What Is The Story About?
Netflix’s latest original series ‘1899’ is from Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, the makers of ‘Dark’. The story of 1899 is set in the early 20th century. A passenger ship takes off on its journey from London to New York. On board are immigrants of different countries, cultures and ethnicities, on their way to America, the land of opportunities. However, their journey is cut short when they encounter another passenger ship on the high seas. The ship turns out to be one that disappeared without a trace four months ago on the same route, and has now appeared out of the blue in the middle of the ocean.
Performances?
The cast of 1899 has been carefully picked, to reflect the diverse nationalities the actors must portray. And what an excellent casting it is! Each actor has excelled in their role, be it primary protagonists Emily Beecham as Maura Franklin and Andreas Pietschmann as Captain Eyk Larsen; Aneurin Barnard as Daniel, Jonas Bloquet as Lucien, Mathilde Ollivier as Clémence, and all the rest.
The standout performers for us, though, are Maciej Musiał as the Polish crew hand Olek, Yann Gael as French stowaway Jérôme, and Clara Rosager as the Danish firebrand, Tove. Only Anton Lesser is curiously unremarkable as Maura’s father Henry Singleton, and fails to make an impact on the viewer — which is a pity, coz he was so good as Qyburn in ‘Game Of Thrones’.
Analysis?
Dark creators, Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, are back with another mind-bending story for Netflix subscribers. Though not as confusing as Dark, ‘1899’ stays true to the spooky, mysterious and atmospheric template, used to such splendid effect in the former, by the talented German duo.
The story of ‘1899’ starts off on an eerie note — single woman Maura Franklin is racked by a terrifying nightmare in which she’s shackled to a chair in a mental asylum, and injected with an ominous looking fluid. At the get-go, the narrative plants the seed of suspense, making Maura — and the viewers — wonder if the sequence is a dream or reality. The episode then proceeds innocuously enough, as we are quickly introduced to each of the motley bunch of characters.
The year is 1899. Immigrants of varying nationalities, each with a dark past, are on board the ‘Kerberos’, as the steamship makes its way from London to New York. For each of them, New York is an escape route from the horrors of their individual past. It is the stairway to freedom and a new life. The atmosphere aboard the ship is heavy with tension and dread, which reaches a crescendo when the Captain of the Kerberos, Eyk Larsen, receives a May Day signal from a ship in distress. The dread turns to horror when the ship in distress turns out to be the ‘Prometheus’, believed to have disappeared without a trace four months ago.
From then on, the narrative of 1899 takes mind-boggling twists and turns, even as the writers crank up the creepiness by notches. The plot is punctuated with flashbacks, as the characters are confronted with the grisly events of their past. Each episode finishes on a hair-raising twist, as we struggle to comprehend the goings-on in the story.
Spooky fogs, shimmery beetles, strange symbols, all serve to raise the suspense to terrifying effect. Shafts that lead to nowhere yet everywhere, ominous tar-black growths jutting out of the nooks and crannies of the Kerberos, futuristic looking gadgets and devices, 1899 has all this and more.
On the downside, 1899 has its share of flaws. First and foremost, it is too slow-paced, much to its own detriment. The story progresses at a snail’s pace. Umpteen repetitive sequences drag it down further. A few well-timed jump-scares would have done wonders to shake the narrative out of its lethargy. Also, conversations between characters are drab and dull. Nothing interesting is ever said by any of the characters. Even the dialogue is lacklustre.
The sheer incredulity of the incidents happening on board the ship, coupled with several inconsistencies in their telling, leaves the viewer confused and dissatisfied. The ending is a cliffhanger, as expected, but a decidedly underwhelming one.
That said, 1899 is a gorgeous show, visually. High quality production values add to the visual pleasure of the viewer. The best part of 1899 is the seamless blending of the dialogue spoken by the multi-lingual characters. After the first episode or so, you simply fail to notice that each character is speaking in their native tongue – the fluidity in the narrative achieved by the makers, despite the multi-lingual dialogue, is astounding. Not once does a scene appear awkward or unwieldy owing to the constant switching of languages that the actors speak in – Polish, Cantonese, Portuguese, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Danish, and of course, English.
To sum it up, ‘1899’ is yet another superlative offering from Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, though it has its share of flaws. Let’s hope the writer-director duo irons out the flaws in the next season — if there is a Season 2 that is, which we suspect there will be.
Music And Other Departments?
The cinematography in 1899, by Nikolaus Summerer, is terrific, the production design superb, and the frames captivating – even if they’re dark and dismal throughout. You can’t turn your eyes away from the visuals unfolding on screen. The sound effects and background music are mind-altering. 1899 is set to some of the most haunting and innovative background music of recent times. Ben Frost has truly outdone himself, is all we can say.
Highlights?
Superb casting
Terrific cinematography
Mind-altering background score
Core premise
Drawbacks?
Too slow-paced
Final episode and final ending are underwhelming
Unimpressive dialogue
Did I like it?
Mostly yes
Do you recommend it?
Yes
1899 Series Review by Binged Bureau