First Love
| Not what you're looking for? Try smart custom search: |
Customer Review
Definitive Bovary
This adaptation of Gustave Flaubert's sublime masterpiece 'Madame Bovary' is excellent. Presented as four fifty-minute episodes by BBC TV in 1975, it explores the entire novel in huge detail and is much better than the recent adaptation starring Frances O'Conor (although that was still good).The exquisite Francesca Annis is perfectly cast as Emma, Flaubert's heroine/anti-herione. If, like me, you admire her in this, I would highly reccommend 'Lillie', an outstanding dramatisation of the life of Lillie Langtry with Annis in the title role - in my opinion, she is even better in that.Despite Annis' great performance, I have to say it is Tom Conti who steals the show as Emma's long-suffering husband Charles. The rest of the cast is very good too, particularly Denis Lill, John Cater and David Waller.A truly wonderful, flawless production - one to keep beside 'Anna Karenina' (BBC TV 1977), 'The First Churchills' (BBC TV 1969) and 'Pennies From Heaven'...
Top to learn more
Not exactly likable, but SO well done!
This is one of the better historical dramas from the 1970s. Many are stagey and slow, and while this production of MADAME BOVARY is very much constrained to stay indoors, this works to advantage for this story of a woman who feels so trapped by her life and her world.Emma Bovary is not a very sympathetic creature. She is married to a man who loves her with all his heart, who tries to give her everything she wants, is willing to ruin himself to make her happy, and she still cheats on him and remains miserable. In short, she is selfish and inconsiderate, as ugly inside as she is pretty on the outside.Francesca Annis plays Emma. She is indeed very beautiful. As an actress she often comes across as bright and hard, flirty and flighty, but cold and self satisfied. These qualities, of course, are perfect for this character. Here she seems to be more in love with the idea of being in love than actually loving. Almost anything to break up the dismal tedium of...
Top to learn more
Good performance by Francesca Annis
This dvd does seem quite outdated, but then again, it is an old mini series. However, the excellent performance by the cast makes it worth watching. Francesca Annis does a great job of portraying the tormented Madame Bovary, who despite her humble beginnings, constantly craves for more passion, and the finer things in life, which her husband is unable to provide. The dramatisation is well-done, and the series on the whole is watchable.
Top to learn more






