All you history buffs, especially those in support of decolonised world histories, here is a treat from National Geographic – Barkskins. Based on Pulitzer winning author Annie Proulx’s bestselling novel of the same name, the series only covers 100 pages of the 700-page book and introduces new characters and stories, elaborating on the existing novel’s blueprint.
The series follows two wood cutters, aka Barkskins, set against the backdrop of deforestation which was started by the arrival of Europeans and leads up to global warming of present day.
Sel (Christian Cooke) and his compatriot Charles Duquet (James Bloor) have signed up for three years of servitude in the New World. The premise is an ambitious one, spanning nearly 300 years and several generations of the two barkskins’ descendants.
It also touches on the lives of women in the New World as they struggled to find a voice for themselves in a male dominated society. This side of the story is told through the lives of Melissande (Tallulah Haddon) and anxious Delphine (Lily Sullivan) who temporarily move into a convent before they are to find husbands in the colony.
Where can you watch it?
It premiered on NatGeo channel on May 25, and all the episodes are airing on Hulu from May 26.
Ecology, Feminism and Imperialism
The limited series has been received with mixed reviews. While some found the ecological perspective of an untold North American history fascinating, others found the adaptation without a narrative and terminally humorless.
However it packs more than your regular physical violence -that of systemic oppression through use of colonial influence to exert control by the political and economic authorities.
Watch Trailer Here:
We are shown what happens to a society when distrust and chaos are sown into its very foundations. Polarization, public shaming, and the seeking of profit at the expense of human lives, seems relevant now more than ever.
Creator Elwood Reid seems to have clearly had in mind a not-so-limited series given how much of each character’s past remains missing from the story. Had the ongoing pandemic not made things worse for the creators and producers, maybe there was a good chance we could gotten multiple seasons of Barkskins.
Meanwhile, we have some beautiful natural settings to be discovered in this historical fiction. There is also the poignant stories of the women who lived in the 1690s and how they slowly discovered their lives to lie outside the bounds of traditional domesticity and family life.
So if you haven’t watched Barkskins yet, give it a shot. You might just surprise yourself with some informative entertainment. If you already have, comment below and let us know which side of the critics you are on!
Happy quarantining!
Source: Hollywood Life, IndieWire, Hollywood Reporter
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