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Thursday, July 5

Northanger Abbey: ITV Videos

Update:
Northanger Abbey Video Available on You Tube again. Click here.


So Sorry: As of July 25, These Videos Are No Longer Available on YouTube...however, this is a nice clip that summarizes all three ITV videos...



JaneEyre112, the individual responsible for placing ITV Persuasion and Mansfield Park videos on YouTube, has also placed Northanger Abbey videos on that platform. Click here to view the first video, then look on the sidebar to click on subsequent videos 1-15, and one titled "Last Part."



Penny For Your Dreams provides a thoughtful review of this movie. On the whole, I enjoyed it more than Mansfield Park, which was dreadful.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

This production was way better than Mansfield Park, which really confused me. Excuse me, but didn't Fanny go to Portsmouth to live with her parents for a while?

Damselfly said...

I loved Northanger...I thought they really captured the whimsey that Jan intended in this book. Far less uptight and stuffy than her other books (which I adore as well despite my description) Catherine's age is really seen in this performance by Felicity and pairing her up with JJ was great because his appearance read younger but he acted more mature therefore sowing their age difference.

Mansfield was disappointing...but I do think it to be on of Jane's more "blah" storylines. One of the things that got me more than anything...Fanny's hair. I know they were trying to show her rebelious nature but it just look drab and like older productions of these books. As a costume designer I have to say they could have put her hair up yet less formal as she was about the house and then had her take it down when she felt freer (riding or alone with her cousin) it would have set up the "hairwashing" scene better...the idea that she felt comfortable with him. Also given her more character. IMO the best thing about that production was Blake...he was easy to look at!

Vic said...

Yes, anon. Fanny did go to Portsmouth. That was not the only thing I didn't like about the production. I had problems with story continuity, and with the way Mrs. Norris just seemed to disappear into the background. Maria was also given short shrift, and Fanny's entire family, except for her brother, never appeared. Strange.

And I think Damsel identified for me what I found wrong with the Fanny Price character. Her sloppy hair made her look more like a servant without a mob cap than a beloved niece. And you are right, Damsel, they could have used Fanny's hair to better effect, putting it up for every day occasions, and letting her curls fly free during countryside romps.

As for Northanger Abbey, I liked this production the best of the three ITV specials. Felicity was adorable in the part, and as you say, she was the right age. As for the heroes, I found them all handsome. My favorite by far was Rupert Penry Jones as Captain Wentworth.