Prime Video's New 100% RT Series Is a Must-See for All Historical Drama Fans
The star of Euphoria and Saltburn returns with a poignant and realistic war drama.
Justin Kurzel's miniseries The Narrow Road to the Deep North has been released on Amazon Prime Video. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Australian author Richard Flanagan.
It describes the horrors of World War II faced by Australian officers captured by the Japanese while building the Burma Railway. One of those POWs was Flanagan's father.
We tell you how this extremely dark series about equally dark events turned out.
What Is The Narrow Road to the Deep North About?
1941, Australia. Young medical officer Dorrigo Evans is waiting in Tasmania to be sent to the front. He meets Ella, the daughter of respected members of society, and is about to marry her. But he also meets Amy, the young wife of his uncle. A passionate affair begins between them.
1943, Thailand. Dorrigo and his group are captured by the Japanese military. Soldiers are transported to build the Burma Railway. Unsanitary conditions, starvation, and death abound.
1989, Australia. Dorrigo, a respected surgeon, is preparing to present his war memoirs with his wife Ella. He reminisces about the past, writes a speech, and has an affair with a colleague's wife. Suddenly, he is accused of professional negligence.
The Narrow Road to the Deep North Is a Shockingly Realistic War Epic
The Narrow Road to the Deep North is not a TV series. It is a large and thorough, almost five-hour movie, from which not a single scene can be cut. Three timelines develop in parallel, interpenetrating each other, complementing the narrative and immersing you deeper into the main character's consciousness.
The war part of the series is almost physically difficult to watch.
Most of the time, the characters are immersed in the darkness of the jungle, which makes their withered figures less distinguishable, and the terrible injuries and physical deformities are slightly softened by the haze.
Nevertheless, the director carefully demonstrates the gradual physical transformation of the characters into living corpses. There is a completely realistic scene of a leg amputation and an endless beating of a prisoner to death.
The Narrow Road to the Deep North Is Jacob Elordi's Best Project So Far
The creators made the right choice in casting Jacob Elordi in the lead role. The actor has repeatedly managed to create a character that is impossible to decipher, a man who hides a terrible secret deep inside.
Such was Felix in Saltburn, and Elvis in Priscilla, and even Nate in Euphoria. Again, behind a handsome face and a neat jacket, there is a completely impenetrable person who baffles those around him.
If the role of a lover was not difficult for Elordi, the role of a prisoner of war, tormented by guilt and ghosts of the past, definitely became a professional challenge. He mastered it brilliantly, proving once again that his range is much wider than just playing a handsome man.
The Narrow Road to the Deep North Is a Must-See for All Fans of Historical Dramas
The Narrow Road to the Deep North is a dark, bleak, uncomfortable and often unbearable work that is not easy to watch, but necessary.
It is a subtle anti-war drama and a desperate dive into the depths of human cruelty. Jacob Elordi gives a perfect performance and director Kurzel tries to restore balance to the world.