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birchley
Reviews
The Yeomen of the Guard (1975)
I was never a Gilbert and Sullivan fan till I saw this
I was fortunate to be at home when it was broadcast in 1975, and my mum wanted to see it. I wasn't too interested at first but was absolutely captivated. I agree with the only other reviewer about Valerie Masterson - an Elsie Maynard to die for - and Derek Hammond-Stroud - so expressive as Jack Point.
I don't agree completely about it being "a tad better" than the performance with Tommy Steele. Fine performer though he is, he was outmatched and the pairing of Jack and Elsie seems unbalanced to me. In my view, there is no comparison between the two performances
One thing I would like - I've been trying to locate this version. If it's on Youtube I'd like to know how to find it.
Precious Bane (1989)
Masterpiece
Superbly adapted to the screen and extremely faithful to Mary Webb's period novel, this film is a true masterpiece. Aside from the exceptionally talented rising star, Janet Mcteer as the lead and one or two established actors, the film used mostly little known names. Yet the drama was all the more convincing for that. The social and personal tension is almost tangible and I felt as if the cast were reacting each other's character as though they would have done in real life. I saw that one commentator asked if Janet McTeer really had a hare-lip, a testimony to just how good was her characterisation. I saw this on TV when it was first shown, taped it, then later the tape was sadly lost. But it remains clear as anything in my mind. If you have any fondness at all for the social period, it's an absolute must see.
Camille 2000 (1969)
Deeply moving and true to Dumas' masterpiece
Radley Metzger is not to everybody's taste but this is less extravagant than others of his and avoids the most extreme excesses. Bringing the classic Dumas story up to date was a highly (over?) ambitious task, trying to project the characters and their interactions over such a time span, but it works remarkably well. The futuristic setting looks rather dated now, but it must have been quite convincing at the time as a portrayal of a fin-de-siècle jet-set world and does not adversely the main theme.
The chemistry between principals is almost tangible, and most of all the way their emotions are handled by the their eye-expressions in the "jail party" scene. Several supporting characters are outstanding - the malevolent Baron de Varville and the manipulative Olympe provide weight, while seemingly carefree Gaston provide much needed balance.
One trick I would have expected from Metzger given his penchant for bizarre symbolism was to have made the opening scene a production of "la Traviata". But he showed his true talent in the closing moments.
Best, Metzger remains true to the original story, modifying only as dictated by the modern context and making the translation with skill and sensitivity. From beneath the superficiality and cynicism, a deeply moving film emerges.