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Released 3rd October 2008
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Julian Jarrold’s bold new version of a novel and TV mini-series classic was always going to come up against scrupulous examination from the author Evelyn Waugh, Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews‘ camps out there. And they would be right to nit-pick as any film adaptation cannot possibly succeed to portray all the period nuances, wretched decay and religious authority that the latter have the space to develop and languish in. This film may have the perfectly manicured, prissy etiquette, and clipped dialogue with witty repertoire at times that is expected by fans of English period dramas for the big screen. Nevertheless, it does faithfully attempt to retain the tormenting melancholy of the characters and emphasise a power greater than mortal love — Catholicism. The ‘shackles’ of devoted faith very much clank around the ankles of the imploding Flyte Family of Brideshead in Jarrold’s film, enough to accentuate the brilliance of Waugh’s writing and the dominance of faith. The film actually works as a standalone tale of ambition, faith, love and loss that captures the imagination and questions belief systems.
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The superbly talented Ben Whishaw (Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, I’m Not There.) as the flamboyant and rebellious Flyte son, Sebastian, has taken the character and made him his own, adding a more aching woefulness as a gay man trapped by his social standing and family piousness, than Anthony Andrews‘ more fun-loving 1981 TV character. Whishaw is truly magnificent and compelling to watch as Sebastian, a miserable, grief-stricken shadow of his former ostentatious self, cut down by unrequited love and religious supremacy. These powerful forces very much apply today to those in the upper echelons of the English class system — it’s what makes this kind of character so relevant and fascinating to observe. Which is the right path to follow: Being loyal to yourself or your privileged status?
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Emma Thompson plays the domineering and calculating matriarch Lady Marchmain exceptionally well, considering we are used to seeing her in more emotionally-charged and jovial roles (period or otherwise). There is a serene decorum and foreboding command to her depiction, underpinned by an intriguing fragility of an emotionally-damaged woman bearing the morality of a family at stake on her elegantly-dressed shoulders.
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Matthew Goode as the gentlemanly Charles Ryder who gets his taste not only for the high life at Brideshead, but the one thing he craves - family (however dysfunctional the Flytes might be), gives a commendable performance throughout. He successfully depicts Ryder’s complex nature: sincere victim caught up in the Flyte family web, or an ambitious player, as scheming as Lady Marchmain and as possession-focused as American businessman Rex Mottram (Jonathan Cake), once too much of a good thing passes his way? That ‘good thing’ includes Sebastian’s enigmatic and entrancing sister, Julia, played by Hayley Atwell whose character experiences differ from the novel. In fact, the doomed trio of Goode, Whishaw and Atwell is incredibly compelling to watch as the Catholic siblings’ faith clashes with Ryder’s atheism to ensure that none of their relationships survive — that said, the Charles-Julia development and subsequent downfall could have been explored further and defined.
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Brideshead Revisited, although set over several decades from the 1920s, is a marvellous case study of controversial topics that still exist in today’s society: class, religious fanaticism and homosexuality. Hence, it’s an enthralling and passionate piece of film-making that can be fully appreciated without knowledge of its pedigree — a true testament to Waugh’s timeless work and Jarrold’s skill.
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By Lisa Keddie
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Synopsis
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The memoirs of Captain Charles Ryder who is stationed at Brideshead Castle during WWII and remembers his involvement with the owners of the Brideshead estate: the aristocratic yet staunch Catholic Flyte family and, in particular, brother and sister Sebastian and Julia.
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Film Facts
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Official UK site: http://www.bridesheadmovie.co.uk/
UK release date: 3rd October 2008
Director: Julian Jarrold
Writers: Andrew Davies, Jeremy Brock
Cast: Matthew Goode (‘Charles Ryder’), Ben Whishaw (‘Sebastian Flyte’), Hayley Atwell (‘Julia Flyte’), Emma Thompson (‘Lady Marchmain’), Michael Gambon (’Lord Marchmain’), Felicity Jones (’Lady Cordelia Flyte’)
UK Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures UK
Certificate: 12A
Run-time: 132 mins
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Video on Real.com
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Trailer:
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EIGHT CLIPS:
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UK Premiere:
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Premiere Report:
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REAL EXCLUSIVE: Ben Whishaw (’Sebastian Flyte’) Interview:
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REAL EXCLUSIVE: Julian Jarrold (Director) Interview:
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Emma Thompson Interview:
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Cast Interviews:
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Did you know…
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- Evelyn Waugh wrote brideshead Revisited in just four months whilst on leave form the army
- The novel is about the decline of the English Catholic aristocracy
- The novel also includes some autobiographical detail - Waugh converted to Catholicism in 1930; he also encouraged a friend to convert on his deathbed; he enjoyed life as an undergraduate at Oxford, drinking too much and mixing with people for grander colleges than his own (Hertford) as well as experiencing at least one homosexual relationship
- Before now, the novel had never been made into a feature film - Waugh had granted MGM an option to develop a screenplay in the 1950s, but he hadn’t liked the script
- One of the biggest challenges for the screenwriter was not only finding a way of compressing the story to fit within a film’s timeframe, but also to find the film equivalent for prose poetry which the book contains
- Granada Television made an 11-episode series for ITV in 1981 that was extremely popular in the UK and much of Europe
- Most of the cast and crew had not seen the TV adaptation and made a point of not doing so
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