Starring: Hugh Dancy, Romola Garai, Hugh Bonneville, Jodhi May, Edward Fox Directed By: Tom Hooper (II) Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Binding: DVD Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC Label: BBC Video Number of Items: 1 Region Code: 1 Release Date: April 01, 2003 Running Time: 210 minutes Theatrical Release Date: 2002
Description: Daniel Deronda is a sensitive, intelligent young man, the illegitimate son of an aristocrat, haunted by the secrets that shroud his birth. Beautiful, vivacious Gwendolen Harleth is a gambler and short on cash. When they meet at the roulette table, sparks fly. But Gwendolen needs money more than passion, and the self-centered aristocrat Henleigh Grandcourt is happy to provide. As her situation becomes more and more oppressive, she turns to Daniel for help, only to discover his involvement with the young Jewish singer Mirah Lapidoth.Torn between his devotion to Gwendolen and his passion for Mirah and the plight of her people, Daniel is forced to look at his own mysterious past and find out who he really is...and who he wants to be.
Amazon.com: George Eliot's accomplished but underrated last novel is effectively, often stirringly, adapted for this 2002 BBC production, which was scripted by old pro Andrew Davies (Middlemarch) and directed with wit and subtlety by Tom Hooper (Cold Feet). Set in the 1870s, Eliot's story concerns two strong-willed young people whose self-determination is under attack by legal constraints on their rights to an inheritance. The noble Daniel (Hugh Dancy) is of dubious birth; the fiery Gwendolen (Romola Garai) can't possess her late father's estate because she's a woman. They are sympathetic to one another, but not lovers: Gwendolen is obliged to marry into wealth and becomes an unhappy bride of the scoundrel Grandcourt (Hugh Bonneville), while Daniel must sort out his feelings about the much-maligned "Jewess," the beautiful Mirah. Despite Garai's somewhat questionable casting, this lengthy drama--evenly divided between the two leads--never lags in insight or passion. --Tom Keogh
Daniel Deronda This is a great movie. Hugh Dancy does a great job.
I got the product a week or so after it was ordered and it's in excellent condition.
Some Viewers apparently didn't get it To judge by the majority of Amazon reviews, Daniel Deronda was seriously appreciated much more than not, which is certainly as it should be. On the ImdB, however, there are some opinions, mostly about the ultimate developments of the story, which I find disturbing. I will give nothing of the plot away, except to say that the DVD ends the way the book ends, and why is this so unacceptable? Phil Gramm got in trouble for calling the U.S. a nation of whiners. Since I have no position to lose, political or otherwise, I am deciding not to learn from Phil's gaffe and am now giving my take, which is, actually, we are a nation of ILLITERATE whiners.
George Eliot developed her story for a reason, and I am just gullible enough to think that Eliot knew well what she was doing.
I am wondering if the people who complain about the outcome of Daniel Deronda are the same people who travel to Europe and instead of absorbing what European culture has to offer they complain about the drinks not having any ice.
A final unrelated opinion: Jodhi May (who plays Mirah) has a wonderful, understated quality in everything I've seen her in. She's an outstanding performer, and my guess is she's a quite interesting and pleasant individual in real life.
Yes, this is more a soapbox than an actual review, but since I'm the 62nd person to write I'm sure there are enough traditional reviews available here.
Not worth the time it takes to get through it Okay, I am glad that so many people enjoyed this film, but having never read the book, I had a very hard time getting through it. Let me start off by saying that I love period dramas, but this film was terrible. I didn't like ANY of the characters, and the supposed lovers of the film barely speak to each other. No one in this film is happy, and for the most part, they don't deserve to be. There is lots of whining and complaining about why life has to be so difficult and unfair, but I just want them to get over it!
There is a large part of the film devoted to discovery of true identities, but that still feels wholly unresolved by the end, because knowing who one's parents are doesn't mean they'll know who they are themselves. It doesn't change anything for the better.
Now I will say the costumes are beautiful and there are some amazing landscape shots, but I cannot under any circumstance recommend this movie to anyone.
Absolutely Intoxicating I love this movie! I think it was done very well, and Hugh Dancy is simply hot. The movie is very dense, with a lot of opportunity for critical analysis. It is not lighthearted, but still has a good ending. It is not necessarily a family movie, not because of any overtly vulgar scenes, but because the themes are more complicated and appropriate for adult audiences. It has four episodes on one disk and is not a typical 19th C. plot. Great movie! One to watch multiple times.
pleasantly surprised I just stayed up untill 03:00 am to finish the DVD and was pleasantly surprised at the open mindessness of the story obviously originating in George Eliot. It is so refreshing to see an open mind in the Victorian era!
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