Friday, January 18, 2008

TV: Persuasion

I am looking forward to the Jane Austen Extravaganza on PBS over the next weeks. This past Sunday's Persuasion was ... ok. ... but nothing beats the despair, the tension, hope and sheer romance of the 1995 version with Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds. This version is still my favorite.

Watch this clip. There is NOTHING better than this, well, except for Colin Firth coming out of that lake in P&P.

17 comments:

1morechapter said...

I have the new Persuasion recorded but haven't watched it yet. I so love the Root/Hinds version of Persuasion. I was skeptical that I would enjoy the new one over the old, but now it seems everyone else is saying the same thing.

Thanks for the clip!! It reminded me why I love Persuasion so much.

Anonymous said...

I agree--it was just OK. I haven't seen the 1995 adaptation, but hope to do so this weekend.

Will you be watching Northanger Abbey on PBS this Sunday?

tanita✿davis said...

The older I get, the more Persuasion is my FAVORITEFAVORITEFAVORITE FAVORITE OF ALL TIME of the Austen novels. I love old Emma and of course P&P but OH, I love this version. I'd love to see it with other actors, too; this is the only one I've ever seen.

Oh!
MUST watch that this weekend.
*sigh. swoon.*

I'm so glad we're all Austennerds together.

Camille said...

Tadmack, I could not agree with you more about my "maturity" increasing apace of my love of Persuasion. Emma and P&P are about the trials of young love whereas Persuasion is about love lost and found again later in life. sigh. So satisfying.

I am going to watch Northanger Abbey this weekend, Pooja.

That is one of the novels I have never been able to make myself read. I have tried many times but I just can't seem to force my eyeballs to move from word to word.

Jen Robinson said...

I've never seen the 1995 version of Persuasion, but you've convinced me with this clip, Camille. I liked the one from last weekend, but I agree with someone who said that it felt a bit abridged, like there should have been more. I think I just might have to go back and re-read the book (which I haven't read in too long to remember).

Besides adoring P&P, I also have a fondness for Mansfield Park. I never cared much for Emma - she annoys me (though I like the Clueless version).

Great to have fellow Austennerds to share with, as TadMack said.

Anonymous said...

The Amanda Root version is superior in story, but Rupert Penry-Jones is superior in hotness.

I've already seen the Northanger Abbey production, and I can assure you that it's the best of the three ITV productions by a mile. JJ Feild is awesome as Henry Tilney, and Felicity Jones is winsome and winning as Catherine Morland. I credit Andrew Davies, who wrote the screenplay for it (and for the 1995 P&P and the 2008 S&S, which I'm anticipating with much enthusiasm!)

Camille said...

Pooja and Jen: You MUST get this Persuasion and watch it. The screen just crackles with all that is said and unsaid!

Anonymous said...

My girlfriends and I watched the Keira Knightly version of P&P on Wednesday night (more on that in a bit) and will be watching Bridget Jones' Diary this Wedensday; we'll watch Persuasion the week after and I will report back!

TadMack, Camille, I fully agree that Persuasion is more mature, and that I appreciate it more now that I am older.

As for the KK P&P, it was beautiful and (mostly) well-cast, but the dialogue that did not come directly from the book was *terrible*. The most awful line was uttered by Mr. Darcy to Lizzie: "You have bewitched me, body and soul." Blegh.

Jen Robinson said...

Sold. I'll watch it soon, Camille. Based on your strong recommendation, I used $11.99 of my Amazon money to buy the DVD (after blockbuster and my library branch didn't have it).

Anonymous said...

I missed last Sunday, but I love the 1995 Persuasion. Already own it on DVD and watched it multiple times. Love it when everyone is *not* so awesomely beautiful to overwhelm the story, too.

Anonymous said...

The latest Persuasion was good and I enjoyed it, even though Andrew davies bunged in the obligatory sex scene, but the Ciaran Hinds/Amanda Root remains my favourite and always will. Persuasion is the JA I return to over and over again, I love it so much. The scene where she discovers and reads the letter is simply sublime.

And I agree that the Northanger Abbey is very good - rest of the series not good at all

Anonymous said...

Davies didn't write the new Persuasion screenplay, and I don't recall a sex scene in it, so I'm guessing you meant NA there?

I agree that the Amanda Root Persuasion is still the best out there.

Camille said...

I think Elaine did mean NA. I enjoyed NA but had to replay the end several times and put on the captioning to understand the last voice over.

Pooja, I know what you mean about P&P with Keira. It went all Harlequin romancey there at the end.

Jen, let us know how you like the 1995 version.

Camille said...

3M--will be interested to hear what you think of the "new" one.

Jen Robinson said...

I will report back, Camille. My schedule's gotten a little out of control, though, so it might be a while... But it's sitting at the top of my "to watch" stack.

Jen Robinson said...

OK, Camille, I finally watched the 1995 Persuasion. And I agree - it's much better. They fill in more detail, to round out the characters better. And the letter is much better in this one. Thanks for the recommendation, all!

Camille said...

Oh I am soooo...glad you liked it. I think it is wonderful.