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Jeremy Brett, Susan Fleetwood, Robin Ellis and Geoffrey Chater star in this adaptation of Ford Madox Ford s classic Edwardian story of love and deception widely regarded as one of the greatest English-language novels of the twentieth century. A household name from his iconic performance in ITV s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Brett relishes the title role, giving one of the outstanding performances of his long and distinguished career. The complex plot evolves around two outwardly perfect married couples, Englishman Edward Ashburnam and his wife Leonora, and Americans John and Florence Dowell; the couples meet annually in the German spa town of Bad Nauheim, a resort favoured by those with heart conditions. But as the friendships deepen, the intricacies of the relationships are gradually laid bare, and the carefully concealed flaws, destructive passions and infidelities of the protagonists bring about a sequence of tragic events that will consume them all.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The first thing that struck me about the movie is how well they managed to organise such an erratic and complex narrative into a film without making it overly organized or too chaotic. It fits together very well, and yet those who have read the book will feel that the author's peculiar technique has been preserved. Jeremy Brett playing the title role as always is pleasure to watch. It is a wistful, elegant, infinitely sad and bewildering film that, among other things, offers an interesting perspective on English character.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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10 reviews
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful
A brilliant adaption of Ford Maddox Ford's best novel
20 April 2007
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This production of "The Good Soldier" shows what television can do to translate a terrific novel to the screen. The story is about two couples, one American and one British, and is narrated by the American husband. As the story develops, he realizes that most of what he has believed about his relationship with his wife and with his British friends is based upon lies. For this reason, several crucial scenes are shown twice -- the first time they appear innocent or inexplicable; the second time, when the narrator has learned of the events leading up to the scenes, they take on a very different appearance. The uncertainty of the truth of what you are seeing is indicated in an opening montage of various scenes from the entire story, which (if you haven't read the novel) will seem very confusing at first. By the end of story, you can see why the narrator begins by describing this as the saddest story he knows. I saw the production decades ago on PBS, and then for many years had a recorded VHS tape (now gone). It's great to have this on DVD. It would be nice to know if there are any special features, but even there aren't, it's still great.
By the way, it's true that John Ratzenberger (Cliffie on Cheers) does a great job as a seductive love interest for one of the women. Hard to believe if you watched Cheers, but Ratzenberger has a wider range as an actor than you would think.
By the way, it's true that John Ratzenberger (Cliffie on Cheers) does a great job as a seductive love interest for one of the women. Hard to believe if you watched Cheers, but Ratzenberger has a wider range as an actor than you would think.
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Faithful to the Spirit of Ford's Novel
25 April 2007
Format:DVD
Of course, much is lost in the translation of "The Good Soldier" from page to screen, chiefly the narrative and temporal complexities of the novel. However, the television adapatation is successful in its use of time shifts, and, like Ford's work, the film is impressionistic, often showing us a scene twice to give the viewer two different impressions.
However, we lose Dowell's process of writing itself and his relation with the reader. In the film, Dowell is mainly absent from the last third of the story because it is told from Leonora's perspective, whereas in the novel Dowell's voice is dominant throughout, even when he is recounting what has only been told him.
Of course, any book - especially a modernist novel - loses a good deal of its complexity in the transition to film, and "The Good Soldier" is on the whole a successful adaptation of the novel, much better than the adpatations of other modernist novels I've seen, like "Ulysses" and "Mrs. Dalloway." The film was shot on location in Nauheim and elsewhere in Germany, which shows the care this production takes with Ford's work.
The four principals are all excellent in their roles, particularly Jeremy Brett and Susan Fleetwood as the Ashburnhams. The score was excellent as well. The production also keeps Dowell's voiceovers to a minimum, which may be something of a loss but it is welcome in a televison adpatation, which thankfully shows us a great deal of the action instead of telling.
Overall, then, I found this adaptation of "The Good Soldier" to be one of the more successful installments of "Masterpiece Theater" and probably one of the best film made from a modernist novel that I have seen. While we lose the complexities of Dowell's narration and his potential unreliabilty, the film utilizes the time-shifts and impressionistic technique of Ford's novel, and there are subtle hints that Dowell may know more than he lets on. Thus, the film's success stems from its faithfulness to the aesthetic spirit of Ford's novel.
Caveat: The film will make little sense at first to those who have not read the novel, which is required reading for anyone who wants to understand the nuances of the story.
However, we lose Dowell's process of writing itself and his relation with the reader. In the film, Dowell is mainly absent from the last third of the story because it is told from Leonora's perspective, whereas in the novel Dowell's voice is dominant throughout, even when he is recounting what has only been told him.
Of course, any book - especially a modernist novel - loses a good deal of its complexity in the transition to film, and "The Good Soldier" is on the whole a successful adaptation of the novel, much better than the adpatations of other modernist novels I've seen, like "Ulysses" and "Mrs. Dalloway." The film was shot on location in Nauheim and elsewhere in Germany, which shows the care this production takes with Ford's work.
The four principals are all excellent in their roles, particularly Jeremy Brett and Susan Fleetwood as the Ashburnhams. The score was excellent as well. The production also keeps Dowell's voiceovers to a minimum, which may be something of a loss but it is welcome in a televison adpatation, which thankfully shows us a great deal of the action instead of telling.
Overall, then, I found this adaptation of "The Good Soldier" to be one of the more successful installments of "Masterpiece Theater" and probably one of the best film made from a modernist novel that I have seen. While we lose the complexities of Dowell's narration and his potential unreliabilty, the film utilizes the time-shifts and impressionistic technique of Ford's novel, and there are subtle hints that Dowell may know more than he lets on. Thus, the film's success stems from its faithfulness to the aesthetic spirit of Ford's novel.
Caveat: The film will make little sense at first to those who have not read the novel, which is required reading for anyone who wants to understand the nuances of the story.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
A stellar cast
9 Jun 2007
Format:DVD
With a stellar cast that includes Jeremy Brett, Robin Ellis, Susan Fleetwood, Vickery Turner, Elizabeth Garvie, Pauline Moran, and John Ratzenberger, "The Good Soldier" is the story of two Edwardian couples who become friends when meeting for nine consecutive years at an annual retreat in a German spa. Superbly adapted from the novel by Ford Madox Ford, "The Good Soldier" features beautiful costuming, meticulous set designs, and superb photography in a 104 minute production that is technically flawless in its execution. Viewers are treated to an unfolding story of unexpected plot twists, memorable characters, and shifting perspectives, as this remarkably engaging story of love, loss, betrayal is revealed. Strongly recommended for community library video collections, the DVD format of "The Good Soldier" allows for the inclusion of a Ford Madox Ford biography, cast filmographies, and a scene index feature.
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