I was recently ordered (ordered!) by faithful reader Pat to watch the 1995 BBC version of Persuasion, starring Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds.(Naturally, I went and checked it out from the library tout de suite!)
I admit, I had neither read nor seen any edition of Persuasion before checking this one out *hangs head*, and I missed the first run of the new version on PBS, so I have thrown that into my Netflix queue for the future.
Anyway, 1995's Persuasion.
Lovely. :-)
As Pat pointed out, at the beginning you don't really find Anne or Frederick particularly engaging or attractive, but by the end, you are rooting for them to find each other, and find that you have fallen for both through the story.
This was Austen's last written novel before her death, and is markedly shorter than Emma or Mansfield Park, which I felt as I watched this adaptation - it was still lovely, but seemed to be missing the slow build of other Austen novels to me, or the depth and detail that she always built into both her main characters and her secondary characters.
And I really did NOT expect to fall in love with Ciaran Hinds' Frederick - I mean, yes, the man was rad as Caesar on Rome, but a romantic lead? Now, I'm a believer...
Yep. Add this to the canon of BBC period pieces already crowding my house. And now, I just have to wait to compare it to the new version...
Labels: bbc, movies, persuasion
I seem to have been going through a serious BBC-type-period-piece phase lately, so I threw Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre into my Netflix queue (upon the recommendation of Jen, who deemed Rochester "more broody" than that Austen lot) to give it a shot, though I wasn't terribly familiar with the book (only with sister Emily's Wuthering Heights, which I sorta read in high school and hated).Oh.
Oooh….I LOVED this adaptation from Masterpiece Theatre. I was going to watch for just one hour before getting up to pack and get organized for the house move, and ended up spending four hours on the couch, mesmerized by the telling of Jane and Rochester's story.
I initially didn't like the actor playing Rochester, but by the end, I found him completely endearing, and I thought the actress playing Jane Eyre was spot on – my heart was aching during the bad bits, and rooting during the good bits. The story, the setting, the characters…all of it captivated me until the very end. Since then, I've watched it several times (I had to BUY a copy, of course!) and still hold my breath until the very end to see how the story will resolve...
I'm a convert – this is my new pet period piece…at least until the next one. ;-)
So, a couple of months ago, the library bought (*ahem* I do the purchasing *ahem*) the first season of the BBC's Robin Hood.Naturally, I watched the entire season practically in one sitting. ;-)
Here's the thing, though.
I'm totally cheering for the bad guy.
I mean, c'mon, anyone who knows me KNOWS I'm going to root for the guy in black leather and eyeliner (lovingly known on the series as Guy-liner).
Yeah, Guy of Gisborne is so totally my man, played by the delightfully evil Richard Armitage (who was SO melty in North and South).
In any case, the series is really great – great locations, good cast, fun plots, a few laughs, some good stunts, and apparently, there are some tasty developments in Season 2 (not the least of which is Guy of Gisborne with his shirt off, which, rest assured, I've already previewed on YouTube).
The UK is watching Season Two now, so hopefully we won't have to wait much longer for me to get in on BBC America – and this time, I'm paying attention to air times!
If you have a chance, you gotta check this one out!
Labels: bbc, richard armitage
I'd like to proclaim my devotion to three novel adaptations from the 1800s.
Many years ago, prompted mostly by reading Bridget Jones's Diary for the first time, I discovered Pride and Prejudice, the BBC version, with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle (I did read the novel in college).
Though everyone was agog when the Keira Knightly movie came out a year or so ago, this is far and away my favorite adaptation. I can recite almost every line, and yet I still hold my breath at the end to see if I'll get my happy ending or not.
Darcy is such a lovely character (and Colin Firth...*sigh*), and Elizabeth Bennett is truly a heroine to root for. The costumes, the countryside, and the story itself sweep me away every time. Love, love, love…
Sense and Sensibility (originally released on the big screen rather than on BBC), with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet, is just as delightful. The characters, the setting, and most importantly – the part of Colonel Brandon played by Alan Rickman – make this a winning combination.
This is another where I hold my breath (twice!) to get my happy ending, and I adore the interplay between the characters and the subtle romance of it all. Hugh Grant is actually quite good in period costume, but it's all Colonel Brandon for me as a hero.
If you haven't seen this one, you must. Lovely.
North and South was a new one to me – I was not familiar with Elizabeth Gaskell's novel, but was urged to watch this by my colleague Gail. Oh my.
Though much darker (both in tone and in filming) than the above two, this is another great adaptation (though it takes place in the 1850s, as opposed to the Regency era of the Austen novels above). I fell absolutely in love with John Thorton (played by the beautifully broody Richard Armitage) and also with the heroine Margaret. She's a character who doesn't conform to convention, and who speaks her mind, sometimes to her detriment. Though there is only one kiss in the entire four hour film, it's one of the most romantic scenes I can remember in recent history.
These three films are like comfort food to me – when I'm low or tired, or just missing England, I pop one in, make a cup of tea and wrap up and lose myself in the past. These stories NEVER get old...
Many years ago, prompted mostly by reading Bridget Jones's Diary for the first time, I discovered Pride and Prejudice, the BBC version, with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle (I did read the novel in college).Though everyone was agog when the Keira Knightly movie came out a year or so ago, this is far and away my favorite adaptation. I can recite almost every line, and yet I still hold my breath at the end to see if I'll get my happy ending or not.
Darcy is such a lovely character (and Colin Firth...*sigh*), and Elizabeth Bennett is truly a heroine to root for. The costumes, the countryside, and the story itself sweep me away every time. Love, love, love…
Sense and Sensibility (originally released on the big screen rather than on BBC), with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet, is just as delightful. The characters, the setting, and most importantly – the part of Colonel Brandon played by Alan Rickman – make this a winning combination.This is another where I hold my breath (twice!) to get my happy ending, and I adore the interplay between the characters and the subtle romance of it all. Hugh Grant is actually quite good in period costume, but it's all Colonel Brandon for me as a hero.
If you haven't seen this one, you must. Lovely.
North and South was a new one to me – I was not familiar with Elizabeth Gaskell's novel, but was urged to watch this by my colleague Gail. Oh my.Though much darker (both in tone and in filming) than the above two, this is another great adaptation (though it takes place in the 1850s, as opposed to the Regency era of the Austen novels above). I fell absolutely in love with John Thorton (played by the beautifully broody Richard Armitage) and also with the heroine Margaret. She's a character who doesn't conform to convention, and who speaks her mind, sometimes to her detriment. Though there is only one kiss in the entire four hour film, it's one of the most romantic scenes I can remember in recent history.
These three films are like comfort food to me – when I'm low or tired, or just missing England, I pop one in, make a cup of tea and wrap up and lose myself in the past. These stories NEVER get old...
Labels: bbc, north and south, pride and prejudice, sense and sensibility
