Over the long history of cinema more works of great literature have been made into moves than it would be possible to count. There is nothing like immersing yourself in an old book allowing the words to transport you to another time and place. Although some films have based on classic literature have become cinematic icons on their own few are able to capture the nuance of the original work. There are exceptions that prove the rule such as ‘Gone with the Wind’ and ‘The Godfather’ but for most novels translated to the screen the results are less than stellar. A more generalized exception is with works of British novelist. They are typically treated with a bit more care than most literary works are afforded. There is an inherent downside to this for the film maker. Many of these books have already received excellent treatment with BBC productions. This has the tendency to set the bar exceptionally high for a subsequent film treatment. This just happens to be the case with the film version of ‘Brideshead Revisited’. English television presented the definitive look at this 1945 novel by Evelyn Waugh in1981. It was a masterpiece of television and definitely a difficult mark to reach with this film adaptation. The reason why someone would consider taking on a virtually impossible task like this is the story is worth reconsideration. It is the right of every generation to place their own spin on the classics and now over 25 years after the TV treatment it is about time for that retelling. To the credit of the cast and crew of this film they did a splendid job of it. The movie has a scope and range that is captivating. What is even more amazing is the film was brought in for the low, low price of about $20 million. There are independent flicks that have budgets of this amount and considering this is a period piece what they managed to do is exceptional. It just goes to show you that dedication to a project can go a long way towards success. After a limited theatrical release here in the States and a global jaunt it is now ready for its region one DVD release. The release is being handled by the independent film branch of the Walt Disney Company, Miramax.

Taking on the task of translating the novel for the big screen was Andrew Davies and Jeremy Brock. Since this is a well loved novel they had quite a job to bring the essential themes together in the limited time provided by the format. Davies had some considerable experience in bringing novels to the public. He has been a writer for many British television series including ‘Pride and Prejudice’. He also scripted both ‘Bridget Jones’ movies. Brock may not have as long a resume as his partner here but it is notable. Along with some English television he penned the screenplay for the critically acclaimed film ‘The Last King of Scotland’. The foundation of any film is the script and these men placed this one on solid rock. It helps a lot that the source novel is an excellent example of some of the classic literary themes. At the top of the list is a tried and true one; the star crossed lovers. Romance is at its best when the participants are forbidden to express their deepest feelings. Add to this another elemental plot device, the loss of innocence and you have a story that is able to resist the years. While set in Scotland just before World War II the tale is applicable to any time and place. The backdrop for the story is the lush country estate that can only be pulled off in England. We have grand homes here in the States but few can compare to the mansions that pepper the countryside of Brittan. There is a history that they posses that has no comparison over here.

A period piece film is never easy to do but director Julian Jarrold does so with style and grace. There are some necessary adjustments that Jarrold had to make for the sake of the film. In the BBC mini series they had time to allow more of the rich subplots to be explored. A novel of this complexity requires time to develop that is just not possible to do with a film. The movie has only one hundred minutes to get the story out and that is barely sufficient to allow the main themes to unfold. The bottom line is read the book for the full experience. In many ways this is the Cliff Notes version of the story. With that said Jarrold did rise to the occasion and did a great job with the limitations and restrictions that were placed on the project. A lot of the success of the film is due to the cinematographer, Jess Hall. I recently had the chance to review another of his movies, ‘Son of Rambow’ and the photography in that film was exceptional. Together with Jarrold these artisans were able to use the beautiful countryside and stately manor as an integral part of the story.

It is just before the outbreak of World War II and Charles Ryder (Matthew Goode) is preparing to start his studies at Oxford. He is majoring in history but his true passion is the art world. The school is a place where the social classes normally kept apart are allowed to mix. Charles befriends Lord Sebastian Flyte (Ben Whishaw) who is gay and an alcoholic. They are also both atheists, something that was not considered acceptable at the time. As a member of the stately Marchmain family Sebastian calls Brideshead home. His mother, Lady Marchmain (Emma Thompson) runs the estate with a firm hand. Sebastian’s father, Lord Marchmain (Michael Gambon) invites him and Ryder to visit the manor along with Sebastian’s sister Julia (Hayley Atwell). Ryder and Julia hit it off immediately and begin a romance. This stirs jealousy in Sebastian who is in love with Ryder. Julia and Ryder want to marry but the Lord and Lady objects on the grounds that the young man is not a god fearing person. Sebastian, deeply upset about the unavailability of Ryan plunges deeper into his alcoholism resulting in his mother cutting him off. Julia is forced to accept an engagement to an acceptable man of means, Rex Mottram (Jonathan Cake). Despondent Ryder tries to move on with his life and ultimately marries and becomes a successful painter. Still the young former lovers yearn for each other.

This is a romance in the old school fashion. It is a tender story that is well presented and worth adding to your collection. The DVD features an anamorphic 2.40:1 video and Dolby 5.1 audio. The disc also includes several extras such as a commentary track, deleted scenes and a making of featurette.