Edge of Darkness: The Complete BBC Series

Edge of Darkness, directed by Martin Campbell and written by Troy Kennedy-Martin, has the texture of a novel - the way a novel plays out in your mind as you read it. This VHS presentation enhances that feeling, as the commercial breaks and credits of each episode are trimmed away, and the whole thing unreels in nearly six continuous hours. Don't let the considerable investment in time frighten you. This is some exquisite work. To begin with, you will probably plan to watch it in "chunks". Don't. Just clear the decks, because once you start watching, you will not be able to stop until the whole thing is done.The convoluted story does not so much develop as evolve through a series of stages. To begin with, it is a murder mystery. Then it becomes a political thriller. Then a spy movie. Next, an action piece. Finally, it unwinds in an existential meditation on life and death. Its politics are bit leftward-leaning, and there is a whole anti-nuke, "environmental message" thing ultimately worked in at the end, but the writing is skillful enough to rise above mere rhetoric and take Edge of Darkness into the realm of art.The performances by Bob Peck, Joanne Whalley, and a host of familiar BBC faces are uniformly excellent. Even Joe Don Baker is good as the American CIA agent Darius Jedburgh (or "Jed-borough", as a Scottish character calls him). As an American, I am always amused by the stereotypes other cultures have of us. Viewed through British (or in director Martin Campbell's case, Australasian) eyes, Jedburgh becomes a roguish gunslinger in white, having apparently just stepped out of the same silver screen occupied by John Wayne and Randolph Scott. Baker is game, playing the "cowboy" angle to the hilt. (He would later perform similar duty in the Campbell-directed James Bond film Goldeneye). It is encouraging that he is ultimately a good guy, despite the "taint" of Reagan/Thatcher politics.The late Bob Peck is the real standout, though. I cannot imagine anyone else playing the role of detective Ron Craven, whose shattering personal journey gives Edge of Darkness its soul. His performance is completely authentic as he embodies a man who has lost everything, whose only reason for going on is to bring justice to those who murdered his daughter. We have seen this sort of thing before, of course, but rarely realized with such verisimilitude. We sense that if such things really happened as depicted in Edge of Darkness, they would happen pretty much they way they're shown.It's a shame that Peck was not better utilized in those big, slick, (though often hollow) films that we make in this country. Most Americans will remember him, if they think of him at all, as the Australian hunter in Jurassic Park. His big line, spoken just before becoming a velociraptor's lunch, was "Clever girl!" He managed to invest those two words with subtle shades of dread and admiration, as his character briefly contemplated the brutal speed with which his own mortality was upon him.Edge of Darkness will leave you feeling pretty much the same way.

Edge of Darkness is a slowly building masterpiece of political suspense and satire. Bob Peck plays the dour English policeman, trying to find out why his murdered daughter was radioactive. Joe Don Baker (never better) is Jedburg, the CIA operative in a white Rolls Royce (Reagan's in power -- we're back on top!). How they (and the rest of the industrial military complex) interact, and what they uncover, makes this one of the great mini-series.I first saw this when someone lent me the VHS tapes in the early nineties -- and I loved it. Twenty five years later it is still great. While it mightn't have the pyrotechnics of something like True Detective, it certainly has the characters and the writing.The great thing about this DVD is it includes retrospective interviews with the creators. Just wonderful.

This refurbished issue looks fine, since the original was shot on film. If you find you're missing occasional dialog, turn on the Closed Captions.I watched all 6 episodes in one sitting. I was quickly struck by the masterful grip exhibited in every aspect of production. Many of the scenes were impressionistic rather than absolutely integral to the drama, but I felt like I was watching "music." This was true of Episodes 1 thru 4.Episodes 5 and 6 became a different matter, a shift in tone. #5, the break-in to the radioactive waste processing plant by Peck and Baker, occurs largely in dark underground tunnels (filmed in a Welsh mine), and makes for inky visuals. Here, as in the facility itself, the two men undergo great threat and have to scramble. Finally escaping, both are victims of lethal radiation poisoning. In #6, all the male characters, all their chicaneries and complex motives, jumble up before us, so Yours Truly didn't even bother to try to figure it out. The mini-series doesn't wrap up with a happy ending, of course. I suggest a 24-hour intermission before you go into Episodes 5 and 6.I got this DVD because of my interest in Bob Peck, who intrigued me as the android in the movie Slipstream. This fine actor died of cancer at age 53. It took me a while to recognize American actor Kenneth Nelson, of Boys in the Band fame, because he is wearing thick glasses in the role of Jerry Grogan, who seeks to acquire the processing facility. Nelson moved to England to work in a more enlightened theatrical environment, and at age 63 died of AIDS-related causes. I was galvanized by Tim McInnerny in the role of Terry Shields, the former repugnant boyfriend of Peck's murdered daughter. His projection of filthy nastiness rose from acting depths to be envied in the profession.The 90 minutes of Supplements, split between the two disks, are exceptional, and even include Closed Captions. There's much good archival footage on this much-awarded mini-series. Magnox: Secrets of The Edge of Darkness was made for this edition and we hear from surviving participants. Director Martin Campbell is not heard from, but he liveth yet and has just directed the 2010 remake starring Mel Gibson. The Alternative Ending that's shown is much the same as the one used, with black flowers in the snow. The writer's ending in early-draft scripts called for the dying Peck to metamorphose into an old oak tree to remind us that even after nuclear cataclysm Nature will find a way and Man will go on.

Are we Jaded? Rate this product. . . We EXPECT what we purchases to BE. To work without difficulty, without oops, without interruptions, to provide the intended use. When we receive and get the EXPECTED, we might sigh a sigh of satisfaction. More often we might not even raise an eye brow. Then we do not give of that satisfaction to the seller for providing so much to our enjoyment.This movie was checked to be in excellent condition and valued to be Worth a price and worthy of giving entertainment.This movie was packaged securely to survive the transportation from safe storage to me.This movie was sent with confidence that it would arrive into my care quickly and safely.All this required a seller that paid attention to basic details, that produced a successful transaction for both the seller and the buyer.This brings buyers back to sellers again and again.I am a happy buyer and look forward to doing business with this seller again.Clear

Watched this series in England when it first came out.As a Clapton fan I loved the music,and the story and acting are as good as the music.I have thought of both the story and the music over the years and wanted to watch and listen to them again.I watched the Mel Gibson version,and as with so many classics,when American screenwriters get hold of something like this,they rearrange it,and screw it up.I wont recommend this video,because peoples tastes are different,but for me its a classic.

An absolutely first class series, made all the better by an upgrade to High Definition. There is still some obvious film grain, but this is pretty standard stuff for anything that was shot on 16mm film.The original mono soundtrack has also been beefed up due to the lossless audio track and the isolated score track with Eric Clapton's fantastic incidental music also sounds great.If you're a fan of this series, it's well worth the investment.

Una storia complessa coinvolgendo la politica, i servizi segreti, la CIA , gli interessi per il potere nucleare e la protesta popolare in difesa dell'ambiente. Musica stupenda di Eric Clapton. Un po' datato (anni 80) ma vale la pena anchè per il prezzo conveniente.

I still remember when I first watched this series and was drawn into the world of government and corporate power and cover-ups. The characters remain human yet the story becomes larger as the plot develops. Yes, the language might be a little difficult to follow for non-native English speakers (even for some southern English types!), and the clothes, hair and music have definitely dated the feel of the times. But for most of us who lived through this period it resonates more and makes it seem so much more believable. A great story, solid acting and intelligent design make this a gripping TV event. Give it a try.

This mini series has a message that is still relevant today - about the abuse of power and corporate greed. The acting is impeccable. I saw the original production when it first came out on BBC and it has stayed in my mind. Pity the BBC does not make them like this anymore - perhaps they steer away from being too controversial.