We're gettin' both swooningly romantic and "all classy up in here" this week, with the 2000 BBC production of Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary, originally reviewed for dvdsnapshot.
Our Take:
Having never read the classic novel,
nor seen the man film productions (including the legendary 1991
Claude Chabrol production with Isabelle Huppert), I can only evaluate
the famous story through this version. The main takeaway: Emma Bovary
has trouble managing her passions.
Tragedy strikes at the beginning of
Madame Bovary, and seems to
always hang over the few happy moments in the life of the
multi-dimensional main character. The youthful, emotional Emma (a
dynamic Frances O'Connor) finds herself out of the convent and back
on the farm, marrying Charles, the first dashing man who comes along
(Hugh Bonneville, sympathetic and quietly strong even as a cuckold).
Bored by the day-to-day realities of marriage to an older,
settled man-especially after finding she enjoys the conjugal side of
life-romantic Emma finds herself entertaining flights fancy and
delusions of grandeur. The young bride married in haste and repents
in leisure, suffering beautifully all the while.
She quickly starts affairs with Leon, a
man closer to her age and interests (Hugh Dancy) and the
more manipulative Rodolphe (Greg Wise),
who sees her as an easy target. She also gets the townspeople talking
as she's both emotionally manipulated and financially cornered by a
crafty local businessman. Unhappy in love and frustrated by position,
Emma also overspends lavishly. Retail therapy is not a new concept,
and the beautiful things she buys on credit quickly add up to
crushing debt.
Timely in this era of financial crises
and disposable loves, the story of a woman who blindly wanders into
traps of debt and marriage hits close to every home. Emma Bovary is
so well-drawn in this 2000 BBC production that the audience can only
empathize with her rise and ruin, even though she only traps herself
in snares of her own choosing. (A modern audience may also wonder why
her daughter is treated like an afterthought, but this isn't about
parenting.) With fascinating leads, a strong script, and the always
sumptuous BBC costume drama details, those unfamiliar with Madame
Bovary will find this telling a
bit unfocused but entertaining. (Supporting players Trevor
Peacock as Emma's Father and Eileen Atkins as Charles' mother are
delightful, sometimes more interesting than their children.)
Official Synopsis:
Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey)
and Frances O'Connor (Mansfield
Park,
The Importance of
Being Earnest)
star in this splendid adaptation of Gustave Flaubert's dramatic
masterpiece.
With dreams of escaping her provincial
upbringing, Emma Rouault marries local doctor Charles Bovary. But
it's not long before she feels constrained and frustrated by married
life. Ignoring her devoted husband and immersing herself in romantic
fantasies, Emma begins a string of affairs. First, a young student,
Leon, captures her imagination, but when the dashing aristocrat,
Rodolphe, shows Emma the alternatives to married life, she enters
into the affair with body and soul. Romantic and tragic, Flaubert's
story of a woman's quest for fulfillment in love is an enduring
classic not to be missed.
Special Features:
- Trailers
- “A Complex Heart: Gustave Flaubert” - a 34 minute archival BBC documentary on the author
- English Subtitles
Conclusion:
The tragedy of a woman who makes
mistakes in love and money, this BBC production of Madame Bovary
is a long and lovely bit of Cliff Notes. Handsome and engaging
viewing for fans of costume drama, but perhaps too unfocused and
“novelistic” for the casual viewer.
Overall Picture:
Movie: B-
Extras: B-
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