It begins with a detective and three brothers. The father has died and they are the three main suspects.
Just the introduction prepares you for a drama steeped in mystery. I've made up a term for this genre which is banana peelers. Clues unravel with each episode and leave you guessing until the end. Dark themes intermingle with the question of human existence. Despite the mystery here, the story seems to hone in on the brother Isao the most. With good reason, a Steppen wolf like character with no clear disposition. Considering this is Dostoevsky, there's bound to be a lot of philosophic themes that make this mystery breathtaking.
However, in certain dramas, there are characters that are simply show stealers and this is undeniably the father. I would normally fault this type of character for being a villain with no back story but frankly, he doesn't quite need one. There are simple and subtle moments about his character that prevent him from being that. For one, the moment where his youngest son is massaging his shoulders and he broods over whether or not anyone would cry when he dies. Nonetheless, he remains a character that you love to hate. A vile, despicable being that gets your blood boiling but really shapes this story. Ugh, but wow, the type of character where you applaud the actor simply because you really believe his performance. Boy, did I curse that dad. Never has a character been so loathsome.
Frankly, I am not very familiar with Dostoevsky's works other than reading a portion of Notes from the Underground from my existentialist philosophy book, hence I can't say how faithful this is to the novel as I haven't read The Brothers Karamazov (sat on my booklist for three years) . What this is for me is a well executed and chilling story that keeps me guessing.
On to why this is not a perfect ten, there are times when the music intrudes on the dialogue and doesn't really lend itself to the atmosphere. Furthermore, there are some moments that are not showcased but implied leaving me to at times question events and character emotions. For instance, some characters didn't really interact for long yet it seemed like there was a really deep connection there making me wonder when that formed.
Overall, a very stellar message that thoughtfully solves the philosophic question it creates. Themes are interwoven well to present a very good drama that I recommend.
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