This version of Emma weirdly came out in the same year as the Gwyneth Paltrow film. But other than being based on the same book, the two adaptations really have nothing in common. While the film version was all comedy and lightness, this TV version is really quite dark. I mean that both literally and figuratively. Maybe it's because of the poor video quality, but the picture is usually quite dark. This makes sense, I suppose, to have realistic candle light at night-time scenes. But the scenes in the day-time aren't that bright either.
Andrew Davies, the screenwriter, chose to do something very different with this Emma. He focuses a lot on the class system, which was always there in the context of the book, but I thought it was a bit heavy-handed in this adaptation. All the underclass workers-servants, farmers, etc.- are clearly present in every scene, making the way of life for the privileged possible. They're even moving pillows for them to kneel on in the strawberry picking scene. Emma makes sure to tell Harriet that Mr. Knightley owns EVERYTHING in Donwell, and all the other people who live there are merely his tenants or servants. Robert Martin seems very resentful of Emma, like he knows she advised Harriet to refuse him. He glares at her when she drops Harriet off at the farm. It's a big deal at the end when Emma shakes hands with him. This class system was in the background in the book and I'm not fond of Davies' idea to play it up (but I did think Emma and Robert Martin shaking hands was a nice touch). It's just not what I want to see when I watch a Jane Austen adaptation.
This is far from my favorite Emma adaptation. Aside from all the darkness, I wasn't fond of most of the cast. It was also very short and while I know things need to be condensed, it felt very rushed and the Crown Ball scene was poorly done, IMO. Harriet is dancing in the beginning, then Elton snubs her, then Mr. Knightley dances with her for less than a minute before walking away! Blink and you'll miss it. The ending scene was also rather weak- a harvest ball with Mr. Knightley making a speech to all his tenants (stressing again how many people depend on him) that he will still keep everything running smoothly even after he moves to Hartfield. Well, at least I can say that at least Andrew Davies didn't add any sexed up scenes.
I was not a fan of Kate Beckinsale and Mark Strong as the leading characters. Beckinsale's Emma was too cold and Strong's Knightley was way too harsh. The one saving grace of the cast was the beautiful Olivia Williams as Jane Fairfax. She was sublime and elegant despite being dressed plainly.
I do like this one better than the 1972 miniseries, but really, that's not saying much. It does have its fans though, and I can understand their point of view, even if I don't share it. If you hate the Gwyneth Paltrow version, in particular, you'll probably love this one.
Andrew Davies, the screenwriter, chose to do something very different with this Emma. He focuses a lot on the class system, which was always there in the context of the book, but I thought it was a bit heavy-handed in this adaptation. All the underclass workers-servants, farmers, etc.- are clearly present in every scene, making the way of life for the privileged possible. They're even moving pillows for them to kneel on in the strawberry picking scene. Emma makes sure to tell Harriet that Mr. Knightley owns EVERYTHING in Donwell, and all the other people who live there are merely his tenants or servants. Robert Martin seems very resentful of Emma, like he knows she advised Harriet to refuse him. He glares at her when she drops Harriet off at the farm. It's a big deal at the end when Emma shakes hands with him. This class system was in the background in the book and I'm not fond of Davies' idea to play it up (but I did think Emma and Robert Martin shaking hands was a nice touch). It's just not what I want to see when I watch a Jane Austen adaptation.
This is far from my favorite Emma adaptation. Aside from all the darkness, I wasn't fond of most of the cast. It was also very short and while I know things need to be condensed, it felt very rushed and the Crown Ball scene was poorly done, IMO. Harriet is dancing in the beginning, then Elton snubs her, then Mr. Knightley dances with her for less than a minute before walking away! Blink and you'll miss it. The ending scene was also rather weak- a harvest ball with Mr. Knightley making a speech to all his tenants (stressing again how many people depend on him) that he will still keep everything running smoothly even after he moves to Hartfield. Well, at least I can say that at least Andrew Davies didn't add any sexed up scenes.
I was not a fan of Kate Beckinsale and Mark Strong as the leading characters. Beckinsale's Emma was too cold and Strong's Knightley was way too harsh. The one saving grace of the cast was the beautiful Olivia Williams as Jane Fairfax. She was sublime and elegant despite being dressed plainly.
I do like this one better than the 1972 miniseries, but really, that's not saying much. It does have its fans though, and I can understand their point of view, even if I don't share it. If you hate the Gwyneth Paltrow version, in particular, you'll probably love this one.