Clarissa

One of the most nightmarish stories ever to appear on "Masterpiece Theater". Its like a paranoid fantasy of Evil obsessed with the relentless pursuit of the destruction of Good. Amazing acting, period costumes, and sets. I don't think that I could take seeing it again.

This fabulously intense British costume drama has, at long last, been released on DVD (it was never available on video), though only in the UK for now. Odyssey Video released it in mid-May, and it can be ordered through amazon.com.uk. No word yet on a U.S. release.

I've not always been a big fan of period pieces, but I found this production to be riveting throughout. The performances of the actors were excellent, Saskia Wickam appeared to be a seasoned pro and I was so impressed to find this was her first major role. Sean Bean's portrayal of Lovelace was terrific - his presence on screen was amazing. His charisma was stunning, despite the wigs and ornate costumes, which I thought would be distracting. They were not at all. I would highly recommend this production to anyone - it's such a shame that it is so difficult to find. Hopefully it will be made available to American audiences again in the very near future. I'd love to see the entire four hour production originally shown on the BBC.

I am not a regular watcher of Masterpiece Theatre, but I saw this a long time ago and have not been able to get it out of my head. Sean Bean is INCREDIBLY wicked as Lovelace, the man that practically destroys the title character.

Clarissa (Saskia Wickham)is a young woman in the 18th century. Her parents are forcing her into a marriage, and are clearly doing it for the money (She received an inheritance from her late grandfather). She ends up running away from her home and into the devious arms of Lovelace (Sean Bean), who basically wants to sleep with her. Her steadfast refusal starts a chain of events that turn incredibly ugly.

Sean Bean is such a scene stealer that he should had gotten flogged for his performance. He is loathsome and seductive at the same time. So much so that you can't help but fall in love with him.

i loved this movie from the first time i viewed it on masterpiece theater. i have watched it repeatedly from a friends old video taped copy of the film over and over w/comments from Mr.Cooke. it's now well over 10 years and the VCR copy just isn't doing so swell. it seems that there is nowhere in this country to obtain a copy of Clarissa on DVD-formatted for this region. i have seen several complaints about this very thing on the web. i think we should all ban together and make someone cough this DVD up! it's long overdue. the film is beautiful-rich in the costumed pageantry of the time. it's the same thing that made me love the film dangerous liaisons so well(the version with john malkovich and Glenn close of course)! the story line zips you through the movie captivated. letting you forget how long it really is. of course let us not forget that Sean bean plays the most scrumptious lover/villain-as only he can!! at any rate i would highly recommend this film for anyone who loves great film making, period pieces, and crafted storytelling because it's all here.