"I have loved none but you."
Hello everyone!
Listen, okay, I can't help it.
But I'm now wondering if, after TWO successful iterations, I should risk it with the Netflix one.
Oh I'm sure it's fine and all but, remembering the trailer, I can honestly say it comes across as quite comedic, which this story is not and never was.
So I'm nervous. Can you blame me?
I might skip that one, because man oh man, if this isn't my favourite Jane Austen story then I don't know what to tell you. And the 1995 one doesn't disappoint, just like the 2007 one doesn't!
So without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, for the second time: Persuasion.
And of course, we all know the story by now: that Anne was persuaded to renounce her engagement to Frederick Wentworth, that they meet again after eight years when he has both a fortune and a naval rank to his name, and that he's doing his best to let her see that he's moved on, and looking for a suitable wife among people she knows.
This all stays the same.
Ironically though, I feel like the female role was much better executed this time around than in 2007, but the male role is perfection any way you look at it.
Ciaran Hinds wouldn't have been my first choice for Captain Wentworth, but OHMYWORD is he the BEST choice once you sit down and watch!
There's something about this man, his presence, that eclipses even Rupert Penry-Jones, and THAT guy literally looks like he stepped out of a Jane Austen novel.
There's subtle differences between adaptations, lines given from one character to the next, but retaining their original meaning, and the ending is definitely different
If you remember, in the 2007 version, Anne kinda races about willy-nilly trying to catch up with Wentworth so that she can accept his proposal; in this one, things are much more book-oriented, in that he shows her the letter he left her, then waits outside for her to exit so that they can sort out their differences.
... God, that letter though. It must be the most romantic thing I have ever read or heard, and THAT is saying something!
The 2007 version ends with Frederick and Anne at her ancestral home, which he'd bought as a wedding present (no explanation how that went over with daddy-o though), but the 1995 one ends with Napoleon escaping Elba and marching through Europe again, which means a mustering of troops, and sees Anne on board Wentworth's ship with him as he sails off to meet this new threat.
Indeed, the theme of staying by one's husband's side is quite deeply explored in this version, both through Admiral Croft's wife as well as Anne's sister Mary, with intersecting opinions and determination from Henrietta and Louisa Musgrove.
Equally, the world you see on screen in the 1995 version looks alive and less make-believe than some things in 2007 would be presented as, plus you can undoubtedly see influences from the Pride and Prejudice workup, which released that same year (and gave us Colin Firth in a white shirt, swimming in a pond).
Overall, if you love Persuasion, then I highly suggest this iteration to you. It's absolutely magical and, honestly? Nothing beats a well-executed Jane Austen flick!
Now to see whether Hallmark's Loveuary with Jane Austen is any good.
xx
*images and video not mine
No comments:
Post a Comment