SCREEN QUEEN
Helen Mirren leads an ensemble cast in a tale of power and politics. By AMANDA SHEPPARD
CATHERINE THE GREAT
was Russia’s longest-serving female leader. But these days she’s remembered less for her iron grip on power and more for her many lovers. It’s become a focal point of her legacy – and, consequently, of Sky Atlantic and HBO’s four-part period drama. Catherine the Great chronicles the empress’ reign and her battles to retain control over her rapidly expanding empire. Catherine (Helen Mirren) fends off the looming threat of wars with Turkey and Germany, as well as court intrigues waged closer to home. Her allies, and lovers, are military men – first Grigory Orlov (Richard Roxburgh) and then Grigory Potemkin (Jason Clarke) – and these relationships become the focus of the series. Writer Nigel Williams’ script strikes a balance between the necessary pomp and circumstance of a period drama and welcome moments of comic relief, derived almost entirely from Catherine’s cutting remarks to members of her court. But ultimately, the show’s success lies firmly in Mirren’s hands. She’s no stranger to the royal realm: in the 2005 miniseries Elizabeth I (also penned by Williams) she played the titular queen, and a year later her performance as Elizabeth II in The Queen earned her an Academy Award. In Catherine the Great, Mirren once again proves herself every inch the queen, emanating Catherine’s youth and forcefulness. The series shies away from Catherine’s more controversial legacies, reinforcing instead the empress’ reputation as a force to be reckoned with, both on and off the battlefield. And indeed, the series is a timely exploration of a woman’s refusal to conform to society’s expectations – one who paved the way and always spoke up. Catherine the Great is a series as calculating as its namesake; it lures you in, charms you, and ultimately leaves you – like her many consorts – wanting more.