I watched the new BBC adaptation of Persuasion Sunday night. And again on Monday. And I may watch it tonight.
It was okay. I think that the 1995 version starring Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds is just so good. Like the definitive adaptation. It is so excellently cast and acted and the script is so true to the novel.
This new one was cast very well also. (The Wentworth, though no one can compare to Ciaran Hinds, was very cute - in a poor woman's David Beckham kind of way) But they took some liberties with the story in order to condense it into 90 minutes. They still, thankfully, had The Letter at the end, which I was a bit worried they were going to cut from the story. Because the are-men-or-women-more-faithful? conversation between Anne and Harville, which is the impetus for The Letter, was changed to a conversation between Anne and Benick and moved to the center of the story. But by condensing the story so much, the characters of Anne and Wentworth became a little 2-dimensional. I don't think such a slow, blooming story of rekindled passion can be hurried along.
But. Having said that. I love the story. And I love seeing a different take on it. And I will probably watch it again and again.
4 comments:
I haven't watched it yet. But I am VERY DISAPPOINTED to learn Anne's pivotal speech has been changed. But I love that story so much I probably wouldn't approve of any change, no matter what.
. . . unless John Cusack was cast as Wentworth. That would be okay.
I agree and you are so right about the new wentworth being a poor man's beckham. Tee hee.
ALso,
what did you think of Anne constantly looking at the camera.
The whole 'fourth wall' coming down thing was kind of disconcerting for me.
That and the whole speech not being addressed to wentworth was kind of a 'oh no' thing for me.
But still I watched twice already just because I love the story so.
Yes! It really bugged me the way Anne kept looking into the camera. I was going to mention that but I wasn't sure why it bothered me. But "disconcerting" is a very very good word to describe it!
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