Search - The Bronte Collection (Jane Eyre / The Tenant of Wildfell Hall / Wuthering Heights) on DVD


The Bronte Collection (Jane Eyre / The Tenant of Wildfell Hall / Wuthering Heights)
The Bronte Collection
Jane Eyre / The Tenant of Wildfell Hall / Wuthering Heights
Actors: Zelah Clarke, Timothy Dalton, Tara Fitzgerald, Ian McShane, Angela Scoular
Genres: Drama, Television, Mystery & Suspense
NR     2009     11hr 5min

The daughters of an Irish clergyman, the Bronte sisters comprise one of the world's most famous literary families. Charlotte, the eldest, published Jane Eyre, the quintessential gothic romance in 1847. Later that year Emil...  more »

     
7

Larger Image

Movie Details

Actors: Zelah Clarke, Timothy Dalton, Tara Fitzgerald, Ian McShane, Angela Scoular
Genres: Drama, Television, Mystery & Suspense
Sub-Genres: Drama, Drama, Mystery & Suspense
Studio: BBC Warner
Format: DVD - Color,Full Screen - Subtitled
DVD Release Date: 10/13/2009
Release Year: 2009
Run Time: 11hr 5min
Screens: Color,Full Screen
Number of Discs: 3
SwapaDVD Credits: 3
Total Copies: 0
Members Wishing: 2
Edition: Box set
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Languages: English
Subtitles: English

Similar Movies

The George Eliot Collection
Middlemarch / Daniel Deronda / Silas Marner / Adam Bede / The Mill on the Floss
Directors: Anthony Page, Giles Foster, Tom Hooper
8
   NR   2007   16hr 33min
Jane Austen Collection
Sense & Sensibility / Emma / Persuasion / Mansfield Park / Pride & Prejudice / Northanger Abbey
Directors: Cyril Coke, Giles Foster
   NR   2004   22hr 16min
The Anthony Trollope Collection
The Barchester Chronicles / He Knew He Was Right / The Way We Live Now
Directors: David Giles, Tom Vaughan
5
   NR   2005   15hr 0min
The Elizabeth Gaskell Collection
Wives and Daughters / Cranford / North and South
9
   NR   2008   13hr 44min
The Buccaneers
Director: Philip Saville
   NR   2006   5hr 2min

Similarly Requested DVDs

Wall-E
Single-Disc Edition
Director: Andrew Stanton
   G   2008   1hr 38min
   
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Director: Howard Hawks
   NR   2006   1hr 31min
   
Weekend at Bernie's
Director: Ted Kotcheff
   PG-13   2001   1hr 37min
   
The Three Musketeers
Director: Donovan Cook
   G   2004   1hr 8min
   
Morning Glory
Director: Roger Michell
   1hr 47min
   
Brother Bear 2
   G   2006   1hr 13min
   
Cow Belles
Director: Francine McDougall
   G   2006   1hr 30min
   
Gracie
Director: Davis Guggenheim
   PG-13   2007   1hr 35min
   
Runaway Bride
Widescreen Edition
Director: Garry Marshall
   PG   2000   1hr 56min
   
 

Movie Reviews

Avoid if faitful renditions mean something
Andrew Raker | PA | 12/17/2009
(2 out of 5 stars)

"
Firstly, I am not critiquing the cinematography of any of the three films in this collection. (The cinematography of the 1967 "Wuthering Heights" and 1983 "Jane Eyre" are quite aweful but then again, a lot of television adaptations from the 1980s or before do not meet 21st century standards.)

My review critiques most the rendition of the novels - (1) Is the characterization correct? (2) Has the plotline been significantly altered?


1.
Jane Eyre (1983) Individual rating: 5 stars

This BBC version of Jane Eyre starring Timothy Dalton is the best version I have seen. Compared with the Miramax 1996 version, 1997 A&E version, or 2006 Masterpiece adaptation, this 1983 adaptation is considerably better. [However, Jayston's characterization of Rochester in the 1973 adaptation is more accurate to Charlotte Bronte's intent.]

What I liked about the BBC 1983 version is that I can picture the characters in their respective roles. For example, Timothy Dalton is everything I imagined Edward Fairfax Rochester as being - smart, sarcastic, cynical, etc (even if he is too handsome). In addition, Zelah Clarke plays Jane Eyre very well. She brings a serious tone to Jane's character. Some television editions of Jane Eyre 'tick me off' by having an older teenager girl (who has no maturity) play this important role. The acting does not convince me and ruins the film.

Finally, this film appeals to me because it takes much of the dialogue straight from the book. Certainly, there are a few minor scenes from the book that are left out or slightly compressed. However, for the most part, this film is perfectly loyal to the novel. In fact, I probably shouldn't say, but this film is so accurate that you could probably pass a reading comprehension test on the novel "Jane Eyre" simply by watching this film one or two times and taking notes.

I also recommend the 1973 BBC "Jane Eyre" adaptation. (In fact, I think the 1973 adaptation has the better characterization, although a slightly less-faithful plot in areas that do not much matter such as when Jane is roaming the countrside after fleeing Thornfield Hall.)


2.
Wuthering Heights (1967) Individual rating: 2 stars [black and white]

Now, let me say that this adaptation of Wuthering Heights, 1967, is NOT worthy of being called a BBC classic, as the cover tries to convince the potential buyer.

Why?

Answer: Because the plot of this production is horribly badly because it alters important dialogue. It is the equivalent of a Hamlet production, by the BBC under the label "classic," where Hamlet says "Should I kill myself or no?" instead of "To be or not to be, that is the question?"

Yet, the plot is not the only problem. Also, Ian McShane is too old to play Heathcliff, at least the teenage scenes (which have been altered into youth adult scenes thanks to horrible script-writing).

Born in 1942, this MAN (Ian McShane) plays Heathcliff for the whole film, except for the first eight minutes, when some little five year old (or someone who appears five) is brought home by Mr. Earnshaw from Liverpool. Now, I understand the desire for constancy in acting. Four different individuals playing Heathcliff over 30 years might make some viewers disappointed. Yet, in this adaptation, how can anyone feel sorry for Heathcliff when 50 pages of the novel are removed - the most important 50 pages in understand why Heathcliff becomes so bitter and angry. Forgive me, but when 25 year old Ian McShane loses 23 year old Angela Scoular so some other actor playing an equally elderly Edgar Linton, I just do not feel much sympathy for the approximately 16 year old Heathcliff of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, who runs away from Wuthering Heights after Cathy says, "Marrying Heathcliff would degrade me."

Now, I understand the 1992 adaptation, the 1998 adaptation, and the 2009 adaptation are also unfaithful portrayals of a wondering work of literature. Yet, this adaptation takes first prize. I simply wonder why the producers just didn't have Ian McShane as the bundle Mr. Earnshaw brings back from Liverpool. I do wonder what the script writer could possibly have been thinking by having other characters call Heathcliff a 'gypsy' at least 20 times. [Certainly, Heathcliff may have been a gypsy, just as he may have been something else. However, in this film, there is great concensus that Heathcliff is a stupid gypsy.]

Continuing with this point, MacShane plays a Heathcliff who reminds one of a highly evolved monkey. He is stupid - not passionate. He is gready for Cathy - not a soulmates with her, who suffered abuse as a teenager. Bronte's Heathcliff needs Cathy and relies upon her - he is the teenager who can accept all the bullies's abuses as long as the girl he loves, loves him back. Such a Heathcliff does not exist in this adaptation.


One Thing I ABSOLUTELY DETESTED about this adaptation:

If you read Emily Bronte's novel, you would learn that Heathcliff is a teenager when Mr. Earnshaw dies - 14 years of age is a good estimate. Now, imagine Hindley (who hates Heathcliff), taking a 14 year old boy, overworking him, repeatedly whipping him very severely, and keeping him from the one thing he loves and depends upon (his soulmate Cathy). All of this is non-existant in this film. Hindley's wife does not ever die until after Heathcliff has left Wuthering Heights. Therefore, all those wonderful scenes where a drunken Hindley takes out his anger on Heathcliff for his wife's death, are non-existent. Heathcliff and Catherine clearly have a childhood together, grow up together, and bond together as teenagers, but you would never know this based upon this sorry excuse for a film.

Recommend instead:

Wuthering Heights 1978 (most faithful adaptation)
Wuthering Heights 1998 (decent characterization but not perfect)


3.
Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1997) Individual rating: 2 stars

I personally did not find this film adaptation of Anne Bronte's "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" to be very interesting. I did not give the film one star because the adaptation was not a complete disaster. There were some qualities in the film that I found admirable (for example: The film conveys the main theme of a male dominated society, where females have no power).

Unlike many people who gave the film adaptation a 5-star rating, I have actually read "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" in full. The penguin edition of the novel is 489 pages - considerably longer than Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice." Unfortunately, the scriptwriter did not feel that it was acceptable to create a truly wonderful and well-developed mini-series from the novel. Instead, the film is a SHELL with no juicy plot inside and little character development.

Now, I am not saying that some people (especially people who are not literary scholars, but rather individuals who enjoy love stories) might not find the film interesting. I am simply saying that I was bored by the production.

In this adaptation, Hargrave rarely gets any screen time, Ralph and Helen Hattersley along with Lord Lowborough and Mr. Grimsby are forgotten, and Helen's live before marriage to Arthur is not portrayed in detail. In essence, the focus of this film is very limited. Since I have read the novel, this makes the film very boring - I am being given merely the skeleton of the plot. Furthermore, some elements of plot are altered (for example: the time, place, and context of Gilbert's confrontation with Frederick Lawrence, where Gilbert attacks Frederick).


BOTTOM LINE:

I think it is in your best interest to purchase adaptations separately. If you wish to purchase all three adaptations, the price would make this collection a better deal. However, if you want to watch the most faithful adaptations, I would stay away from the Wuthering Heights in this collection. Unfortunately, there is no other adaptation of "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall."

"