Taboo (2017) - Review

Starring: Tom Hardy, Jessie Buckley, Jonathan Pryce, Oona Chaplin & David Hayman

Written By: Steven Knight, Emily Ballou, Ben Hervey & Chips Hardy

Directed By: Kristoffer Nyholm & Anders Engstrom

Certificate: 18

 

One of the BBC's most popular dramas from the first half of 2017, Taboo has been met with a positive response from most audiences and critics. It also has some pretty impressive talent and star names behind it, with Tom Hardy in another leading role, lead writer Steven Knight having enjoyed a lot of success with Peaky Blinders (a show I soon hope to catch up on), and even Ridley Scott is credited as an executive producer. Taboo has been recognized as one of the darkest and grittiest dramas of the year so far, but does it really deliver?

 

In 1814, James Delaney returns to London after twelve years in Africa, to attend the funeral of his father, Horace. Horace left nothing of any value to either James or his sister, apart from a small piece of land off the west coast of America, Nootka Sound. The land is in dispute between the United Kingdom and the United States, who are at war. The East India Company had planned to buy the land off Delaney, but he knows the war is coming to its end, increasing its value. Scorned by Delaney's refusal, the East India Company begin plotting his assassination...

 

I've no hesitation in going right ahead and saying that Taboo is a really, really good series and Tom Hardy's contribution to the show is a massive part of what makes it so good. He gives an enigmatic lead performance as Delaney, a character that, like several of Tom Hardy's previous roles, finds a balance between charisma and menace. It's the kind of role that I imagine few other actors could do a better job with, and I honestly couldn't name anyone better for the role off the top of my head. A big part of what makes Delaney such a magnetic and compelling presence is that there's a lot about him we never really learn over the course of the series. He has an implied history behind him that gets left in the shadows, at one point even telling another character “I witnessed and participated in darkness that you cannot conceive” - a line so delicious it practically belongs on a t-shirt. Because there's so much about him that we never fully learn (even his sexuality is never made explicitly clear), it constantly keeps us on our toes, and we can never entirely figure him out. Just as we might think we know Delaney, he goes and bites a chunk out of the throat of an assassin sent to kill him! Topping all this off, Delaney even looks the part as he wanders the streets of London. The boots, the long dark coat and top hat are a great look, and make for a relatively simple, but really memorable and effective costume.

 

Taboo's dark and serious lead character is comfortably at home with the tone of the rest of the series, which needless to say is pitch black. London is made to be as unappealing as it possibly could thanks to the kind of things the series touches upon. This is not a show for the faint of heart and over the course of eight episodes, Taboo deals with savagery, murder, war, political conspiracy, brothels, incest etc. When it's not dealing with any of this, the rest of the time you can expect cannibalism, racial and sexual assault, and there's even some religious exorcism to be found. Taboo most definitely lives up to its name, taking the lowest, most unappealing aspects of human nature and putting them under the spotlight. Think of almost anything negative or “taboo” in society, and you can almost guarantee it'll feature somewhere in this series.

 

Matching the grim and noticeably adult tone of the show are the aesthetics and settings, as London is faithfully restored to its 19th Century grunginess. Historical London isn't romanticized or polished for our modern eyes, Taboo instead presents a gritty and unforgiving city. There's a lot of variety to be found in the locations too, with Delaney's escapades taking him along the banks of the Thames, the docks, the dangerous and barely-lit night-time streets, and even the cold and clinical morgues. Many of these settings contrast brilliantly with London's wealthier areas such as the East India Company headquarters, or the Prince Regent's palace. However, what they all have in common is brilliant attention to detail, and a striking sense of authenticity.

 

Something that really should be mentioned when talking about Taboo is its pacing and plot progression. Personally, I found Taboo to be one of the best recent examples of how to make a slow-burning plot work effectively. Crucially, it doesn't mistake slow-burn to mean sluggish and dull – it kept my interest throughout despite its easy pace. The first episode does a great job at establishing the stakes while introducing the different characters and the roles they have to play. It culminates in Delaney and the East India Company's first meeting, and the scene itself showcases some terrific staging. Delaney is a lone man against a mighty organization – even in just that one room he's outnumbered. While Delaney is seated, Sir Stuart Strange (who throughout the series is played superbly by Jonathan Pryce) stands above him, implying that he has dominance over the situation. Yet through Tom Hardy's performance, the way he already knows everything he's about to be told, and the way he continually and politely shrugs them off, it's clear who actually holds the strings in this scene. Strange's inability to break Delaney's resolve causes him to grow angry and throw the envelope of money at Delaney, and at that point Delaney knows he's won, and bids them good day. It's a simply fantastic scene. It ends the first episode on a high note, and has everything set in place for the remainder of the series. What follows is a lethal metaphorical game of chess between Delaney and his enemies – Nootka Sound being the prize. (Spoiler Warning!) Six episodes of chess play eventually results in a final, dramatic confrontation as Delaney makes his escape to the new world and the final episode provides a satisfying pay-off to so much build-up.

 

While I have been singing the show's praises for much of this review, and I have very little to complain about, if you're interested in watching Taboo, I will say that it's slow-burning pace isn't going to suit everyone's individual tastes. Although, as I've already said, Taboo is one of the more effective slow-burn dramas I've seen, my one complaint about this series is that its pace will somewhat limit its potential audience. With the exception of the more dramatic final episode, Taboo has more of a focus on psychological and political manoeuvring. It's generally more a war of words than it is of action, and while most reviews for the series have been positive, I have seen a minority criticize the show for being too long with not enough happening to justify its length, or have complained that they were waiting for anything of interest to happen. Unless you're particularly averse to a slightly slower-paced series, I can't see why you shouldn't be able to enjoy Taboo, but it might be something to be aware of.

 

Besides this relatively small issue, I have nothing but positive stuff to say about this series. Dark and brutal, it can boast a truly brilliant lead performance from Tom Hardy, a great supporting cast, as well as plenty of gritty and authentic historical detail. I've hardly begun talking about everything this series has to offer, and it's one of the best dramas the BBC have had to offer in 2017. Already, Taboo has found itself renewed for a second series, and it's a decision I wholeheartedly welcome. Hopefully we'll soon be back to see what new directions Steven Knight can take with the show.

 

 

Taboo

 

8/10