評價
The first series was set in a medieval English court, with Edmund Blackadder as a hapless prince in waiting; subsequent series
travelled forwards in time to portray successive generations of Blackadders, in which Edmund became courtier in ElizabethanEngland, then courtier during the Regency period, and finally Captain Blackadder in the trenches of World War I. With a regular corecast, who constantly refined their performances as the writers honed their scripts, the series combined, with increasing success, asharpening satirical thrust with an escapist, schoolboyish sense of the absurd. The format served Atkinson extremely well in allowing
him to play out variations on a character-theme, balancing consistency with change.
While all the incarnations of Edmund Blackadderpitted the rational, frustrated, and much put-upon--though intellectually superior--individual against environments in which the insane, tyrannical, and psycopathic vied for dominance, the youthful, gawky Prince of the first series evolved through the wishful, self-aggrandising courtier of the 1800s, to the older, moustachioed, world-weary soldier attempting merely to stay alive amid the mayhemof war. While the Blackadder series undoubtedly took time to find its feet, the attention to detail in all matters, from script to openingcredits and period pastiche music, produced in the World War I series a highly successful blend of brilliantly conceived and executedcharacterisations, a situation combining historical absurdity and tragedy, and a poignant narrative trajectory towards final disaster: inthe last episode, Blackadder and his entourage finally did go "over the top" into no man's land and to their deaths, as in one last trickof time the trenches dissolved into the eerily silent fields that they are today. In his portrayal of the cynical yet basically decent
Captain Blackadder, Atkinson created a kind of English middle-class version of Hasek's Schweik, whose attempts to evade pointlessself-sacrifice turn him unwittingly into a "little-man" hero in a world of pathological generals and power brokers. Atkinson's own careerwrite-up describes Blackadder as a "situation tragedy", and though the comment may be meant humorously, the phrase neatly summarises the series' genre-transgressing qualities.
--Mark Hawkins-Dady
所有時代的愛德蒙都是個理性,失落,而智力出眾的犧牲品.在為統治和權利而瘋狂殘暴鬥爭的時代,笨拙的年輕王子進化成為1800年代有希望的朝臣,以及後來更成熟,有著
小鬍子的厭世的只想從戰爭的傷害中保存性命的士兵.黑爵士長期以來的摸索,從對細節的重視到所有的事情,從手稿到混音,絕妙的構思與完成,使得一戰系列取得高度的成功.歷史的可笑與悲劇在情景中再現,以刺激的描述曲折地導出最終的災難.在最後一段情節, 黑爵士和他的隨從'穿過'了無人區,並死在那裡.於是前線變成了一片怪誕的安靜,如同它現在的樣子,把黑爵士上尉演繹為一個憤世嫉俗但基本正派的人,
阿特金森從而創造了英國式中產版本的 Hasek, 因想逃避無意義的自我犧牲而在病態的將軍和權利的掮客之中無意中成為小人物的英雄阿特金森的職業歷程介紹說Blackadder是 '情景悲劇',儘管這個評價也許是幽默,這個詞語依舊優美的詮釋著本系列劇集對戲劇類型流派的超越.
經典名句
Blackadder II 'HEAD'
當愛德蒙不幸成為HIGH EXECUTIONER(死刑執行官,通常活不過一星期)時,他去見他的LEGAL TEAM(下屬)
Eddie: Right, good morning, team. My name is Edmund Blackadder. I’m the new minister in charge of religious genocide. If you play straight with me, you’ll find me a considerable employer. But cross me and you’ll discover that under this playful boyish exterior beats the heart of a ruthless sadistic maniac. Now, my man, you are?
愛迪:早上好,同僚們。我的名字叫愛德蒙. 我是負責宗教屠殺的新長官。如果對我直截了當,你們會發現我是個不錯的老闆。但是跟我對著幹,你們會發現這個頑皮孩子氣的外表下,跳著一顆無情虐待狂瘋子的心。好把,我的雇員,你們是?
Blackadder實在算不上
正面角色,連勉強的好人資格也不具備。仗著有顆聰明的腦袋瓜,老在那兒算計,乾些損人利己,或者損人不利己的勾當,從而充實他的錢袋,實現向上爬的野心。譏刺挖苦、打擊報復別人更是他的首本好戲。這樣一個反角倒很合現代觀眾的口味,大家多少認同他在夾縫裡求生存的苦衷,更欣賞他層出不窮的損話。
伊莉莎白一世當道他得使出吃奶的力氣保護自己,免得一不留神腦袋也和遍地開花的眾頭顱做一堆去。
攝政王時期家世中落,當了草包親王的管家,雖然當著傻蛋的面毫不留情地嘲笑他也木知木覺,只是時不時要給他闖下的禍事收拾殘局,偏偏草包有時候還要端起架子來奚落自己,想想自己的智力豈止高出十倍百倍,卻卑躬屈膝伺候這么一個廢物,大大地不爽。一次大戰的戰壕里,明明見解比將軍都高超,早早預料到這場戰事的悲慘結局,奈何使出渾身解數就是逃不出去,對上面下來的愚蠢指令還得一絲不苟地執行,簡直鬱悶到了極點。
觀眾看著Blackadder,不免聯想到現時現地的經歷,比如對混蛋上司的委曲求全,電視裡草包政治家的白痴嘴臉,下次他拿那些人出氣時自然笑得更響亮些。
能言善辯是Blackadder的突出特點。在《
憨豆先生》里難開金口的Atkinson,到了這部劇集裡簡直講個不停,好像要把憨豆先生沒講過的話都講完。有次說他窮得叮噹響: 我象一隻教堂里的老鼠那么窮,這隻老鼠剛收到一張巨額稅單,而這一天他的老婆剛和另一隻老鼠私奔了,並且捲走了他所有的乳酪。” 篡改Wordsworth的經典詩句:“I have erred and strayed like a lost ox... I have coveted my father''s adultery... I have not always honoured my neighbours ass. ” (這個太難翻,看個意思吧)
他罵起人來狠、準、不動聲色,彬彬有禮又文縐縐地,比如:“你騎起馬來還比不上另一匹馬的馬術,尊腦袋的尺寸能將一粒沙子映襯得碩大無比”。說他的部下:“根據我長期以來的經驗,我部下的藝術才華好比一群關在布袋子裡色盲的刺蝟”。威脅Baldrick: “難道一定必須這樣嗎?我們珍貴的友誼真的要以我不得不將你切成碎條這種可悲的方式結束,然後告訴親王殿下你戴著一定太沉太沉的帽子且一不小心撞上了鋒利無比的鐵絲網?”
據說Atkinson本人有輕微的口吃,所以摸索出自己特別一套念台詞的方法,比如某些爆破音的著重化,結果收得奇效。一戰系列中有個角色叫Bob,Blackadder每次叫他的名字都引人大笑,兩個B的發音誰也模仿不來,倒成了他的特色。
《
Blackadder》對於英語語言的巧妙使用使幾乎所有其他的英國影劇望塵莫及。這樣的例子數不勝數。
飾演白痴王子喬治的人就是現在當紅美劇《
豪斯醫生》的主演 休-勞瑞(Hugh Laurie)