Gormenghast

Starring:Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Celia Imrie, Ian Richardson, Neve McIntosh, Christopher Lee, Richard Griffiths, Cameron Powrie, Andrew Robertson, John Sessions, Fiona Shaw, June Brown, ZoÃ« Wanamaker, Lynsey Baxter, Stephen Fry, Warren Mitchell, Spike Milligan, James Dreyfus, Mark Williams, Sean Hughes, Gregor Fisher
Director: Andy Wilson (IV)
Studio: BBC Warner
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
The BBC's lavish, glowingly designed adaptation of Mervyn Peake's eccentrically brilliant novels Titus Groan and Gormenghast is a triumph of casting. Ian Richardson's Lear-like depiction of the mad earl of a remote, vast, ritual-obsessed building is matched by the brutal pragmatism of Celia Imrie as his wife, the synchronized madness of ZoÃ« Wanamaker and Lynsey Baxter as his twin sisters, and the duplicitous charm of Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as Steerpike, the kitchen-boy determined to take over no matter how many deaths it costs. John Sessions is surprisingly touching as Prunesquallor, the family doctor who realizes almost too late what Steerpike intends.

Amazon.com

The BBC's lavish, glowingly designed adaptation of Mervyn Peake's eccentrically brilliant novels Titus Groan and Gormenghast is a triumph of casting. Ian Richardson's Lear-like depiction of the mad earl of a remote, vast, ritual-obsessed building is matched by the brutal pragmatism of Celia Imrie as his wife, the synchronized madness of Zoë Wanamaker and Lynsey Baxter as his twin sisters, and the duplicitous charm of Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as Steerpike, the kitchen-boy determined to take over no matter how many deaths it costs. John Sessions is surprisingly touching as Prunesquallor, the family doctor who realizes almost too late what Steerpike intends.

Description

A charismatically evil kitchen boy threatens the power of a thousand-year-old dynasty in this fantastic presentation of the classic novels by Mervyn Peake.

Customer Reviews:

excellent casting.......2007-02-08

Gormenghast is an awesome and wonderful place. If you have never read the novel this movie will be bizarre and weird. If you have read the novel, you will appreciate all the little things they've done.

I saw this a while back and have the DVD now. This adaptation is not as dark as i would have liked, but it does capture some of the mood of the book. The casting for this film is dead on! There are probably no better actors to play these parts. Alot of people i have shown this too think its just some weird and inaccessible movie that they could never enjoy. They can't open their minds and see that this is a fantasy that will be filled with strange and fascinating things. The characters won't be conventional.

The writing here is almost like poetry and when characters speak its actually intelligent and flows very well. Try watching with close captions, by the way. It makes it a bit easier.

The documentary is very informative and covers every aspect from filming itself, interviews with the actors and writers and even sections about wardrobe and set design. The only thing missing is a section about the music, which can be nice, but is a little overpowering at times.

I've seen this several times now and it gets better each time. I do recommend reading the books first. (Titus Groan, Gormenghast and Titus Alone). Mervyn Peake was a great writer and talented far beyond most writers out there now. He understood that writing was an art form, like anything else. He knew that just because you can write, doesnt mean you can do it well. For example, its easy to make music, especially with no melody or harmony. It takes a compassionate soul to write music that really moves you. So is it with Mervyn Peake's writing and with the makers of this DVD.

Read the books, open your mind, then watch this DVD. It will be well worth your time.

Do what?.......2007-02-03

This has to be among the top 10 worst movies I have ever watched. The acting was absolutely horrible. After getting so many rave reviews, I was very interested in seeing this movie only to be extremely disappointed in how stupid it really was. I do not suggest that any one should waste four hours of their lives watching this freak-show of a movie!

A poor rendition of an excellent novel (or three)..........2006-07-30

I was excited to learn, in 2005, that "Gormenghast" would be played on public television in Wisconsin (albeit late at night). I had recently read the books (and found them delightful), and was really looking forward to a visual interpretation of the dark fantasy).

Could I have been more wrong?

From the opening "montage" (really the best way to describe it), "Gormenghast" delivered NONE of the excellent mood and feel of the novel (remember those opening pages, describing a bleak castle and the tenaments which had recently sprung up due to the peculiar holiday? Somehow, this became almost a musical opening in the television version!). I finally gave up on it, after suffering through the incredibly poor casting of Steerpike.

If you haven't read the novel, you might like this (although it doesn't at all relate to the tone of Peake's work, IMHO). If you have read the novel, and STILL like this, you must have been looking for something far different from what you read...

rife with symbolism and melodrama.......2006-06-20

As you watch Gormenghast you will be spellbound by the visual spectacle. It's almost like watching a stage production. On any other production, the extreme acting would be too much--the characters are rife with dramatic gestures and facial expressions--but somehow, in Gormenghast, it works.

The series is absolutely dripping with symbolism (as the original)--from the name of the feudal family, Groan, to the absurd daily rituals, to the very (ehem) feminine opening that lets young Titus out of the castle walls. Though it is possible to enjoy the series in a superficial way for the sheer spectacle, I feel now that I want to read some literary criticism of Peake's work to find out exactly which government he was poking fun at and why.

All in all this is an incredibly rich visual exerience that will leave you wanting more.

Creepy, cartoony fun.......2006-04-30

This mini-series is one of the most outrageous excerises in - well, a lot of things. It combines fantasy elements with a story of court intrigue and ambition, played by a cast of oddball characters that simply has to be seen. This isn't just a low-budget way to fill a few hours of air time, it's a comical costume drama of the finest sort.

We start with Swelter, the rotund, ruddy cook, a stereotype and caricature of the kitchen master. Below-stairs, he pursues a vicious rivalry against Flay, the personal and bizarrely inarticulate servant of Lord Sepulchrave, Lord of Groan. By now, you should be ready for other characters' names: obsequious Prunesquallor, ditzy lady Fuschia, and grasping Steerpike. Ornate costuming brings these cartoon-like characters to life, or something larger than life. The actors, too, do an over-the-top job with a script that demands all the over-acting, over-emoting, and over-everything that they can manage.

To tell the truth, I tried to drag myself through the thousand-page series of books, and failed. This is a story that needs to be seen. It's like a comic book come to life, and I mean that as the highest compliment it can be.

//wiredweird

Average customer rating:

excellent casting
Do what?
A poor rendition of an excellent novel (or three)...
rife with symbolism and melodrama
Creepy, cartoony fun

Gormenghast
Starring: Celia Imrie , John Sessions , Warren Mitchell , George Yiasoumi , and Ian Richardson
Director: Andy Wilson (IV)
Manufacturer: BBC Warner
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Miniseries | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Gormenghast Novels
The Magnificent Ambersons
Tangled (2002)
Velvet Goldmine
The Governess

ASIN: B00005B9CZ
Release Date: 2001-07-03

Amazon.com

Description

Since its publication at the end of World War II, Mervyn Peake's masterpiece, The Gormenghast Novels," has stood unchallenged as one of English literature's most extraordinary flight of imagination. Its themes of treachery, decay, madness and honor have come to be regarded as a metaphor for the fall of an empire, the passing of an age, and the rise of fascism. The glorious castle of Gormenghast is home to the ancient family of Groan, where nothing has changed for thousands of years. The dynasty is threatened by the charming and evil kitchem-boy, Steerpike. With the birth of a new heir, Titus Groan, Steerpike begins his ruthless ascent to power. As he charms, outwits and terrorizes the castle's inhabitants, only the young and timid Earl of Groan, Titus, stands in Steerpike's way. Who will ultimately rule Gormenghast?

Customer Reviews:

excellent casting.......2007-02-08

Do what?.......2007-02-03

A poor rendition of an excellent novel (or three)..........2006-07-30

rife with symbolism and melodrama.......2006-06-20

Creepy, cartoony fun.......2006-04-30

Average customer rating:

Gormenghast [Region 2]
Starring: Celia Imrie , John Sessions , Warren Mitchell , George Yiasoumi , and Ian Richardson
Director: Andy Wilson (IV)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

( G ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00004S322

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