The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders

Years ago when this aired on Baton Rouge's WLPB PBS station it was HEAVILY edited!

Only after someone reminded me that it was being re-shown on WYES in New Orleans UNCUT I eagerly tuned in!

Totally changed the entire direction of the movie! I don't think stations should be allowed to run cut movies.

Show it at a later time but don't hack up good movies, especially a classic just for someones Puritanical nonsense!

Have to say...even cut up as it was the first time I saw it, it was still a 10.

A fun romp set from Daniel Defoe's 1722 novel focusing a poor orphan girl who seeks wealthy life in England . Born in London's Newgate prison , at the beginning she becomes a house servant , and after that , Moll embarks on her first marriage , but being soon widowed and then she decides to make her own way and fortune as well as misfortunes . As Moll (Alex Kingstone) is a beautiful female chased around every bedchamber in London town . Moll Flanders (female derivative of Tom Jones) plots to get ahead through an advantageous series of romances and marriages . Moll ulteriorly marries various lovers , and briefly finds happiness in America until she to be aware by her actual mother (Diana Rigg) that married to a brother , committing incest . But Moll's plans are ruined again when she falls in love for a mysterious aristocrat , who results to be a wanted highway man (Daniel Craig) . As she falls for an impoverished stagecoach robber and she flees from him . Her ulterior life as a whore and thief leads her to drink and near suicide , despite the unwavering friendship of another robber female , and subsequently , things get dreary , landing in prison and a likely candidate for the gallows . However , the ever-enterprising Flanders always finds her way . Not surprisingly , love , cash and marriages conquer all . As at the end , Sir James and lady Molly Seagrave became very rich and well respected citizens , one of the foremost families in America , and quite forgot their former crimes... and rightly so . We cannot always be wringing our hands over the past . In truth , we do what we must , get by any way we can . We are all on the Wheel of Fortune .

TV Mini-series in four episodes well played , compellingly made and adequately setting . A series much after the style of ¨Tom Jones¨ and ¨Fanny Hill¨ with bag of incident and color . This period piece turns out to be the 4th on-screen adaptation of Daniel Defoe's 1722 novel , though it misses of the lip-smacking period relish spoiled with abundant sexual scenes , nudism and mediocre photography . Being pretty faithfully to Defoe novel in telling the fortunes and misfortunes of this lively hustler who eventually finds herself working at the brothel of greed and with a scheming landlady . This adaptation moves the setting of the novel forward a few decades . In the novel, adding up the dates reveals that Moll first goes up to London in the late 1630s , and begins her career as a thief in the 1660s ; in this series, however, these events are associated with Moll attending two plays "The Country Wife" (1675) and "The Way of the World" (1700) ; as the costumes are appropriate to this later period . Nice acting from Alex Kingstone as the wickedly seductive Moll , a spirited heroine who becomes a robber , a prostitute , marries several times and eventually winds up in prison . Alex Kingstone holds everything together with help a talented supporting casting . As the secondary cast is frankly good such as Christopher Fulford , James Fleet , Diana Rigg , Tom Ward , Roger Ashton-Griffiths , Ronald Frazer and Daniel Craig who years later would star in the James Bond films .

Other films based on the bawdy , rousing retelling from Daniel Defoe's novel are the followings : ¨ The amorous adventures of Moll Flanders¨ (1965) by Terence Young with Kim Novak , Richard Johnson , Lilli Palmer , Vittorio De Sica , George Sanders , Leo McKern ; and ¨Moll Flanders¨ (1996) by Pen Densham with Robin Wright Penn , Stockard Channing , Brenda Fricker , John Lynch and Morgan Freeman as a dignified servant . Furthermore , TV rendition (1976) ¨Moll Flanders¨ with Julia Foster , Kenneth Haigh , Barry Jackson and Ian Ogilvy .

Firstly, be careful if this comes on PBS, because some local stations cut certain scenes out, and just like with "Tom Jones", if you got rid of the sexcapades, you wouldn't get the story at all. This adaption re-arranges her sexual liaisons from the book and leaves a few out, drops any themes regarding religious repentance and "sincere penitence" - it's mostly a fun, saucy romp with some feminist undertones. Moll isn't willing to accept her circumstances and powerlessness for long, something unheard of in most fiction of that time or the next few hundred years: a woman's happiness and security was expected to come from marrying into some kind of fortune, period. The story is quite revolutionary for its time in showing a woman who, from a very young age, tries to control her own fate and be in control of her own life. And what option does a woman have to attempt that in this period but sex, blackmail and, eventually, thievery? Anyone who wants to criticize Moll for leaving her latest crop of children is (always in a stable, good home) is, I'm sure, silent when men in stories do exactly the same thing... Alex Kingston owns the character absolutely. She is gorgeous and completely believable at every age and circumstance. This film was my introduction to Daniel Craig back in 1996 - and it's a really good introduction. In this age of beautiful digital clarity, the picture is a bit muddy, but still a beautiful, visual feast.

You may find yourself watching this entire 4-hour movie all in one sitting like I did. Although it is a Mobil Masterpiece Theater presentation, it is also available on video. If you think you're in for some boring English drama, brace yourself, as it is very fast-paced, erotic, and often shockingly funny. Alex Kingston (now on "ER") delves into this role with a ferocity we rarely see on the screen. Although Moll does many bad things, we root for her the whole way. Diana Rigg is also a hoot as a mother-in-law that reveals herself to be something more. Daniel Defoe's condemnation of society as unforgiving of the monsters it creates is still as relevant today as when it was written. As long as you have an open mind about sex, nudity and immoral behavior onscreen, prepare to be fascinated.

Good story. I am glad I didn't invite the kids to watch with me. Should have been warned though. "The more things change, the more they stay the same," is the thought I had after viewing the 18th century set drama. Loved Diana Rigg.