from what I can tell, is a long-running BBC program that devotes itself to
examining different works of art. The
focus for this episode is, naturally, Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince.
The
work is explored from all angles. Historical
context is given for Machiavelli in general and The Prince in particular; for instance, there’s a segment on Cesare
Borgia, who served as an inspiration for the piece. The book’s principles are applied to recent
and present-day politicians, entrepreneurs, and other powerful people. Current popular works, such as Game of Thrones and House of Cards, are brought up as further examples of The Prince’s unscrupulous ideals at play
in modern culture.
And just
how does PC fit into all of this? He’s
featured throughout the episode, delivering excerpts from the book while hanging
out in locales ranging from castles to skyscrapers. I suppose his role as the highly Machiavellian
Malcom Tucker made the producers choose him for the project?
Either
way, he does well. Performing recitations
out of context can be hit-or-miss, and I’d imagine it’s even harder when your
source material doesn’t actually give you a character or plot to work
with. Still, his segments are
effectively delivered with a steely edge, explaining how a prince must be both
a fox and lion, or musing on whether it’s better to be loved or feared.
Side
note – I’m not familiar enough with The
Prince to recognize specific lines from it, but I recalled that last bit
from a very memorable pair of scenes in Kings. Wouldn’t have thought it was possible, but
that show just got a little more awesome.
Accent Watch
Light
Scottish.
Recommend?
In
General
– Maybe, if you’re interested in Machiavelli.
As a documentary, it’s pretty well made and covers many topics touching
its chief subject.
PC-wise – Not necessarily. While his segments are good, they don’t add
up to a ton of screentime, and it’s lower on the totem pole than a number of
fine PC projects where he really gets to create characters.
Warnings
Some
discussion of violence and general amoral attitudes/actions.
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