If you had a friend who had never watched a period drama, but was ready to start with a Jane Austen film...which one would you recommend?
I suppose it would depend on the friend in question. There are two Jane Austen films I would recommend as a first period drama, but which one that I would recommend to a friend depends on certain conditions...
Of course, five hours would be daunting to the period drama newbie, but I think the story is so well told and so well explained in this version that I would recommend it very quickly. And after all, this was my first Jane Austen adaptation (not counting the Wishbone episode, of course ;-) ). Since it's a miniseries, the story is divided up into sections so you can watch a section at a time without having to sit through all five hours in a row. It's not much different than watching a couple of episodes of a TV show. And, since Pride and Prejudice is usually the Jane Austen book that people are introduced to Jane Austen through, and since this is (in my opinion) the best version out there, I would recommend it.
Five hours too daunting? Want to start off with something shorter to see if you would like it? Then I would recommend the 1995 version of Sense and Sensibility. Even though this version of Sense and Sensibility isn't as accurate to the story as it could have been, it's still a pretty good starter for a Jane Austen film. The overall tone of the story is in this movie, the acting is good, and you get a pretty solid representation of Jane Austen in about two and a half hours.
Would you recommend these two films to a Period Drama Newbie? What would be your Jane Austen recommendations for someone new to period dramas? Leave a comment!
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God Bless,
Hi!
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of your blog...
and I also have a question: Have your ever watched Washington Square by Henry James?
It might be interesting for you if you like American novels, too.
If you know it maybe you can recommend a filming.
And, as I said, I'm not very good in English.
Miss Woodhouse
Hi Miss Woodhouse,
DeleteI haven't seen Washington Square, but I'll keep an eye out for it. I'm pleased to see that Maggie Smith is in it.
I would probably start with the more recent round of adaptations, for someone who's never watched a costume drama - the '90s production values and somewhat drier scripts can be a barrier to the story, for people who aren't used to them. Northanger Abbey for those crunched for time; S&S for those who aren't.
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