Sadly Over-hyped

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

My wife was reading the book, Brideshead Revisited, for her book club and wanted to simultaneously watch the Jeremy Irons television mini- series. Having seen the 2008 movie, we were both interested based on the previously seen movie and our generally positive opinion of the work of Jeremy Irons. While my wife's opinion is not as negative as mine, I can say that this is the most boring program through which I have sat one-third of the full length. I could not make it any further. It seemed as if a quarter of the story was told in narrative instead of acted out. In addition to the boredom, the introductory music for each episode was terrible.

This piece of fiction is little more than an neo-Renaissance anti-Catholic vitriolic morality play diatribe thinly disguised as literature.Although told from the viewpoint of innocent Jeremy Irons as Charles Ryder, the plot revolves around Claire Bloom as Lady Marchmain and how her disingenuous religion destroys her family and friends. Lady Marchmain was forced to marry to achieve her position and has never forgiven her God for forcing her into this carnal action to achieve what she saw as her due.In return Lady Marchmain is punished first in the vulgar world when her husband deserts her, and then she is further punished by Providence which destroys her son and their relationship through his alcoholism.Always taking center stage is a great personal vanity which suggests that the faith which they swear by is merely another affectation, another lordly possession found somewhere after the fox hunt and before the lobster thermidor. No mercy is granted towards those who follow the Pope; even the kindest member of the family balks at the notion that a priest might better serve God by ministering to a larger number of people rather than the four or five family members who insist on maintaining a personal chapel for their convenience.The author and film-makers go out of their way to note that the servants of the family are Protestant, not Catholic, thus making more apparent the vanity of the personal chapel. We don't learn anything else about any servants. This is not about rich vs. poor, this is not about liberal vs. conservative, this is not about Manchester United vs. Chelsea, this is about Catholic vs. Protestant.Lady and Lord Marchmain both spend their final days in mental torment passing to their graves unredeemed by those who should have been their loved ones. The *cough* sinister hand of Popery also reaches out to deal rude slaps to family best friend Rex and eldest daughter Julia. No Protestants are punished by heaven, and former Protestant Rex is punished only after he turns Catholic to marry into the family.If instead of making a complex parable the curse was out in the open and instead of turning into a sot the Anthony Andrews character Sebastian Flyte turned into a vampire or werewolf, this would have been a lot more engaging. As it is, what we really have here is the closest thing to Elizabethan era anti-Catholic propaganda as you would be able so sneak into a good library or on public TV.As a work on film, it fails to make me care about any of the characters. In fact, after finishing episode three I was hoping the Sebastian character would maybe kill himself and quit wasting any more time. When you look over the entire cast, there is no more than one good human being among them, that being Lady Marchmain's youngest daughter.Even Charles, who is put forth as an innocent caught up in it all, is as much to blame for much of the misfortune as anyone else and demonstrates no less a failure of responsibility.Although this story is not about class, it does not do much to flatter nobility. But that is a function of fact, and behavior is portrayed realistically. If we want to look for a proverb here, we can say the film represents that those who shout at God the loudest, are heard by him the least.As a final insult to the gentry depicted here, none of them are ever shown to have any productive activities. They are highly wealthy aristocrats with large estates and many top notch servants, they run about the continent as they please. But not once does anyone have to run off to tend some family business or anything. There is just endless money for everything. Maybe the money is part of the religion thing. Their choice rewards them in the profane world with riches, but penalizes them in the divine world with damnation.Whatever their economic or social standing, most families will face some crisis at some time, and often more than one. It is not likely that every different crisis would have the same root cause. Religion could cause an issue, a family member marrying out of faith could cause problems for example. But problems also are caused by gambling, infidelity, politics and other catalysts. Here every problem is caused in some way, direct or indirect, by religion.The only thing you could add to this would be a Mother Courage type old woman in rags screaming "Bloody Papists! Bloody Papists!" Remember this principle: Never mistake effort for accomplishment.It's a street whore in a prom dress. It is a bottle of Château Lafite de Rothschild 1879 that has turned. It has John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier but before you harrumph too much might I say, "Inchon"? My final judgment? The opening segment showing troops in WWII is a portent. The British lost many lives fighting against the religious intolerance of the Nazis, but the author to begin with and those who made the film later seem not to have learned anything from it.

I am a huge fan of the book, and have been for the longest time. The book has a very poignant story of forbidden love and the loss of innocence, but I love also about the book are its rich memorable characters, memorable settings and thoughtful dialogue. This 1981 mini-series is just sublime and one of the best mini-series there is. I also think anyone who hasn't yet seen the 2008 film with Ben Whishaw, Greta Scacchi and Matthew Goode and are a fan of the book as well should think of avoiding it, as it doesn't do any justice to this wonderful story and has several disappointments on its own terms.The mini-series of Brideshead Revisited does however do justice to the book, as it is remarkably faithful in spirit and in the details. But what makes the mini-series so extra good is how amazing it is on its own terms as well. For one thing, Brideshead Revisited looks exquisite still. You can never go wrong with picturesque settings, beautiful scenery, costumes that stick remarkably well to the period and skillful photography, lighting and editing, and as far as I'm concerned Brideshead Revisited succeeds in every single one of those areas. Geoffrey Burgen's background scoring is melodious and memorable, if careful not to intrude too much at pivotal points.The mini-series' writing is also to be commended. There is a very rich and faithful script, that is thoughtful, intelligent, eloquent, amusing and poignant. Ryder's narration and delivery especially is mesmerising. The way the characters are written impresses too, Sebastian is not too effete too soon and none of the other characters feel sketched over either. The story is still the compelling and poignant story that made me fall in love with the book, it is also very well paced with seldom a dull moment and the themes that form the story are still intact.The acting is truly excellent. Overall, Diana Quick is the weakest of the three leads. Not that she is bad, far from it as she is very compelling and moving in the later episodes, it's just she is not quite ideal at first in terms of looks and age. Anthony Andrews is much better though, he is the epitome of innocence and the destruction of it, and Sebastian as I have said already is not made too effete too quickly which was just one of many mistake that was made in the 2008 film. Roger Milner does very well with a very well-explored character and is very dashing. Pheobe Nicholls is both disarming and charming, and Nicholas Grace is suitably venomous, theatrical and snake-like. John Gielgud is a real scene-stealer too, while Laurence Olivier and Claire Bloom especially play their characters perfectly and faithfully. Jeremy Irons gives my personal favourite performance of this splendid cast, his narration, delivery and portrayal of Charles Ryder is simply masterly.All in all, a real jewel of a series and a must watch for fans of the book, period dramas or any of these fine actors that play their parts so amazingly here. 10/10, though I would give it an 11 or higher if I were allowed. Bethany Cox

I have read Evelyn Waugh's Decline and Fall when a high-school student and I found the book interesting regarding the reversals of fortune of the central character, I think Paul Pennyfeather. I have never read Brideshead Revisited except the first few chapters. Some weeks ago there was Jeremy Irons on ET1, the Greek national TV and his voice narrating. Having heard about the series before I assumed that this must have been Brideshead Revisited, which it was.I followed the series and read a sizeable proportion of the novel, sometimes holding it while the TV was playing the series. I realized that they followed the book very closely, which I found pleasant.Due to holiday I missed the part of the series after Julia narrates to Ryder her marriage to Rex Mortram, coming back just to see the last two episodes. From what I saw and read I found Brideshead Revisited an admirable production with a very impressive cast and splendid recreation of the novel's locale, especially Brideshead and Venice. Today I just bought the four disc collection of Brideshead which included a booklet which had a picture of Brideshead in its interior page. This picture reminded me a glimpse I had of Brideshead in a tour in Oxford. My viewing of the series is highly personalized interspersed with personal reminiscences. I think the value of great art is that it allows us to conceive it in a personalized manner and to form a personal relationship with it. My subjective experience of this series has been very positive although fragmentary and I warmly recommend it as a spectacle and work of art.