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Beauty is the wind pushing The Luminaries through its six hours, and it is no weak gale. When the plot thins and reveals the ordinariness behind the narrative s pretensions it s usually enough to drink in the scenery as it s translated through cinematographer Denson Baker s lens. Sweeping shots capture every magnificent glint and spray the ocean offers up, veil the eyes with greenery, and drape the imagination with otherworldly lighting. New Zealand s tourism board should be pleased.
As for how the viewer might feel, that depends on what you re expecting from the limited series.
Advertisement: The Luminaries is based on Eleanor Catton s 2013 novel, a highly structured work that plays with the concept of circles within circles and progresses from very thick descriptive passages to segments that are increasingly pared down as it puts together a murder mystery through the perspectives of 12 men.
“The Luminaries” seemed to have everything Hollywood wants in a book.
A commercial and critical hit when it was published in 2013, Eleanor Catton’s immersive novel was set on the rugged southwest coast of New Zealand during its 1860s gold rush. A tale of fate and fortune on the antipodean frontier, it had all the makings of a great screen adventure: rowdy saloons and smoke-filled opium dens, devious blackmail schemes and treacherous ocean voyages, ruthless villains and star-crossed lovers.
“The Luminaries” also boasted undeniable cachet, winning the 2013 Booker Prize over titles by more established names like Colm Tóibín and Jhumpa Lahiri and making Catton, then 28, the youngest winner in the history of the prestigious award.
The world of
The Luminaries is rich with possibilities. Set in the mid-1800s during New Zealand’s gold rush, the series ventures into historical drama, romance, murder mystery, and mystical science fiction. The challenge lies in fusing these genres into a cohesive story, and
The Luminaries, despite some strong performances and absolutely stunning cinematography, doesn’t quite pull it off. The series is based on Eleanor Catton’s award-winning 2013 novel of the same name; the author also wrote the series, but as she veers from certain elements of her book, the ideas don’t translate into a rewarding television adaptation. There are enough seeds planted for all the genres the show explores, but none of these ideas get the attention they need to flourish.
Tuesday Feb 9, 2021 at 9:16 AM Feb 9, 2021 at 9:16 AM
This week it’s an animated family comedy in Alaska, a psychological study in North Korea and lush escapism in 19th century New Zealand.
Dispatches: Weekly TV news
Chiwetel Ejiofor will star in “The Man Who Fell To Earth” on Paramount+. Based on a 1963 novel by Walter Tevis, the series will feature Ejiofor as an alien who arrives on Earth at a turning point in human evolution.
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