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'Chernobyl' Mini-Series Review

This exceptional five-part series offers a superb recount of real history, while delivering a chilling message to modern society.

By Robert CainPublished 5 years ago 4 min read
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Released: 7th May 2019 (UK)

Created by: Craig Mazin

Number of Episodes: 5

Where to Watch: NowTV and Sky Atlantic

Starring: Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Emily Watson, Paul Ritter, Jessie Buckley, Adam Nagaitis, Con O'Neill, Adrian Rawlins, Sam Troughton, Robert Emms and David Dencik

Adapting real world events takes large considerations for representation, extensive research to ensure authenticity, and strong direction that delivers a balanced viewpoint. With Chernobyl, Craig Mazin and Johan Renck have created, not only an outstanding historical recount, but one of the finest short productions of all time.

The series begins on the fateful night of the reactor explosion on April 26, 1986, and brings the long, agonising efforts to clean up onto the small screen. We’re taken across Chernobyl in the perspective of several characters as the events are relayed in as authentic a manner as possible. Civilians are evacuated, volunteers are drafted in for suicidal missions, and news of the man-made explosion begins to spread around the world. Where Chernobyl really makes its mark is its creeping sense of dread; as the true enormity of the damage is revealed, and desperate attempts to get the situation under control fail, we are given the same sense of stress and paranoia as those who experienced it first-hand. The point of view of Lyudmilla Ignatenko (Jessie Buckley) is especially poignant, as we see the gradual degeneration of her husband Vasily, one of the first firefighters on the scene. All five episodes proceed at a great pace, and by the conclusion, things come full circle as the truth and causes are brought to light. You’ll be equal parts intrigued, and unnerved by what unfolds.

For the cast of Chernobyl, we have a range of actors hailing from the US, UK, and Europe; all of whom commit wholeheartedly to their roles. Some of the key figures in the disaster included Valery Legasov (Jared Harris) a leading head of Russia’s Kurchatov Institute for nuclear research, Boris Shcherbina (Stellan Skarsgård) a minister sent to oversee the clean-up, and finally Ulana Khomyuk (Emily Watson) a fictional nuclear physicist created for the series to represent the countless scientists who worked around the clock to determine the cause of the disaster. While a fair bit of time is spent with these officials, a variety of characters are caught up in the disaster; not only are the characters brilliantly performed by every member of the cast, but they also create anchor points for every perspective of the crisis, from civilian to the highest levels of the Soviet government. One moment we’ll be seeing a crowd of innocent onlookers observing the flames from afar, and the next we see the endless deliberations behind closed doors, as the highest-ranking officials attempt to cover up the truth. It’s a broad spectrum that provides a superb window into the horrific event, showing how its effects rippled out far beyond Chernobyl itself. The fallout that unfolded throughout the Soviet Union was tremendous, and as the narrative proceeds, the overarching message of truth and lies in nations resonates greatly the deeper in you go.

Chernobyl’s grim, and often chilling atmosphere is on full display throughout its five-hour duration, and doesn’t falter for a second. Despite taking place in a realistic setting, there are several horror elements placed into the episodes to give off a frightening tone. It starts with the sound; from the stressful ticking of the Geiger counter to the slow-moving ambient pieces that hang over the narrative, the sense of unease that plagues the characters never really fades. The environment, and the choice of cinematography is grey and saturated, a sky coloured black by the erupting radioactive fallout, and an entire town desolate and uninhabited. One scene showing army conscripts brought in to clean out contaminated animals is particularly effective, as the silence envelops the sequence, while emphasising the pure isolation that permeates the exclusion zone, not to mention the grisly make-up effects that capture the nasty injuries brought on by exposure. Set designs, and a reduced use of computer effects work in tandem to capture the setting beautifully, and this combined with the sweeping camerawork, means you’re constantly given a wide view. The unyielding commitment and attention to detail here fully absorbs the audience, getting across the nature of the nuclear explosion so vividly that other more expensive productions may have to take note.

Chernobyl is a masterful mini-series that perfectly captures real world events, and conveys them with an unflinching lens. The level of realism, care, and detail poured into all five episodes is simply astonishing, but what it says about both Chernobyl, and our modern society is by far its most powerful hook. I can’t praise it enough; it’s simply essential viewing no matter your perspective or interests.

Rating: 5/5 Stars (Exceptional)

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About the Creator

Robert Cain

I'm a well-travelled blogger and writer from the UK who is looking to spread his blogs and freelance writings further afield. You can find more of my work at https://robc25.wixsite.com/thecainagecritique.

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