H04060 HARDY ON DVD/FILM - 9/26/04 - HARDY FORUM ARCHIVES
From: ? srogers@sju.edu
Subject: Tess Special Edition on DVD
Date: September 26, 2004 5:05:24 AM PDT
According to the website of SONY FILMS who are in the US and Canada (there is a European format). However, that's about to change. A "Special Edition" is being released in a few days on Sept. 28.
Unfortunately, amazon.com does not specify what "Special Edition" entails, in
terms of the additional materials most DVD's include. I have preordered a copy
and will be happy to report back when it arrives. (Planned shipping isn't until the first week of October).
Cheers,
Shannon
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From: Thudecki@cs.com
Subject: RE: Tess Special Edition on DVD
Date: September 26, 2004 11:38:14 AM PDT
Hello everyone,
I presently noticed the email
from Shannon on 9/26/04 mentioning the the DVD film release of "Tess" by Roman
Polonski. I have also been notified by Amazon. I have read online reviews about
the film and generally they been very favorable. I would welcome further
feedback on the subject from the TH forum. I wish to pre-order the film soon, if it it a good adaptation of the novel.
A month or so ago I viewed "Jude" which I felt was a fine film,
although the ending was somewhat reduced from the original one in the book. I heard several film directors say that they felt that movies should have a life of their own after a point when adapting from a book, which I feel might be a good "point" to bring up with the forum. I am particularly interested in film and all of it's aspects so I try to keep an open mind at all times. Ofcourse, once one has read and loved a novel, the movie never can fully live up to the
reading experience, if that is what one seeks. Realistically, a two hour film
cannot possibly encompass the entire depth of the book, so one has to make some
concessions. However, my own thoughts are that the movie cannot imitate entirely
the book, but exist in visuals and depth of feeling as a new and creative
entity of it's own. Therefore I thought the "Jude" movie very well done and a
memorable experience. I especially liked the preformance by Christopher Eccleston
as Jude, who I respect as a fine actor.
I have just viewed another adaptation - "The Return of the
Native" starring a young Katherine-Zetta-Jones (another fine performer). I thought the story very nicely presented, and scenes seem to look exactly, or nearly so, to what I imagined when I first read the book. I would welcome feedback on this film, as well, since I had read the book sometime ago and therefore I was unable to accurately recall how closely the film followed the original text, which actually may be an advantage, given my former comments. The filming of the heath was certainly breath-taking and worth the buying of the DVD (which I am also considering presently). I thought the performances commendable.
Katherine was well cast as EV.
Thank you for listening and I will be anxious for any comments concerning the above mentioned films or any other adaptations.
Have a great day!
Janine Toohey (New
Jersey, USA)
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From: kaffi@onetel.net.uk
Subject: Re: Tess Special Edition on DVD
Date: September 26, 2004 12:57:12 PM PDT
According to the website of Sony Films who are releasing the DVD), the Special Edition of Tess (the story of "a teenage farm girl of exceptional beauty") contains the following features:
• Widescreen Presentation
• Languages: English (Dolby Surround Sound)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
Featurettes (20 to 30 minutes each):
• Tess: From Novel to Screen
• Filming Tess
• Tess: The Experience
The site gives the running time as 127 minutes but his appears to be a misprint for 172 minutes (the length shown on another site) - although another Sony site gives it as 165 minutes and the IMDB indicates there are several cinema versions ranging from 190 to 134 minutes!
But at least it'll be available!
Cheers
K Eldron
kaffi@onetel.net.uk
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From: schweikr@localnet.com
Subject: RE Winterbottom Film of *Jude*
Date: September 26, 2004 1:15:08 PM PDT
To: HARDY-L@csusm.edu
Reply-To: HARDY-L@csusm.edu
Janine, I had a similar response to the Winterbottom *Jude* film. Of course
it's deeply flawed by having an ending that stops far short of Hardy's. But,
as you suggest, there are scenes where it rises to heights which
rival in their own way Hardy's creation. A really excellent book about Hardy
on film is Paul J. Niemeyer's *Seeing Hardy : Film and Television Adaptations
of the Fiction of Thomas Hardy*, Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland & Co., 2003.
There is, also, a Cambridge Companion to Hardy on Film which will be
published some time in 2005 that will include comparative comment on the
screen productions of Hardy's *Jude*.
Best,
Bob
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From: Thudecki@cs.com
Subject: RE: Winterbottom Film of *Jude*
Date: September 26, 2004 4:17:11 PM PDT
Bob, Thank you for your opinion and comments on "Jude"....very helpful. Also,
the information you provided will be something I will certainly look into. I
also viewed the Mayor of Casterbridge which was an A&E production staring
Ciaran Hinds - another fine actor. I thought this production very worthwhile and
nearly true to the book. I recall it was discussed on the forum when it aired
on TV and was received favorably. I have recently purchased it and still cry
when the boy reads Michael's final words. I hope that more Hardy books are made
into films in the near future.
Thanks again and I welcome more comments on films and productions.
Janine
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From: NHardyboy@aol.com
Subject: Re: RE Winterbottom Film of *Jude*
Date: September 26, 2004 5:37:22 PM PDT
Thanks for the good words, Bob. . .I've been wondering if anyone had actually read the thing!
Back on topic, I'm very pleased to learn that _Tess_ will finally be available to us on DVD. With any luck, this "special edition" will not only put the film into the letterbox format (its impact is completely lost on the annoying pan-and-scan versions) but include a director's commentary and some informative documentaries. Unfortunately, though, the term "special edition" is pretty well applied to ANY new DVD release, so it could just be the film itself. . .which, in retrospect, is special indeed!
Regards,
Paul Niemeyer
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From: michael@perceptivecreation.co.uk
Subject: Re: Hardy on film
Date: September 27, 2004 4:29:55 PM PDT
I know the right and proper answer to consulting the horse's mouth/ Delphic Oracle would be "buy the book" - but has "Under the Greenwood Tree" ever been filmed? I've heard rumours of proposals, but never been aware of an end product?
Michael Barry
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From: NHardyboy@aol.com
Subject: Re: Hardy on film
Date: September 28, 2004 12:01:58 PM PDT
_Under the Greenwood Tree_ was filmed in 1929 by British International (Elstree) Pictures. It was actually the first all-talking film made in Britain (Hitchcock's _Blackmail_ was really a silent with a few talking scenes). It was directed by Harry Lachman and starred Marguerite Allen as Fancy Day (her dialogue was spoken off-camera by Peggie Robb-Smith) and John Batten as Dick Dewey, and contained so many folk songs and dances it was categorized in one reference work as a musical. Going by the reviews, it wasn't a very good film, and I'm not sure what became of it. I made a few attempts to locate a print while I was researching my book, but I only came to dead ends. Hope this helps.
Regards,
Paul Niemeyer
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From: kaffi@onetel.net.uk
Subject: Re: Hardy on film Under the Greenwood Tree
Date: September 28, 2004 12:24:28 PM PDT
I am sure I saw a BBCtv version one Christmas (when else?) a few years ago but can find no trace of it on the Net. Perhaps memory has confused it with the David Rudkin adaptation of The Woodlanders....
However, it was one of the earliest Hardy novels to be adapted as a film, appearing in 1929/30 - in fact one of the first, if not the first, British film to be designedly shot as a talkie (Hitchcock's Blackmail from the same year was actually filmed as a silent and then reshot).. This seems to be the only screen version. I find this surprising - even if it wasn't considered big screen material, I would have thought it absolutely perfect for a classy classic tv Christmas special.
K Eldron
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From: Jcphardysoc@aol.com
Subject: Re: Hardy on film
Date: September 29, 2004 2:44:34 AM PDT
Might I suggest that The Trumpet-Major would make an excellent film? It's probably the best Hardy novel not yet translated to the cinema or TV screen, though a modern film/TV version of Under the Greenwood Tree would also be desirable.
Best wishes
John Pentney
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From: michael@perceptivecreation.co.uk
Subject: Re: Hardy on film (Greenwood Tree)
Date: September 28, 2004 5:44:55 PM PDT
Thanks to all for the info. It does seem to be a glaring gap. An opportunity even!
Michael
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From: David.Herrick@bristol.ac.uk
Subject: Re: Hardy on film
Date: September 29, 2004 5:28:34 AM PDT
_Under the Greenwood Tree_ was filmed in 1929 by British International
(Elstree) Pictures. It was actually the first all-talking film made in
Britain (Hitchcock's _Blackmail_ was really a silent with a few talking
scenes). It was directed by Harry Lachman and starred Marguerite Allen
as Fancy Day (her dialogue was spoken off-camera by Peggie Robb-Smith)
and John Batten as Dick Dewey, and contained so many folk songs and
dances it was categorized in one reference work as a musical. Going by
the reviews, it wasn't a very good film, and I'm not sure what became of
it. I made a few attempts to locate a print while I was researching my
book, but I only came to dead ends.
I remember finding a mention of this film on the BFI website a few years ago (www.bfi.org.uk). I think it was a story about some restoration work being carried out on the/a surviving print (presumably held by the BFI). However, I can't find the article now. A search on the website merely reveals that Sidney Gilliat was credited as "Costumier/Literary adviser", Frank Launder for "Scenario" and Dallas Bower for "Sound recording".
Dave
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From: gary.alderson@btinternet.com
Subject: Under the Greenwood Tree (films)
Date: September 29, 2004 10:20:43 PM PDT
I visited the Birthplace this summer for a first time in a while, and I was once again struck by the smallness of the main downstairs room. If it is, as the National Trust tells us, the scene in which the Christmas Night dance at the tranter's is set, how on earth would as many people as mentioned in the story fit into such a small room? Even four couples would have found it a squeeze, let alone more than that plus a string band. Not to mention that the giant bough of mistletoe, hanging from the central beam, would have been a serious obstacle in a rooom that size. No wonder bits were kicked off the furniture.
I suspect that our mind's-eye view of dancing from this era is conditioned by Pride and Predjudice; in a film version of UTGT would we be watching something more like a rugby scrum?
On a "children say the funniest things" note, as I was a leaving a little girl rushed up to the door, followed by her parents. While she'd been told she was visiting Thomas Hardy's cottage, she had obviously missed the whole point, as she looked up at me and asked "Oh - are you Thomas Hardy?". I had to inform her he'd already left the building...
regards
Gary Alderson
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