Oxford... sorry, Brideshead Revisited Revisited

Now, readers, you won't disillusion me when I assume that all of you have either read Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh and/or have seen the incomparable BBC adaptation with Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews?

My husband and I have watched the BBC adaptation countless times and have always considered it to be quite unsurpassable in every way (except Julia's wardrobe, of course) but apparently not everybody agreed with us and very soon our (big) screens will be graced with a film adaptation.

I am dubious.  Not just because I'm not a big fan of change (all my international moving around notwithstanding), but because... well... go and look at the trailer for yourself.  Electric guitar?  "One man's ambition"? Now, it's true that I have fallen a little into Colin Firth Syndrome (where any Mr Darcy who isn't played by Colin Firth just isn't Mr Darcy) but I think I might have to go and read the novel again just to be sure that Charles and Julia *didn't* have wild sex in Venice (I didn't think she was even there) as the trailer seems to imply. 

However, as free with the plot as this version seems to be, I like that they're foregrounding Lady Marchmain (but why? have they watered Sebastian and Charles down so much that they needed to?) and of course, my most beloved actor is there - Michael Gambon as Lord Marchmain.  My fantasy alternative parents have always been Judi Dench and Michael Gambon (so you can imagine the effect Cranford had on me).

Oh for Jeremy Irons and his impeccable tortured sexuality (does anyone do tortured sexuality better than he does?).  On the other hand, it seems likely that Julia will be a little better dressed this time around.  Beautiful Diana Quick's voluptuous figure was not flattered by the (rather ugly anyway) clothes she had to wear in the early part of BBC series and although this new Julia promises to annoy me intensely, I look forward to seeing how they dress her.

Comments

[julia]

uggh, a remake of a masterpiece. i'm not sure i'll even be able to watch it. Watching the remake of A Room With a View on masterpiece theatre was a dismal experience.

julia

[le petit cabinet de curiosites]

such an attitude ! so chic!

[Leslie]

....and they dressed her beautifully...

[DM]

The remake is to be avoided at all costs. And the 1981 series was made by ITV, not the BBC (hard to believe I know! How times have changed).