I'm back from a fantastic time in Northumbria, and almost over the
post-holiday reality shock, so I think it's time to get going again.
Occasionally I think I'm not really the right person to be doing this. I
enjoy writing but I don't have any background in media studies or
production, which sometimes makes talking about the visuals (and the
direction in particular) tricky. I know what I like, but not always why.
This episode is a case in point. Visually it feels like a big step up
from last time, but all I can do is pick out a few details that don't
really add up to all that much (though being linked to a better script
always helps, of course). Given my difficulties I'm not going to try and
be too analytical, instead just pointing out some of the things I
reacted to. Imagine you are in 1965, and I'm a friend telling you about
an episode you missed (which is, of course, unlikely ever to be
repeated); but without the obligatory summary of the plot.
To start at the beginning, then, we have the aftermath of Iananbarbara's departure at the end of The Chase.
The first TARDIS scene is quite theatrical, and the episode uses asides
to the audience throughout (such as "how does he know that?") and
careful positioning (such as the early shot with Vicki behind the clock
and the Doctor behind the console). William Hartnell uses his own
sadness to play a sad Doctor, which tugs at the heartstrings. There's a
lot of warmth here, with Vicki seeing Iananbarbara as old but not the
Doctor because he's different - her faith in him is obvious. The pair
have different reactions to the noise coming from the TARDIS interior, a
small but effective note; and then as they arm themselves with shoe and
jacket, the humour comes to the fore. It's an elegant transition.
What follows contains a great deal of humour, in fact. The Doctor has
some wonderful speeches - the 'chair with a panda on it' one and the
'space helmet for a cow' one, in particular (though the horns are, of
course, a historical inaccuracy). And the whole situation with the monk
is humorous, though with an edge to it as well; and that mix is part of
what makes this script work so well for me.
The other part is the characterisation. Steven is very intense, which
you might expect from a space pilot after years as a captive of the
Mechanoids - though he gets to vent some of his frustration in his
tussle with an innocent peasant. Vicki tries to keep things light,
teasing him and the Doctor, which is how she deals with the
world; but eventually even she loses patience. The Doctor is thoughtful
(and Hartnell puts a lot of subtlety into his expressions). Meanwhile,
Alethea Charlton puts a lot of warmth into Edith (admittedly in a
bizarre kind of RP Northern accent, possibly because she was told to
tone it down, given what happened later with Jackie Lane). And the
monk... well, he's supposed to be the enigma, so we can forgive them
keeping him at a distance.
Turning to other aspects of the production, Douglas Camfield gives us
plenty of variety in the camera shots - nothing too ambitious but all
well planned, for example when the monk is hiding behind the rock. This
is combined with good use of music, of sound effects (such as waves and
animals), and of stock footage (such as skies, gulls, waves crashing on
the shore and cliff), all of which add to the feeling of being there.
Barry Newbery generally provides great sets as well, the main exception
being the outside of the monastery. After listening to the commentary,
though, I can see that this is more a problem with the lighting than the
set itself.
What about the plot? This is an episode that has to deal with a sudden
change in the TARDIS crew - the biggest so far - so that takes up quite a
bit of screen time. The pacing is carefully handled, though, and we get
a liberal sprinkling of hints about the monk throughout: his ring, him
looking at his wrist in a familiar way, the monks' chanting winding
down, and ultimately the reveal of the gramophone.
When I first saw this I didn't know what to expect, not being the sort
of fan who checked out the details of stories (indeed, I was barely a
fan at all at the time); but I had been watching through the '70s, when
all historicals had aliens or other anachronistic elements. What impact
would this have had coming from only pure historicals? Did it throw
people, other than one confused housewife who failed to realise that the
anachronisms were deliberate? Was it a positive change? I don't know,
but this serial held on to more of its viewers than The Romans or The Crusade (and with generally better AIs) so I'm guessing it was. Whatever, the important thing here is that I really enjoyed it.
Broadcast:
Date: Saturday, 3rd July 1965
Viewers: 8.9 million
Chart Position: 15
Appreciation Index: 57
Rating:
9/10.
Next Time:
The Meddling Monk.
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