Light On Dark Water

Call the Midwife

I expect most people who read this blog and would be interested in this BBC TV show have already seen it. But in case you haven't: it's really good. I had seen a few very favorable references to it here and there, but it really didn't sound like my cup of tea. Then a few weeks ago I noticed that it was on right before something else my wife and I were going to watch, and I thought my wife might like it, so I generously suggested that we give it a try. 

That one episode, which is part of whatever season is currently running on PBS, was enough to make us look and see whether the earlier ones were on Netflix. They are, so if you have Netflix you can start from the beginning, which I think I'd recommend: the one current episode we saw included an incident which I now see is a pretty big spoiler.

It's set in 1950s London, and the midwives of the title are a group of Anglican nuns and several young nurses in their employ. I half-expected it to be full of political/feminist propaganda, but it really isn't, at all. The Christian vocation of the nuns is taken seriously, and they are portrayed as very human but not bizarre, cruel, etc. (Well, one of them is sort of batty, but in a nice way.) But the young nurses and the clients are the center of attention.

I suppose you could say it's a bit soap-0pera-ish in that one-thing-after-another way, and maybe could be accused of sentimentality: at any rate, as you might expect of the subject, it's very emotional, and very feminine. The stories tend to vary from the heart-warming to the heart-wrenching, and some of the latter are very much so. There is, also as you might expect of the subject, at least one screaming childbirth in every episode, and there have been a number of moments that made me squirm. So consider yourself warned. But you also get to hear a bit of very beautiful chanting from the nuns in almost every episode (I think we've seen five in all now).

It's much better than Downton Abbey. 

Maclin Horton

65 responses to “Call the Midwife”

  1. Janet

    I have only watched one episode, or maybe two, but I really enjoyed it (them?). For the same reasons you mention, I would not ordinarily have watched it, but it was recommended by a friend.
    AMDG

    Reply
  2. Grumpy

    Thanks for the recommendation. I’ve been re-watching Sharpe while I wait for the 2nd series of Homeland to come out on DVD. I’m down to series 3 of Sharpe. It is dated but still enjoyable.

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  3. Mac

    I’m not familiar with Sharpe, or at any rate have forgotten it. Have we discussed it here? Homeland looks intriguing but possibly something that could turn into compulsive viewing,so I haven’t tried it. Likewise for Breaking Bad, although sooner or later I will start it.

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  4. Grumpy

    If you are not English and didn’t see it when it was originally televised in the late 1980s and early 1990s it probably would look like a dated historical dress drama. It’s about a soldier (Sean Bean) following in the Duke of Wellington’s army across Spain, France, and ending with the Battle of Waterloo. Most English people love it – it’s about our time – the late 18th century [at the beginning of the 19th century].

    Reply
  5. Grumpy

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharpe_(TV_series)

    Reply
  6. Marianne

    The show was on TV here in New Zealand a year or so ago, but I just couldn’t watch it because of all the commercial breaks (NZ seems to have even more than U.S. TV). My daughter persevered, though, and told me how good it was.
    But I’d forgotten about it until you mentioned it. Went to YouTube last night and watched a full episode, I think maybe the very first one. Really well done. And amazing to see everyone getting around London on bicycles.

    Reply
  7. Mac

    I see there are a number of full episodes on YouTube. I’m surprised they haven’t been taken down. Surely they’re copyright violations.
    I followed that link to the Sharpe series, and from there to the entry for the Gordon Riots, where I learned the origins of two terms: “the clink” (name of a prison of the era) and “read the riot act” (an act of Parliament which included a proclamation that had to be read to a group of people declaring them to be unlawfully assembled before the soldiers could break up the group by force).
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Riot_Act_text.jpg

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  8. Louise

    I loved the two episodes of Call the Midwife that I saw. I’d like to have the series on DVD.

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  9. Grumpy

    I think I’m going to get CMW on DVD

    Reply
  10. Mac

    I don’t think it’s something I would want to watch more than once, which is my criterion for buying something on DVD.

    Reply
  11. Bill

    Much better than Downton Abbey? As an unapologetic fan of that show, Call the Midwife must be really special.

    Reply
  12. Grumpy

    Well, I have some students coming over to watch ‘To the Wonder’ this weekend. Apparently you can buy it right now on Amazoninstant video. They are going to figure out how to hook up my laptop to my TV/CD player, or so we hope. If I could learn to do that, I could get the Midwives on amazon instant video. But watching it on my laptop would make it, not as bad as Downton Abbey, certainly, but, not much fun.

    Reply
  13. Mac

    If it makes you feel any better, I don’t know how to do that either, and I make my living in technology, though I deal mostly with software. Judging by my experience with Tree of Life, though, I wouldn’t want to watch To the Wonder on a TV.

    Reply
  14. Mac

    Well, I probably shouldn’t say that about DA, Bill. They’re really very different. The only thing they have in common is that they’re British and are of an episodic nature, with the same core characters. But I do like CtW better. Both could be charged with soap-opera-ish-ness, but I think DA is more so. I sort of got annoyed with it around the time of Matthew’s Miracle.

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  15. Janet

    Yeah, but I thought things were looking up with Matthew’s death–sorry, sorry. That’s mean. 😉
    AMDG

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  16. Mac

    But I laughed.

    Reply
  17. Bill

    I agree that DA is soap-opera-ish but not at the expense of a number of redeeming qualities, the most important of which, of course, is Matthew and Mary’s romance, which, allow me to submit, stands in contradiction, to the vulgarity of today’s hook-up culture. Further, it’s the reason for which the show is so popular-a sign perhaps that more people than might be expected find the culture to be vulgar.

    Reply
  18. Rob G

    Saw ‘To The Wonder’ last night at the cinema. Not as good as ToL, but not as ambitious either, so not disappointing. It’s a smaller, more personal and less ‘epic’ film. I think you do need to see it on at least a big screen TV — the entire thing is told visually, and it’s somewhat challenging/demanding, in that it requires attention. Seeing it and really getting a lot out of it would, I think, require minimal distractions. And it, of course, is beatifully shot, so the bigger the screen the better.
    I liked it, and plan to see it again.

    Reply
  19. Grumpy

    I got a pretty big TV screen. I bought it last summer for my movie nights with the postgrads. I couldn’t tell you the exact size, but I’m guessing about 3 feet across. Let’s hope the students can fix it up. They are confident they can. If they can’t, we will watch ‘The Road Home’ which was my choice before we realized that TtW was on amazon instant.

    Reply
  20. Grumpy

    Naturally, I don’t know how to use it as a TV 🙂 I just use if for DVDs.

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  21. Janet

    The Road Home would be great on a big screen TV.
    To the Wonder opens here next Friday. I’ve been waiting and waiting and then I realized that I volunteered to have my 2 year old granddaughter over to spend the night, so that blows Friday and Saturday, too.
    AMDG

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  22. Mac

    “a number of redeeming qualities, the most important of which, of course, is Matthew and Mary’s romance, which, allow me to submit, stands in contradiction, to the vulgarity of today’s hook-up culture.”
    I completely agree with that. That’s one thing I’ve really appreciated about it, too–it could so easily have been chock full of bedroom scenes and the general sex obsession that grips the entertainment world. All that is handled with admirable maturity. And in general the characters have substance.

    Reply
  23. Mac

    I should check on the local theaters and To the Wonder. It’s very rare that my wife and I actually venture out to a theater. I think the last time was Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which undermined motivation even further.

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  24. Grumpy

    I would very much like to show them To the Road home. They all enjoyed ‘Riding alone for a thousand Miles’ a lot. So I don’t understand it, but I detect a lack of enthusiasm for The Road Home, and I don’t want to force my choice on them. The movie club started two years ago with Tree of Life, and some of the grads who came to that are finishing next month. So in a way it would be nice to go full circle with another Malick movie. The first movie night we went out to a cinema. From then on we watched at my house.

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  25. Rob G

    Funny that, Grumpy. You’d think that after liking ‘Riding Alone’ they’d want to give ‘The Road Home’ a go.
    I remember seeing ‘The Road Home’ and Lynch’s ‘Straight Story’ within a week of each other at the same multiplex. It struck me as interesting that two G-rated, but adult-oriented movies with related themes showed up at the cinema so closely to each other.

    Reply
  26. Mac

    This is making me want to watch The Road Home and that visual masterpiece with the martial arts themes that I can’t remember the name of again.

    Reply
  27. Janet

    Well, there are a few of those.
    Hero?
    AMDG

    Reply
  28. Rob G

    Zhang Yimou actually did 3 of those films — Hero, House of Flying Daggers, and Curse of the Golden Flower. The first two are excellent, the last one somewhat less so. It’s beautifully done, but much darker thematically.

    Reply
  29. Janet

    That’s what, “There are a few of those,” means. 😉
    I agree about Curse of the Golden Flower, but it really is beautiful.
    AMDG

    Reply
  30. Janet

    Hero has this, though.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9keMBIyPnA
    Gorgeous.
    AMDG

    Reply
  31. Mac

    “there are a few of those,” no doubt, but I was expecting people to know which one I was thinking about. 🙂
    Actually I’m not sure, even seeing the titles, but I think it was Hero. Pretty sure I’ve seen House of Flying Daggers, too, but it didn’t impress me as much, for whatever reason.

    Reply
  32. Janet

    I said Hero in my first message.
    AMDG

    Reply
  33. Mac

    I know. I’m just confirming that I think that was it.

    Reply
  34. Grumpy

    Crouching Tiger Hidden Dagger is about the most beautiful movie I’ve ever seen.

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  35. Grumpy

    I haven’t seen Hero or House of Flying Daggers.

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  36. Janet

    Well, Grumpy, that scene in the trees is about as good as it gets, but Hero is just as beautiful, and probably more so.
    AMDG

    Reply
  37. Louise

    I don’t know how to use it as a TV 🙂 I just use if for DVDs.
    A woman after my own heart! Even with bezillions of channels to choose from I find TV too obnoxious. Except for EWTN, which is very soothing to my soul.

    Reply
  38. Louise

    I should point out that with our current situation we are watching a lot of TV.

    Reply
  39. Grumpy

    Yes, its the tree scene, and generally the leaping about – the falling through the sky off that mountain is pretty wonderful too. I would say it’s like a ballet, but I find ballet pretty boring.
    I just think there are too many adverts for TV to be an attractive alternative to DVDs. I did really wish I had a TV during the Olympmics. I thought I could watch it on my computer, like I do with Wimbledon, but it was impossible – all the ways barred.

    Reply
  40. Paul

    The version of House of Flying Daggers I saw had ludicrously bad subtitles that rather detracted from any cinematic beauty.
    It’s a pity that Terracotta Warrior, starring Zhang Yimou, is so little known and so hard to find with English subtitles.

    Reply
  41. Mac

    I almost never watch TV shows that have commercials. The only regular exception is football, from September through January.

    Reply
  42. Louise

    I just think there are too many adverts for TV to be an attractive alternative to DVDs.
    I feel the same way.

    Reply
  43. Louise

    sorry about the italics. I thought I did that properly.

    Reply
  44. Mac

    I fixed it.

    Reply
  45. Grumpy

    Well we watched The Road Home and everyone enjoyed it. To watch ‘To the Wonder’ we needed a 75 dollar cable, apparently. The Road Home was just the right movie for MTs students about to take their finals, so all were satisfied. I must watch some other movies by him. I think I might own ‘Curse of the Golden Flower’.

    Reply
  46. Grumpy

    Maclin why don’t you give Louise a guest blog to tell us how she is getting on in the US?

    Reply
  47. Mac

    That’s a great idea. Louise, if you read this, consider yourself invited.
    Goodness, what kind of cable is that?! Do you need a really long one or something?
    Glad your students enjoyed Road Home.

    Reply
  48. Grumpy

    My computer is in my office, and the internet is wired into the wall. So a cable would have had to go from my office to the living room. The student went off to buy it but reported back that it would cost $75.

    Reply
  49. Mac

    Just a regular old Ethernet cable, then? Well then, if it had to be more than 50 feet, $75 doesn’t sound so far off. I recently bought a 50 footer to use when I’m working (job work) from home. I normally use wireless at that desk but it can be a little unreliable, which I can’t afford with work stuff, so I have this 50 foot cable that just barely reaches from computer to router. I looked in a couple of local places and found prices of $40 or so, which I didn’t want to pay for the privilege of using my supposed off-hours for work. So, I’m a little embarrassed to say, I ordered it from Amazon for something closer to $15. I really sort of hate Amazon but I keep using it.

    Reply
  50. Grumpy

    i would have thought it was more like 20 feet from the office to the living room. We probably could have got it for a lot less than 75 if we had started trying to get it before Saturday morning. Amazon does rather seem to be taking over the world…

    Reply
  51. Louise

    Gee thankyou Grumpy and Maclin. That’s a very nice idea. I’ve been meaning to get a new blog just for our time in the US to keep everyone at home informed about our progress etc. Maybe this is the nudge I need to get it going properly. I’ll make a start right now…

    Reply
  52. Louise

    Here you go!
    http://louiseyvette.wordpress.com/

    Reply
  53. Grumpy

    wow! what a journey you have made!

    Reply
  54. Mac

    Wonderful. This is going to be very interesting. But I don’t understand…is your computer still on Tasmanian Time? Your blog posts say April 29, but it’s still April 28 in Texas.

    Reply
  55. Louise

    oh thanks for that, Maclin. Yes it is still on Tasmanian time. Must fix that I guess…

    Reply
  56. Grumpy

    I watched Curse of the Golden Flower last night. Very beautiful movie. Perhaps the most beautiful movie about a dysfunctional family ever made.

    Reply
  57. Janet

    Ha. That’s a good description. It takes dysfunctional to a new level.
    AMDG

    Reply
  58. Mac

    Is that another of those beautiful Chinese movies?

    Reply
  59. janet

    Very, very. Maybe the most.
    AMDG

    Reply
  60. Mac

    Creary* I should see it.
    * I know I shouldn’t indulge in ethnic humor, but in this context I couldn’t help thinking of one of my CS professors, who was Chines. This is not a putdown of any sort, because she was a great teacher. But when she was nearing the end of a technical explanation she would sum things up, beginning, “Creary, if [this], then [that]”

    Reply
  61. Grumpy

    It is so beautiful I could watch it again over the weekend just to watch it.

    Reply
  62. janet

    I think I’m about to watch The Thinn Red Line.
    AMDG

    Reply
  63. Mac

    I did warn you that some of it is not easy viewing, didn’t I?

    Reply
  64. Janet

    I don’t remember. Should I not watch it with Tessa?
    AMDG

    Reply
  65. Mac

    Hmm…depends a lot on what Tessa is used to, but questionable. It is definitely a war movie, with all that implies not only for violence but for emotionally wrenching situations.

    Reply

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