Review of Mansfield Park (2007) by Anna M — 25 Mar 2008

The 1986 BBC adaptation of Mansfield Park remains in my opinion the most faithful adaptation of Jane Austen's work. Starring Sylvestra Le Touzel as Fanny Price and Nicholas Farrell as Edmund Bertram, the two leads were a bit tepid in their performances, yet the script was quite faithful, perhaps too much so. Then we had the 1999 movie version of Mansfield Park starring Frances O'Connor as Fanny Price. Though she acted very well with the given script, the version was so far removed from Austen's work as to render it alien, and could only be appreciated if viewed as a story by itself, without drawing comparisons with Austen's work [for one, O'Connor's Fanny was way too spirited and audacious].

And now we come to the 2007 adaptation of Mansfield Park, starring Billie Piper [of "Doctor Who"] as Fanny Price, who at the age of ten is sent by her impoverished mother to live with her wealthy sister, Lady Bertram [Jemma Redgrave] and her family comprising husband, Lord Bertram, daughters Mariah and Julia, and sons Tom [James D'arcy] and Edmund [Blake Ritson]. Young Fanny knows her place and grows up loving her cousin Edmund [yes, it was apparently acceptable back in Austen's time]. Enter the scheming Mary Crawford [Hayley Atwell] ,and her brother Henry [Joseph Beattie] who worm themselves into Mansfield Park and cause much havoc within the family - Henry flirting with Mariah, and Mary setting her cap at Edmund, much to Fanny's chagrin. What follows is Fanny's journey through heartache, awakening, and finally happiness.

The acting in this version was not all that commendable, except perhaps for Billie Piper's Fanny, who despite her striking blond locks and contrasting dark eyebrows [which was quite distracting I must say!]was convincing in her performance. The rest of the cast however, were quite lukewarm in their performances. Blake Ritson's Edmund, though very good-looking was very shallow and unconvincing,especially in his ardor for Ms Crawford. It is only in the later part that he seems to portray some semblance of sincerity in his newly discovered love for Fanny.

This version too is faulted for taking too many liberties with Austen's work - the characters here are not faithful to the ones portrayed in the book, even the minor characters like Lady Bertram who was sickly in the novel,seems enthused with enough energy to pass energetic comments in this version.

The sets and cinematography though are beautifully done and the scenes of the countryside are particularly enchanting. On the whole though, I can't say I love this latest adaptation of Mansfield Park [which seems to be the only one of Austen's works to fare so poorly in its screen adaptations], yet it is watchable, and makes for light entertainment.