Watching Persuasion on ITV3 at the mo. I hated it when I first saw it and I’m hating it now. There is only ONE reason to watch this drivel: Captain Frederick Wentworth! Rupert Penry-Jones sure knows how to carry off a cravat, that’s for sure! It also features the great Anthony Head (in a cravat as well – yay!), but that doesn’t quite make up for the rest of this godawful adaptation.
The character of Anne is incredibly annoying, the camera work is extremely ill-suited for a period drama, and the first time I saw it I was shocked because I was under the impression that anything written by Jane Austen is awesome, yet this made me so furious that I wanted to chuck stuff at the telly because it was so horrifically bad. Gah! I’m still not getting why Wentworth would be interested in Anne, because she’s so weak and meek it’s unbelievable! Not to mention the fact that Mary Musgrove comes across as mentally challenged as opposed to “just” severely hypochondriac … I mean, geez.
ITV’s 2007 version was my first introduction to Persuasion, hence why I was wondering how anything Austen could be this bad. After recommendations on IMDb, I looked up the 1995 version (with Ciarán Hinds), which was a relief. My trust in Jane Austen was restored. How could I ever have doubted her greatness? Because of one incredibly shoddy adaptation.
Agree totally! The other really annoying scenes were (quoting from a thread on IMDb) the Bath marathon — how dumb was THAT? And that incredibly ridiculous kiss — is it a kiss? — yes, she’s going in,– no he’s moving back, — wait…what’s happening? Doesn’t he want to kiss her? (maybe she reeks from all that running?) — okay…there! FINALLY! but YUCK!!
The kiss was what really ruined the whole thing for me. As Knightly might say, “Badly done!”
BUT, I did like the ending scene (which of course wasn’t in the book either), but very nice with Wentworth surprising her by buying her house for her as a wedding present.
I totally LOVED the Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds Persuasion. Amanda’s version of Ann was so much more admirable, you could understand Wentworth not being able to forget her.
@phylly3: I totally agree with everything you said! Root/Hinds is a LOT better, and restored my faith in Austen again. Not to mention Hinds also looks incredibly dashing in a uniform…
I was such a huge fan of the Hinds/Root version that I didn’t even want to watch the newer version. Once I did, I was sorry. It was just a limp copy of its brilliant predecessor. What was with all that dashing around Anne did at the end? I just found it annoying.
Couldn’t agree with you more, Tara!