The Buccaneers
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Movie Reviews of The Buccaneers
Movie Review: A Primer On Aristocracy and Differences Between England and America
Summary: 4 Stars
This is not a 'happily-ever-after' kind of a story. The plot is convoluted. Cinderella is nowhere to be seen. Moral values are few and hard to find, and just when you think you've found someone who has brains and/or morals, if that's your goal, the plot takes another turn. It's an attractive movie as far as backgrounds and clothes.
I watched this several years ago and forgot that I had watched it, which says something, and started it again. After several false starts, losing interest and starting again, I made it through to the end, and came out with some 'lessons' that this series teaches.
-America is different from England, as if we didn't already know that, but I hadn't realized just how different we really are/were.
-English 'gentlemen' don't work.
-English 'gentleman' often have LAND but NO MONEY. They must marry rich or lose the land.
-English 'gentleman' are willing to marry for money and find their love elsewhere.
-English 'gentleman' are not always very nice and sometimes downright cruel to their wives.
-It is frowned upon when an English gentleman decides that he wants to earn a living, just not done! It's also frowned upon when they want to marry outside their position in life.
-Americans don't have a clue how the English system works, but it sounds/looks like fun, so we want to participate in it, and if we have the money for it, they will let us do it.
-American women in the 1800s had no rights, were treated like children, and in some cases were downright silly, probably because they were expected to be. It certainly didn't pay for them to have brains, or values not appreciated by their families, and try to use them.
I tried very hard to find characters that I could relate to or care about. Finally I found one and hoped she would continue behaving herself appropriately through the whole story. How did that turn out? You'll have to see it and decide for yourself.
Movie Review: Excellent Story but not a Romance
Summary: 4 Stars
This BBC miniseries is adapted from the last, incomplete, novel by Edith Wharton. It follows the lives of four American girls of the nouveau riche (new rich) of the late nineteenth century. Shunned by the old established families of the time, the girls travel to England for a "London season." All of the girls are soon married into the British aristocracy. But, be warned, this is not a romance.
Edith Wharton was born in 1862 to a wealthy New York family. She knew the wealthy and powerful of the age. She was a part of upper class American society but also a harsh critic of it. Her novels illustrate the provincialism, elitism, ignorance and bigotry of the period. Wharton won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature for her novel The Age of Innocence, in 1921. She was the first woman to win the award.
Wharton died on August 11, 1937 with this novel incomplete. The story was published the next year as it stood when she died. It was not until 1993 that Marion Mainwaring was commissioned to complete the story and two years later the BBC produced this miniseries based upon the novel and Mainwaring completion.
Recommendation: I certainly recommend The Buccaneers as a complex and interesting tale of the period, but don't expect everyone to live happily ever after.
Finally, if American heiresses crossing the Atlantic to marry into the British aristocracy fascinates you I recommend, To Marry an English Lord by Gail MacColl and Carol Wallace as an entertaining history of this Victorian era phenomena.
Kyle Pratt
Movie Review: Illuminates 1870's Marriage Alliances Between American & English Families
Summary: 4 Stars
Backdrop:
In the latter half of the 1800's, America's New York was a rising industrial and financial giant. Many "old money" families like the Vanderbilt's and Astor's began to look to England to secure English titles to add to their prestige. Whereas, the "new moneyed" Americans denied admittance into New York society, also looked to England for a title and acceptance. On the other hand, where England was still a colonial power with extreme amounts of wealth in the hands of a few landed gentry, many of these landed English families were cash poor; thus paving the way for marriage alliances to be formed across the Atlantic.
The Story:
Edith Wharton's unfinished novel, The Buccaneers takes place within these historical times, and portrays the hazards that develop when socially driven families manipulate and connive young minds through the use of duty, honor, title and wealth.
This BBC production is splendidly done, with grand costumes of the day, beautiful locations, and strong performances by the cast. One slight drawback is that several key characters seem to simply fade away within the story, so that the emotional investment is oddly lost and dismissed for three of the four girls halfway through the series.
The ending developed from Wharton's notes is satisfying, at the same time that it is unsettling. For true to the time, women's choices were difficult, and often crushing. Surprisingly, you may find that you'll think on this story long afterwards.
Movie Review: All That Glitters is not Gold
Summary: 4 Stars
The Bucanneers is another worthwhile addition if you collect and love BBC Video. But you have to stay with it. It is very long. If you do, I promise you will like it.
The Buccaneers is reminiscent of the times of Edith Wharton's novels. It's the story of four "nouveau riche" young ladies from New York, who are shunned by traditionalist society, and set out to England to perhaps win-by love or by their fortunes-better circumstances for themselves and their families. But all that glitters is not gold; and these four different women, childhood friends - will learn that life is not always a gilded path as they thought their lives would be. That childhood dreams of romance can be dashed. That circumstances test the bonds of friendship. They would in fact, have some growing to do. And learning. And in doing this, they would come to realize their own true characters. And finally, that society's rules are nothing compared to the values that a person holds in their own heart.
This movie is a testament of what very hard times these were for women-times of being repressed and without means of one's own. But there's hope in the end.
Excellent performances across the board, but in particular by Carla Gugino and Mira Sorvino, two vastly underrated actresses.
Try it. You'll watch it more than once. Good BBC Video.
Movie Review: A beautiful historical romantic drama!
Summary: 4 Stars
Since I have never read an Edith Wharton book, or even seen a movie based on an Edith Wharton book, I watched this series with a clean slate, and no preconceived notions about how it should have ended in order to mesh with Wharton's vision.
That said, I loved The Buccaneers!
The first episode was difficult for me to get into, as it is a little more crude than I had expected for a period piece. However, I kept watching, and before I knew it, I had flown through the entire series in one afternoon! It was wonderful! The costumes are outstanding, the sets are magnificent, and the acting superb. At times, it was a bit overdramatic, but I find that is usually the case with films set in this time period.
It has been criticized for having been "Americanized" for the American viewer, and while normally that would be reason enough to turn me off from a film, in this case, since it IS about Americans, I didn't mind. I think it still ended with enough quirk for Europeans, and enough happiness for Americans. Irregardless of the ending, the body of the series is beautifully executed and worth watching.
Filled with frivolity, joy, anguish, lust, love, and laughter, I would recommend this series to anyone who loves historical romantic drama.
Grade: A-