Canal + is broadcasting tonight the first two episodes of Shadowplay, a German-Canadian series with an enticing cast. We tell you more.
What is it about ?
In the aftermath of World War II, an American policeman, Max McLaughlin, arrives in West Berlin to help create a police force. At the same time, he sets out to find his brother, Moritz, who is on the hunt for former Nazis in order to eliminate them.
When the war is over, the war goes on
Are you a fan of thrillers and war films? Then Shadowplay is for you. The new series by Måns Mårlind (Shelter) plunges us into the heart of a defeated Germany and in the hands of the four nations. Berlin was then the seat of a power game between the Russians, the Americans, France and England. Settling of scores, murders of all kinds, soldiers without faith or law… The daily life of the Germans is far from pleasant.
It is in this setting of devastation that the hero arrives, Max, a young Brooklyn policeman played by Taylor Kitsch who has offered to go there. If his main mission is to form the polizei – which is overtaken by events and the forces involved – he has a hidden goal: to find his brother Moritz (Logan Marshall-Green), missing since the discovery of the Dachau camp. Thanks to cryptic messages he left him, Max quickly understands that his brother is hunting down former Nazis and that he intends to do justice himself by leaving bloodsheds behind him …
To recreate the scenery of post-war Germany, the teams set up their cameras in the Czech Republic, mainly in Prague. And this dive into the past is particularly successful. Despite a slow pace and a plot that takes a long time to set up, Shadowplay is a complex series, with multiple levels of plot. And if it is at first glance difficult to know whether the characters are on the side of good or evil, it is because the series does not fall into an expected and already seen Manichaeism:
“I have wanted to do a series on this historical period for a long time. We saw a lot of films during this period, but I wanted to take an immersive point of view, from the shallows. The events are very dark and I wanted to show how individuals were able to act in this context. In 1946, Berlin was the capital of crime, there were 250,000 rapes, 300,000 murders, and practices of cannibalism were revealed. I thought it was a perfect arena to talk about humanity and hope. When you’re in the dark, it’s easier to see the light. ” Måns Mårlind said.
Shadowplay can count in its distribution on an actor particularly appreciated by fans of series: Michael C. Hall slips here in the skin of the American consul. We find at his side the brilliant Tuppence Middleton who plays his frivolous wife. Although apparently innocent, these two characters also master the power game in Berlin …
Canal + will broadcast the 8 episodes of Shadowplay every Thursday at 9 p.m.
