Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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98 of 104 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
ONe of the greatest pieces of TV - ever!, 4 Oct 2008
Quite simply this is brilliant. Producing the book as a TV series gave the director the opportunity to indulge in Waugh's lush and vivid text and whole sections of the book are quoted verbatim. And of course, in hindsight, the casting was inspired, with Jeremy Irons as Rider and Anthony Andrews as the rather beautiful Sebastian Flyte. But don't forget such cameo's as Nikolas Grace as the effete Anthony Blanche - masterful!
The film I understand, leaves a lot to be desired, so better to buy this AND read the book. You will regret buying neither.
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28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Television of the highest quality, 13 Nov 2008
This is a staggeringly good piece of TV drama which has justifiably become a classic. It's hard to imagine any producer today taking the time to explore a novel in the way this adaptation does, a full 11 episodes which allow the viewer to luxuriate in the story and thoroughly explore the characters. There has always been debate over whether there was a mythological "Golden Age of TV", but I think the early 1980s saw something quite remarkable at Granada Studios, at least in the field of period adaptations, and Brideshead might just be the pinnacle.
Evelyn Waugh's novel is a heady evocation of time and place, as well as an exploration of spirituality, and the series captures all this with consummate skill, from the glorious period detail to the brilliant script by John Mortimer. The acting is simply faultless, to be expected when talent like Irons and Andrews stands alongside veteran greats like Olivier, Gielgud and Claire Bloom.
In sum, I enjoyed this series immensely. Craft and class like this don't come together very often, more's the pity.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Divine television - a superb adaptation, 1 Jan 2009
I recall when BR was televised in the early 80s the BBC's lead drama in competition was 'The Borgias' - who remembers that now? With thanks to Granada however, we do have this masterful adaptation and example of crafted television to enjoy. In summary, and in conclusion of the tale, it's a tragedy chronicling the decline of a family torn apart by its Catholic faith, as witnessed by the interloper that is Charles Ryder - suffused throughout though with humour, sometimes love and a lot of loss.
Some 25+ years later, in the light of a new film adaptation, does the original still stand up to any test - undoubtedly yes. The film may appeal more to those who want to witness the romance between Charles and Sebastian and how Charles's rejection of Sebastian triggers the events that follow. The film also reveals the true horror that is Lady Marchmain, which perhaps Claire Bloom in the television series is simply to genteel to hurl at us. But it is, in comparison, a lumpen and patchy affair. Where Michael Gambon is utterly wasted in the role of Lord Marchmain in the film, Laurence Oliver (and all the cast) in the television series had the time to unravel and slowly reveal their characters, letting us see their complication, intrigue, distrust and sometimes a little of their love.
While the headline cast are all superb, I'd pick out supporting cast members such as John Gielgud (utterly brilliant and sorely missed), Phoebe Nicholls as an enchanting Cordelia, Michael Hilton as Hayter and of course Nickolas Grace as being worthy of equal note. In fact, the depth of acting is evident across virtually all the roles.
Whether such television could be made nowadays is moot (for example its duration, range of locations, attention to detail and size of cast). As Waugh said himself, the book was a record of times lost and perhaps also television is structured to differently nowadays to produce anything comparable. I for one though am glad it has been made and that it is still available. Surely it is time for a digital remastering?
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