Many people are paying particular attention to the events currently taking place in Ukraine, but it is only one of the countries experiencing these circumstances at this time. With so much tension and uncertainty, many people are asking how these situations come to be or how they can be avoided.
While there are many elements of society that examine these questions, one of the most widely found forms are film mediums. The 2020 Hulu series, The Great, is among these as the series follows a woman of German nobility that marries a Russian emperor and must decide whether to pursue her own happiness or take her responsibility as queen and improve Russia.
The Hulu series currently has two seasons though the third season was confirmed on January 11, 2022. It has received rather strong feedback from audiences and critics alike. It also has a star-studded cast that captures the contrasting dynamics between characters perfectly, to illustrate how everyone involved picks a side and this creates deception and tension, even among individuals from the same place. With only two seasons it has already been nominated for, and won, several awards.
Historically, the main character is based on Catherine the Great who was the longest ruling female leader and the last, for that matter, of Russia. She overthrew her husband to obtain the throne and changed things drastically from how he had done them. As a result of her rule, Russia became one of the great powers of Europe at the time. While the series does follow this sequence of events, it strays some from historical accuracy in order to create a message about leadership that is relevant to today.
The Great uses history as the structure for which to build the story and theme. The show even goes so far as to include title screens that point out that not all the events are historically true but do reflect a real and relevant point about modern society and government. Because the show uses a familiar structure to make a comical point, the series functions as a satire that questions political structures in a way that is not too uncomfortable by applying humor to the equation.
As a result of focusing more on satire than historical accuracy, the show has been labeled as “anti-historical”, meaning that it intentionally veers away from accuracy to create instances that better reflect the political climates of now. The many elements in the show that are true are based on the detailed memoirs that Catherine left behind. By implementing another time period to explore the theme of the show, the message is able to point out the issues with politics today without being so straightforward about it, as well as highlight the fact that political leaders have struggled with their power for centuries, if not always, which shows how little has actually changed in the way of thinking about power.
Given that the entire series begins with Catherine arriving in a war-distraught Russia, it feels like an especially relevant political message for our current times. In the show, Catherine sees not only how the reliance on Russia has desensitized it’s people but also how it has created an air of dishonesty and distrust among the Russian people. Catherine sees the vital importance of teaching these people a new approach to confronting their issues and ends up risking her own life on multiple occasions to make it happen. This is likely to illustrate how often the governments of countries continue to reuse old methods of responding to situations that continue to warrant the same results and how sometimes such policies require being re-written or even omitted entirely.
Further, when Catherine first arrives in Russia, her husband, Peter, is a callous and destructive individual that is remorseless to the horrors taking place in his country, often as a result of his decisions and pride. This is another detail that nods to the many instances, even in the US government, where leaders have tried to ignore or deny a very obvious issue, like the pandemic.
Many details go into showing how Peter and Catherine’s ideas often contrast each other and how each ruler struggles with their own egotistical issues in different ways. This shines a light on how any ruler is certain to struggle with power but there are still right ways and wrong ways of responding to that and this is the takeaway that all political leaders could learn something from.
Though The Great does not have all the answers for how to fix any leader’s personal and career problems, it does offer many ways to reflect on such matters. Beyond having a good message for the leaders of nations, it also has a message for those that do not have a role in leadership but are affected by someone who does. It demonstrates how sometimes it is the power of the people-- those that are underestimated-- that can inspire or create change when those in charge fail to do so. These points, along with the simple fact that the success of this series nearly guarantees that it will continue for several more seasons, make it a prime candidate for anyone’s watch list right now.