Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season (2011/HBO Blu-ray Set)
Picture:
B+ Sound: B+ Extras:
A+ Episodes: A
Adapting
a fantasy novel series with the incredible detail and rabid following of George
R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire
(of which Game of Thrones is the
first book) would present a daunting challenge to most any production
house. HBO has proven more than equal to the task, and fans of Mr.
Martin’s books will find a lot to like in this expansive, ten episode
adaptation. The great care taken in casting and visual presentation shows
themselves on the screen.
At its
core, Game of Thrones details the
struggles of two rival houses, the Lannisters and the Starks. The show
features a lot of characters, and this may prove daunting to a viewer who has
not read the novels, but this five disc boxed set also provides a fold-out
poster listing all of the main royal houses, their principal members, and their
relationships to members of other houses. This “score-card” will go a
long way to helping new viewers acclimate to the show’s dense plot and
character structure.
Characters
do abound in this series. Although short-cuts and some degree of
compression are necessary to fit the contents of a 690+ page book, all of the
major players (and many of the minor ones) are included. Sean Bean plays
a most convincing Eddard Stark, fairly inhabiting the role of the reluctant
lord, called to aid his friend, King Robert Baratheon (ably played by Mark
Addy) in a time of great need. Little does Lord Stark know that plots and
enemies surround him as he and his two daughters, Arya (Maisie Williams) and
Sansa (Sophie Turner) take residence in King’s Landing, capital city of the
lands of Westeros. Amidst a court rife with plots and imminent danger,
Eddard Stark strives to discern just who can trust. Can he find an ally
in the eunuch spy-master Varys (Conleth Hill), or the canny treasurer Petyr
Baelish (Aidan Gillen)?
Every
scene Peter Dinklage appears in shows why he earned an Emmy playing Tyrion
Lannister. The sometimes drunken, over-sexed dwarf makes for an unlikely
hero among a house of seemingly despicable characters, but he pulls it off with
aplomb. Reminiscent of the care Weta Workshop took in crafting the
costumes, weapons, and sets for Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings, you can see clearly see the craft that goes into
every scene watching Tyrion strut about in his lordly attire. Always
impeccably dressed (and in some scenes, undressed), even Tyrion’s plans for
young Bran’s special saddle are clearly shown. The gowns worn by
characters like the gorgeous Queen Cersei Lannister (Lena Headley) and Sansa
also show this care--they’re described in amazing detail in the novel, after
all, so HBO just translated that over into real-world garments.
Screen writers
D. B. Weiss and David Benioff deserve much credit for tackling Mr. Martin’s
hyper-detailed first novel and boiling it down into ten watchable, hour long
bites. Following Mr. Martin’s lead, the switch adroitly from location to
location, following the perspectives of several key characters. Jon Snow
(Kit Harington), Eddard’s bastard son, finds his destiny in the far north along
the frozen frontier of Westeros. There he becomes a member of the Night’s
Watch and meets a whole new raft of quirky characters. Meanwhile, in the
capital Eddard and his daughters immerse themselves in court intrigues, while
the Queen Cersei seeks to protect her own plots. The plot flies on the
speed of raven wings, as favorite characters hurtle toward their inexorable
destinies.
In some
cases, Weiss and Benioff include expository scenes that did not appear in the
book, as in the case of Queen Cersei’s discussion with her son, Joffrey (Jack
Gleeson) on how best to deal with the sometimes troublesome northern lords (the
Starks among them). This “new” scene delivers powerful information on
just who Joffrey is (and what kind of king he one day might become) with great
economy. Another such scene occurs when Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj
Coster-Waldau) shares a brief battlefield memory with Stark’s right hand man
Jory Cassel (Jamie Sives). Not only does this scene provide further
evidence of how perfect Coster-Waldau is for the part of Jaime, but it also
serves to establish his hatred for the debauched king he is bound to serve.
Perhaps
one of the biggest departures from what transpires in the book and what we see
in the show rests in the extra development of a relationship only hinted at in
the novels. Mr. Martin provides a few hints that a young and powerful
warrior, Sir Loras Tyrell (Finn Jones), the Knight of Flowers, is gay. In
the HBO series we get explicit evidence of this, and his paramour is revealed
to be another major character. Some might find this decision
controversial, but it helps to place the series firmly into the realm of
gritty, realistic fantasy.
Fans of
the novels might also quibble with the handling of the dire wolves in the
series. In Mr. Martin’s novels, the dire wolves found as pups and each
gifted to one of the Stark children play a huge role. They’re described
as massive beasts far larger than normal wolves. The show’s producers
made the decision to use real wolves instead of CGI creations, and they look a
bit puny when compared to their descriptions in the novel. They also
don’t do nearly as much, and this becomes especially crucial in the cases of
John Snow and his younger brother, Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright). They
develop close bonds with their wolves that really affect the story, but these
relationships are not so well developed in the TV series.
None of
these minor diversions from the source material rob the series of any of its
power, and principal directors Alan Taylor and Brian Kirk do an amazing job
juggling multiple story lines across the length and breadth of Westeros.
In the midst of all of this action and intrigue in the Seven Kingdoms,
the last scions of the Targaryens, the house deposed when Robert claimed his
thrown, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) and her brother, Viserys (Harry Lloyd) fight
to survive across the Narrow Sea in a land dominated by the savage Dothraki
horsemen (think Mongols). In another brilliant stroke of casting, recent
Conan star Jason Momoa plays Dothraki leader Khal Drogo. When Khal marries Daenerys, it seems Viserys
may have an army to regain his kingdom, but will his own madness be his
undoing?
A bevy of
special features complete this set and provide insights into the incredible
efforts behind its creation. Extra offerings include: Making of
featurette, fifteen Character profile clips (these will provide great help for
folks unfamiliar with the books), Creating the Dothraki language, Inside the
Night's Watch, From Book to Screen, Creating the Show Open, seven Audio
Commentaries, Guide to Westeros (once again, excellent for bringing newcomers
up to speed), Complete Guide to Westeros, In-Episode Guide, Anatomy of an
Episode, and finally Hidden Dragon Eggs (“Easter eggs” with extra fun bits and
information).
This
Blu-ray boxed set delivers top notch picture and sound quality. The 1080p
digital High Definition 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio creates an amazing image on a
high-quality unit, and the DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) lossless 5.1 sound means
viewers will enjoy clear and crisp dialogue and gripping music.
Perhaps
the only thing about Game of Thrones
that doesn’t work is the title sequence. Long renowned for the creativity
of title sequences on shows like Carnivale and Rome, the curious clockwork kingdoms that
appear in the opening to Thrones don’t really thematically sync with the
show. There’s nothing of clockwork in Westeros--it’s gritty, Medieval-style
low fantasy. The sequence does do a good job of showing off the map of
Westeros and giving viewers at least an idea of the critical geography that
underpins the story.
Game of Thrones delivers just about everything
fans of George R. R. Martin’s books could want in an adaptation of his first
novel. This tremendous first season bodes well for future installments,
and should serve to introduce a whole new group of fans of to the amazing world
of the Song of Ice and Fire.
-
Scott Pyle
