Customer Reviews

Sense and Sensibility

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

 

 

This 1971 production is the first of the BBC's 3 adaptations of Sense & Sensibilty and as far as I am aware is presented here on DVD for the first time. It's a passable effort, the casting could be better and it has a somewhat stagey feel, but overall is alright but not outstanding. It runs for about 3 hours, the video and sound quality are excellent and it has subtitles. It's presentation on DVD is marred by advertising and the failure to edit out the inter-episode credits. Probably only for Jane Austen die-hards. Now, what about the 1967 version of Pride & Prejudice (with Celia Bannerman and Lewis Fiander)?

We have all the existing Jane Austin DVDs. Had to get this one too. I liked it very much. Always like to see how different actors/directors handle Miss Jane. Joanna David is great as Elinor. Robin Ellis is as colorless and shy as I think Miss Austin wanted him to be. No wonder Marianne was underimpressed.
The filming is very old style Masterpiece Theatre similar to The First Churchills. It's a bit stagy, but a very good, satisfying version.

When this popped up in my Netflix queue, I was excited because I'm quite an Austen fanatic, and have most of the DVDs of the various adaptations. I had never watched this particular BBC adaptation, and so was eager to watch it before purchasing it. I found this to be a tepid adaptation of Austen's classic and the worst of all the adaptations. My ranking of the various adaptations of Sense and Sensibility as as follows:
The movie version starring Emma Thompson (1995) - there's nothing I dislike about this adaptation:)
Sense and Sensibility (BBC, 2008 - haunting score, beautiful cinematography, faithful in most respects, and excellent casting, especially the role of Elinor, which was played by Hattie Morahan)
Sense and Sensibility (BBC, 1981 - very faithful to the novel, but the actors are not very appealing)

This 1971 BBC adaptation is truly pathetic - the acting by some of the characters seem over the top, and the portrayal of Sir John was truly annoying. The actor playing Willoughby was the least attractive of all the Willoughby's in the various adaptations and I felt he was horribly miscast. The actors playing the sisters, Elinor and Marianne were well-cast, especially the character of Elinor, portrayed by Joanna David, who coincidentally went on to play Elizabeth Bennet's (Jennifer Ehle) aunt in the iconic 1996 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Joanna David's Elinor is sweet and sensible, and shines in her role. The other notable actor was Patricia Routledge as Mrs Jennings. Routledge went on to attain fame in her role as the pompous Mrs Bucket in "Keeping Up Appearances".

The feature itself runs about 3 hours, and there are some changes in the dialogue compared to Austen's novel. The props and setting give this production the appearance of being a theater production, and some of the actors appear stilted and awkward in their roles. I think I will still purchase this, if only because I wish to have a collection of all the various adaptations of Austen's works, but I have to say that this is the worst adaptation of Sense and Sensibility compared to the others I have viewed.

I'm collecting as many video dramatizations of Jane Austen's novels as I can lay my hands on. I particularly prefer the "older" BBC versions to some of the newer because of the longer run times ... meaning there is more of the book on the screen. And the British are renown for being "faithful" to their dramatization of classic literature. Although the actors are certainly older than the characters they are portraying, I still liked this version being familiar with so many of those actors from other Masterpiece Theatre and/or BBC productions I've viewed on PBS over the years.

This nearly three-hour version features "salad days" performances by Joanna David, Patricia Routledge, Robin Ellis and Clive Frances (adversaries in the POLDARK mini-series) and when you factor in that this 1971 mini-series had never aired in this country made it a "must" purchase. I was not disappointed, and would recommend it to other Austen addicts like myself.

I had to have this recently retrieved from the vaults Austen adaptation because I try to see every filmed take on her works. Joanna David truly shines as Elinor. Madden's Marianne is problematic at first; she seems so thoroughly self-absorbed, that you doubt how her sister can be so attached to her. Although too much of the dialogue is not true to the novel, the screenplay succeeds well in depicting the sobering effects of genuine emotional suffering in Marianne. She is genuinely less trite, and much more introspective after her ordeal. Although her looks will always be a draw, the viewer knows that the way has been paved for her to experience the genuine unconditional love which Willoughby's fear of poverty prohibited....It was a joy to see a younger Patricia Routledge in the role of Mrs. Jennings!.....It was however, easier to see Sir John Middleton as a well-respected Shopkeeper of sorts than as a fine country gentleman, although he accurately depicted the warmth and generosity of Austen's creation......The Steele sisters were dead-on; they were as grasping and uncultured as Jane Austen showed us. We must understand that we can't "hate on" Lucy too much. In that era, lower Middle-Class (and some genuinely Middle-Class) mothers bordered on socially "prostituting" their daughters to make up for the lack of a real dowry. There was such a fear that an unmarried daughter would settle into spinsterhood and further drain a family's meager resources, that mothers (and sometimes fathers) would literally brainwash their daughters into utilizing excessive flattery, and overall catering to the landed gentry as a key weapon in their arsenal to trap a wealthy man. Such a man could perhaps elevate the standard of living of the gal's entire family!......Not without imperfections, this adaptation of Sense&Sensibility is still worth watching.

OK, Willoughby's wig is appalling. Marianne is painfully earnest and self-absorbed (but that's the point, isn't it?). Yet this BBC adaptation of the Austen Classic has lots to offer British TV fans. Notably, Joanna David (Mrs Gardiner in the Colin Firth P & P) as Elinor - exuding class and proper reserve in every facially nuanced expression, Patricia Routledge (Keeping Up Appearances) wonderfully larger than life as the warm-hearted if gossipy Mrs Jennings, and Robin Ellis (of Poldark fame) underplayed but brilliant in scene of excruciating embarrassment when Edward Ferrars arrives to find his love closeted with his now deeply regretted fiancee Lucy Steele, and to make matters worse is then championed by the unwitting Marianne. Priceless!

Note: Although the Amazon.com heading implies that this is a 2009 adaptation, the 2009 only refers to the DVD release date. In reality, this adaptation is the 1971 BBC adaptation, which is not to be confused with the 1981 BBC adaptation.

MY VIEWPOINT:

Having read Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility" twice and having watched the following adaptations of Sense and Sensibility: 1971, 1981, 1996, and 2009, I certainly believe this adaptation captures the intent of Austen's novel better than any of the any other adaptations. Of course, this will create a dated production but hardly a humorless one.

This 1971 Giles adaptation captures quite well the personalities of Mrs. Jennings and Lucy Steele. Rare is the adaptation of "Sense and Sensibility" in which you sympathize with Mrs. Jennings and believe her to be (despite her gossipy personality) a character with whom other characters can sympathize. Lucy, through her tone of voice and body language, is played as a cunning young lady rather than a naive one when she admits to Elinor that she and Edward have been engaged for years. In other words, Lucy is aware that she is hurting Elinor when she tells her about Edward's engagement. Also, Elinor and Marianne do not seem in this adaptation to be quite as much the embodiment of complete sense and complete sensibility, which is how the 1981 Barron adaptation portrays them.

The plot of this 1971 Giles adaptation is very similar to the novel, as are all the adaptations. A few negatives do exist, naturally. Margaret's character is cut, although this might have been expected. Also, the adaptation implies that Radcliffe wrote "The Castle of Otranto," which, in my view, is a careless error.

Overall, however, the production kept my attention, certainly better than the 1981 Barron BBC adaptation, in which both Mrs. Jennings and Lucy are like caricatures from a Dickens novel.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT:
I believe the adaptation is worthy for those who enjoy Austen. For those who prefer a more modernized adaptation, the 2008 Davies adaptation [or even the Thompson adaptation] might be better worth your time.

Finally, if you can tolerate the 1981 Baron adaptation [I hated it], this adaptation should not cause your eyes or ears too much pain.

She was an excellent Elinor. I also liked that she was portrayed very pretty. All the other adaptations I have seen, portray Elinor of average attractiveness, even though the actresses portraying Elinor were very attractive in real life. I also liked that Elinor and Marianne looked enough alike that they could be sisters.

What I did not like, was Edward was portrayed as shy, insecure and bumbling. It also seemed to me Marianne was portrayed much too self centered and selfish, much more than her character who was somewhat selfish in the novel, should have been. This portrayal overshadowed Marianne's good qualities, such as the deep love and loyalty she felt for her mother and sisters.

Which is another disappointment, I also missed that there was no Margaret in this adaptation. I missed that in the 1981 adaptation also, but that adaptation otherwise I found very good.

I did find I enjoyed the portrayal of Colonel Brandon and Willoughby the best in this adaptation. Both were much more likable in this.

It seemed there were several scenes and dialogue, either added or changed, from the novel, which I disliked. I felt this was the most unfaithful adaptation I have seen.

Bottom line, if you are a Janeite, or a loyal fan of BBC period fiction adaptations, you will still want to add this to your collection. However, I believe you will find you prefer the 1981, or the 1995 or the 2008 adaptations, over this.

The problem with dong well-known classics is that there is a level of expectation based on other productions; although this is a BBC production, it does not rise to the level of other films. The acting is hesitant, the lines delivered teleprompter fashion. There seems to be little interaction between the characters who are in the scene together, but could well be on their cell phones the way the lines are delivered. Sorry to pan any Austen story, but there it is.

I don't have a lot to say about this film since it is neither the best nor the least appealing of the Sense and Sensibility productions. The only problem with all of them except for the "Hugh Grant version" is the homeliness of the Edwards. Can't a clergyman of English persuasion be handsome even though he be a physical bumbler? Oh, well, the story is all there, but because it is not a BBC extravaganza, some of the perhaps minor details have been omitted. Yet, it's worth the viewing, especially for comparative purposes, and Maryanne and Elinor are lovely creatures--a bit stiff though. Their mother is lovely and Mrs. Jennings is wonderful. Since the film is several decades old, the color isn't quite up to snuff, but all in all, Mrs. Jennings makes the film work.