Customer Reviews

Clarissa

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Samuel Richardson's 18th century novel of vice and virtue, revenge and manipulation begins with famously virginal CLARISSA (Acorn) Harlowe inheriting her grandfather's huge estate. But she has no interest in wealth and passes it to her father, ignoring her siblings James and Bella.

Clarissa also claims no interest in marriage but notices her sister's current beau, the notorious lady's man Robert Lovelace. Angry and jealous at being passed over, and with their parents approval, James and Bella try to force Clarissa into marrying the repulsive Solmes, a man of "material advantage." That only pushes a desperate Clarissa into Lovelace's arms, a man she does not trust but who quickly becomes obsessed with her, even though all his tried and true seduction tricks fail.

So begins the great BBC production from the early 90s. Anyone who has seen it will surely remember the exciting twists and shocks of this magnificent miniseries now on DVD for the first time.

If it all sounds stodgy, don't be deceived, this is the granddaddy of all the dangerous liaisons copycats (including "Dangerous Liaisons").

Everything about this fast moving show is top notch: acting, screenplay, production values, and direction. I can't think of a better description of this absolutely riveting drama than the original press release: "Vice was his weapon, virtue hers. Love would destroy them both."

Even if British drama is not your cup of tea, sip this delicious brew.

Here is the source of "Valmont" and "Dangeous Liasons". Robert Lovelace is a passionate rake. Rich and awash in privilege he sees nothing wrong with the game of seduction. To seduce a pious virgin is his undoing. In the course of this seduction he loses both his heart and his soul. The rape scene is unnerving and may be deeply disturbing to some viewers. Coming out of this pivotal scene with any sort of feeling for Lovelace is a mark of how painfully good an actor Sean Bean is. Watch this first followed by "Valmont" and then "Dangeous Liasons" and you will see the perfect evolution of a classic 17th century theme. The rich production values pull you in to the action and the main theme of seduction still leaves room for the fundamental plot of Greed and Spite to come shining through. A viewing banquet.

I was reccomended this title a few years ago, before it came out on DVD. I searched high and low but found not a trace of it. Finally, I saw it was available here at long last! I purchased it without ever seeing a minute, and I was not too dissapointed.

This story is all about an heiress, Clarissa who is innocent enough to make you want to strangle her. She is the perfect lady, with morals and values. Of course, she runs into the most devious and seductive man who wants to charm her out of her virtues and her inheritance, while still sneaking around with her friends and relatives on the side.

Though the story begins a little slow, the costumes and settings are charming. The BBC always does an exquisite job of being period accurate when they make these long costume dramas! The house is gorgeous, the dresses are gorgeous, even the ugly men wearing HUGE puffy wigs are gorgeous.

A quick plot summary: Clarissa is the heiress to her father's fortune, which makes her sister and brother (possibly having an incestuous relationship?!?) VERY jealous and angry. They begin to plot against her. Enter Mr. Lovelace. Mr. Lovelace is a "bad guy", who was making advances on Clarissa's sister. He quickly breaks off their attachment to persue Clarissa, for her fortune at first. As time goes on, Clarrisa denied her inheritance, and tortured by her family to marry a toad-like suitor. When she refuses, all hell breaks loose. Mr. Lovelace undertsnads this predicament and offers to help Clarissa by running away with her. Throught the movie, Mr. Lovelace has to fight his true feelings for Clarissa (love) and his feelings to rape her (his usual way). His fight with his own feelings are apparent, and Sean Bean is excellent.

I will watch anything with costumes and a decent story though, so I will let you be the judge. If you enjoyed films like The Forsyte Saga, Dangerous Liasions, Valmont, He Knew He Was Right and other period BBC slow-moving sagas, then this DVD is for you.

This BBC production of "Clarissa" is an excellent adaption of the 18th Century Samuel Richardson work. Excellent production values in regard to script, costume, and scenery. Sean Bean readily captures the seductive snake-like qualities of Lovelace. Saskia Wickham also gives a great performance that showcases Clarissa's innocence while losing none of her inner strength. This film imbues the Clarissa character with feminist sensibilities, though not in the modern sense of the word. This film would be a great addition to any college library.

Set in the 18th century and based on Samuel Richardson's novel from the same period, Clarissa is a superb 1991 four-part British production (with 50-minute episodes) about a wealthy but lustful, vile rogue's attempt to conquer a pure and virtuous woman; or, on a more basic level, it is the attempt of vice to conquer virtue. Clarissa, our beautiful heroine, is a good, dutiful and pious woman who, for her kindness and virtue, has, as the story opens, become the heir to her grandfather's fortune--to the exclusion and envy of her spiteful brother and sister, her parents, and her uncle, all of whom have conspired to take their revenge by attempting to force Clarissa into marriage with an intolerable, ugly, fopish idiot. The irony is that Clarissa really does not want her grandfather's money; certainly she does not desire marriage.

Coincident with the reading of her grandfather's will, Clarissa has become the latest object of desire of Robert Lovelace (Sean Bean--Sharpe, Essex Boys, Bravo Two Zero, Extremely Dangerous, Fool's Gold) a rake and a scoundrel who lives for the hunt--in all its incarnations. His view of women is no different from his view of the birds he shoots from the sky--both exist for his sport. He's a man who enjoys a challenge and savours the deflowering of chaste young women--whether by fair means or foul.

Clarissa is no fool. Lovelace's reputation precedes him, and Clarissa wants nothing to do with him. Tragically, however, the intolerable position she is put in by her family forces her to turn to Lovelace for help. For Lovelace, it is all a game, and one's blood runs cold when his kind words to Clarissa are juxtaposed with his pub talk--talk which reveals a calculating mind, a cold heart, and a cruel inhumanity. Lovelace is vice personified. He is immoral and deceitful, full of trickery and treachery; most frightening of all, however, is that he is amoral, with no discernable concept of what's right from wrong. Whilst the game is innocent enough at the start (from Lovelace's perspective!), it soon spirals out of control and Lovelace himself becomes a victim of his own trap, ensnared by his own growing obsession.

Noteworthy DVD extras include a few brief outtakes, Bean's and Wickham's screen tests, and text-based (but very interesting) production notes.

In conclusion, this is an outstanding period drama--one which I found to be very satisfying. It is an engrossing, captivating tale peppered with an abundance of beautifully rich, witty dialogue. The acting is impeccable; indeed, of all the villains Sean Bean has portrayed, I can think of none so vile, so utterly loathesome as that of Robert Lovelace. Yet for all that, Lovelace is a complex character, and there are moments, however brief, when something akin to goodness attempts to break through.

Mandatory viewing for fans of Sean Bean, and highly recommended to all fans of quality, intelligent British productions--or indeed to anyone who enjoys period productions in general.

Yes hated. I'm at a disavantage having not read the book, but I have to say this movie was not what I expected at all. I have never felt prompted to write a bad review EVER until now (sorry Sean Bean - whose work I usually love). I hate I bought the DVD instead of renting it first.

*The below review is my opinion and contains spoiler info*


I'm not the kind of movie watcher who has to have a happy ending because I understand it doesn't always happen in real life, so it doesn't have to happen for me in a movie. In addition to that, I also love a great character study even if some of the characters are of ill-repute. However, this movie was long, drawn out and ALL of the characters REALLY got on my nerves. I found myself not caring for, wanting to understand or LIKING any of them early on. I have no problem watching movies where in order for the story to unfold, the viewer must get a little dirty as he/she follows the characters. I found the characters exhausting in just TRYING to find any reason to care what each one did or didn't do next. The end result was disturbing in which you wanted to watch Brady Bunch afterwards just to get rid of the dark filthy oppressive feeling you had afterwards. Neither character was believable in their diligence to maintain or obtain what each lived for. Neither character was someone I could sympathize with (which is saying a lot since one of them was held down by a group while being raped! All for love?) I don't see how this movie can benefit anyone on any level. Again, I can only write an opinion based on this movie version, as I have not read the book. For all I know, the book may incite compassion and sympathy from it's reader towards one or all of the characters whether they are the victim or the victimizer. This movie does not. It makes you angry that you were ever introduced to either character, angry that it was ever put on film and angry that you wasted any of your time watching it.

I remember watching this when it was first broadcast on PBS and I was absolutely glued to my seat in front of the TV. I couldn't wait to see the next installment of this drama. The costumes are exquisitely beautiful especially in one scene where two courtesans pose as high class aunts of the scheming Lovelace. All the actors played their roles to the hilt and Sean Bean (way before he hit the movie screen) was superb as Lovelace. Don't hesistate to purchase this set of DVDs-it is well worth it.

If you want to see theater - the kind for which England has been famous for hundreds of years, Sean Bean & Saskia Wickham are so unforgettable that I have not been able for YEARS to get this film out of my mind. And it's not just the acting of course. "Clarissa" the novel by Samuel Richardson (acclaimed as the father of the modern novel-those Brits again! smile), created a theme that can "entertain" but was after the plethora of evil he saw everywhere in "civilized society." He wanted (courageously so) to put their face in it. And he did. So here I am - hundreds of years later seeking his wisdom on this very subject via the most magnificent film imaginable in every way. I am going to buy it right this minute!!

Read Pamela and The History of Sir Charles Grandison, but SEE this production of Clarissa. The four part presentation of this infinitely sad yet daringly racy Richardson novel is amazingly smart, stylish and cynically funny. The mounting is gorgeous, from the selection of its beautiful young perfomers to the settings and ravishing costumes. The touch is light and delicate, very nearly turning the exquisite, spirited and classically honorable Clarissa's short, injured life and tragically self willed death into a satire on 18th century greed, lust and hypocrasy. Highly recommended for any fan of 18th century literature.

I understand the difficulties inherent in making a movie from a book that is almost 2,000 pages long, so I feel a little bad about criticizing what was mostly a good effort. However, the first 2/3rds or so was so well done that I cannot understand why the end had to be so bad.
I was pleased up until the scene with the "fire". Robert Lovelace is supposed to be suave; he is an experienced seducer. He should not attack Clarissa. It was all down hill from there. Robert is not a good man, but he should be an appealing bad one. At the end of this movie he was simply disgusting. The rape scene was far too messy. What Robert's morals would allow him to do, his pride would prevent. He would not commit a public rape. He would (as he did in the book) drug the girl so he could do the deed quietly with no vulgar struggle.
Furthermore, in the novel the rape scene is his lowest point. From there his genuine horror over the consequences of his actions -- to Clarissa, not to himself, in the novel he is not snubbed when his crimes become public -- redeems him. In the grand tradition of tragic heroes, he becomes a worthwhile human being just in time to die, so that we can morn him. In the movie my reaction to his death was more along the lines of "well thank God that's over!"
This brings me to my biggest objection. What were they thinking having Jack kill Robert? I understand that there are enough characters already without trying to introduce Colonel Mordan, but that was not an acceptable solution.
All in all, my advice is this: watch up until the "fire", then read volume 4 of Richardson's novel. You will thus save yourself about 1,500 pages of rather wordy novel and about 45 minutes of poor movie adaptation.