Charles Dickens Collection: Great Expectations

Studio: Liberty Intl Publish
Product Type: DVD

The Charles Dickens Collection (Oliver Twist / Martin Chuzzlewit / Bleak House / Hard Times / Great Expectations / Our Mutual Friend)

Average customer rating:

Dickens Package 1
Dickensian Delights
opinion
lovely , region 1 only
Good value

The Charles Dickens Collection (Oliver Twist / Martin Chuzzlewit / Bleak House / Hard Times / Great Expectations / Our Mutual Friend)
Starring: Ben Rodska , Scott Funnell , Eric Porter , Frank Middlemass , and Lysette Anthony
Director: Gareth Davies , Pedr James , and Ross Devenish
Manufacturer: BBC Warner
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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

The Charles Dickens Collection, Vol. 2 (David Copperfield / The Pickwick Papers / The Old Curiosity Shop / Dombey and Son)
Jane Austen Collection (Sense & Sensibility / Emma / Persuasion / Mansfield Park / Pride & Prejudice / Northanger Abbey)
Middlemarch
The Shaw Collection (Pygmalion / The Millionairess / Arms and the Man / The Devil's Disciple / Mrs. Warren's Profession / Heartbreak House)
Bleak House

ASIN: B0009PVZMS
Release Date: 2005-09-06

Amazon.com

As can be clearly seen from the care lavished on these six BBC adaptions of Charles Dickens' novels, the British love their Dickens! And why not--Dickens is ideally suited to television, with his elaborate but vigorous plots, each a compendium of comically odious personalities (and one or two nice folk, just to keep things from getting too awful). Actors dig into these meaty roles with zeal, delighting in the hairpin turns from macabre horror to sweet sentiment. The more popular (and most frequently adapted) of the books at hand--Great Expectations and Oliver Twist--are the most conventional. The 1981 mini-series Expectations (in which young Pip learns the pitfalls of wealth through his relationship with the rich and bitter Mrs. Havishamand and her warped ward, Estella) is dutiful to its source but not adapted with much inspiration. Twist, from 1985, fares better; it's a zippy treatment of this tale of childhood deprivation and juvenile delinquency, and the horrors of Victorian orphanages will raise your hackles. The adaptation is capable but a little flat--still, any story where an undertaker observes, "Every tear is another shilling in the till," is clearly not lacking in wicked wit.

Fortunately, the others are considerably juicier: Martin Chuzzlewit, a lesser-known but richly satirical book, has a star-studded production from 1994, featuring Paul Scofield, Tom Wilkinson, Pete Postlethwaite, and Julia Sawalha, among others. The wealthy Martin Chuzzlewit, deeply suspicious of all mankind due to being hounded by greedy, grasping relatives, threatens the happiness of his ward Mary and his namesake grandson. In addition to the sterling and energetic cast, Chuzzlewit has outstanding production values, as does the 1998 version of Our Mutual Friend, which goes to great lengths to evoke the textures of life in Dickens' London. The mysterious death of a man about to inherit a great fortune sets in motion a complex plot that intertwines two love stories (it's one of Dickens' most romantic works), social scheming, and murderous obsession. The names aren't quite as famous (such as Paul McGann, Timothy Spall, Anna Friel, and Keeley Hawes), but the performances are top-notch and the script is particularly dynamic.

Bleak House, a Kafka-esque story of young innocents caught in an all-consuming, multi-generational lawsuit, cultivates a rich and potent Gothic horror; the 19th century seems like an unnerving alien world, through which lawyers and policemen stride like cruel predators. Diana Rigg is the most famous face in this 1985 production, but strong performances abound. The final component of this box set is the most curious: A 1994 version of Hard Times starring Alan Bates and Richard E. Grant, which turns this dark story--about a schoolmaster/politician who raises his children on reason at the expense of all feeling and finally reaps the bitter rewards--into a compact, theatrical feature film that's so swift it's almost jaunty. Adapted and directed by Peter Barnes (writer of The Ruling Class), it's the most stylized production of the bunch, and while lacking the depth and narrative detail of the others, it effectively cuts to the essence of Dickens. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Dickens Package 1.......2007-06-27

This collection is an embarassment of riches. Each story is divided into several episodes which take time to view and absorb. So far we have only viewed "Bleak House" and "Our Mutual Friend". Both are excellent and capture the steamy world of Dicken's London. I think I am constantly amazed at the attention to detail that the Brits recreate in historical drama. And of course there is the wealth of character playing for which Britain has always been famous. A really excellent series.

Dickensian Delights.......2007-06-02

This collection is wonderful, you can "watch" these novels over and over, faithful to Dickens in tone, plot and spirit -- Highly recommended.

opinion.......2007-06-02

I've just bought the collection, I've seen 3 movies so far, they're great, faithful to the books I've read. They come with cc(closed caption)so it helps the understanding. I watch a film and read the book. They're perfect for those who are really into literature. I highly recommend them.

lovely , region 1 only .......2007-05-08

The dark stories about the impossible lives of the unfortunate makes it a kind of films that will glue anyone to the chair. BBC serieses are not like any other film, and I simply escape to anothr world every time I watch.
Had to watch it in my computer though, since it was not my region( not even after I changed the region in my "region free" DVD player ) which also means I had no subtitles either. A good computer screen is needed for that purpose.

Good value.......2007-03-28

My husband and I are major fanatics when it comes to literary
pieces brought to film. We have been renting some of these classic BBC films from an online rental business. We finally decided to buy the set. My husband, being a english teacher, loved several of these films. The best two out of the set is Martin Chuzzlewit and Our Mutual Friend. It is a shame that Hard Times did not live up to the book and was only roughly based off of it. We just finished Oliver Twist, not knowing the story at all, we were on the of our seats just waiting to hear the big twist and to see how the plot works itself out. Highly recommended, even with Hard Times being not faithful to the book.

Charles Dickens Collection (David Copperfield / Oliver Twist / Great Expectations)

Average customer rating:

Charles Dickens DVD Collection
Charles Dickens Collection
Showcasing three popular classics by the acclaimed and popular English author Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens Collection (David Copperfield / Oliver Twist / Great Expectations)
Starring: Emilia Fox , Pauline Quirke , Maggie Smith , John Normington , and Daniel Radcliffe
Director: Simon Curtis , Renny Rye , and Julian Jarrold
Manufacturer: Wgbh Boston
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

WGBH Boston | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Mystery & Suspense | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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

The Charles Dickens Collection (Oliver Twist / Martin Chuzzlewit / Bleak House / Hard Times / Great Expectations / Our Mutual Friend)
Bleak House
Our Mutual Friend
The Anthony Trollope Collection (The Barchester Chronicles / He Knew He Was Right / The Way We Live Now)
The Charles Dickens Collection, Vol. 2 (David Copperfield / The Pickwick Papers / The Old Curiosity Shop / Dombey and Son)

ASIN: B000A7DW94
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Description

This deluxe DVD set features three classic Charles Dickens stories- David Copperfield (starring Daniel Radcliffe of Harry Potter), Oliver Twist (starring Sam Smith as Oliver and Robert Lindsay of Horatio Hornbloweras master thief Fagin), and Great Expectations (starring Ioan Gruffudd of Horatio Hornblower and Charlotte Rampling of Swimming Pool).

Customer Reviews:

Charles Dickens DVD Collection.......2007-01-04

The TV scripts are not as well written as some movie versions of the past. This version of Great Expectations (for example) is too dark for my taste.

Charles Dickens Collection.......2007-01-04

Excellent love all of the videos a great present for any Dickens fan.

Showcasing three popular classics by the acclaimed and popular English author Charles Dickens.......2005-11-08

The Charles Dickens Collection is a DVD boxed set showcasing three popular classics by the acclaimed and popular English author Charles Dickens: David Copperfield; Oliver Twist; and Great Expectations. These British television productions are enhanced with some of the best set designed and some of the most accomplished actors British theatre has to offer. The costuming is simply outstanding, the adaptations of Dicken's novel for the screen are superb, and the DVD format brings the viewer a true "theatre in the home" experience. With a total running time of 720 minutes, The Charles Dickens Collection is a five disc boxed set would make an enduringly popular addition to any community library DVD collection -- and should be considered "must see TV" by anyone who appreciates the high production values of these timely and timeless stories.