Kurt R.A. Giambastiani

This week, I’m on “stay-cation,” which means we get to laze around the house for several days, go on outings, catch up on our reading, and watch a lot of movies. We started the week off by bingeing on the first season of a new series distributed by Netflix…yes, Netflix; they’re in the movie-making biz, now.

“House of Cards” stars Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright in the two lead roles, and when we started off, I was immediately hit with a sense of déjà vu. Something was familiar, but I couldn’t place it. But then a reporter speculated about the meaning behind a recent shift in power. When Frank Underwood (Spacey) drawled the answer, “You might very well think that; I, however, could not possibly comment,” it all clicked.

“House of Cards” 2013 is a remake of “House of Cards” 1990, the BBC production starring Ian Richardson as the redoubtable Francis Urquhart (initials also “F.U.”, he said with a wry smile). We watched the original many (many) years ago, and enjoyed it so much we went on to watch the second and third installments of FU’s story, “To Play the King” and “The Final Cut.”

What is remarkable here is that both series–British and American, created more than a two decades apart–were written by the same team of Andrew Davies and Michael Dobbs. I say remarkable because in watching this 2013 remake, set in Washington instead of in London, the writing was fresh, sharp, and distinctly American in tone and language. This quality writing, in fact, is why it took me almost two episodes to catch on to the fact that it was a remake. And of course, some of the best lines are left for F.U., who in this updated version repeatedly breaks the fourth wall, bringing us in into his confidence, making us complicit in his Machiavellian scheming. “You know what I like about people?” Frank asks us in a sleepy, South Carolinian aside. “They stack so well.”

The 1990 BBC version is delivered in four jam-packed episodes and, to be perfectly honest, it was hard to follow at times due to its sheer density and the fact that I’m not fluent with the internal mechanics of the British political system. But the story is essentially the same: A powerful and ambitious political figure wants more power and higher position, but suffers a setback; with the aid of a young, ambitious reporter and the invaluable help of his loyal, ambitious wife, he shifts his efforts into 4-wheel drive and pushes onward toward his goals, regardless of how many must fall beneath his wheels on the way up.

The 2013 Netflix version is in thirteen installments, not four, but this is a benefit to the story. In thirteen hour-long episodes, we can see the machinery turning, we can see the gears behind the engine, and we can also see the dangers before they consume their victims. This actually heightens, rather than diminishes the tension, as we have time to anticipate the outcome and cringe before it happens. Moreover, the production values are much better (though much of that is technological, due to “super” HD and digital cameras, compared to what was available in 1990). The acting is top-notch with Robin Wright playing a fierce and complicated role that is much in advance of the 1990 counterpart. Kate Mara as the young reporter and an exceptional ensemble cast make for an engrossing, sang-froid romp through the shark tank of American politics.

In all, the 2013 remake is far superior to the 1990 version, and will be much more enjoyable for American audiences.

And, if this is the quality of shows that Netflix is going to produce, fasten your seat belts and please keep your arms inside while the vehicle is in motion. It’s going to be quite a ride.

k