Persuasion

This is one of the earlier extant BBC period adaptations. The production value is very low. However, what is great about these adaptations is that their mission was to make thorough and faithful screen versions of the novels. Creative licence is very rarely made and frowned upon. So it is very slow and clunky but if faithful is what you are after then this is the best version of Persuasion that there is so far. It runs at 3 hours and 40 mins in total with a couple minutes of credits. The acting was actually pretty decent, it felt very much like watching a theatre performance. Indeed this is how television of this time was made. It was pretty much recorded theatre in a television studio. The casting perhaps is what lets this one down. Anne is way too old and some of the family members are too similar looking so you have to keep reminding yourself who is who. Overall 6/10.

Anne: played the part well enough. However, she looked near 40 instead of 27 and had the look of a heavy smoker about her. Her hair also looked like a weird hair helmet the first half of the show and did not fit regency style in the slightest.

Wentworth: enjoy his portrayal for the most part but disliked some of the directing choices they gave him. He too seemed rather old for the part but not as old as Anne.

Sir Walter: seemed more angry than annoyed and snobby. He too seemed much much older than than early 50's.

Admiral & Mrs. Croft: Mr. Croft was downright elderly looking and sounding. Though the acting was good. The screen writers and directors made him come across as a tiresome elderly man.

Mrs. Croft was acted well enough and neither here or there as memorable.

Mary: cast very well though they had her sounding VERY harsh.

Elizabeth: perfectly cast and acted. She played the part of oblivious snob quite well.

Charles: very well cast and acted. He portrayed the good natured and jovial character with ease.

Henrietta: also perfectly cast as a sweet, happy girl with pleasant manners and an open countenance.

Louisa: very poorly cast, acted and directed. She practically shouted all her lines, even her incessant giggling. She comes across as ditsy rather than just good humoured.

Mrs. Clay: perfectly smarmy and

Mr. Elliot: very charming. Too charming. Just as this character is intended. This was so well acted that he was the best casting choice for the whole movie. My new favourite Mr. Elliot across all 4 adaptations.

Lady Russel: acted just fine though not very memorably on the whole.

Mrs. Smith: also acted well and seemed a good choice for the role.

This adaptation is the most book accurate as far as story goes. Typical stiff aching transitions of the 70's and very 70's styled regency decor for the sets. Many of the dress fabric patterns were also very 70's feeling. None of this is a negative as it IS '71 BBC! I still prefer the '95, but this is a close 2nd! Leaps above '07. Leaps AND bounds above '22 which was trash.

Here is one of Jane Austen's movies that I found very delightful. I read the book first then listened to it on CD and was captivated by how a young Victorian girl could be persuaded against marrying the man she loved due to his lack of a fortune or education. The joy of knowing that Anne is evidently reunited with a lost love. The fact that her godmother tries to marry her off to a good for nothing cousin who's only out for money. Looking at the snobbery that comes from the upper classes and how class distinctions can divide couples from following their hearts. Captain Wentworth realization that he still loves Anne after seven years. His final understanding that Anne's love was constant all that time and they she wasn't going to let her family interfere with her true happiness and eventual marriage to one she truly loved.

It is the best adaptation of Persuasion that I have seen. It balances all the key plot points so well.

When it comes to most movies made about classic novels, most people complain that it wasn't true to the novel. You can't say that about this. That's the one (and only) good point about this movie. I couldn't stand the woman who played Anne. I know she was supposed to be older, but not THAT old! She looked like she was 40! Anne's only supposed to be 27 or something like that. And I could NOT stand how she did her hair. Captain Wentworth was ok, but no where near as dashing as you imagine him when you read the book, and Captain Benwick was just plain frightening. I thought the girl who played Louisa Musgrove was really good, the same with the woman who played Mary. I don't remember having any specific complaints with any of the other characters, so I suppose they did well enough. The script was very close, sometimes word for word, with the book. However, this did make the movie rather boring. I thoroughly enjoyed the book...every time i read it. I never was bored at all throughout the entire novel, so I'm blaming my boredom on the movie's direction and acting. The character of Anne was supposed to be calm, not completely dull...which is what this actress was. Overall I must say i was disappointed with this movie. Compared to the newer version I preferred the newer one, mainly because of the actress who played Anne. This movies wasn't completely terrible, but it wasn't any good either.