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Alex Davidson enjoys this classic BBC costume drama, adapted from George Eliot's novel. Ben Kingsley takes the title role.

Nominated for six BAFTAs, this beautifully performed drama condenses George Eliot’s epic novel into a lean 90 minutes without losing any of the original’s flavour and otherworldly ambience. It tells the tale of Silas Marner (Ben Kingsley), an outcast who lives alone with his wealth until a little girl, Eppie, apparently orphaned, wanders his shack. Gradually he develops a loving relationship with the child, but the girl’s true father eventually comes forward, and Eppie must decide for herself with whom she will share her future.

On paper the plot sounds mawkish and generic, yet the gothic elements of the novel counteract the potential sentimentality. The eerie Cotswolds landscape is practically a character in its own right, whilst the darker side of human nature prevails throughout; there is more than one dead body to be found in this sinister tale. Kingsley is magnificent as Marner, portraying his character’s oddness and hostile nature whilst engendering sympathy, particularly in his scenes with Eppie; the scene involving the coal hole is particularly heartwarming. Eliot’s style of literature does not always lend itself to television drama, yet this frequently inspired drama succeeds magnificently.

 

Alex Davidson on 4th February 2008
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