On only a few occasions have I ever been reduced to tears by film or television - Blackadder Goes Forth is one such occasion. The first five and a half episodes are however pure comedy of the highest order. Whenever I watch Blackadder I simply do not stop laughing throughout the whole thirty minutes, the jokes come thick and fast, in fact they probably come a little too fast since quite often you'll find yourself in stitches at one joke and be laughing for so long you'll miss the next one.
What is so brilliant about Blackadder Goes Forth though is how the gags cut right to the heart of the such sensitive material the stupidity of the British tactics and commanders is mercilessly exposed - and rightly so - with brilliant lines such as "a war that would have been a lot easier if we'd just stayed at home and shot fifty thousand of our men a week".
In terms of acting as well Blackadder Goes Forth is way ahead of the usual standard for comedies. Rowan Atkinson is at the top of his game as the uber-cynical Blackadder still reeling from the shock of having gone from fighting colonial wars to fighting the much more heavily armed Germans. Melchett and George are done in a wonderfully over the top (no pun intended) manner by Fry and Laurie whilst Tim McInnery is absolutely stunning as the sly Captain Darling who'll do anything to avoid fighting. Baldrick is perhaps at his weakest in this series and at times seems like he is only there to deliver his (albeit great) catchphrase "I have a cunning plan". Meanwhile stars of previous series appear in various episodes adding variety to the show - they too put in strong performances especially Rick Mayall and Miranda Richardson.
About half way through the final episode though the whole show changes and suddenly it dawns on the viewer that this is THE end. The tone is radically altered, Blackadder's sarcasm remains but it's not funny now, well at least not in the same way as it was before. It is at this point that Blackadder Goes Forth becomes more than just a comedy and completes it's brilliance as it now touches the heart as well as the head.
What is so brilliant about Blackadder Goes Forth though is how the gags cut right to the heart of the such sensitive material the stupidity of the British tactics and commanders is mercilessly exposed - and rightly so - with brilliant lines such as "a war that would have been a lot easier if we'd just stayed at home and shot fifty thousand of our men a week".
In terms of acting as well Blackadder Goes Forth is way ahead of the usual standard for comedies. Rowan Atkinson is at the top of his game as the uber-cynical Blackadder still reeling from the shock of having gone from fighting colonial wars to fighting the much more heavily armed Germans. Melchett and George are done in a wonderfully over the top (no pun intended) manner by Fry and Laurie whilst Tim McInnery is absolutely stunning as the sly Captain Darling who'll do anything to avoid fighting. Baldrick is perhaps at his weakest in this series and at times seems like he is only there to deliver his (albeit great) catchphrase "I have a cunning plan". Meanwhile stars of previous series appear in various episodes adding variety to the show - they too put in strong performances especially Rick Mayall and Miranda Richardson.
About half way through the final episode though the whole show changes and suddenly it dawns on the viewer that this is THE end. The tone is radically altered, Blackadder's sarcasm remains but it's not funny now, well at least not in the same way as it was before. It is at this point that Blackadder Goes Forth becomes more than just a comedy and completes it's brilliance as it now touches the heart as well as the head.