Henry VIII: Mind of a Tyrant [DVD] [2009]

David Starkey weighs in again with a captivating, dazzling account of the great monster. It is, I think, Starkey's best work, timed to coincide with the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII's accession in 1509.

The great irony is that Starkey once espoused a republican line (in a television studio debate on the future of the British monarchy shortly after Princess Diana's demise). He subsequently made monarchy his life's work, and appears both magnetized and repelled by it.

It's a masterpiece of modern historical docudrama, managing to retain freshness despite the (over)familiarity of the topic. How DOES the Puckish historian do it?

First, brilliant visual use is made of primary sources. With exquisite calligraphy (Secretary Hand with some Chancery Cursive thrown in, unless I'm much mistaken) flowing across the screen, and actors peering with amused, sardonic, or agonised faces into camera, the words of such contemporary eyewitnesses as George Cavendish (Wolsey's servant) and Eustace Chapuys (devoted supporter of Katherine of Aragon) come alive. Of course it's WORDS that are important, so that calligraphy is a visual imperative.

Second, there is the charisma of Starkey himself. He's everywhere! In libraries and archives, and of course in all the prestige locations - sometimes only to deliver a sentence or two. E.g., Avignon, Westminster Hall, St Peter's Rome, etc. etc. Gosh! Gives the European perspective to the Henry VIII story and puts us, the audience, in the locales. And Starkey's unique accent, as he struggles to square his conflicting attitudes about the monarchy - or trying to contain loathing for Henry? - makes for some strange articulations: "EU-ropp" "LODG-ik." There is also that huge coat, in which Starkey, for all his looming intellect, looks vulnerable.

I too have some conflict, because despite Starkey's idiosyncrasies, I like him. He shows both anger and understanding at Henry's trajectory from shining slim Prince, coarsened by his divorce from Katherine of Aragon, through to monstrous, murderous tyrant.

Starkey has said he feels he will never exhaust Henry VIII as a subject. In this marvellous series, he certainly provides new perspectives.

A truly remarkable presentation of a fascinating period of English history. David Starkey's commentary is beautifully composed and presented and the historical facts are researched and accurate historical facts and not the latest in "politically correct" updates. Full credit, too, to the camera script, the shots being right up to the mark. One comment to Dr Starkey: Why leave out any reference to Katherine Parr, Henry's last, and surviving spouse? She was a remarkable women (as well as being my second cousin 13 generations removed!)who probably understood and controlled Henry better than all the others put together! At least she survived............... Nevertheless, a must-buy recommendation is rightfully and fully deserved.

You'd think that after all he has already said on the subject, David Starkey might not have anything new to discuss about Henry VIII. But this series disproves that theory straight away. Starkey re-examines primary source material to peel back the layers of Henry's character. He goes far beyond examing the 'what when where and who' of the history, and instead delves deep into the 'how' and most importantly 'why'. It's excellent television: educational and entertaining.

Henry may well be England's most famous king; famous for all the wrong reasons (demolishing the RC church, beheading wives, oppressing his subjects and eating way too many pies). Yet he was lauded like a returning King Arthur when he came to the throne (doubly ironic given that his dead elder brother was actually named Arthur!). Starkey does a brilliant job of explaining how a great shining light became known as a Tudor-era Stalin.

The series is made up of four episodes. The first looks at Henry's childhood and how his upbringing may have influenced his later life. The second reveals a happy period in his life during his first marriage, when he was an active young man with an appetite for foreign adventure. But in the third installment it all goes awry, his love for Anne Boleyn soon sours, and in the final part Starkey details the horror of the last years of Henry's reign when he oppressed and attacked his own subjects.

As well as explaining much about Henry's private life, this series also reveals an awful lot about English history and the direction this country has taken in the past 500 years. The UK's split from Europe, the development of the British navy, the evolution of the Church of England, the establishment of cabinet government -- all are remnants of Henry's reign.

The programmes show us plenty of gorgeous imagery; often using actual locations which still survive, like Eltham Palace where Henry grew up. Or we're shown similar buildings so we can get the feel of Tudor architecture and royal grandeur, very often with Starkey striding through a great hall, declaiming great long paragraphs of interpretation without any sign of an autocue.
There is, inevitably, a certain reliance upon 'reconstruction' scenes, which are largely pointless but remind us what jousting or feasting or cardinals look like. The filming in the national archives of the UK and other European countries is far more interesting to me, especially when Starkey uncovers evidence that Henry himself re-wrote some entries in one official log, or when we hear exactly what the Spanish ambassador thought of the English court. This is history brought to life; the old languages ably translated and the gist of their intent compellingly related to us by an historian who plainly revels in being the authority in this field.
The soundtrack to this series is pretty gorgeous too. It's certainly better than the irritating visual motif of calligraphy, which repeatedly demonstrates Henry's weird writing style. Interesting the first time: trying if you watch more than one episode at a time.
I suspect that if you enjoy David Starkey's other series then you'll be delighted by this one. But if you're not a fan then you'll need to be seriously intrigued with the subject matter to get past our host's idosyncratic delivery. There are some real gems of unlikely information tucked away in each programme, though, and I will enjoy watching them all again in a couple of years' time.
9/10