Tuesday, May 6, 2008

New version of Brideshead Revisited

I found a new blog, Andrew Cusak, thanks to Tea at Trianon.

He alerts us to a new film version of Waugh's masterpiece coming this summer. Here is the trailer.

Some say that the BBC version is the best literary work ever brought to screen. The dialogs are are all there, and most of the descriptions. Cordelia’s entire and crucially Catholic conversation. In any event I never did like Jeremy Irons–I like the looks of this Ryder better. But if the film doesn’t show the bedside repentance/conversion scene, or worse yet, the final redemption of Sebastian– what a nasty betrayal towards Waugh.

4 comments:

love2learnmom said...

My expectations are rather low, so maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised! :)

I had to admit, though, that I do like Jeremy Irons.

Hélène said...

I had a professor in college who said that BR was the only movie that was better than the book. I don't know if I would go that far, but it was the only literary movie that didn't leave anything of interest out from the book (at least as far as I could remember).

I heard a rumor that this is going to be a secular movie. No conversion at the end. If that is the case, then it is a huge falling short of the goodness of the book and the BBC version. Charles reciting "ancient prayers, newly learned" is one of the best lines.

love2learnmom said...

Yes, that would be a huge disappointment! I have to admit that the trailer seems to lend further credence to the rumors.

Leticia said...

The film seems far worse than merely secular, it attacks Catholicism in the typical Hollywood way, for suppressing Sebastian's homoerotic tendencies. Good Catholics are portrayed as repressed neurotics, and of course, no conversion. I was planning to see the film, however,after the warning from Barbara Nicolosi, I decided to stick to the BBC series. Of course, Evelyn Waugh's beautiful dialogue had to be abandoned, as it was such a wonderful apologia for the Faith.
Such a travesty!