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Thursday, February 11, 2021

Valentine's Day Period Drama Tag

Heidi at Along the Brandywine has provided us with this charming tag as part of her Valentine's Day Period Drama Blog Party, and I'm sharing my answers today :-)  All titles and so on are linked to my own reviews on my blog, unless otherwise specified.

1) Your current three (or up to five!) favorite period dramas?

If we're not counting westerns, then they're:

  1. We're No Angels (1955)
  2. Ben-Hur (1959)
  3. Chocolat (2000)
  4. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
  5. Anne of Green Gables (1985)

2) What would you recommend to someone who's never seen a period drama as a starter?

It really depends on what kinds of storylines they enjoy, and whether or not they're accustomed to watching older movies.  I find that kids tend to gravitate toward stories with kids in them, so The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975), Little Women (1994), Anne of Green Gables (1985), and Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) often connect well for them.  If someone likes actiony movies, I'd recommend Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) or A Knight's Tale (2001).

If you mean "romantic costume drama," then I would start people with movies, not miniseries, and the ones with familiar actors and actresses, like Jane Eyre (2011), Emma (1996 Paltrow), Sense and Sensibility (1995), and Pride and Prejudice (2005).  It's easier to ease people into the idea of the whole "bonnets and breeches" thing in small doses if they're not used to them.

3) A favorite couple that wouldn’t be included in answer #1 (cause I’m figuring those are already top favorites ;)) and/or a favorite secondary character romance? 

Hmmm.  Well, I think I'm considering period dramas more broadly than you might be intending, as a most of my top favorites are more dramas set in a historical time period previous to when they were made, rather than romantic costume dramas.  I mean, there is romance in some of them, but only a little in several, and none at all in one.

Anyway, a favorite couple that's not included in those top five would be Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester.  Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is my favorite novel, and I have seen six different versions of it.  I love two (1983 and 2011) and like two (1943 and 1997) of them, and didn't care for two of them (1996 and 2006).  Hmm, a comparison post on them might be a fun thing to write up in the future...

ANYWAY, I absolutely love Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester because of how they change and grow throughout their story.  Jane must grow from naive and dependent girlhood to independent and wise womanhood.  She spends her whole life adamantly obeying God rather than the various men who try to run her life, but it's not until she begins to act for herself instead of always reacting against men that she becomes able to choose a husband for herself in a steady and wise way.  Notice what that famous line says: "Reader, I married him."  Not "he married me."  "I married him."  This was her choice, her active decision.  By the end of the story, she is not only the morally stronger half of their whole, but the physically stronger.  She chooses to use her strength to help the man she loves, for the rest of their lives.  No one tricks her into that marriage.

As for Edward Rochester, he has even more growing and changing to do, obviously.  His transformation from a selfish, shallow philanderer into a repentant and humble man who must ask and not insist... it's so beautiful.  Movie versions tend to leave out the whole part where he prays and prays, seeking God's forgiveness and asking for his help.  It's only after he's repented of his behavior and sought God that that little miracle happens, him crying out for the Jane he has lost, and her hearing him from far away.  It's like a prayer, like him asking God to give him back Jane.  And God answers with a yes.  Almost like a sign from God that yes, Rochester, you have repented and are forgiven.


If Jane and Rochester had married that first time, if that wedding had not been interrupted, I don't think they would have had a happy life together.  Jane would have learned of Bertha's existence eventually, and what horrible pain Rochester's lies would have caused her.  She never would have trusted him again, would have lost all respect and love for him.  It's not until he has repented and been forgiven that he is worthy of her.  And it's not until she has learned to stop reacting and being acting for herself that she is his equal.

All of that to say, they're my favorite :-)

4) What do you consider foundational qualities for a healthy romance? 

Honesty, respect, putting the other person above yourself, a shared belief system, and a deep interest in that person that makes you want to be interested in their interests, even the ones you don't already share.

Is that boring?  I also think physical attraction is important, but that a romance can only flourish if there's more to it than just "I think you're hot."

5) Worst villain/antagonist? 

It's a toss-up between John Thorpe from Northanger Abbey (2007) and Lucy Steele from Sense and Sensibility (1995).  UGH.

6) A favorite proposal scene? 

Well, to avoid nattering on about Jane Eyre for five paragraphs again, I'll go with the scene at the train station at the end of North and South (2004), with the rose from Helston and the shy smiles and the hard-won kiss.

7) Favorite period drama characters based on a real life couple? 

Martin (Joseph Fiennes) and Katherina (Claire Cox) Luther in Luther (2003).  Not only are they both heroes of mine (we debated naming our first daughter after Katherina von Bora, even), but they're portrayed very well and close to what we know of the real Martin and Katie.  (Side note:  I plan to review that movie later this year...)

8) Any classic b/w period dramas you like? 

Um, yes. Jane Eyre (1943) and Pride and Prejudice (1940) in particular.  I love many black-and-white movies, though most of them are film noir, westerns, or WWII pictures.

9) Most mature romance in a period drama? (mature as in age and/or characters who are consciously and wisely ripened by life experience, etc.) 

Ooooh.  So, assuming that this means new romance and not a couple who is already married by the time the movie starts... I will say the romance between Cal Wayne (Bobby Darin) and Amy Martin (Emily Banks) in Gunfight in Abilene (1967).  Although they had been sweethearts before Cal went away to fight in the Civil War, they are no longer a couple when he returns.  Amy had been told that he was dead, and so, after mourning him for a year or two, she became involved with Cal's best friend's older brother, Grant Evers (Leslie Nielson).  When Cal returns from the war, most definitely not dead, he brings with him a dire secret that prevents him from trying to woo Amy away from Grant.  

Amy has a serene womanliness that attests to how grief has tempered her and refined her like a fire.  Cal's own trials and tribulations have turned him from a cocky boy into a secretive and cautious man.  Together, Amy helps Cal heal from his past trauma, once she understands it.  And Cal repeatedly assures her of his forgiveness for her beginning a relationship with another man when she thought he was dead.  

I actually co-wrote a fanfiction follow-up to this story, "Aftermath in Abilene," which you can read on fanfiction.net here.  I explored how Cal's PTSD would continue affect both him and Amy after their marriage, as well as his job as sheriff of Abilene.  My co-writer focused on his deputy, and it was a lot of fun to write.  It's the only movie I've ever written fanfic for.

10) Most excruciatingly long, slow burn romance in a period drama? 

It is very hard for me to wait patiently for Dorothea (Juliet Aubrey) and Ladislaw (Rufus Sewell) to finally get to be together in Middlemarch (1994).

11) A story that has multiple film adaptations where you love more than one of them? 

Oh, goodness.  How much time do we have?  I love many versions of Hamlet (especially 1964/Richard Burton, 1990/Mel Gibson, 1996/Kenneth Branagh, 2000/Ethan Hawke, and 2011 Bruce Ramsay).  I love two Jane Eyre films (1983 and 2011), as mentioned above.  I love three Pride and Prejudice adaptations (2005, 1995, 1940).  I discussed my tendency to like multiple adaptations of the same story more fully in this blog post on my book blog a few years ago.

12) A book you think needs to be made into a film (or a new adaptation)?

I want a big-screen adaptation of Jane of Lantern Hill by L. M. Montgomery.  I know there's a TV version made in the late '80s, but I've never seen it because it's a little expensive on DVD.  So I want one with Tom Hiddleston as Andrew Stuart, Dafne Keen as Jane, and Nicole Kidman as Robin.  Any time now, Hollywood.

Okay!  That was extremely fun, and I hope you enjoy reading my lengthy answers :-)  I wish you all a very happy Valentine's Day weekend, however you may choose to spend it.

20 comments:

  1. I'ven't heard of the child, and I haven't seen Nicole Kidman in anything, but I whole-heartedly second TH as Andrew Stuart. I'm just afraid of any film person touching the Montgomery books, I think the 80's Anne channels Little Women not Anne (to the point of literal plagiarization in the 2nd film), and I've refused to see Anne with E because of the missing the point and manhandling someone else's story and art issue.

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    1. Livia, I've only seen Dafne Keen in Logan, and that was a verrrry different character from Jane, but I think she would be really good at pulling off Jane's gravity and despair, and then her blossoming cheer and hope.

      Nicole Kidman is one of my absolute favorite actresses. Films of hers you might like would be Australia and Far and Away, I think.

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  2. I loved the 1983 version of Jane Eyre and I really want to read the book as well. I should watch Gunfight in Abilene sometime...

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    1. Anna and/or Irene, the 1983 Jane Eyre was possibly my introduction to the story, actually -- I just can't remember anymore if I got it from the library and then read my mom's copy of the book, or vice versa. One followed hard upon the other, when I was about 15, that's for sure :-) The book is wonderful -- my favorite novel. So meaty and rich.

      Gunfight in Abilene is a really sweet B-grade western with a lovely message about honesty and forgiveness. If you can get your hands on it, I totally recommend it.

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  3. I've been looking forward to your post... and hee, what fun answers! ;)

    Also, I loved your marvelous Jane/Rochester tangent. I've been in a big JE mood off and on the last couple months and kind of marathoned through all the versions I could get my hands on and hadn't yet seen (then of course went back and rewatched the ones I'd already seen and loved). I know I love the 2011 and enjoy the '83 and b/w, but I wanna see the 2006 again before making up my mind and reviewing it. I'd heard rave reviews and quite enjoyed lots about it, but for some reason it just hasn't quite clicked into any sort of favorite place yet. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

    Are you saving Luther for my epic story event?!? :)

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    1. Heidi, this post took me three days. My goodness, so much thinking required! Glad you enjoyed it :-)

      The Jane/Rochester tangent may have been inspired by our recent conversation ;-)

      I am saving Luther for exactly that! It's been a few years since I watched it, so I'm looking forward to doing that as 'research' before I review it :-)

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  4. Cool answers!

    I like multiple adaptations in theory--ie, I like the IDEA of exploring multiple interpretations of a story--and thus, I'm often willing to try a new adaptation of a classic story I love--but it's less often that I end up actually liking those multiple versions equally, or nearly equally. When I did this tag on my blog, the only story I could think of where I really LOVE multiple adaptations was "Emma." (the BBC miniseries and the Anya Taylor-Joy movie)

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    1. Thanks, Katie!

      I do generally have one particular favorite adaptation, but sometimes that favorite can change. My favorite Hamlet for years was the Mel Gibson, then it gradually switched to the Ethan Hawke, and then it gradually switched to the Bruce Ramsay. Though if there was a recording of the Jude Law stage version, that would be my top fave, I think.

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  5. The slow burn in Middlemarch was so slow that I lost all enthusiasm for it, but I'm still willing to try that version you mentioned when I get a chance!

    I've never read Jane of Lantern Hill, but just seeing that dream cast with people I have all seen act and I enjoy makes me want to read it right now so I will know what you're talking about!

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    1. MC, lol! It does take them a while to get together, but maybe it helped that I saw the BBC version before reading the book? So I *knew* how it would end, and got a lot of pleasure from watching things progress.

      Jane of Lantern Hill is very charming and lovely, and I hope you can find and read it ASAP!

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  6. I like LITTLE WOMEN(49) with JUNE ALLYSON. Also two that are in black and white. I REMEMBER MAMA with IRENE DUNNE, BARBARA BEL GEDDES and ELLEN CORBY. A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN with DOROTHY MCGUIRE, JOAN BLONDELL, PEGGY ANN GARNER and JAMES DUNN. I am a big fan of Dorothy and Joan. Have you seen all three of these movies? CLASSIC TV FAN

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    1. Classic TV Fan, I still have not seen the 1949 version of Little Women OR the 1933. Isn't that awful? Though I haven't seen the 2017 or 2019 versions either, only the 1994 and 1978.

      I've read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and I saw a stage version of I Remember Mama when I was in college, but I haven't seen the movie versions. I REALLY like Dorothy McGuire, though! Especially in the 1978 Little Women, where she plays Marmee. And also things like The Swiss Family Robinson and Old Yeller. She always plays such sensible, loving, wise characters.

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  7. Sorry, too many typos, so again: I never saw "I Remember Mama" but I know that it was very important to "Shane" director George Stevens. After he had returned from WWII and its atrocities, he no longer wanted to direct the comedies he used to direct pre-war. After "Mama" came "A Place in the Sun" and then "Shane". Ellen Corby by the way played Mrs. Stonewall Torrey in "Shane" (and later Grandma in the "Waltons", of course...) and received an Oscar nomination for "Mama". Sorry, am still immersed in that book about director George Stevens... I also like Dorothy McGuire – although the last film with her I watched isn't exactly a period drama... "The Spiral Staircase" is rather a "mystery drama", or a blend of film noir and gothic horror. It has excellent b/w cinematography and McGuire does a very good job.

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    1. Andrea, oh I didn't realize that was a young Ellen Corby as Mrs. Torrey! How neat. I love The Waltons, and Grandma is one of my favorites on that show.

      I have been wanting to watch The Spiral Staircase for a while now, but haven't gotten a chance yet. I'd like to see McGuire in something so different from what I'm used to. Rather like how seeing Errol Flynn in the excellent suspense drama (with noirish overtones) Cry Wolf was such a treat.

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  8. I absolutely LOVE what you said about Jane and Rochester in this post. So much so that I linked to it in my latest post for these blog parties. Brava. *applause*

    Also, the scene at the train station in North and South . . . it really is the very definition of "hard-won".

    Ooh, I remember getting impatient with the pacing of the relationship in Middlemarch, too. Hee hee.

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    1. Olivia, I'm honored! So glad you liked it so much. They are a couple who are often... misinterpreted, I think.

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  9. Knights Tale is fantastic I re-watched it recently.

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    1. Skye, I haven't seen A Knight's Tale in years and years because I'm still in mourning for Heath Ledger. I just keep my favorites of his on my shelves, waiting to be ready for them again. I did manage to watch 10 Things I Hate About You again a couple years ago, so I probably could handle it now.

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  10. It seems you have changed your mind about Jane Eyre 2011 and that you love it now ? Because I've read your previous thoughts about the movie and it seemed that you had disliked it back then ...

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    1. Emm, it's true! The first time I saw that version, I was a bit disappointed. The second time, I found a lot to like, and by now, after repeated viewings, I love it.

      This is why I've started putting "Initial Thoughts" on blog posts I do after only one viewing, and save actual reviews for after I've seen a movie at least twice, because that second viewing can be so crucial for me to truly understand the movie as a whole instead of just being there to figure out the plot.

      I'm gradually going back through old posts and changing them to say "initial thoughts" instead of "review" if I wrote about them after only seeing them once, way back when. With 19 years of blog posts to go through, though, it's taking a while ;-)

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