ITV Persuasion -- My Thoughts

[olde_fashioned]

I've just finished watching the new ITV adaptation of Persuasion, and I must say, that I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would!

If you do not know that this is going to contain tons of spoilers, then conisider yourself duly warned.

To those of you who have seen it, what did you think?



I was not ignorant of the adaptation's flaws, thanks to RoP and various other communities online, so perhaps it helps knowing in advance and not being shocked by certain glaring omissions or apalling alterations helped a bit. ;-) I was very sorry not to see that one of my favourite scenes from the book, when one of the little Musgrove boys climbs up onto Anne's back, only to be physically removed by Captain Wentworth, had not made it into the movie. :-( I also did not care for a few members of the cast (Mr. Elliot and the Crofts, namely) and I kept getting strange sensations of desiring to punch Anne's obnoxious relatives in their officious noses. ;-P

Elizabeth Elliot was hideous. Mary Musgrove was revolting. My dad watched most of it and summed up Sir Walter very aptly. He called him an arrogant something, which made me laugh. ;-) I thought he could have been just a little bit more ridiculous (as he was in the novel) and there weren't enough mirror scenes -- (Which, btw, I caught a reference that we Americans only got to see a SHORTENED version. They cut out a scene with Anne and some old love letters, Mr. Elliot looking admirably at Anne on the Cobb in Lyme, and there might be others. *grrr*)

I also do not see what all the fuss is about Rupert Penry-Jones. He did not do much other than stand around and look grumpy at poor Anne. I confess I looked rather grumpily at poor Anne a few times myself, although that was only because the hairdresser had pulled her hair too tight. I did think Sally Hawkins did a very good job conveying Anne's loneliness and despair, and I loved the addition of her journalling. Very moving, and a great way to connect with the viewer, I thought. I thought it was especially so when anne was covering her mouth and sobbing after she thought Wentworth was to marry Lousia.

How on earth would Frederick convince Anne's father to sell Kellynch to an unseemly and obscure sailor, might I ask? That was the most unrealistic part, IMO, other than Anne trotting around Bath. Rather pointless, unless they wanted a breathless Anne to stand huffing and puffing before her love after she's chased him around half the city. Why was he as composed as could be and not even remotely out of breath, I'd like to know??? He was a Naval captain, not a track star. I think Cpt. Wentworth would have done better to buy Anne a pair of Nike's as opposed to a big house. ;-) lol.

Was Mrs. Smith's name really Harriet? I certainly don't remember that. I'll have to check my book later.

Oh! I almost forgot. One thing that I DID like, was that we get to hear Wentworth himself reading The Letter, not like the 1995 version where there is a double voice-over spoiling it entirely so that you can't hear a thing. I do wish they would have kept the novel's setting for it (not running by herself) but overall I liked this better than the Root/Hinds version.

*pauses, after rereading what I've written so far* I have this nasty habit of dwelling on the negatives of an adaptation, don't I? :-/ Sorry about that. I did like it though. I haven't made up my mind as to whether I'll be buying it yet, but I was very pleasantly surprised. I loved the costumes, if I did wish Anne would have worn something other than That Bonnet all the time, and the music was very lovely. I taped it (much to the dismay of my family...) so that I can watch it again at my leisure. That, for me, is the true test of a good costume drama. Either I get bored with it and have no desire to watch it more than a few times, or it grows on me more and more and I become increasingly fond of it. ;-)

Enough! I want to know what everyone else thought. :-D

ETA: Came across this article, (linked from RoP) and while I don't agree with everything this budding comedian says, I do whole-heartedly agree with this:

At the end of the film, as she is about to kiss Wentworth (oh, come on, you always knew how it comes out), her mouth twitches like a bass zeroing in on a tasty side order of plankton as her face moves slowly toward its target.

LOL!

Read the full article here

Comments

[adventurat.livejournal.com]

Was that house meant to be Kellynch? If so, I don't get the point of it, because Mr. Elliott would inherit it anyway!

We've seen this adaptation very differently. I found Rupert Penry-Jones's handsome face the only thing to admire about it; everything else fell far short of hopes and expectations. I thought it not a patch on the 1995 version.

[elvenjaneite.livejournal.com]

I've heard some speculation that he didn't buy Kellynch but rented it from Sir Walter. Or went to stay with his sister. But neither of those make much sense, IMO.

I did enjoy this adaptation, despite its flaws, mostly because I happen to like Rupert P-J. And I cannot.stand.Ciaran.Hinds. Also, I thought Sally Hawkins did a very good job as Anne.

[parelle.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid I too took a liking to the Captain :) I thought he was charming and restrained - and loved the letter voice-over. That said, he was nigh on the only bright spot in the show for me. I really didn't like Anne rushing about constantly - and coming completely out of what's proper by doing so - like that kiss! Undignified! But, I also admit that it's been years since I've read the book, so I have nothing to say on its textual accuracy. Perfectly fine, but I do hope for better.

[midenianscholar.livejournal.com]

I think I agree with you. Though buying the house was very cute, if not very accurate. I also discovered that my green Regency dress looks a lot like Anne's.

Nikes! Hahaha! (Did you know Nike means victory, after the Greek goddess Nike? [/geek])

Did your heart thump a little hard at the site of Capt. Wentworth's blue jacket which matched perfectly with his eyes? He isn't Tall, Dark and Handsome, but I am a bit fond of him. *oi vey*

...Oh, yes, I wasn't happy with how they moved around Anne's conversation about women loving longest. What let Capt. Wentworth hope about her affections, other than that she turned Mr. Elliot down? It seemed to muddle things a bit.

My sister as Jane and Mr. Elliot walk around in Bath talking: "...They're just walking in circles." Me: "That's how you spend the morning in Bath. You walk around in circles and look at everyone and talk. Then you go home and eat, then you come back for a ball that night. Doesn't it sound fun?" [ending in sarcasm]

*chokes and dies at the article quote* I hate slow kisses. And they got to the kiss sooo slowly I had to go get myself some tea while I was waiting.

[chloeandrudy.livejournal.com]

I liked it but not not as much as the Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds version. I felt more emotion btn the two characters there. I kept feeling she should have felt more confusion, embarressment, or panic at the thought of seeing him again.
Oh that kiss was embarressing to watch.

[chloeandrudy.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I noticed the "Harriet Smith" too. She was in Emma, for heavens sakes. I didn't remember Austen using the same name but she did repeat a few others elsewhere, so maybe so.

[ex-arcady.livejournal.com]

Some good good points!

YES, about Anne's hair!!! She could've been much more attractive if her hair wasn't as tight!

This adaptation and Northanger are the best ones. Mansfield Park is absolutely terrible. Therefore, I cannot wait to see what you have to say about that! :P

[twilight-luvers.livejournal.com]

I personally loved it. Persuasion was the only Jane Austen book I hadn't seen a film version of, so I was practically hopping up and down in joy when it came on.

I found the camera angles annoying sometimes, but they were good in a way, because I felt as if we were really intruding (for lack of a better word) on Anne's life, like we became a part of her story. I felt drawn in by the emotions, and must admit I was completely taken by Wentworth. I thought Anne and Wentworth were perfectly acted, just as I had imagined it from the book. Though they did kind of skim over her friendship with Mrs. Smith, I didn't feel it detracted from the story at all. And that kiss and the final scene were too beautiful for me to notice its historical inaccuracy. :)

Now, for indignation. We saw an edited version?! Do you know if the dvd shows the film in its British entirety? Because if so, I am splurging.

[twilight-luvers.livejournal.com]

(It's also my second favorite Jane Austen book, so that might explain my rapture)

[ceallaighgirl.livejournal.com]

I caught a reference that we Americans only got to see a SHORTENED version

Hmm, time to search online for the long version then!

I didn't get to see this, and our admin assistant wandered over to my cubicle to remind me of all the Jane Austen Masterpiece Theatre happenings this winter, so hopefully I'll get an opportunity to see it later.

[ladybluelake.livejournal.com]

I really liked this version. I kinda liked that it was a little different and I'm a huge Jane Austen fan, but not a true Janeite because in my opinion they bitch way to much ;) True Janeites can kill me, it's there right.

The 95 version with Amanda Root is better, but I just can't see the hate for this one. I understand it for Mansfield Park, ugh. I loved Sally Hawkings, I felt very much for her. Rupert Penry-Jones was good, thought he played it very well. I didn't like the running all over Bath though, that was just wrong.

Northanger Abbey is the cream of the crop. Poor Andrew Davies gets beat up so, but I thought he did very well on adapting Northanger Abbey.

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Yes -- as far as I am aware that was the house that "played" Kellynch Hall. I didn't get it, either, because he couldn't buy it, could he? I'm not up on English law enough to know, but I doubt very much that Mr. Elliot would be willing to sell his birthright, even if Sir Walter would be .

I am afraid he really does not do it for me. ;-) I cannot understand what all the fuss is about him.

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

I suppose the Crofts could have given up their lease, like they were willing to do for Mr. Elliot in the cancelled chapters which somehow managed to make it into the movie. I still think it's silly.

See, I don't get why everyone loves Ciaran Hinds, either! (and I also think he and Amanda Root are way too old). Plus his running around in uniform bugs the heck out of me, and the circus?? What's with that?

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

You're right about his being restrained, and I did rather like the piano scene.

That Kiss was horrible. So UNromantic it was pathetic. Badly done. ;-)

It's been a while since I've read the book, and I almost didn't catch the whole cancelled chapters thing with the Crofts giving up their lease, but there were quite a few textual alterations. *grrr*

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

That version has never been satisfactory with me, not that this new one is, either. I think they both are full of flaws, but I did enjoy this one much more than I anticipated. (I guess that's the key to enjoyment? Think of how horrible it's going to be, and then you'll be pleasantly surprised. lol)

That kiss was icky.

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Cute, perhaps, but he couldn't have done it! *grrr* And I'm almost certain the waltzing was not period. But then of course if Anne can magically set broken collarbones with a poke and a pop, then why not?

;-) Yes, I had heard that! I was rather pleased when I learned that, though I'm not sure why.

I didn't even notice that! He didn't make my heart thump at all. (sorry) They don't all have to be Tall, Dark, and Handsome, but for me, he wasn't much other than Tall. He needed to emote more, IMNSHO.

Oh, yes! They ruined it! One of the best endings in literary history, and not a single one of these stupid filmmakers can manage to get it right. It's not like it's HARD to adapt. I was hoping maybe Wentworth would overhear her at Harville's saying women love longest, but he was too busy laughing. *facepalm*

LOL! Oh yes, let's go to Bath and drink the muddy water. (I thought that Barbara Spooner's remark in Amazing Grace about the yucky water was very amusing)

I hated THAT kiss! Not even remotely romantic. I thought was was having an asthmatic attack. lol.

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

See, I thought they were going to have it pulled too tight and then loosen it up later, to show Anne's "bloom" returning as it did in the novel. Even Amanda Root managed to look better by the end of the film.

Oh dear. Well, I'll be sure and be extra sarcastic when I see MP, how's that? *lol*

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Yes! (I'll bet some idiot watched one of the movies and got their names confused.)

JA repeated names, but never both the first name and the surname if I am correct. There is Elizabeth Bennet and Elizabeth Elliot, or Fanny Price and Fanny Dashwood, etc. I think they just screwed it up.

Of course, Mr Rupert Penry-Jones is also the one who spoke distainfully of "Those Austen People" who would want a five hour adaptation if they could get away with it. What is wrong with that, might I ask???

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Oh, I see. Well I've seen only half of a MP, so we'll see how much I like that. ;-)

Part of me liked the camera being "invited" into Anne's suffering, but the other part of me found it jolting. It kind of ruined the whole "suspension of reality" that a period film is supposed to have and instead made it more of a documentary almost. If Anne had looked in the general direction of the camera and out a window instead, I think it would have been just as effective, perhaps more so. It would have highlighted her loneliness more, whereas they way they did it, she has the viewer for company and sympathy. [/rant]

Yes, they trimmed off about 10 minutes of film. And yes, if my information is correct, the DVD will be full-length.

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Ahhhh! Well the 1970s version is positively horrid! And the Root/Hinds is a tad bit lackluster, for me, and this new one is quite flawed, but perhaps I'm too harsh.

What is your favourite?

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

The DVD they're selling is supposed to be full-length. Not that this is worth buying, mind. ;-)

Oh, it's not Masterpiece Theatre anymore. It's now "Masterpiece". Isn't that stupid?

[adventurat.livejournal.com]

The lips; it's all in the lips. I just wanna mush 'em with mine and bruise us both. *sigh*

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

I won't kill you, but I do consider myself one of the Janeites. ;-) And a purist. lol.

The running of the marathon was just plain stupid IMVHO.

As much as I get irritated with AD for certain things, so far, I do think his adaptations are the best. He seems to understand what is crucial in JA's stories and what is not, and what can be changed without compromising the "spirit" of the novel. I'm not even sure this screenwriter read the novel -- he must have picked up a copy of Cliff's Notes on his way to work one morning. *facepalm*

Your icon is lovely. What is it from?

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Ohhkaaayyy...I confess I hadn't noticed his lips. But then I was too busy studying Anne's dresses, haha.

[ex-arcady.livejournal.com]

Yes, exactly! They must've been blind or they like making their actresses homely...

HAHAHAH! Excellent.