Review of the series “Kaos” - a modern reinterpretation of famous ancient Greek myths
Original, but torn and not very funny fantasy comedy about gods and mere mortals.
The ancient Greek gods haven't disappeared anywhere from the modern world, and mere mortals continue to worship the inhabitants of Olympus. One day Zeus (Jeff Goldblum) discovers a wrinkle on his forehead, which is already a problem, and then he sees on TV how vandals have defaced a new monument to the gods on earth. The chief and strongest of the Olympians suspects something amiss. Perhaps Prometheus (Stephen Dillane), who is chained to the mountain, had a hand in the budding turmoil. Meanwhile, talented and popular musician Orpheus (Cillian Scott) travels to the realm of the dead Hades (David Thewlis) to bring Eurydice (Aurora Perrineau) back to life.
“Kaos” was conceived and written by Charlie Covell, creator of the TV series ‘The End of the ***ing World’ and writer of the shows ‘Humans’ and ”Banana.” Georgie Banks-Davis (“I Hate Susie” and “Newspaper Girls”) and Runyararo Mapfumo (“Sexual Enlightenment”) were responsible for directing the project. Covell's hand is felt in “Kaos”: like “The End of the ***ing World,” it's a hooligan and not afraid to hurt anyone's feelings.
The project impresses with an ambitious and original concept. On modern television we have seen many times series about gods, angels, demons (“Lucifer”, “Preacher”, “American Gods”, “Miracle Workers”, “Good Omens”), but the reinterpretation of ancient Greek myths was out of the question. Covell makes no secret of his love for the stories of Zeus, Poseidon, Prometheus, Hera, and Orpheus. The attempt to bring the mighty gods into our recognizable reality seems curious at first glance.
In “Kaos” there are several storylines that intersect tangentially. Not the greatest connoisseurs of the myths of Ancient Greece will have to work hard at first, remembering who is related to whom and what is the background of each of the gods, or simply take in hand the literary source material. On the other hand, Covell doesn't dig deep, so you get used to the laws of the world created on the screen by the second or third series.
Zeus and his wife Hera (Janet McTeer) live in a luxurious palace and go crazy. Dionysus (Nabhan Rizwan), the son of Zeus and a simple mortal, indulges in all available carnal pleasures and tries to earn the love of his cold father. Hera, meanwhile, cheats on her spouse with Poseidon (Cliff Curtis). Musician Orpheus is so absorbed in his work that he doesn't notice how Eurydice's love disappears. The singer's girlfriend dies in a car accident, and the popular performer is ready to bring the deceased back to life by any means. On earth, President Minos (Stephen Townsend), who forces everyone to pray to the gods, keeps order. The Olympians promise reincarnation and eternal life in return. Of course, they lie.
All the stories about the gods are told to the audience by Prometheus chained to a mountain and looking directly into the screen. Prometheus, who gave fire to people against the will of Zeus, is now forced to endure the torments of hell - an eagle slowly pecks the liver of the unfortunate. From time to time Prometheus is visited by a lonely paranoid Zeus, who is terribly afraid of losing his power.
“Kaos” simultaneously exposes social inequality and the structure of a totalitarian society. Zeus is a typical self-willed dictator who has lost all contact with reality. The god bathes in wealth and is tormented by immortality. Zeus and his cronies are literally drunk with power, killing people. And for the common man there is no happiness anywhere: in life one must endlessly worship the gods, and after death one must labor in slave conditions. Eurydice in the afterlife takes a job in a laundry. The kingdom of Hades is shown in monochrome, which once again proves the dreariness of the everyday life of all the dead. The rich - in this case the gods - think only of themselves, the poor suffer. Covell offers no fundamentally new view of reality.
The series differs from “White Lotus” or “Triangle of Sorrow” only by rare manifestations of the gods' superpowers. Hera, in order to catch her husband in adultery, takes on the guise of her husband's mistress. Zeus at the snap of his fingers can turn a man into a toad or any other creature. Greedy, lustful and predictable in their desires Olympians rather quickly tires. Covell paints the gods as outright bastards. Except that human feelings awaken in Dionysus, who becomes attached to a black kitten, and Eurydice boldly breaks off relations with Orpheus. The line with the journey to the afterlife for the sake of the beloved, the most interesting, is drowned in secondary plots. Orpheus, by the way, appears not as a hero, but as a blind man who wants to return Eurydice without even thinking about his friend's wishes.
In addition to a crowd of stars in unusual roles, “Kaos” pleases with a time-tested soundtrack. There are hits by David Bowie, Minnie Riperton, Judy Garland, The Zombies, Fatboy Slim, Metronomy, ABBA, Dire Straits and Blue Oyster Cult. Otherwise, the series sparingly utilizes a fun concept with gods in the modern world and reduces many of the myths to family squabbles and messy political intrigue.
Comentarios