Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Brideshead Revisited is the finest film made for television that I have ever seen. It is true to Evelyn Waugh's great novel. After watching this movie I bought the book and liked it as much as the videos. For those viewers who like to read, if you enjoyed the film you are almost certain to love the book.
After reading the novel, I viewed the tapes a second time and discovered that the movie was even better than I first thought.
What makes this video series great? The performances by a top flight cast are superb and the story is compelling. Jeremy Irons plays the part of Charles Ryder, an artist in search of his soul. His paintings are technially brilliant, but something is missing from them. An eccentric friend characterizes Ryder's work as full of "charm," and this evaluation is true -- the paintings are stylish, but soulless.
Anthony Andrews brings to life Ryder's Oxford college friend, Lord Sebastian Flyte, a spoiled aristocrat trying to break free from the influence of his dysfunctional family. Claire Bloom is his mother, Lady Marchmain, separated from his father, Sir Lawrence Olivier, Lord Marchmain. Bloom is cool, calculating, and condescending. When young Sebastian becomes an embarassing drunk, she seems pleased to attempt to reclaim him from social and spiritual destruction.
Somewhat later in the film Ryder realizes the destructive nature of Sebastian's relationship with his mother. Ryder subverts her wishes by giving Sebastian money for alcohol and then Ryder makes a break with the family when his gift of money to Sebastian is discovered by Lady Marchmain, who confronts Ryder with her muted, yet terrible anger.
Sir John Gielgud is brilliant as Ryder's disinterested father; we come to understand why Ryder lacks Sebastian's heart. Ryder grew up unloved and uncared for and he spends the rest of his life attempting to overcome his disabilty. His marriage to his first wife ends in divorce and he then falls in love with Lady Julia, Sebastian's sister. In the end Ryder's coldness, aloofness, and disdain for religion, something Julia and Sebastian hold dear, cause their breakup.
Last, but not least, the filmmakers have lavished great expense on all aspects of this production. The sets are superbly created to give us a true feel for the time and place in England at the time between the great wars. The music also deserves special mention. It beautifully supports the story and is worth listening to on its own merits. It stays in the listener's mind long after the drama is finished.
Can film ever stand comparison with great literaure? The Brideshead Revisited video series answers this question with a resounding "yes"!
Click Here to see more reviews about: Brideshead Revisited (25th Anniversary Collector's Edition) (1982)
25th Anniversary Collector's Edition "Extraordinary" -The New York Times "Visually ravishing" -Time A special silver anniversary edition of the British classic called one of the best series in TV history. Based on the novel by Evelyn Waugh, two years in the making, and the equivalent of seven feature films back-to-back, this epic drama tells a story of romantic yearning and loss in the glittering but fading world of the British aristocracy between the wars. Winner of 17 international awards and starring Jeremy Irons, Anthony Andrews, Diana Quick, Sir John Gielgud, Claire Bloom, and Sir Laurence Olivier in an Emmy®-winning role. Bonus features on this edition include the 50-min. featurette Revisiting Brideshead, produced by British television to celebrate the anniversary and featuring retrospective interviews with Irons, Andrews, Quick, director Charles Sturridge, and many more. Also includes a 20-page program guide, production notes, and photo gallery.
Get 44% OFF
No comments:
Post a Comment