Vanity Fair
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Movie Reviews of Vanity Fair
Movie Review: The BBC "Vanity Fair", 1998
Summary: 4 Stars
VANITY FAIR
I have just indulged in a rather interesting experiment. While reading Thackeray's novel, I've also been able to watch the six part BBC serialization starring Natasha Little as Becky Sharp. I'll comment on this BBC serial later--but first to the novel itself.
Well, it's a very good novel. Certainly one of the best from the Victorian period which it parodies so beautifully. Becky Sharp is a fine literary creation and the personal embodiment of that "Vanity Fair" which Thackeray, on the one hand, appears to despise so much, while winking at us in happy glee and suggesting "it ain't such a bad place after all" (by gad!)on the other. All the main characters are fully realized and mercilessly exposed in their weaknesses by the unrelenting author.
Becky, as I have said, is the very embodiment of the superficial, and finally worthless, attractions on offer in the pitiless and unrelenting world of "Vanity Fair" which raises people up for a moment, only to mercilessly crush them forever after they have strutted for their little pompous moment on the high society stage. Amelia's Major Dobbin is the only really honourable character in the book--and he is continually trampled over by all the bright young things who want to make their momentary splash in "Vanity Fair". Thackeray describes him as a "spooney" and, indeed, he spends most of the novel as Amelia's platonic lover who dare not ask for more than the little she will give him. Becky Sharp is the real hero, heroine or "anti-heroine" of this novel "without a hero". She manipulates everyone with the most perfect judgement and lives for the joy of Vanity Fair's thousand intrigues. Her husband Rawdon's unexpected escape from a debtor's house and subsequent discovery of his wife making love to the Marquis of Steyne (and his resultant thrashing of that gentleman) is probably the most dramatic moment in the book. However, Becky--if not her husband or the Marquis--is able to move beyond even this catastrophe.
"Vanity Fair" is not without faults for the modern reader. Sometimes Thackeray indulges in page after page of almost nonsensical parody of the contemporary society of his day and this comes across (in the 21st century) as even worse than Swift's most obscure rants in Gulliver's Travels on the Tory/Whig politics of his time. Thankfully, Thackeray doesn't usually detain his reader long in such tedious environs, but soon gets his marvellously readable story moving again.
As I wrote earlier, I have been watching the 1998 BBC adaptation of "Vanity Fair" while actually reading the novel itself--and it's been quite a revealing experience. Of course, one sympathises with the person responsible for making the adaptation. How is it possible to condense the action of more than 800 pages into a 6 hour serial? No doubt it's an impossible task, but I was, mostly, impressed with the beeb's minor success. The adaptation is well done, though it's not without blemish and, most notably, substitutes some of Thackeray's prejudices for several of our own time. For example,(in the novel) Becky's husband, Rawdon, thrashes Lord Steyne with his open hand to make the point that he regards him as a coward and expects to be satisfied in a duel. The beeb substituted a drunken head-butt for this subtle assault--presumably because they thought this was more acceptable to late 20th century British yob culture. Again, the serialization accurately includes a black manservant in the Sedley family. However, he (the black manservant) is given a far larger part in the adaptation than in Thackeray's novel (where, indeed, he is hardly more than a wretched slave). Wouldn't it have been better to simply cut this character out altogether rather than have him purposelessly wandering through (seemingly) every episode full of a somewhat threatening "joie de vivre"? Nevertheless, as I wrote earlier, the adaptation is probably ALMOST as good as it could have been in the circumstances. In particular, Natasha Little is quite enchanting as Rebecca Sharp.
Movie Review: Very Enjoyable Production of a Literary Classic
Summary: 4 Stars
I have read "Vanity Fair" twice and intend to re-read this coming year. I remember seeing a BBC version with Susan Hampshire in the role of Becky Sharp back in the 1970s, as well as the 1930s Hollywood version with Mariam Hopkins on late-night television when I was a teenager. Now I understand that there is to be another Hollywood version, with Reese Witherspoon, of all the odd choices, to play Becky. Natasha Little is, in my opinion, an outstanding Becky Sharp, surpassing both Hampshire and Hopkins in the role. I cannot feature the vastly overrated Ms Witherspoon being able to give as subtle and natural a performance as Ms Little does in this A&E production. Ms Little is at once appealing and a monster, a woman "on the make"; in one very funny, and creepy, bit she is forced to turn down a marriage proposal from the coarse Sir Pitt Crawley, because she is already married to his dashing son. When Pitt Crawley leaves the room, it becomes clear that Becky would have married the vulgar old man for the security he offered had she been free.The rest of the cast was very good, particularly the actors portraying Amelia, George, Rawdon, and Dobbin. There has been some criticism of the appearance of the actors, that they were too plain or even downright unattractive for the roles. One of the differences between British and American productions (particularly those made for televsion) is that in British productions the performers are more often selected for their talent than their appearance. Sometimes this backfires, as in the case of the remake of "The Forsyte Saga," when many viewers complained about Geena McKee being too plain for the role of Irene Forsyte, who was supposed to be a great beauty. In the case of "Vanity Fair" I feel that the actors were just right for their roles in every way, including appearance. Becky's attraction was her spirit as much as her face, and Amelia's sweetness was the inspiration for the love and admiration she received from men.
My one criticism of the film was the loud background music. It was supposed to suggest a carnival or fair, but it was so blasted loud that at times it drowned out the performers. Although this was not as constant as one reviewer indicated, it did happen often enough to be annoying. If you like Thackeray, I think you will be pleased with this version of his masterpiece.
Movie Review: "treacherous little trollop"...
Summary: 4 Stars
William Makepeace Thackeray's VANITY FAIR is given the grand treatment in this stylish BBC miniseries, set on several continents and against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars.
Natasha Little plays Becky Sharp, the ultimate social-climber, determined to rise above her class by any means possible. Employed as governess to the wealthy Crawley family, Becky wastes no time in seducing younger son Rawdon (Nathaniel Parker) and marrying him despite the hefty objections of the fearsome matriarch Miss Crawley (Miriam Margolyes). But when Becky decides to tangle with the influential-yet dangerous Lord Steyne (Gerard Murphy), it may lead to her ultimate ruin...
Providing the effective counterpoint to Becky's quest for money and station is the tale of her best friend Amelia Sedley (Frances Grey). In love with the roguish George Osborne (Tom Ward), but admired from afar by his best friend William Dobbin (Philip Glenister), Amelia is the true heart and soul of Thackeray's story. Of course, the great irony is that Amelia pines after a man who actually never existed (the faithful and true George is actually an uncaring and womanising bore).
Natasha Little is the perfect actress to bring to life Thackeray's anti-heroine, and her portrayal of Becky carries the series nicely. Frances Grey is the picture of innocence as the deceptively-fragile Amelia. As one would expect from a BBC period drama, the supporting cast is very strong and includes Charlotte West-Oram, Michele Dotrice, Jeremy Swift, Janine Duvitski, Patsy Rowlands, David Bradley, Eleanor Bron and Sylvestra Le Touzel (whom BBC fans will remember as Fanny in "Mansfield Park").
Movie Review: Well-done A&E adaptation!
Summary: 4 Stars
Enter Rebecca "Becky" Sharp, our anti-heroine heroine: the woman whom our series & the novel surrounds, but whose actions & life are certainly not above reproach. Becky is a scheming, conniving, untrustworthy little minx. Also enter Amelia Sedley (Emmy to friends), a sweet and innocent young lady, trusts that her friend Becky is as honest and true as she herself is; but it is just not so. Becky is envious of her friend Amelia's good fortune and privileges, and does everything she can to attain those things for herself. She pursues love in the least likeliest places (going after men she could not possibly be interested in), hoping to eventually catapult herself into the upper crust of society; Becky manipulates man after man, using them for what they can give her, while Amelia Sedley, who is trusting and kind, sadly begins to experience misfortune at the hand of both fate and society.
All in all, this six-part mini-series from A&E was a great watch, if you can get past a small bit of questionable content and mild language (mostly uses of d*mn, adult themes, cleavage, sensual situations, battle violence)...it give us modern viewers a peek into polite Victorian society, mixes lower class and upper class, and ultimately proves that life is what you make of it & that actions have consequences, good or bad.
I thought that A&E did a fine job of condensing the super-long Thackeray novel to a mini-series: I've read the book, and yes, there are some changes, but this is likely the most faithful version of "Vanity Fair" we will ever see. It's very well-acted, and very well done: definitely recommended!
Movie Review: Mute the Horns
Summary: 4 Stars
The story is well done. The music is excruciating: either public dirge, or bad beerhall. Perhaps the makers thought the music for the series should have a martial theme: lots of brass, especially tuba, none muted. Be prepared to mute the horns yourself during many scenes without dialogue. Painful.