Little Dorrit Trailer... The DVD of this Sands Films production directed by Christine Edzard is due out very soon: look up www.sandsfilms.co.uk Sands Films is based in London UK.
One of the very greatest cinematic adaptations of a classic ever made. Riveting, for six full hours. An example of creative integrity. Versions of Jane Austen, take note.
One of the finest Dickens adaptations made. I have noticed it contains a few outtakes, and noting how economically the film was made, doubt any other outtakes exist.
This is so NOT a piece of s***, the BBC version was a watered-down, much revised and overly romanticized take on what Dickens wrote, whereas this is one of the great achievements in British cinematic history, the film equivalent of what the RSC's "Nicholas Nickleby" achieved on stage and then some. The dumbing down of the populace is complete.
I'm in hour 5 of the 8 hour BBC one. I can't take it anymore, and had to look up spoilers etc and any other version. It's SOOOO SLOOOOWWW and has such annoying characters.
The new one is good, but i think not up to the standard of this one; the cast here is just a cross section of a golden age of British acting talent. The recent one is too clean and merry looking: a pity, since Bleak House was such a success.
Those hoping for the same emotional and highly romantic adaptation brought to us by the BBC will be severely disappointed. The romance between Arthur and Amy is almost completely ignored in this one, brought in only at the last moments, at which point the audience is completely unprepared for it.
I remember the BBC Our Mutual Friend from about 20 years ago being pretty good, but for the most part there’s not much Dickens in TV adaptations of Dickens. This film of Little Dorrit is high calibre stuff, I recall.
I wish I liked this film more, because I utterly love the novel, as well as other Dickens works, but the film is too slow and becomes boring. And the scenes that really touched me while I was reading the book are completely emotionless in the film (like when Frederick stands up for Amy). And that's a shame because I really like the actors in this film (Alec Guinness, Joan Greenwood). Even though it's six hours long it cuts out some of my favourite subplots from the novel (like Cavaletto or Tattycoram).I wouldn't say that BBC adaptation is perfect, but it is definitely better and more moving.
I felt the same with Liv Ullman's "Kristin Lavransdatter".. but when filming the story, everyone's individual emotional reaction to the book and story can't possibly be translated to the screen.. so basically, I took the film as a visual guide of the time and territory and costume.. the characters looked nothing like my brain had conceived them to be (and Erland's startlingly beautiful blue eyes somehow turned out to be brown..) I understand your remarks, however.. and Joan Greenwood is superb.. For those of us who have not read Dickens this is an astonishing work.. Best Wishes and Kind Regards.....
