For a long time it seemed that BBC would remain unchallenged and unrivalled in the period drama stakes. To a degree it is only right since BBC have produced some of th... more >
For a long time it seemed that BBC would remain unchallenged and unrivalled in the period drama stakes. To a degree it is only right since BBC have produced some of the best period drama adaptations of the past decade most notably with 1995’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and last years ‘Jane Eyre’ however like all things in life nothing ever remains the same and a bit of competition doesn’t do a bit of harm. In this case most people can be excited that UTV have decided to take on such a challenge and for the next four weeks are hoping to deliver four feature length films of some of Jane Austen’s lesser-known novels. Of course they’re guaranteed a high viewing rating but whether they can live up to the high standards of their rival’s remains to be seen.
The series started off with Mansfield Park, perhaps one of Austen’s more contentious books but still has the familiar landscape we all know and cherish: the lordly house in the countryside (Mansfield Park), the feisty heroine (Fanny Price), the crux of class and commerce (marrying for love or money), unrequited love and of course a ball. In brief the story follows Fanny Price (Billie Piper), a girl taken from the poverty of her childhood home to live with her rich cousins at Mansfield Park, but is never allowed to forget her humble rank. While Fanny’s uncle is absent in Antigua, Mary Crawford and her brother Henry arrive in the neighbourhood bringing with them the glamour and recklessness of London society. As her cousins Maria and Julia vie for Henry’s affections, only Fanny is dubious about the Crawfords’ influence on the family, as she watches with increasing despair as her beloved cousin Edmund succumbs to Mary’s charms.
Approaching this production with some trepidation I was mildly surprised. While perhaps not up to as high a standard of BBC Productions it definitely is a good start and hopefully can only improve as the weeks go on. On a positive note this production ticks all the right boxes for period drama lovers: it has the beautiful location, the glamorous characters, the enchanting music and the relatable female character. The real jewel of the show however is Billie Piper whose lively, charming portrayal of Fanny Price keeps the viewer absorbed right from the second we see her. There is something truly adorable about her screen presence, we can really believe in her character, her playfulness, her sensibility, and her growing feelings for her cousin. Another beauty of this drama is that it just looks absolutely endearing. Despite the entire film being set in Mansfield Park I never once felt myself growing bored of the setting or suffering from the usual strains of Closter phobia. In fact the location still looked as new and fresh to me at the end as it did at the start. Bonus marks must also be given to the classical music score and perfectly designed costumes.
On a negative side this production seemed to have put a lot of work into making this movie look good, but they clearly mustn’t have heard of the saying ‘Beauty is only skin deep’. While the script is not deplorable it could have been a lot better. It lacked any sort of reasonable thought and intelligence. Austen fans will no doubt complain at the altering/dumbing down of a lot of her original dialogue, perhaps in order to attract a wider audience who struggle to make out some of her writing. This is the case for many modern adaptations of the classics: but is usually accepted provided some of the original lines are kept. However I do feel this movie will lead to some severe criticism for it’s over-editing of original material. That’s the only major fault with this movie; other mentionable faults include the lack of chemistry between the two leads. Their on-screen presence wasn’t that sizzling to make us really desire their elopement: a grave fault in a movie that is really centred around love. In addition the movie seemed to suffer from some inconsistent editing. The movie felt constantly jumping from scene to scene barely giving the inexperienced viewer a chance to grasp the characters and the storyline.
Overall ‘Mansfield Park’ is an eye-catching production not bad for Sunday night television and certainly achieving its aim at attracting a fan base for next week’s edition. However BBC still remains unrivalled. I wait with anticipation for their adaptation of ‘Northanger Abbey’. < less
