Have always loved and respected period dramas/adaptations and watch as many as possible without fail. Regardless of how they fare as adaptations or how faithful they are to the source material, there are many (too numerous to list) that are good or more as standalones.
There will always be inevitable comparisons to which is the preferred adaptation of 'Bleak House', this or 2005. From a personal point of view, there is no real preference as both adaptations are outstanding in their own way. And not just as adaptations, but also on their own merits as well, which is every bit as important, actually for me even more important being someone who judges films and adaptations (or aims to) on their own. The book is compelling, atmospheric and rich in characterisation. It is a mammoth book, and one of Dickens' least accessible (from first-time personal experience, the law stuff took its time to get completely). Both are exceptionally well-made, tell the story extremely well indeed and brilliantly written and acted. The 2005 adaptation's characterisation is a little richer, but this adaptation is a little more atmospheric.
Not everybody will find the 70s-80s Dickens serial adaptations their cup of tea. They may find them slow, long and with a lot of talk. That isn't the case with me. Of the ones seen, they respect their source material (even with omissions and changes here and there), are detailed, very evocative and Dickensian and are well-made, written and acted. And that is the case with this 'Bleak House' exactly (great and faithful as an adaptation, without being too faithful).
This 'Bleak House' is the sort of series that gets better with every episode and to me that should be the case. And it certainly is the case, with the storytelling and characterisation getting richer with each episode. Although a step down from a few of the previous episodes where there was a lot of meat, complexity and more drama but it is a great way to end a brilliant adaptation and achieves its main purpose well.
Visually, the costumes and sets look beautiful and very detailed, succeeding also in capturing the bleak nature of the book. They are also full of atmosphere and don't come across as too clean. The music is a pleasing mix of haunting overtones and delicate chamber-music-like, and fit with each scene excellently, even if some may prefer the more understated quality in the 2005 adaptation.
Scoring highly too is the writing. The dialogue is intelligently adapted, there is a lot of talk but they weren't that tedious to me. The heartfelt tragedy, poignancy, sharp observations and nobility of Dickens' writing comes through loud and clear, the writing distinctively Dickensian in style.
There's enough characterisation and plotting going on, though the previous episodes were much meatier and had more tension and emotion. This was the sort of episode where things are tied up, very effectively, and like the calm after the storm sort. Not that that is a problem though, it's like that in the book.
Acting is very fine from all, with any potential traps for characters not fallen into (for instance making Esther too meek).
In conclusion, great. 9/10
There will always be inevitable comparisons to which is the preferred adaptation of 'Bleak House', this or 2005. From a personal point of view, there is no real preference as both adaptations are outstanding in their own way. And not just as adaptations, but also on their own merits as well, which is every bit as important, actually for me even more important being someone who judges films and adaptations (or aims to) on their own. The book is compelling, atmospheric and rich in characterisation. It is a mammoth book, and one of Dickens' least accessible (from first-time personal experience, the law stuff took its time to get completely). Both are exceptionally well-made, tell the story extremely well indeed and brilliantly written and acted. The 2005 adaptation's characterisation is a little richer, but this adaptation is a little more atmospheric.
Not everybody will find the 70s-80s Dickens serial adaptations their cup of tea. They may find them slow, long and with a lot of talk. That isn't the case with me. Of the ones seen, they respect their source material (even with omissions and changes here and there), are detailed, very evocative and Dickensian and are well-made, written and acted. And that is the case with this 'Bleak House' exactly (great and faithful as an adaptation, without being too faithful).
This 'Bleak House' is the sort of series that gets better with every episode and to me that should be the case. And it certainly is the case, with the storytelling and characterisation getting richer with each episode. Although a step down from a few of the previous episodes where there was a lot of meat, complexity and more drama but it is a great way to end a brilliant adaptation and achieves its main purpose well.
Visually, the costumes and sets look beautiful and very detailed, succeeding also in capturing the bleak nature of the book. They are also full of atmosphere and don't come across as too clean. The music is a pleasing mix of haunting overtones and delicate chamber-music-like, and fit with each scene excellently, even if some may prefer the more understated quality in the 2005 adaptation.
Scoring highly too is the writing. The dialogue is intelligently adapted, there is a lot of talk but they weren't that tedious to me. The heartfelt tragedy, poignancy, sharp observations and nobility of Dickens' writing comes through loud and clear, the writing distinctively Dickensian in style.
There's enough characterisation and plotting going on, though the previous episodes were much meatier and had more tension and emotion. This was the sort of episode where things are tied up, very effectively, and like the calm after the storm sort. Not that that is a problem though, it's like that in the book.
Acting is very fine from all, with any potential traps for characters not fallen into (for instance making Esther too meek).
In conclusion, great. 9/10