Disraeli
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Actor: Ian McShane, Jeremy Clyde, John Carlisle, Mary Peach, Rosemary LeachBrand: A and E Home Video
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 253 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-04-29
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: A&E Home Video
Product features:
- Anglophiles will find much to admire in the 1978 production Disraeli, a comprehensive look at the political and personal lives of one of that nation's most important historical figures. Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881), played by Ian McShane (Deadwood, The Golden Compass) in a bravura performance, was "an enigma even to myself," as he puts it. Born to Jewish parents but baptized into the
DVD Reviews of Disraeli
DVD Review: A good overview of the history and personal life of a great politician
Summary: 4 Stars
Ian McShane does a superb job of playing Benjamin Disraeli from the time he is a young politician, losing 5 elections in a row, to the time of his death after serving as Prime Minister of England twice. He is able to portray the handsome curly haired young dandy covered in gold chains and also the elderly stately politician with his large bald forehead. He is supported by a superb cast that includes Rosemary Leach as Queen Victoria and Mary Peach as Mary Anne Lewis Disraeli, the two women in the life of Disraeli that were most supportive of his political career and ambitions.
McShane is great as the young Disraeli, of Jewish heritage but baptized in the Anglican Church as a child. Disraeli's family was highly supportive of his ambitions and intellectual curiosity. Disraeli wrote novels and was relatively successful as a novelist before becoming a politician in his 30s, however he continue to write some also during his political career. It took 5 attempts before he was finally elected to the House of Commons as a Conservative. Yet over time he reveals himself to be a progressive conservative, steering the conservative party toward continued successes in policy. He was Prime Minister twice, much to the liking of Queen Victoria who appreciated Disraeli's philosophy, politics, and social interactions with herself. Disraeli married a wealthy widow woman 13 years his senior but their 33 year marriage was strong and supported by their mutual fascination with politics. Disraeli dealt with multiple challenges during his years of leadership including his political rivalries and allies, crisis in India and Ireland, the purchase of controlling stock in the Suez canal, and the rise of a unified Germany under the control of Otto von Bismarck. A dramatic moment occurs in the film when Baron Rothschild provides the British government a loan to purchase the Suez canal and thus keep it out of the control of the French and especially the Russians.
The DVD is four hours long and covers a good bit of English history however the majority of action is implied in the dialogues between characters. In fact, like many early BBC products, the dialogue is the primary messenger rather than action sequences. Because there is so much to cover in just 4 hours, in some ways the issues were glossed over and were not explored in any depth. This is the major drawback of the production in that it jumps from historic event to historic event to personal event to personal event without a sense of integration or without extensive context which is really necessary to understand complex historic trends and the complex personalities that swim in these political waters. Thus the DVD should be seen as an introduction to the life and career of Disraeli and that further study might be needed later to fully understand the sweep of events that is discussed in the DVD.
Description of Disraeli
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