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DVD Description
The acclaimed BBC TV adaptation of Wilkie Collins’ classic novel.
Not all villains wear black...
On his last night in London, Walter Hartright’s life is changed forever after a chance encounter with a mysterious woman, dressed in white and in deep distress. Travelling north, Hartright takes up a post as a drawing master to Laura Fairlie, a beautiful woman bearing an astonishing resemblance to the woman in white. Soon Hartfield, Laura and her half-sister Marian, find themselves drawn into to the sinister intrigues of Sir Percival Glyde and his charming friend Count Fosco, a man with a taste for white mice and vanilla bonbons. Only by unravelling the mystery woman’s dark secret can they escape from the web of deceit closing around them. Chilling, thrilling and filled with suspense and twists, this compelling BBC adaptation perfectly recreates the intrigue and drama of a story credited as the first and greatest “Sensation Novel”.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
46 of 47 people found the following review helpful
This is the longest version of the Collins book available. The only version close to it in length is the 1966 BBC version [probably wiped] which I have not seen.
This version has a perfect cast. Badel shines as Fosco and Diana Quick is 'manly' enough for her role as a protective sister to Laura. Like all BBC productions of the time the series was shot on video and is directed at a gentle pace. This production makes good use of outside locations as well as the inevitable studio interiors. All the key moments of the book are included. Many interactions between minor and major characters are presented at a relaxed pace - unlikely today where fast edits are the order of the day.
All in all I couldn't imagine a better adaptation of this timeless classic. Get THE MOONSTONE too [the Robin Ellis version]. It is just as good despite the fact that it was made 10 years earlier.
This version has a perfect cast. Badel shines as Fosco and Diana Quick is 'manly' enough for her role as a protective sister to Laura. Like all BBC productions of the time the series was shot on video and is directed at a gentle pace. This production makes good use of outside locations as well as the inevitable studio interiors. All the key moments of the book are included. Many interactions between minor and major characters are presented at a relaxed pace - unlikely today where fast edits are the order of the day.
All in all I couldn't imagine a better adaptation of this timeless classic. Get THE MOONSTONE too [the Robin Ellis version]. It is just as good despite the fact that it was made 10 years earlier.
60 of 62 people found the following review helpful
I remembered that I greatly enjoyed this when it aired on television many years ago and I snapped up a copy of the DVD as soon as I knew it was avaialble. It's every bit as good as I remember.
The acting is uniformly splendid, but what impressed me most was its complete faithfulness to Collin's novel. There's no revisionism or interpolation of 21st century notions here. Rather, you get a ripping good story that presents even the smallest details of the novel, down to the right moment in the correct opera for the observation that leads to the final unraveling of the plot.
If you're an admirer of the novel or a lover of period drama, you're sure to enjoy this!
The acting is uniformly splendid, but what impressed me most was its complete faithfulness to Collin's novel. There's no revisionism or interpolation of 21st century notions here. Rather, you get a ripping good story that presents even the smallest details of the novel, down to the right moment in the correct opera for the observation that leads to the final unraveling of the plot.
If you're an admirer of the novel or a lover of period drama, you're sure to enjoy this!
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
I watched this serialisation of Wilkie Collins in 1982, when it was first transmitted. It held me spellbound throughout each episode. My only regret at the time was that I didn't possess a video recorder. It prompted me to read the book, equally spellbinding and, as I discovered, very close to the BBC adaptation, from the evil Count Fosco (Alan Badel), the enchanting Laura (Jenny Seagrove), Ian Richardson as a very convincing valetudinarian Mr Fairlie, and Georgine Anderson as the icy Madame Fosco..indeed all the characters are brilliantly cast.
This DVD has been top of my "wanted" list for many years. I'm delighted that it is at last available. This rather stingy Scotsman (!) would have happily parted with double or treble the purchase price in order to obtain a copy. Need I say more?
Thank you Amazon.
This DVD has been top of my "wanted" list for many years. I'm delighted that it is at last available. This rather stingy Scotsman (!) would have happily parted with double or treble the purchase price in order to obtain a copy. Need I say more?
Thank you Amazon.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
captivating
this film is not for the faint of heart, it is a little heartless in parts but i would not have missed it. Read more
Published 1 month ago by jeangina
Strange
Ifound this story quite strange I was temped several times to abandon it, however I watched it to the end but cannot say that I enjoyed it. I would not recomend it to a friend.
Published 3 months ago by littlemoclark
Has aged well - still eminently watchable
I watched this series when it was first broadcast so I was delighted to obtain the boxed set at a great price. Read more
Published 3 months ago by BernardM
How dramatisations have improved.
I consider "The Women in White" worth watching but it also demonstrates the improvements in TV dramatisation since 1982. Read more
Published 3 months ago by preciouspress
An unfathomable plot poorly acted.
Once again I disagree profoundly with all the favourable reviews of this dvd.
It was originally aired by the BBC as long ago as 1966, when it was shown as six 25 minute... Read more
It was originally aired by the BBC as long ago as 1966, when it was shown as six 25 minute... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Richard Mirfin
Gripping story, clunky production
Having been enthralled by Wilkie Collins' novel, I felt it my duty to watch the BBC production of the same. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Crime_girl
Plodding and dull
Plodding, dated and dull from the era when BBC made very stagy adaptations. As one expert commented, yes it does drag its way through the text of the book but it is less like a... Read more
Published 7 months ago by leslie10
The Woman in White
Most enjoyable. Detailed, excellent location, beautiful costumes and well cast. Followed the book very closely and great entertainment. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mrs. P. Clements
The cinematic equivalent of a bestseller which you cannot put down
I have been waiting for a long time for a film version of this - one of my favorite - novels and the wait was well worth it. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Ing Loong Yang
Very close to the book
I have been looking for this on DVD for so many years. I really enjoyed watching it on TV in the eighties. Read more
Published 10 months ago by H BIRD
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