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DVD Description
Among the alleys, galleries and flesh-houses of 19th-century London, a group of young artists crash through Victorian society. Calling themselves the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, they might present a real threat to the art establishment – if lust, poverty, jealousy and rivalry don’t tear them apart first…
They are three talented and good-looking young bucks, thrill-seeking and on-the-make, on the grubby streets of London. But these are no punk rockers, this is 1851 and these lads-- Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Holman Hunt and John Millais – are among Britain’s most celebrated artists.
Styling themselves as the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, they declare their irreverent genius to the artistic establishment as frequently and as loudly as they can. Unfortunately for them, only one man seems to be listening: Fred Walters, a shy hanger-on who ingratiates himself with them by locating the “perfect model” – flame-haired Lizzie Siddal, a hat-shop assistant.
Young, naive and high on laudanum, the Brotherhood manage to affront polite society with their lewd behaviour, but can they produce the work that will exemplify their revolutionary stance? And, as they encounter success, failure, love and rejection, can they overcome their own personal doubts and demons?
Special Features
They are three talented and good-looking young bucks, thrill-seeking and on-the-make, on the grubby streets of London. But these are no punk rockers, this is 1851 and these lads-- Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Holman Hunt and John Millais – are among Britain’s most celebrated artists.
Styling themselves as the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, they declare their irreverent genius to the artistic establishment as frequently and as loudly as they can. Unfortunately for them, only one man seems to be listening: Fred Walters, a shy hanger-on who ingratiates himself with them by locating the “perfect model” – flame-haired Lizzie Siddal, a hat-shop assistant.
Young, naive and high on laudanum, the Brotherhood manage to affront polite society with their lewd behaviour, but can they produce the work that will exemplify their revolutionary stance? And, as they encounter success, failure, love and rejection, can they overcome their own personal doubts and demons?
Special Features
- AN INTERVIEW WITH FRANNY MOYL
- DESPERATE ROMANTICS - A PORTRAIT: A Behind the scenes featurette
Product Description
United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2.4 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Dolby Digital Stereo ), English ( Subtitles ), ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN (1.78:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: 2-DVD Set, Anamorphic Widescreen, Behind the scenes, Cast/Crew Interview(s), Featurette, Interactive Menu, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: It's London, 1851. The city is in the throes of the industrial revolution. But amongst the dirty red bricks and smoke stacks are four young, thrill-seeking artists - steadfast William Holman Hunt, naive John Millais, mischievous Dante Gabriel Rossetti and budding journalist Fred Walters - otherwise known as the Brotherhood. Their quest for artistic immortality takes them into some of the lewdest, darkest and funniest corners of the city. Joining them is sassy, sexy model Lizzie Siddal. But is she risking it all with this dangerous bunch? With a glossy look, and a driving contemporary soundtrack, Desperate Romantics is a character-driven romp through the alleyways, studios, brothels and chop-houses of 19th century London. ...Desperate Romantics - Complete Series - 2-DVD Set
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
45 of 48 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is an engaging romp about the louche, proto-punk "alpha-fops" who founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. The name reflected their rejection of Raphael's "grand manner" as they championed a more realistic style combined with symbolism (mostly Christian and mythological).
Using a fictional narrator (the diffident but awestruck diarist Fred Walters), and a brash, glam-rock score by Daniel Pemberton, Peter Bowker's dramatisation of Franny Moyle's Desperate Romantics: The Private Lives of the Pre-Raphaelites recreates real events. Flame-haired hat-shop girl-turned-model/Muse Lizzie Siddal models for Millais's iconic ''Ophelia'' in a full bath warmed by dozens of candles; Charles Dickens pours scorn on John Millais's ''Christ in the House of His Parents,'' accusing it of blasphemy; the repressed influential critic John Ruskin (Tom Hollander - wonderful) is sexually repelled by his wife Effie, leaving the way open for her to fall in love with the engaging, affable Millais.
The story follows the hungry, ambitious group through the dingy brothels and shops, on their search for Muses and models; in their studios, getting and losing inspiration - and having sex; humbled by old fogeys, while seeking sponsorship at Royal Academy (R.A.) exhibitions. Oozing talent and testosterone, Rossetti (Aidan Turner) emerges as the leader of the pack, although the personalities are all distinctive and beautifully acted.
Beginning in the prime of their lives, this adaptation inexorably points towards the dark outcomes that lay ahead for some of the Brotherhood (notably not Millais - he became President of the R.A.).
Using a fictional narrator (the diffident but awestruck diarist Fred Walters), and a brash, glam-rock score by Daniel Pemberton, Peter Bowker's dramatisation of Franny Moyle's Desperate Romantics: The Private Lives of the Pre-Raphaelites recreates real events. Flame-haired hat-shop girl-turned-model/Muse Lizzie Siddal models for Millais's iconic ''Ophelia'' in a full bath warmed by dozens of candles; Charles Dickens pours scorn on John Millais's ''Christ in the House of His Parents,'' accusing it of blasphemy; the repressed influential critic John Ruskin (Tom Hollander - wonderful) is sexually repelled by his wife Effie, leaving the way open for her to fall in love with the engaging, affable Millais.
The story follows the hungry, ambitious group through the dingy brothels and shops, on their search for Muses and models; in their studios, getting and losing inspiration - and having sex; humbled by old fogeys, while seeking sponsorship at Royal Academy (R.A.) exhibitions. Oozing talent and testosterone, Rossetti (Aidan Turner) emerges as the leader of the pack, although the personalities are all distinctive and beautifully acted.
Beginning in the prime of their lives, this adaptation inexorably points towards the dark outcomes that lay ahead for some of the Brotherhood (notably not Millais - he became President of the R.A.).
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I have been hooked on the Preraphaelite Brotherhood since I was a teenager. A print of Hunt's "Light of the World" adorned my bedroom wall for years, and Rossetti's damsels fired my adolescent imagination, in the days when one didn't talk about sex.
Living abroad, I missed the TV showing of "Desperate Romantics", but jumped on the DVD as soon as it came out. My first reaction was: "No! This is not they!" Rossetti all too often often comes across as a shallow cad, which he probably was. However, the final shot takes liberties, even with this libertine. We see him gambolling across the grass with his book of poems under his arm, having exhumed them from wife Lizzy's grave. What we are not told in the film is that he then suffered extreme guilt, which probably contributed ultimately to his substance abuse and mental breakdown. We are left at the end of the series with the feeling that he got away with living fast and loose. As far as the other characters go, Hunt's religious fervour is beautifully portrayed, and Ruskin is just how I imagine him to have been, intellectual, dignified, but lacking in masculinity. Millais comes across as priggish and boring, where he was arguably the most brilliant of the painters in question. But who the heck is Fred? It jars to have an omniscient narrator commenting on these larger-than-life figures, especially as he never existed. The women, without exception, are beautifully chosen, and, to use the Preraphaelite term, stunners.
My opinion: Once past the first episode, I suspended my disbelief, and became, yes, hooked. The whole thing is a romp, raunchy, sexy, modern, fun. The opening titles and the introductory music are superb, and there is definitely enough truth in the storyline to present a fascinating picture of these incredible men (and women). Watch it!
Living abroad, I missed the TV showing of "Desperate Romantics", but jumped on the DVD as soon as it came out. My first reaction was: "No! This is not they!" Rossetti all too often often comes across as a shallow cad, which he probably was. However, the final shot takes liberties, even with this libertine. We see him gambolling across the grass with his book of poems under his arm, having exhumed them from wife Lizzy's grave. What we are not told in the film is that he then suffered extreme guilt, which probably contributed ultimately to his substance abuse and mental breakdown. We are left at the end of the series with the feeling that he got away with living fast and loose. As far as the other characters go, Hunt's religious fervour is beautifully portrayed, and Ruskin is just how I imagine him to have been, intellectual, dignified, but lacking in masculinity. Millais comes across as priggish and boring, where he was arguably the most brilliant of the painters in question. But who the heck is Fred? It jars to have an omniscient narrator commenting on these larger-than-life figures, especially as he never existed. The women, without exception, are beautifully chosen, and, to use the Preraphaelite term, stunners.
My opinion: Once past the first episode, I suspended my disbelief, and became, yes, hooked. The whole thing is a romp, raunchy, sexy, modern, fun. The opening titles and the introductory music are superb, and there is definitely enough truth in the storyline to present a fascinating picture of these incredible men (and women). Watch it!
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
In the last few years the BBC have shown how good they are at making programmes that have been more quirky and 'out of the box'. When you think of Rome or Larkrise to Candleford you know where I am coming from. What the writer of this series, Peter Bowker has done is made something that is highly entertaining, informative, based on fact but with a little licence taken, such as was done with the brilliant Casanova [2005] [DVD].
Rossetti, Hunt and Millais were the main members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood as shown here, but there were others. Combining fact with fiction and adding some humour this series will hopefully make people more aware of the art that has been produced in this country over the years and may even encourage people to look deeper into our history.
Today where we see some absolutely bizarre things that are promoted as art it seems funny to us that back in the nineteenth century these artists could cause such a stir in the art world by these paintings, which to us are not shocking or even obscene. What the Brotherhood set out to do was revitilise the Royal Academy and art in this country and in that process they also became superstars.
With brilliant casting and great writing this series is not only highly interesting but also fantastic entertainment. I would recommend this to anyone and also Franny Moyle (an executive producer of this series) has written a great pop art history book that gives a more factual approach to the Brotherhood which makes a great accompaniment.
Rossetti, Hunt and Millais were the main members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood as shown here, but there were others. Combining fact with fiction and adding some humour this series will hopefully make people more aware of the art that has been produced in this country over the years and may even encourage people to look deeper into our history.
Today where we see some absolutely bizarre things that are promoted as art it seems funny to us that back in the nineteenth century these artists could cause such a stir in the art world by these paintings, which to us are not shocking or even obscene. What the Brotherhood set out to do was revitilise the Royal Academy and art in this country and in that process they also became superstars.
With brilliant casting and great writing this series is not only highly interesting but also fantastic entertainment. I would recommend this to anyone and also Franny Moyle (an executive producer of this series) has written a great pop art history book that gives a more factual approach to the Brotherhood which makes a great accompaniment.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
again and again
Desperate Romantics [DVD]
I would love a £ for every time I have watched this DVD, I would be rich. Victorian art is back in fashion.
I would love a £ for every time I have watched this DVD, I would be rich. Victorian art is back in fashion.
Published 2 months ago by hawk
Okay? OKAY?? No - NOT 'Okay'!
I quite liked this. It was up-beat. It was dynamic. To a certain extent, it did what it said on the tin - it echoed the radical, off-the-wall group of young, up-beat artists of... Read more
Published 9 months ago by B. Scott
Region 1 or Region 2?
It was watching three seasons of Being Human that led me to watching this as I began to explore the actors' other work in this case Aidan Turner's. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Syndy
I love it!
This is the best I have seen on TV for a really long time. I just had to see it again!
Now I have watched it again and again and again... Read more
Now I have watched it again and again and again... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Krista
tedious failure
I usually love BBC period drama but this is one of the worst I have seen. I would give it one star except for some good acting performances especially Amy Manson as Lizzie and Zoe... Read more
Published 13 months ago by D. Stephen Wilkinson
Here in your living room, right here, right now
Like thousands of other people with an unhealthy pre-Raphaelite biography habit (okay, obsession), I could supply a long and tedious list of the "errors" in this series. Read more
Published 13 months ago by L. Camidge
DESPERATE FOR MORE
Started to watch this when it was on the tele and was hooked .The story is humourous, sad and full of drama.I loved the cast particularly Aidan Turner and Rafe Spall,great actors. Read more
Published 13 months ago by miss marple
Good fun!
OK not a factual account of the Pre Raphaelite Brotherhood but nevertheless an exciting romp that I thoroughly enjoyed having missed it when it was on TV. Read more
Published 14 months ago by sephy
An investment you will not regret
You want to know about artists lives, or what the creative process implies, you care for 19th century painters, or you are an incurable romantic at heart. Read more
Published 14 months ago by SAINTIXE
Desperately Romantic!
Saw the first few episodes when this wonderful show aired on TV but lost track of it at the time. Now having finally bought the DVD I can say I regret not sticking with it! Read more
Published 15 months ago by Hebe
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