Bass Reeves, hero of the Wild West in a sumptuous western on Paramount Plus (review)
David Oyelowo is impressive in this historical series with obvious ambition.
The North against the South. America is torn apart by the Civil War. And it is at this moment that begins Bass Reeves. This moment when Uncle Sam’s country was built on a pile of corpses, in the second part of the 19th century. Within the Confederate army were slaves forcibly conscripted to fight the Yankees. Among them, there is Bass and his slaver, Sergeant George Reeves… With a deafening noise, the new Paramount Plus series begins with a breathtaking battle. A stunning reconstruction, reflecting what the production was able to achieve: a sumptuous western with obvious cinematographic ambition.
A dive into the Far West, spread over several decades and which begins in Arkansas in 1862, telling the captivating story of this slave freed from his chains, in post-Civil War America, who will find a place in the Wild West thanks to his six-shot ability in hand, a fine trigger which will become one of the most legendary marshals of the conquest of the West
Based on the novels by Sidney Thompson, Bass Reeves was originally intended to be a spin-off of 1883and therefore a spin-off of Yellowstone. But Paramount decided to make it the showcase of Lawmen, his new anthology on the heroes of the Wild West. It must be said that the man of law truly lived an extraordinary life, serving the badge for more than 30 years and arresting at least 3,000 thugs and even his own son, accused of murder!
A destiny that the excellent strongly embodies David Oyelowo. British actor Selma And Silo is impressively fragile as a servant of the law, crushed by his own cracks, defender of morality in a society where permanent chaos reigns. A hyper-realistic and striking painting of the Wild West, framed in a sumptuous scenography. Despite some exhausting lengths, a very beautiful historical western.
Bass Reeves, season 1 in 6 episodes, on Paramount + since November 6, 2023 in France.
