1864 | Miniseries

This eight-hour miniseries, billed as the most ambitious and expensive in Danish television history, is anchored around two brothers who fight in the bloody battle at Dybbøl Mill. But it’s really about how the war of 1864 shaped Danish history. The pilot begins with a group of bored students on a field trip and then flashes back to tell the stories of those who fought at the site they are visiting. As the focus shifts between contemporary Denmark and the events leading up to the war that creator Ole Bornedal claims “defines contemporary Denmark,” we are invited to contemplate how much can change in 150 years—and the role that institutions have in shaping or resisting that change. For those unfamiliar with European history, the series is both educational as well as engaging. Content advisory: The pilot episode contains a moderate amount of profane and obscene language; young boys experiment with masturbation.

— Kenneth R. Morefield