Daily Archives: August 9, 2024

Partial Review: The Decameron

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It is the 14th century, and the Black Death is ravaging Europe, a perfect setting for a sardonic satirical comedy The Decameron.

Netflix

With the pestilence turning cities into that scene from Monty Python and The Holy Grail an eccentric collection of nobles accepts an invitation to wait out the plague at the at the expansive and luxurious Villa Santa as guests of Leonardo. Think Masque of the Red Death but funny.

However, Leonardo dies of the plague before they arrive and the servants, desperate to not lose their safe positions in the villa scheme to conceal the fact from their guests.

The guests also conceal secrets and each episode the absurdity grows with social classes thrown into disarray and sexual passions unleashed.

While the series is adapted from an 14th century text of the same name the casting and writing are thoroughly modern.

I have yet to complete this Netflix series and so it may not land this aircraft well but so far it has made for quite enjoyable viewing.

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