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From Amazon.co.uk
From the pen of Andrew Davies, the man who's brought some of the finest literary adaptations to the small screen in recent years, comes the BBC’s new take on Jane Austen’s Sense & Sensibility. Running across three episodes, it proves to be as much as a sumptuous treat as much of Davies' previous endeavours.
Austen’s story of the Dashwood sisters and a romance with John Willoughby is a familiar one (and it was realised quite brilliantly in Ang Lee’s film adaptation in 1996), and so it’s left to the super cast and terrific production values to convince audiences to dip into Sense & Sensibility again. Fortunately, the production delivers with consummate ease.
Much of the credit for Sense & Sensibility’s success lies in its excellent cast. David Morrissey, Mark Williams, Janet McTeer and Charity Wakefield are among the many strong performers, and they’re matched by equally impressive work behind the camera too. There’s an argument whether it manages to eclipse the 1996 filmed version (for which Emma Thompson took home an Oscar), but it’s perhaps to best see them as companion pieces. And truthfully, you’re not going to be disappointed with either. Because once again, the BBC has brought further life to a tale told many times before, and its production of Sense & Sensibility is set to be enjoyed for many years to come. --Jon Foster
Product Description
David Morrissey, Dominic Cooper, Dan Stevens, Mark Williams, Janet McTeer and Mark Gatiss lead an all-star cast in Andrew Davies' romantic and stylish three-part BBC adaptation of Jane Austen's classic Sense and Sensibility.
Marianne Dashwood wears her heart on her sleeve when she falls in love with the charming but unsuitable John Willoughby, ignoring her sister Elinor's warning that her impulsive behaviour leaves her open to gossip and innuendo. Elinor, sensitive to social convention, struggles to conceal her own romantic disappointment, even from those closest to her. Will the sisters learn that sense must mix with sensibility if they are to find personal happiness in a society where status and money govern the rules of love?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
79 of 81 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I didn't bother watching this when it was originally on television, thinking that the Emma Thompson film was so good that nothing would match it and so I just wouldn't bother. Having watched the dvd under some persuasion from a friend, I'm quite ashamed of my ignorance and wish I'd watched it back then. This is simply an excellent adaptation which shows up faults I hadn't noticed before in the film version.
Charity Wakefield is a strikingly good actress, her portrayal of Marianne Dashwood makes that of Kate Winslet seem rather wooden. Wakefield exudes the natural, unaffected character of Marianne with so much depth that she truly lifts the heart and soul out of Austen's creation and is a joy to watch. Although Wakefield stands out in the cast, the other characters also are more 'real' and believable here. David Morrissey is a much more sympathetic Brandon, and you wonder how Marianne could ever have failed to fall in love with him at first sight. There is a really palpable sense of his having the same passionate, romantic nature as Marianne, which has been subdued by bitter past experience, only to be reawakened and eventually noticed by Marianne.
The settings, too, are sumptuously evocative. The cottage to which to Dashwoods move is no twee chocolate box cottage but a neglected, wind-swept house which combines the Romantic,desolate beauty of the wind swept Devonshire coast with the stark depiction of the poverty into which the family have descended, mirrored in Marianne's joy at her new surroundings and Elinor's practicality and concern at the challenges of their enforced new life. Add to the glorious scenery and excellent performances, the tempestuous and haunting music which permeates throughout, and you have a truly beautiful adaptation. One to keep and treasure.
Charity Wakefield is a strikingly good actress, her portrayal of Marianne Dashwood makes that of Kate Winslet seem rather wooden. Wakefield exudes the natural, unaffected character of Marianne with so much depth that she truly lifts the heart and soul out of Austen's creation and is a joy to watch. Although Wakefield stands out in the cast, the other characters also are more 'real' and believable here. David Morrissey is a much more sympathetic Brandon, and you wonder how Marianne could ever have failed to fall in love with him at first sight. There is a really palpable sense of his having the same passionate, romantic nature as Marianne, which has been subdued by bitter past experience, only to be reawakened and eventually noticed by Marianne.
The settings, too, are sumptuously evocative. The cottage to which to Dashwoods move is no twee chocolate box cottage but a neglected, wind-swept house which combines the Romantic,desolate beauty of the wind swept Devonshire coast with the stark depiction of the poverty into which the family have descended, mirrored in Marianne's joy at her new surroundings and Elinor's practicality and concern at the challenges of their enforced new life. Add to the glorious scenery and excellent performances, the tempestuous and haunting music which permeates throughout, and you have a truly beautiful adaptation. One to keep and treasure.
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful
By Wiebke
Format:DVD
My review is more to do with the quality of the DVD than the film itself.
Having seen the mini serie on TV I bought the DVD as in some way I hope to
support these kind of productions this way. But I am very disappointed as
scenes have been cut out from the DVD version. Why on earth is this necessary?
And why isn't there a note mentioning this? In future I better stick to my
recordings from TV.
Having seen the mini serie on TV I bought the DVD as in some way I hope to
support these kind of productions this way. But I am very disappointed as
scenes have been cut out from the DVD version. Why on earth is this necessary?
And why isn't there a note mentioning this? In future I better stick to my
recordings from TV.
41 of 44 people found the following review helpful
By princess jem
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
After being so impressed with the 1996 version of Sense and Sensibility, I wondered what a new version could really offer. But this version was spectacular, it really portrayed the characters well, the acting is superb, the scenery stunning and the costumes suitably lovely. Edward Ferrars from the film version was pretty bland, and his relationship with Elinor was sidelined so it was nice to see their storyline get more attention in this adaptation. Hattie Morahan is perfect at portraying Elinor while Charity Wakefield is very convincing as the less sensible sister, Marianne. The other actors are brilliant, and in my opinion this adaptation is actually better than the 1996 version, not least because the two main characters are the right age.
70 of 78 people found the following review helpful
By Mr. Ian A. Macfarlane
TOP 100 REVIEWER
Format:DVD
This is very, very enjoyable. It takes liberties over and above the necessary short-cutting and telescoping which inevitably arise in a filmed version of a full-length novel, but it is very watchable and a lot of fun. The settings are, of course, grand (where appropriate) and beautiful, with a particularly Romantic 'Devonshire' cottage for the distressed Dashwoods, visually lovely but also (inside) very cold! The casting is spot-on. Hattie Morahan as Elinor has a most intelligent and expressive face and never puts a foot wrong in her reactions ; she judges the controlled passion of the character, who lives under painful stress for a good part of the film without being able to reveal it, quite perfectly, and when finally Edward is able to voice his feelings, her tearful, inarticulate joy is most moving. This is an outstanding performance. Charity Wakefield plays the good-hearted, headstrong Marianne to a T, and their mother is the excellent Janet McTear, who conveys the bewilderment and dignified lack of practicality of one in her position wholly convincingly. Edmund and Willoughby are both good and I must say I found David Morrissey better than Alan Rickman, good as he was, in the famous film, pace another reviewer. Rickman is a mannered actor - a very good one - and he was too creepily lugubrious for me, whereas Morrissey is dignified, well-bred, reserved as he should be and (actually) also very dashing - lucky Marianne, in the end, though she has to go through a lot before she gets there. The background music is sometimes intrusive, but that's not a serious problem. The film ends delightfully, with Brandon carrying his young wife into his splendid country mansion and Elinor, laughing, watching Edward chasing chickens round their parsonage yard.... Read more ›
56 of 63 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Now, as you can imagine, being a bloke, I'm not a big costume drama fan, though I will admit to loving "He Knew He Was Right".
Anyway, I tend to watch these things as my wife does and I have very little chance of wrestling the remote control off her!
As soon as this adaptation started I was gripped - I didn't know the story and although I'd seen other adaptations, had never really played any attention. This however seemed different. The actresses weren't unbelievably beautiful like can they can be in some of these dramas and for me that made the whole thing more believable.
I've spent an hour for the last three Sunday evenings booing, hissing and cheering in equal measure every time Willoughby or the Colonel appeared on the screen.
I'm actually going to order this DVD and I'll be watching and enjoying the whole thing again in the not too distant future.
And for what it's worth, I thought the music was beautiful and certainly no more intrusive or distracting than the scores to a million other productions.
My advice to any man wondering whether to buy this or not, would be go for it and get in touch with your romantic side!
Anyway, I tend to watch these things as my wife does and I have very little chance of wrestling the remote control off her!
As soon as this adaptation started I was gripped - I didn't know the story and although I'd seen other adaptations, had never really played any attention. This however seemed different. The actresses weren't unbelievably beautiful like can they can be in some of these dramas and for me that made the whole thing more believable.
I've spent an hour for the last three Sunday evenings booing, hissing and cheering in equal measure every time Willoughby or the Colonel appeared on the screen.
I'm actually going to order this DVD and I'll be watching and enjoying the whole thing again in the not too distant future.
And for what it's worth, I thought the music was beautiful and certainly no more intrusive or distracting than the scores to a million other productions.
My advice to any man wondering whether to buy this or not, would be go for it and get in touch with your romantic side!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
classic dvd for my collection
Trip down memory lane. This replaced the dia taped copy l owned from the TV years ago. Great version of this classic book on DVD.
Published 19 days ago by Kate Hunt
5.0 out of 5 stars
Comparable to the film and totally worth a watch.
I'm a costume drama fan and really enjoyed this adaptation. I love the Ang Lee film, but always struggle to see Emma Thompson as a 19-year-old (lovely though she is) and to detect... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Goldenspeechy
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent
Very enjoyable well acted DVD, I even preferred it to the cinema version that saw a few years ago, Dan Stevens was particularly dashing!
Published 1 month ago by Jenny
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing film which made me adore book too
I think this is a amazing production of sense and sensibility - you can really feel the story that jane austen has been trying to build all along. Read more
Published 2 months ago by crystal
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent
A lovely interpretation of the book and well cast. It sticks to the story (oh why do some directors/scrip writers insist on changing wonderfully written stories? Read more
Published 3 months ago by Pippa
3.0 out of 5 stars
It's Okay
It's Okay, but overshadowed for me by the excellent Emma Thompson one which I own and have watched numerous times. This misses bits out that I feel are relevant to the plot. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Clarkey
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great version
A lavish and faithful adaptation with a great cast. I think I like the film version better but it more than stands up by itself. Read more
Published 4 months ago by MrsMalfoy
5.0 out of 5 stars
The only version of Sense and Sensibility to watch!!
The BBC probably made the best adaptations of any classic when they made this. The casting is utterly superb - the best i've ever seen - everyone is 100% perfect in the role. Read more
Published 4 months ago by ms. kit nader
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very good version
Thank God the girls in this version are actually the right age for the parts they are playing. The only quibble I'd have with this version is that it was done for TV and so they... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Laoise
5.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable adaptation
Exellent adaptation of Jane Austin's classic novel, much better than the ITV's adaptation. Scenes are not rushed and the acting is exellent.
Well done BBC.
Well done BBC.
Published 7 months ago by borievka26
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