Review of Brideshead Revisited (2008) by Dfw F — 17 Jan 2010
Brideshead Revisited (2008) I always remember how much I loved the Brideshead series on PBS 1981. I had been meaning to rewatch that series but instead ordered this 2008 movie. I am unfamiliar with director Julian Jarrold.
The memoirs of Captain Charles Ryder who is stationed at Brideshead Castle during WWII & remembers his involvement with the owners of the Brideshead estate: the aristocratic yet Catholic Marchmain- Flyte family & in particular Sebastian & Julia who are brother & sister.
I always thought of this Evelyn Waugh story as a tale of guilt induced effete alcoholism. In the 20s 30s 40s was Oxford really the center of a underground hidden gay society? Seems that way. I was mainly attracted to the story as the outsider invited in to be around all that wealth.
Unfortunately sexual guilt (in those & in current times) leads to alcoholism. In this story the family tried to quit being the enabler but the result was the breaking up of the family (and Ryder being banned from the estate).
The drawn-out & unresolved feelings between Charles & Sebastian are consummated on screen only with a single kiss. This is a pretty chaste movie. Waugh seems to be writing about a longing nostalgia for a prewar British aristocracy life.
The Production values of this movie are high. I was not familiar with all the actors but they seem to do a fine job. Emma Thompson was good in her role. The movie seemed to me to compress to much of this very long novel into too short of a time period.
The movie runs 2 hours & 14 minutes. That is short compared to the PSB mini series. So here important scenes feel rushed or a little out of place. This movie kind of simplifies the book in that it presents us with religion as more of an issue.
Religion governing the mothers & the children?s lives. The daughter confirms the son does not as he is attracted to men & drinks heavily into alcoholism. (In a fatalistic sort of way) . This is an excellent film but I prefer the PBS miniseries or the book.
This review of Brideshead Revisited (2008) was written by Dfw F on 17 Jan 2010.
Brideshead Revisited has generally received mixed reviews.
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