American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

From Ryan Murphy and the folks who brought you The People Vs O.J. Simpson, this starts on BBC Two on Wednesday 28th February.

I've seen the first two episodes, and I found them quite engrossing. It helps that I know absolutely nothing about this case beyond the fact that Versace was murdered one morning on his doorstep.

The O.J. series was rather offbeat and fun, but this is a relatively restrained and sombre piece about a sensitive artist and the psychopath who murdered him. It's a tragedy.

Anyway, have at it.

[ieXush2i]

I too knew nothing about the killing, and thought this would be a damp squib compare to the OJ season. I was very wrong, they take it in some very different firections to s1 and its all the better for it. I'm not sure how much more to say without spoiling it.

[Bad Ambassador]

Ted, remember that fella who was so good at fashion, they had to shoot him?

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

I too knew nothing about the killing, and thought this would be a damp squib compare to the OJ season. I was very wrong, they take it in some very different firections to s1 and its all the better for it. I'm not sure how much more to say without spoiling it.

Is it problematic, though? One of the main characters is a psychopathic homosexual murderer. 

[ieXush2i]

Ha! No, the way he relates to his homosexuality plays into his crimes but it never even comes close to saying that's why he kills or oooh scary gay. There is so much homosexual talent on and offscreen for this which gives life to the stuff about homophobia within America's recent past. Episode 5 in particular tackles this very well.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Oh, I know. I was being hilariously playful.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

I've watched some more of this and it's very impressive. It's a great example of the way television drama can explore a complex story in detail, with each episode feeling like a focused chapter within an overarching narrative (sorry, Limmy).

Darren Criss, the actor who plays Versace's killer, is mesmerising. He was in Glee, apparently, a show which presumably didn't allow him to flex his acting muscles as impressively as this does. Homicidal maniacs are a bad bunch of lads at the best and worst of times, but Criss' portrayal of this, to say the least, deeply unbalanced man is truly disturbing. 

[Funcrusher]

This Vanity Fair article on Versace's killer is a cracking piece of true crime writing that rattles along like a thriller:

https://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/1997/09/cunanan199709?printable=true

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

I'll read that after I've finished watching this series, as I don't want to spoil it. As I say, I knew absolutely nothing about this case beyond the fact that some bloke shot Versace on his doorstep.

[Viero_Berlotti]

Anyone still watching this? Just thought I'd bump to say it's fucking ace. The guy who plays Cunanan has knocked it out of the park.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

It's gripping, the best new TV drama I've seen so far this year.

Darren Criss' performance as Cunanan is superb, he's terrifying, detestable and pitiable all at once. Criss and the writers imbue Cunanan with a kind of ghastly pathos that doesn't for a moment detract from, or excuse, his horrific crimes.

My only issue with it - and this is a problem I have with most real-life crime dramatisations - is the way it occasionally lingers on the brutal violence exacted upon the killer's victims. How must their families feel about that?

Then again, the series takes time to present most of Cunanan's victims as three-dimensional human beings. I'm in two minds about that aspect, but I can't deny that, as a piece of drama, it's very powerful.

[Attila]

I've been watching this (I've got to wait til the end of the month to catch up to  it, as no iPlayer access at the moment).

Darren Criss is absolutely mesmerising and terrifying in this role.