Middlemarch
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DVD details
Actor: Douglas Hodge, Juliet Aubrey, Patrick Malahide, Robert Hardy, Rufus SewellBrand: Warner Home Video
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 357 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-04-17
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Model: E2190
Studio: BBC Worldwide
Product features:
- 19th century Great Britain. The Industrial Revolution brings both the promise and fear of change. In the provincial town of Middlemarch, the progressive Dorothea Brooke desperately seeks intellectual fulfillment in a male-dominated society and is driven into an unhappy marriage to the elderly scholar Casaubon. No sooner do they embark on their honeymoon than she meets and develops an instant conne
DVD Reviews of Middlemarch
DVD Review: "Pride and Prejudice" this ain't.
Summary: 3 Stars
Although this BBC miniseries is not the top one we've seen, it still has its moments. Also, it's quite a bargain for 7 hours of viewing. To be sure, rich character development, beautiful scenery, and fine acting, are all there. But the story is very much a 19th century soap opera with many of the key characters acting in a self-destructive, petulant way. Middlemarch is a pseudonym for one of the midland cities in England, most likely, Coventry. The town has its country charm, but many of the inhabitants are small-minded and petty. Few characters are really worth worrying about, with the exception of the Garth family who will be noted further below.
The central character, Dorothea Brooke, is born to an aristocratic life, along with her sister Cecilia. Their parents died while the sisters were young and both girls are taken in by their uncle, Arthur Brooke, played by Robert Hardy. He dotes on the girls as if they were his own and tries to make them happy. Despite all this, Dorothea feels guilty for her privileged life and longs to do something profound in the world. Instead of marrying the next door neighbor, the dashing, young Sir James Chettam, she is attracted to an old fossil and religious scholar, Rev. Edward Casaubon, who is at least 20 years older than her. (Sir James marries Cecilia in one of the few bright spots of the story). Dorothea's life with Casaubon turns into a nightmare, as their marriage is never physically consummated. One reason for this may be that every day for him is a "bad hair day." Mr. Casaubon spends his time on vainglorious sophistry and religious wanderings and eventually dies of a heart attack. While this is going on, the young idealist, Mr. Ladislaw, Casaubon's nephew, meets and falls for Dorothea. We learn that one of the stipulations in Casaubon's will is that Dorothea will lose her position and fortune if she marries Ladislaw. Of course, this is what happens in the end and viewers are left wondering she didn't give away her estate first and then run off with Ladislaw. At the conclusion of the story, the narrator tells us that Ladislaw is elected to Parliament but doesn't say much more. We're left to hope that he and Dorothea had a happy life together after much disappointment and despair. Nevertheless, we're told that when Dorothea dies she is left in an "unvisited tomb." Who needs that?
Other threads of the story are equally soapy, as we are introduced to the young doctor, Lydgate, and his eventual bride, Rosamund Vincy. Rosamund is daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Vincy. He is a merchant and the town mayor. Son Fred is a disappointment to his family throughout most of the story and has trouble making his way in the world. (Fred is played by Colin Firth's younger brother Jonathan and thus is the only connection we could find to the 1995 production of "Pride and Prejudice." After getting depressed watching "Middlemarch," we just had to re-view segments of P & P.) Fred is befriended by Mr. Caleb Garth, father of Mary Garth, Fred's love interest. Mary won't accept marrying Fred until he learns how to make a respectable living which he eventually does as apprentice to her father. They manage some of the local farms and estates and do well. Fred and Mary eventually end up together which is about the only trace of a happy ending this long story provides.
Back to Dr. Lydgate, he is also an idealist and donates his time in building up a big, new hospital in Middlemarch. He hopes to make the hospital a major center for the study and cure of fevers of all types. In his private practice, Lydgate does much to upset the existing social structure and becomes unpopular with most of the local power brokers. An example of this is where Lydate suggests a glass of wine for one of the locals rather than a concoction from an older doctor. (At this stage, viewers may be tempted to reach for a bottle of wine or something stronger, too.) Lydgate does gain support from Mr. Nicholas Bulstrode who becomes his friend and patron. Sadly, Bulstrode, the banker, makes important enemies and brings Lydgate down with him. At the end of the story, we're told that Lydgate dies at age 50, and Rosamund re-marries an elder physician. So much for idealism.
We've never had much interest in George Eliot and doubt we will pursue any of her other works. If they're like "Middlemarch," about the only conclusion one might have is that it sure is better living today, with all our problems, than having lived 200 years ago in a sad place like Middlemarch. If you want to immerse yourself in British period drama from the 1800's that has real punch and a happy ending, try "North and South."
Description of Middlemarch
19th century Great Britain. The Industrial Revolution brings both the promise and fear of change. In the provincial town of Middlemarch, the progressive Dorothea Brooke desperately seeks intellectual fulfillment in a male-dominated society and is driven into an unhappy marriage to the elderly scholar Casaubon. No sooner do they embark on their honeymoon than she meets and develops an instant connection with Casaubon's young cousin, Will Ladislaw. When idealistic Doctor Lydgate arrives, his new methods of medicine sweep him into the battle between conservatives and liberals in town. He quickly becomes enamored of the beautiful, privileged Rosamond Vincy, a woman whose troubles seem bound to destroy him.The BBC has raised the mini-series to an astonishing creative peak. A prime example is the 1994 production of Middlemarch, based on the classic novel by George Eliot, which juxtaposes morals and money, grand ambitions with petty jealousies, and pursuits of the mind with bodily needs. A handsome young doctor named Lydgate (Douglas Hodge, Vanity Fair) comes to the provincial town of Middlemarch to start a new hospital; a headstrong young woman named Dorothea (Juliet Aubrey, The Mayor of Casterbridge) yearns to contribute to the greater good of the world. These idealists enter into marriages that derail all their intentions and lead them into lives they never imagined. The network of characters in this six-episode program, ranging up and down the societal ladder, create an intricate and utterly engrossing narrative as well as a magnificent recreation of life on the cusp of the Industrial Revolution. The cast, from the largest to the smallest roles, is impeccable. When a scene turns to a character you've only glimpsed before, the precision of the writing (by miniseries master Andrew Davies, Pride and Prejudice) and the vivid performances suck you into the life of this person who seemed like mere background scenery only moments before. The cumulative impact of Eliot's story will leave you gasping at its brilliant balance of romance and reality. Performers include creepy Patrick Malahide (The Singing Detective) and sexy Rufus Sewell (Dark City) among the familiar faces of dozens of inspired character actors. Don't let the literary pedigree of Middlemarch scare you off--the plot is as juicy as a soap opera, with a psychological fullness that makes every dramatic turn all the more gripping. --Bret Fetzer
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