Customer Reviews

David Copperfield Episode 1

5 star:		(55)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

A sumptuous, wonderful adaptation; unexpectedly and disarmingly excellent.

I was a little hesitant going into this: having read the novel a couple of times and declared it my own, I had long fondly imagined the scenes and characters without any need for assistance, thank you very much.

Consequently, I felt the way many Tolkien fans must have felt before those three recent movies came out: leery that my coveted imaginings would be sullied by what might prove to be a jarrring and irreversible contamination.

These fears were misplaced, however. The full vitality of Dickens's bittersweet classic -- all the heaping joys and sorrows of life -- comes through quite powerfully in this handsome BBC version. After about 25 minutes I was literally on the edge of my seat.

Oh, and speaking of this version: they spent some money on it, you'll be happy to know. It's not one of those innumerable stuffy BBC dramas that take place (for budget considerations if nothing else) in an intolerable series of drawing rooms and antechambers. No, they did this one right: the blokes went outside and built some proper sets, and it shows.

Yes, though fully prepared to dislike it, I find myself here with little ammunition for complaint. I wish Traddles hadn't suffered deletion; he is one character I have difficulty picturing and could have used some help. Also, the actress who played Dora was not exactly my conception of her . . . but this is nitpicking.

Originally airing in the U.S. on PBS's Masterpiece Theatre, I came across this one night during a fit of cable boredom. Thinking it would allow me to kill some time until something "good" came on I started watching. An hour and a half later I was cueing up my home video tape to insure that I would not miss the next night's conclusion! I could not wait to see it! I have read Charles Dickens and I am especially fond of Great Expectations but could never quite throw myself fully into David Copperfield. This is a shame since Copperfield is supposed to be Dickens' pseudo autobiography. I found the photography visual captivating with the feeling of the time period masterful rendered. The acting was great (Hoskins is amusing) with the boy who plays young Copperfield a definite standout. The story finally comes to life and the plot and its intricacies are finally revealed (to those who lack the patience to read the book!). Copperfield is truly a rags to riches story in a very convuluted and ironic manner, very much like life itself. Young Copperfield must make his way in the world after his widowed mother passes away and he is left to the whims of his ill tempered and miserly step-father and step-aunt. How Copperfield goes from being a neglected, uncared for urchin to a well thought of writer will have you watching in fascination. Of course, along the way he has several adventures and makes friends with quite a few colorful and tragic characters. If you haven't had the inclination to actually read this story, this is definitely the video version you should watch. I liked it so much I just have to own the tapes (2 tape set). Enough said. Go watch it now!

The first half of David Copperfield was good enough, I think, to please Dickens himself. This is due in part to the excellent portrayal of young David by Daniel Radcliffe, who provides just the right amount of spunk and vulnerability to do justice to the character. Treavor Eve is also excellent as David's nemesis, his stepfather, Murdstone. Just a look from Eve's Murdstone is enough to frighten David first into silence and then, as he is being savagely beaten for failing his lessons, into instinctive rebellion, biting Murdstone's hand. For this crime David is sent to Murstone's blacking factory in London. The blacking factory is a dreadful place and would certainly have broken David's spirit and ruined his life if it were not for the introduction of Mr. Micawber, his guardian in London, exceptionally well played by the talented Bob Hoskins.

This great novel is filled with a variety of subplots, many of which are included in the film. Three that are worth mentioning are David's flight from the blacking factory and his journey to his Aunt Betsey Trotwood, beautifully performed by the great English actress Maggie Smith. Aunt Betsey takes David in and champions his cause in a dramatic scene where she throws out Murdstone and his sister Jane from her home. Aunt Betsey then takes David to live with a lawyer and his daughter Agnes and the lawyer's evil clerk Uriah Heep, who pretends to be humble yet never stops scheming to steal everything the lawyer owns. In another great scene, Macawber, now working for Heap, confronts the villain as a Heap of infamy. This dramatic encounter is the climax of the film. Lastly, another story worth mentioning concerns David's nanny Peggotty. She and her family are betrayed by Steerforth, a boy that befriended David in his first school and who saved him from the dreadful headmaster Mr. Creakle, wonderfully played by Ian McKellen.

Unfortunately, when David grows up the story loses some of its force and energy. The adult David, Ciaran McMenamin, is the weakest actor in the cast. Even so, the story is so well dramatized that I found myself engaged from beginning to end.

David Copperfield is a long book and four hours is not quite enough time to do it justice, but what the producers have included is done well and will certainly give viewers a good sense of the exceptionally varied and entertaining cast of characters in a story, somewhat autobiographical, that Dickens himself considered his favorite and best work. This film is family entertainment of a high order. Highly recommended.

This is a magical, heartwarming version of the Dickens' tale from Exxon Mobil Masterpiece Theatre. David Copperfield is a young English boy living a life of happiness, but sometimes pain. The pain from his wicked step-father and the London school teacher (whom also gives a comedic twist to the movie at points). The happiness from his maid and mother and the joyful man who takes him in (Bob Hoskins). After being taken in by this man, David runs away into the country and encounters his aunt who hates boys but learns to love them when she takes in David.

Tape 2 brings us to face David's adult years in which he falls for his first love. Tape 2 is a wonderful tape and gives us a villan to overcome our fears by.

**************************************************************** This is a very heartwarming tale about love, kindness and the feelings you should give to people who are nice back at you. The cast is very well chosen, the plot is just wonderous and the moral that it gives you is good too. Purchase this video, guys. You'll cherish always.

RECOMMENDATIONS OF MASTERPIECE THEATRE: Moll Flanders, Oliver Twist, 'Upstairs, Downstairs.'

I absolutely loved this movie! It had all of the right elements, a great plot, plus a good balance of of good and evil. But most importantly, the movie was filled with wonderful insights, and delicate displays of love and compassion. I was glued to my seat the whole time! Long film, but worth every single second! Truly a warm and loving film, with some of the finest acting that I've seen to date!

I thought this video was very good. I haven't seen other versions, so I can't compare them, but I think it portrays the book excellently (although the book IS of course, better). The first tape is the best. Daniel Radcliffe does a wonderful job playing young David. The plot also follows the book and even the lines in the book very well. The character are cast perfectly. Mr. Murdstone is horrible, Mr. and Mrs. Micawber are exactly how they are in the book! In the second tape, I wish they hadn't cut out the part with the old Doctor, or Tommy Traddles. They focused more on his relationship with Dora and Agnes in the movie, whereas there are many themes going on at once in the book. Also some little things, like Agnes doesn't seem to take quite so kindly to Dora in the movie as she does in the book. But Maggie Smith is excellent as Betsy Trotwood (of course). Overall, this is a fabulous movie. Even if you haven't read the book, you'll want to after you see this.

I saw this and became very aware of why David Copperfield has become such a classic. The production of this PBS version rivals any period movie made with Hollywood money. You'll really get involved in the lives of the characters.

Being a fan of the classic by Dickens, (it is in my top ten), I was naturally inclined to want to see the movie versions of this wonderful work of literature.

Actaully I had seen one on A&E, and while I don't really remember much about it, I did enjoy it enough to have a desire to read the book. Ah, contentment. Nothing like a well written novel. I enjoyed it so much, I decided to read it out loud to my wife, something that we love to do with great works that are written in a style that just begs to be spoken. There is something about it that just brings an enrichment to the stories that can sometimes be missed otherwise.

Anyhow, after this treasured experience, we both wanted to see the A&E version. But try as I might, I couldn't find it released on DVD or VHS. So I turned to the altenatives. I read the reviews for this BBC version right here on Amazon, and I must say I was impressed. Almost every review was a good one, and much was said about how close this was to the book. The people who had seen this and the A&E version even told me this was much superior.

So I happily plunked down the money for this movie. We invited our friend Ian who had recently pleasured himself by reading the book. We watched. By the time it was over I was wishing that I hadn't read all those reviews. False hope and all that dashed nonsense. I also wished that I had seen this before reading the book. (I know that by saying this I am totally contradicting my review of Austen's book "Northanger Abbey", but in this case I was wrong.) Not that it is a bad movie, but like my wife said, "It was just a skeleton of the book".

So I shall give a list of the things I didn't like, followed by those that I did.

1. The movie just whizzed by from scene to scene, as if they were in a hury to get to the end. Three hours is three hours, but a good director, coupled with nice editing can make a movie feel smoother and seem longer, without giving you that ancy feeling you could be doing something else.
2. There were quite a few well written characters missing, or just having brief cameos. Some of the missing who were in my mind vital to the story: Traddle, Dora' two birdlike aunts, and Doctor and Mrs. Strong. Not so important, but still missed by me: The Old Soldier (Mrs. Markleham), Mr Omer, Mr. Joram, And the unforgetable Miss Mowcher.
3. The scene where everyone confronts Uriah Heep is way to short. It felt like it took all of about a minute, where as in the book it took up almost an entire chapter, fiiled with rich speech from all the characters, most notably Micawber, who couldn't say the name Heep without going almost into a fit of rage, while here he says Heep that way maybe twice, then mellowing out his tone for the rest of the scene.
4. I don't like how they split the DVD like you are watching it on PBS by having the credits halfway through, then you get to watch a preview of what you are going to watch in a few minutes, and then a rehash of what you just watched. Maddening!

Good points.

1. While there was a lot left out, they didn't deviate from the storyline hardly at all.
2. Seeing David's aunt tearing into the Murdstones was almost perfect.
3. Mr. Dick was just how I imagined him, especially in the kite flying scene with him twirling his cane in the air with his childish excitement. Seeing David's smile during this scene was very nice to.
4. Most notable performances: the young David (an awesome career lies ahead of this boy), Peggotty, Mr. Peggotty, Ham (especially when talking of his love for Emily), Mr. Micawber (while not how I imagined him, was still excellently done), Mrs. Micawber, Miss Trotwood, Uriah Heep (definatly portraying sinister), and Rosa Darttle.

I would recomend this movie to a few select groups. If you are curious and have read the book, then I would say, try to rent or borrow this before purchasing. Who knows you might like it. Or if you are a collector of great literary books brought to life, and finally, if you have never read the book, then try watching this and see if you want to read it then.

I would not recomend letting children view this until you yourself have screened it and decided its ok, because there are some scenes that could be very disturbing to youngters, and the first half of the movie has a dark feel about it as well.

My only hope is that someday soon, someone will put up the money for a proper mini-series to be done. Something in the range of six to ten hours would be nice. And it can be done. Just look at Pride & Prejudice, coming in at five hours long, with the book being a little over 300 pages, while Copperfield rests at a nice long 850 pages.

And so I wait....

I really loved the first half of this movie. It has a very young Daniel Radcliffe playing the part of David Copperfield. He does a Superb job. Be sure you have alot of tissues for the first half. Also Maggie Smith as his aunt does a superb job. " No donkeys, No donkeys". The lady who played Madam Hooch from the first Harry Potter movie was also in it. She played the wicked stepdad's sister. Some parts in the movie made me cry and some made me laugh. All in all this is a great movie. Don't listen to the person with the bad review on Danny and this film. It was a great film. Danny's acting in this film made you want to just hug the stuffing out of him.

What a treat this movie was! Especially seeing Daniel Radcliffe's first role here before he hit puberty! I was also pleasantly surprised to see Maggie Smith (she plays Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter movies) here as well; she was excellent as David Copperfield's no-nonsense, but loving, caring great-aunt. I laughed at Betsy's crowing *No donkeys here* to shoo away the donkeys from her yard. Daniel did a wonderful, shining job here as young David Copperfield; you can actually tell David's really suffering under his cruel stepfather's rule and Daniel does a fine job portraying the anguish. Daniel really did a good job with the weeping scenes, esp. when he cries at the scene of finding out that awful Murdstone's his new stepfather; you can actually see tears in his big eyes. I just loved the sad-eyed, slanted-browed look Daniel perfected in this movie; it made me just want to hug him. Daniel's sooo cute and I love how dramatic he is! The scenes were historically accurate too, esp. the blacking factory and the debtors' prison and the squalor of those places is very vivid too. They do a good job also making Daniel a nice mess working in the blacking factory and when he arrives at his aunt Betsy's house; you could see that poor David's been through hell and back. Just seeing this movie endears me to Daniel Radcliffe even more; Daniel's a very interesting person I'm curious about. Well done!