In some ways, Jan P. Matuszynski crime noir 'Król' (or 'The King Of Warsaw') is as enjoyable as dramas set around the same time period like 'Peaky Blinders' and 'Babylon Berlin'. The adaptation of Szczepan Twardoch's best-selling novel for Canal+ doesn't flinch from its themes of gangland violence and the struggles of Warsaw's criminal underworld prior to the outbreak of WWII. But while the other two series allow their stories and characters to develop, Krol plays out over just one 8-episode season, and it looks like some of the drama was lost in all the blood-curdling violence. A major blood-letting appears to occur each episode, fair enough I suppose in a picture about crime and gangs, but the ominous rise of Fascism and the social and political upheaval it caused all over Europe are integral to the story. Its characters are a mix of fiction and history, so it would be a mistake to gloss over the dramatic detail of the story, and in fact a surprising choice given that Twardoch co-wrote many of the series' episodes.
'Król' is still impressive with its recreation of street scenes, cafes and bars and places depicting the cultural life of Warsaw during such a combustible time in the city's history. The acting is top notch, too, with Michal Zurawski excellent lead as boxer Jakub Shapiro chief enforcer for his gangster socialist boss Buddy Kaplica (played by Arkadiusz Jakubik), and notable performances among many of the ensemble cast, particularly Aleksandra Pisula who plays Jakub's long-suffering wife Emilia and a stylish performance by Lena Gora as the chief prosecutor's daughter Anna Ziembinska who Jakub has an affair with.
Personally, out of the 3 dramas, I thought 'Babylon Berlin' dealt with the historical period in a more authentic way than the other 2. For 'Król' that may be a missed opportunity, something which the series fails to address properly until the final episode. Poland had the highest Jewish population of any European country prior to the World War II, about 3 million, of which 374,000 lived in Warsaw. 85% of Polish Jews were murdered by the Nazis. You can get tired of all the violence in 'Król', but the real drama comes right at the end as a result of a decision Jakub makes which impacts profoundly and tragically on his family as Jews. So, my advice to the makers would be either increase the budget of the picture to make more episodes and seasons, or scale back some of the expensive 'effects' like the violent stunts and street scenes, concentrate on the story instead. You can still admire 'Król' as a beautifully conceived period drama and social history entangled with gritty gangland violence, but be patient as the storyline doesn't really comes good until the end!
To cap it all, marvel at composer Atanas Valkov's soundtrack of themes around the sounds of Jewish music created with traditional instruments like the zither, which adds a musical slowburn and energy to the unfolding events, and provides a neat sonic 'thread' that runs throughout the series.
