A tedious film that could be told in half the time. I love the music and prose of that age but not so much the poetry. This version of Dorothy Wordsworth is ahistorical. She was a highly conventional woman who was typical of her time, alas. Women had no rights or profile whatsoever with the exceptions of Lady Lamb, George Sand, Mary Shelley, George Elliot, the Brontes.
I bought the VHS as soon as it came out. I have kept my old machine largely so that I can watch it occasionally. A masterpiece and one of best performances by Lionel Roach, Samantha Morton too. There is a great song during the end credits, a pumped version of Xanadu with the Coleridge/Roach wondering the neon lit streets of modern London.
I hope film makers will continue to make movies about famous past authors and poets. It will introduce a younger audience to these past masters. I also understand that film makers may need to take "poetic licenses" in order to embroider and enhance a good "tale". Thank you again.
Nice.but the banned genius classic that was clouds of glory by ken Russell is much better than this . Its a tragedy thats lost while this is good but not on Melvyn braggs level with the ken Russell films on coleridge ans Wordsworth
I love this film. It took my breath away when I first saw it. it made me laugh too in the way that Tom Stoppard's Travesties did when I saw it. There's a good deal of talk about accuracy here but what Julien Temple is trying to do it seems to me is capture a sense of their lives in a context. He is trying to divorce them from myth and cliche and make them real in a way we can understand. They were so radical and so influential in their own time - how do you make that relevant to today? I thought it was absolutely terrific. What does it matter that he takes liberties with real events in order to present them in a felt way? Coleridge would have been constipated because he took opium. Wordsworth was a great radical who took a government post. We all grow older.
A fine film. Love the sequence which depicted "Frost at Midnight" also the finale," Kubla Khan" was very powerful, if not historically accurate. Some of the characterisations, particularly that depicting Wordsworth were unduly harsh and painted him in a particularly bad light and demonised his character. On the other hand, Samuel Taylor's character and poetry were beautifully and sympathically presented. He wrote some of the greatest poems of all time. Magical poems that have enriched my life since I first encountered them in school many many years ago. Love the film, despite some historical inaccuracies.
I do love any portrayal of my favorite poets. Even if I’m constantly saying “oh they didn’t do that” or “it wasn’t like that” but overall, this is incredible to see so well done and so passionately. The poetry is in the movie! We can’t sneer at that! At least the poetry is well represented in the movie 🤓🤓
Though their letters do contain interest in trying weed, and what we know as other substances today commonly used, there’s little evidence of wordsworth and Dorothy and Sara partaking in it. Coleridge did try almost a handful of possible inspirational substances but always preferred laudanum, Opium and drinking. This is nice to imagine but
As a child, William was taken with his family on a trip to France. He was eight years old when he wrote about their encounter with French cuisine: "Now we ask for bread and butter. Thanks for it in French we utter. Better bread was never broken. Worser French was never spoken"
I know 'historical accuracy' is relative, but if you're interested, please go and read some reputable biographies of the main players after watching this. I recommend Stephen Gill for Wordsworth, Richard Holmes for Coleridge and Frances Wilson or Polly Atkin for Dorothy. What bothers me the most is how Mary Wordsworth is portrayed here. For the record, Mary Wordsworth (nee Hutchinson) was a childhood friend of Dorothy and William - they originally met at school in Penrith. William and Dorothy were friends with her for YEARS before Mary married William. They bonded over losing their parents at a young age, and when the Wordsworths moved to Grasmere, they started the journey from the Hutchinson's family home in Sockburn, North Yorkshire. Dorothy and her brother could be intense and egotistical at times, but they formed a tight-knit family with Mary. The two women worked togeher to manage their home, raise the five Wordsworth children, and transcribe William's poetry. Mary in particular gets a raw deal in this film, when she brought a great deal of joy and inspiration to the lives of her Romantic writers
The saddest Movie I have ever watched. Great Sadness and Pity is what I have felt for Samuel Coleridge. I could never carry on with Life as he did. Yet, he did it
Wow. amazing movie! I remember how in college i was so overwhelmed by the Romantics.. i really liked wordsworth ideas and all but later i found everything different in his poetry but Coleridge his poems was all sublime and still is.
Great stuff. I must confess that I shall for ever think of Sue Limb's magnificent radio spoof "The Wordsmiths at Gorsemere" at the first mention of any of these great poets. At the very end of the Wordsmiths saga, Sue Limb encourages the listener to enjoy the real thing. Excellent advice.
