Shot under mostly grey or cloudy skies, this adaptation evokes the feel of the novel well, and is very faithful to the story. Given that almost the entire wardrobe was destroyed in a fire, everyone looks perfectly pretty or rightly ragged in their hurriedly thrown-together costumes; one would never know.
Told in four, one-hour slots, the length is just right. Not too rushed, yet not so long as to keep the viewer wrapped in a cocoon of sadness to the same extent as our poor heroine. While not as engaging as other BBC adaptations - the notion that the BBC could churn such things out in their sleep seems to have been tried and tested with Tess - , it is nonetheless a moving tale of hypocrisy that shows while people may not change through history, thankfully, society, culture, and attitudes do.
Article comments
1 - Brandy
Loved the feature film starring Nastassja Kinski. The Stonehenge scene there was eerie and powerful as well. The symbolism Hardy used in that setting was a stroke of genius. Interesting that the costumes were burned just before filming!
Love your last line - the hypocrisy behind many people's actions in the story is what makes this a tragedy.
2 - Regina
Do you guys know what that 'solitary violin soundtrack' is called by any chance?