Last October, when Emma 2009 was shown on BBC in the UK, the Times Online reviewed the film, which A.A. Gill felt came up short. He sounds like a curmudgeon, for he practically wished Jane Austen's work to perdition.Last week in this newspaper, I read that Mark Twain had said if he knew where Jane Austen was buried, he’d dig her up and beat in her skull with her own femur. My sentiments entirely. The world can be, and indeed should be, split between those for Jane and those for Twain.
However, the article did leave us with this memorable graphic. Click on this link to read the scathing review.
Radio Times, in a more flattering portrait, showcased Emma on four pages and discussed the end of the bonnet costume dramas on BBC. Click on the images to read the article.
Click on the images to read the article.
Posted by Vic, Jane Austen's World
15 comments:
I find it amusing that the paper doll Emma's underwear is circa 2009...I am so sad to see this last bonnet drama from BBC !
I personally think that it isn't a matter of people not wanting period dramas anymore, but that the quality isn't always up to the standard that the '95 P&P set in people's minds.
"if he knew where Jane Austen was buried, he’d dig her up and beat in her skull with her own femur."
Sounds macarbe!
Even though I dislike Colin Firth I would at least give him the dignity of selecting either pistols or swords.
A gentleman would never desecrate someone's grave! Does this sound pompous? maybe all the vampire and zombie reinterpretation is letting are standards slip as suggested by Kimba?
and I too like the circa 2009 underwear, (as items of appreciation on the female, not for the wearing by the male person, smiles).
Such nonsense! Do I begrudge Star Trek fanatics their space films?
I did enjoy Part 1 of Emma although felt Romola was too wide-eyed. It must have been a conscious choice as I have stared at my co-workers all week long and no one has such big eyes naturally.
Nigel,no not pompous at all... I agree with you on the gentleman factor...Twain didn't have it ! He was a cranky old codger...not worthy to wipe the mud off Jane Austen's boots !!!
And what the hey does Star Trek have to do with Jane Austen Today ?
Oh My! Gills is scathing. Emma thin on plot?! What utter nonsense! Still, I would go to great lengths for those paper dolls, period undies optional.
I like Star Trek. This is probably irrelevant, but since it was brought up I thought it should be noted that one can adore both a bonnet drama and DS9. They are not mutually exclusive.
Alexa, You hit a nerve and I must admit, DS9 is my favorite Star Trek... I have the whole series set so you're right, you can throughly adore Bonnet Dramas and Star Trek as well !
Correct me if I wrong but wasn't the romance between William Riker and Deanna Troy from Star Trek TNG slightly austenesque?
But DS9! surely not? I thought Voyager would have been liberating with a female Captain?
Gill also drivelled a similarly intellect-free "review" of Sense and Sensibility in 2008. The graphic actually made me feel rather sick, even though I knew it was photoshopped.
And anyone who quotes that particular Twain bit of idiocy needs...well, I think perhaps they have pronounced their own sentence, as I cannot imagine a life more bereft of true joy than that of someone who hates Jane Austen. After all, if you hate the good and love the bad, you are impoverishing yourself, are you not?
And I am not a Star Trek fan - however, I am a huge Star Wars fan.
Nigel,
I never liked the Riker - Troi romance and I hated that they made her NOT use her lovely British accent. I always thought Riker was more suited to Tasha Yar, but then they killed her off ( twice )
I found Dax and Worf in DS9 to be more Austensque in a Klingonish kind of way !
BTW,
I am also a Star Wars fan, so don't get me started with that either...
And dear friends...
We better stop with the Star Trek stuff etc., before our lovely blog owners give us the boot or at least use the dreaded DELETE button ! LOL
Little Dorrit was very popular in the US - Little Dorrit won seven Emmy awards (nominated for eleven) including Best Miniseries, sold tons of videos, and both American reviewers and viewers loved it. In short, quite a success. But you'd never know it from reading some of these UK articles trashing period dramas. In the UK, Little Dorrit was plagued with scheduling irregularities, it was put in 1/2 hour increments and at odd times, rescheduled repeatedly without notice, and people were complaining to the BBC en masse because they wanted to see it but couldn't. I think what we see in some of these articles is the writer's bias, and even the term "bonnet drama" is indicative of contempt for a historical dramatization from a woman's perspective. But the misrepresentations with the goal of doing away with what so many obviously enjoy is a bit much. Hopefully WGBH will ignore the whining of the minority and learn from the overwhelming success of Little Dorrit that if you give the people a fine period drama, they will watch.
Oh, Nonna Beach, how nice to be called lovely.
We are true Star Wars fans and do not mind side discussions. Jane A. would have approved, being an author who engaged her characters in lively conversations.
ps. Also I loved Emma 2009...
Loved Star Trek/Star Wars, too... Any Twilight Zone fans out there? Watching Rod Sterling quote from The Merchant of Venice at the end of one, priceless. I bought the whole set to watch on rainy days... in between period dramas, of course. :-)
(Anonymous from above)
pps. Make that Rod Serling...
Trivia, that episode of Twilight Zone starred Leonard Nimoy...
Vic,
How kind and so like the lovely ladies I know you both are...a great observation about Jane Austen and her love/ approval of lively conversation too !
I am also an avid fan of "The Twilight Zone" too...just for the record LOL !
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